EMC: Verification

Science.gov Websites

, GFS, RAP, HRRR, HIRESW, SREF mean, International Global Models, HPC analysis Precipitation Skill Scores : 1995-Present NAM, GFS, NAM CONUS nest, International Models EMC Forecast Verfication Stats: NAM ) Real Time Verification of NCEP Operational Models against observations Real Time Verification of NCEP

Resolution analysis of finite fault source inversion using one- and three-dimensional Green's functions 1. Strong motions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graves, R.W.; Wald, D.J.

2001-01-01

We develop a methodology to perform finite fault source inversions from strong motion data using Green's functions (GFs) calculated for a three-dimensional (3-D) velocity structure. The 3-D GFs are calculated numerically by inserting body forces at each of the strong motion sites and then recording the resulting strains along the target fault surface. Using reciprocity, these GFs can be recombined to represent the ground motion at each site for any (heterogeneous) slip distribution on the fault. The reciprocal formulation significantly reduces the required number of 3-D finite difference computations to at most 3NS, where NS is the number of strong motion sites used in the inversion. Using controlled numerical resolution tests, we have examined the relative importance of accurate GFs for finite fault source inversions which rely on near-source ground motions. These experiments use both 1-D and 3-D GFs in inversions for hypothetical rupture models in order (1) to analyze the ability of the 3-D methodology to resolve trade-offs between complex source phenomena and 3-D path effects, (2) to address the sensitivity of the inversion results to uncertainties in the 3-D velocity structure, and (3) to test the adequacy of the 1-D GF method when propagation effects are known to be three-dimensional. We find that given "data" from a prescribed 3-D Earth structure, the use of well-calibrated 3-D GFs in the inversion provides very good resolution of the assumed slip distribution, thus adequately separating source and 3-D propagation effects. In contrast, using a set of inexact 3-D GFs or a set of hybrid 1-D GFs allows only partial recovery of the slip distribution. These findings suggest that in regions of complex geology the use of well-calibrated 3-D GFs has the potential for increased resolution of the rupture process relative to 1-D GFs. However, realizing this full potential requires that the 3-D velocity model and associated GFs should be carefully validated against the true 3-D Earth structure before performing the inverse problem with actual data. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

Observed Structure and Characteristics of Cold Pools over Tropical Oceans using Vector Wind Retrievals and WRF simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garg, P.; Nesbitt, S. W.; Lang, T. J.; Chronis, T.; Thayer, J. D.; Hence, D. A.

2017-12-01

Cold pools generated in the wake of convective activity can enhance the surface sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and also changes in evaporation out of, and fresh water flux into, the ocean. Recent studies have shown that over the open ocean, cold pool outflow boundaries and their intersections can organize and initiate a spectrum of deep convective clouds, which is a key driver of shallow and deep convection over conditionally-unstable tropical oceans. The primary goal of this study is to understand the structure and characteristics of cold pools over the tropical oceans using observations. With the idea that cold pools will have strong wind gradients at their boundaries, we use ASCAT vector wind retrievals. We identify regions of steep gradients in wind vectors as gradient features (GFs), akin to cold pools. Corresponding to these GFs, sensible and latent heat fluxes were calculated using the observed winds and background temperatures from MERRA-2 reanalysis. To evaluate the proposed technique, cold pools were observed using S-PolKa radar from the DYNAMO/AMIE field campaign in the Indian Ocean for the period of 1 October 2011 to 31 March 2012 and were compared with ASCAT GFs. To relate the thermodynamic and kinematic characteristics of observed and simulated cold pools, simulations were carried out on WRF on a 3-km domain explicitly. The areas of cold pools were identified in the models using virtual temperature (Tv), which is a direct measure of air density, while GFs were identified using model simulated winds. Quantitative measures indicate that GFs are highly correspondent with model-simulated cold pools. In global measurements of cold pools from 2007-2015, it is possible to examine the characteristics of GFs across all tropical ocean basins, and relate them to meteorological conditions, as well as the characteristics of the parent precipitation systems. Our results indicate that while there is a general relationship between the amount of precipitation and the number of cold pools, the largest cold pools exist over the Eastern Pacific basin, where the most stratiform rain is produced from oceanic MCSs. It is anticipated that improved understanding of cold pools, which are a primary triggering mechanism of oceanic shallow and deep convection, will improve prediction of this important component of the climate system.

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

Modeling Mesoscale Modeling Marine Modeling and Analysis Teams Climate Data Assimilation Ensembles and Post Documentation, experiments, web content Nicole McKee Makefiles, scripts, launcher Edward Colon NEMSIO, post Yang GFS post Hui-ya Chuang NAM development Tom Black Dusan Jovic Jim Abeles GFS development S Moorthi

Size of graphene sheets determines the structural and mechanical properties of 3D graphene foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Zhiqiang; Ye, Huilin; Zhou, Chi; Kröger, Martin; Li, Ying

2018-03-01

Graphene is recognized as an emerging 2D nanomaterial for many applications. Assembly of graphene sheets into 3D structures is an attractive way to enable their macroscopic applications and to preserve the exceptional mechanical and physical properties of their constituents. In this study, we develop a coarse-grained (CG) model for 3D graphene foams (GFs) based on the CG model for a 2D graphene sheet by Ruiz et al (2015 Carbon 82 103-15). We find that the size of graphene sheets plays an important role in both the structural and mechanical properties of 3D GFs. When their size is smaller than 10 nm, the graphene sheets can easily stack together under the influence of van der Waals interactions (vdW). These stacks behave like building blocks and are tightly packed together within 3D GFs, leading to high density, small pore radii, and a large Young’s modulus. However, if the sheet sizes exceed 10 nm, they are staggered together with a significant amount of deformation (bending). Therefore, the density of 3D GFs has been dramatically reduced due to the loosely packed graphene sheets, accompanied by large pore radii and a small Young’s modulus. Under uniaxial compression, rubber-like stress-strain curves are observed for all 3D GFs. This material characteristic is dominated by the vdW interactions between different graphene layers and slightly affected by the out-of-plane deformation of the graphene sheets. We find a simple scaling law E˜ {ρ }4.2 between the density ρ and Young’s modulus E for a model of 3D GFs. The simulation results reveal structure-property relations of 3D GFs, which can be applied to guide the design of 3D graphene assemblies with exceptional properties.

Microanalysis and preliminary pharmacokinetic studies of a sulfated polysaccharide from Laminaria japonica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenjing; Sun, Delin; Zhao, Xia; Jin, Weihua; Wang, Jing; Zhang, Quanbin

2016-01-01

A rapid, sensitive and reproducible high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with post-column fluorescence derivatization has been developed to determine the amount of low-molecular-weight sulfated polysaccharide (GFS) in vivo. The metabolism of GFS has been shown to fit a two component model following its administration by intravenous injection, and its pharmacokinetic parameters were determined to be as follows: half-time of distribution phase ( t 1/2α)=11.24±2.93 min, half-time of elimination phase ( t 1/2β)=98.20±25.78 min, maximum concentration ( C max)=110.53 μg/mL and peak time ( T max)=5 min. The pharmacokinetic behavior of GFS was also investigated following intragastric administration. However, the concentration of GFS found in serum was too low for detection, and GFS could only be detected for up to 2 h after intragastric administration (200 mg/kg body weight). Thus, the bioavailability of GFS was low following intragastric administration because of the metabolism of GFS. In conclusion, HPLC with postcolumn derivatization could be used for quantitative microanalysis and pharmacokinetic studies to determine the presence of polysaccharides in the serum following intravenous injection.

NCEP Data Products

Science.gov Websites

Image of NCEP Logo WHERE AMERICA'S CLIMATE AND WEATHER SERVICES BEGIN Inventory of Data Products on Generated Products Image of horizontal rule Global Forecast System (GFS) GFS Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS of horizontal rule External Products Image of horizontal rule Canadian Ensemble Forecast System

High Density Polyethylene Composites Reinforced with Hybrid Inorganic Fillers: Morphology, Mechanical and Thermal Expansion Performance

PubMed Central

Huang, Runzhou; Xu, Xinwu; Lee, Sunyoung; Zhang, Yang; Kim, Birm-June; Wu, Qinglin

2013-01-01

The effect of individual and combined talc and glass fibers (GFs) on mechanical and thermal expansion performance of the filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites was studied. Several published models were adapted to fit the measured tensile modulus and strength of various composite systems. It was shown that the use of silane-modified GFs had a much larger effect in improving mechanical properties and in reducing linear coefficient of thermal expansion (LCTE) values of filled composites, compared with the use of un-modified talc particles due to enhanced bonding to the matrix, larger aspect ratio, and fiber alignment for GFs. Mechanical properties and LCTE values of composites with combined talc and GF fillers varied with talc and GF ratio at a given total filler loading level. The use of a larger portion of GFs in the mix can lead to better composite performance, while the use of talc can help lower the composite costs and increase its recyclability. The use of 30 wt % combined filler seems necessary to control LCTE values of filled HDPE in the data value range generally reported for commercial wood plastic composites. Tensile modulus for talc-filled composite can be predicted with rule of mixture, while a PPA-based model can be used to predict the modulus and strength of GF-filled composites. PMID:28788322

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

Organization Search Enter text Search Navigation Bar End Cap Search EMC Go Branches Global Climate and Weather Modeling Mesoscale Modeling Marine Modeling and Analysis Teams Climate Data Assimilation Ensembles and Post Products People GLOBAL CLIMATE & WEATHER MODELING Global Forecast System (GFS) products - Please see

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

Modeling Center continuously monitors its NWP model performance against different performance measures, and AIRCFT GFS SSI and forecast fits to RAOBS for last 7 days spatial bias maps for different regions different regions GFS SSI and forecast fits to RAOBS for calendar months (time series, spatial and vertical

SP-100 initial startup and restart control strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halfen, Frank J.; Wong, Kwok K.; Switick, Dennis M.; Shukla, Jaikaran N.

Startup control strategies for SP-100 are described. Revised control and operating strategies are discussed which have been developed and tested using the SP-100 dynamic simulation model Aries-GFS (Generic Flight System).

Testing a Coupled Global-limited-area Data Assimilation System using Observations from the 2004 Pacific Typhoon Season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holt, C. R.; Szunyogh, I.; Gyarmati, G.; Hoffman, R. N.; Leidner, M.

2011-12-01

Tropical cyclone (TC) track and intensity forecasts have improved in recent years due to increased model resolution, improved data assimilation, and the rapid increase in the number of routinely assimilated observations over oceans. The data assimilation approach that has received the most attention in recent years is Ensemble Kalman Filtering (EnKF). The most attractive feature of the EnKF is that it uses a fully flow-dependent estimate of the error statistics, which can have important benefits for the analysis of rapidly developing TCs. We implement the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter algorithm, a vari- ation of the EnKF, on a reduced-resolution version of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) model and the NCEP Regional Spectral Model (RSM) to build a coupled global-limited area anal- ysis/forecast system. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that such a system is used for the analysis and forecast of tropical cyclones. We use data from summer 2004 to study eight tropical cyclones in the Northwest Pacific. The benchmark data sets that we use to assess the performance of our system are the NCEP Reanalysis and the NCEP Operational GFS analyses from 2004. These benchmark analyses were both obtained by the Statistical Spectral Interpolation, which was the operational data assimilation system of NCEP in 2004. The GFS Operational analysis assimilated a large number of satellite radiance observations in addition to the observations assimilated in our system. All analyses are verified against the Joint Typhoon Warning Center Best Track data set. The errors are calculated for the position and intensity of the TCs. The global component of the ensemble-based system shows improvement in po- sition analysis over the NCEP Reanalysis, but shows no significant difference from the NCEP operational analysis for most of the storm tracks. The regional com- ponent of our system improves position analysis over all the global analyses. The intensity analyses, measured by the minimum sea level pressure, are of similar quality in all of the analyses. Regional deterministic forecasts started from our analyses are generally not significantly different from those started from the GFS operational analysis. On average, the regional experiments performed better for longer than 48 h sea level pressure forecasts, while the global forecast performed better in predicting the position for longer than 48 h.

Autonomous water sampling for long-term monitoring of trace metals in remote environments.

PubMed

Kim, Hyojin; Bishop, James K B; Wood, Todd J; Fung, Inez Y

2012-10-16

A remotely controlled autonomous method for long-term high-frequency sampling of environmental waters in remote locations is described. The method which preserves sample integrity of dissolved trace metals and major ions for month-long periods employs a gravitational filtration system (GFS) that separates dissolved and particulate phases as samples are collected. The key elements of GFS are (1) a modified "air-outlet" filter holder to maximize filtration rate and thus minimize filtration artifacts; and (2) the direct delivery of filtrate to dedicated bottle sets for specific analytes. Depth and screen filter types were evaluated with depth filters showing best performance. GFS performance is validated using ground, stream, and estuary waters. Over 30 days of storage, samples with GFS treatment had average recoveries of 95 ± 19% and 105 ± 7% of Fe and Mn, respectively; without GFS treatment, average recoveries were only 16% and 18%. Dissolved major cations K, Mg, and Na were stable independent of collection methodology, whereas Ca in some groundwater samples decreased up to 42% without GFS due to CaCO(3) precipitation. In-field performance of GFS equipped autosamplers is demonstrated using ground and streamwater samples collected at the Angelo Coast Range Reserve, California from October 3 to November 4 2011.

Improving medium-range and seasonal hydroclimate forecasts in the southeast USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Di

Accurate hydro-climate forecasts are important for decision making by water managers, agricultural producers, and other stake holders. Numerical weather prediction models and general circulation models may have potential for improving hydro-climate forecasts at different scales. In this study, forecast analogs of the Global Forecast System (GFS) and Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) based on different approaches were evaluated for medium-range reference evapotranspiration (ETo), irrigation scheduling, and urban water demand forecasts in the southeast United States; the Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2) and the North American national multi-model ensemble (NMME) were statistically downscaled for seasonal forecasts of ETo, precipitation (P) and 2-m temperature (T2M) at the regional level. The GFS mean temperature (Tmean), relative humidity, and wind speed (Wind) reforecasts combined with the climatology of Reanalysis 2 solar radiation (Rs) produced higher skill than using the direct GFS output only. Constructed analogs showed slightly higher skill than natural analogs for deterministic forecasts. Both irrigation scheduling driven by the GEFS-based ETo forecasts and GEFS-based ETo forecast skill were generally positive up to one week throughout the year. The GEFS improved ETo forecast skill compared to the GFS. The GEFS-based analog forecasts for the input variables of an operational urban water demand model were skillful when applied in the Tampa Bay area. The modified operational models driven by GEFS analog forecasts showed higher forecast skill than the operational model based on persistence. The results for CFSv2 seasonal forecasts showed maximum temperature (Tmax) and Rs had the greatest influence on ETo. The downscaled Tmax showed the highest predictability, followed by Tmean, Tmin, Rs, and Wind. The CFSv2 model could better predict ETo in cold seasons during El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events only when the forecast initial condition was in ENSO. Downscaled P and T2M forecasts were produced by directly downscaling the NMME P and T2M output or indirectly using the NMME forecasts of Nino3.4 sea surface temperatures to predict local-scale P and T2M. The indirect method generally showed the highest forecast skill which occurs in cold seasons. The bias-corrected NMME ensemble forecast skill did not outperform the best single model.

Three-Dimensional Printed Graphene Foams.

PubMed

Sha, Junwei; Li, Yilun; Villegas Salvatierra, Rodrigo; Wang, Tuo; Dong, Pei; Ji, Yongsung; Lee, Seoung-Ki; Zhang, Chenhao; Zhang, Jibo; Smith, Robert H; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Lou, Jun; Zhao, Naiqin; Tour, James M

2017-07-25

An automated metal powder three-dimensional (3D) printing method for in situ synthesis of free-standing 3D graphene foams (GFs) was successfully modeled by manually placing a mixture of Ni and sucrose onto a platform and then using a commercial CO 2 laser to convert the Ni/sucrose mixture into 3D GFs. The sucrose acted as the solid carbon source for graphene, and the sintered Ni metal acted as the catalyst and template for graphene growth. This simple and efficient method combines powder metallurgy templating with 3D printing techniques and enables direct in situ 3D printing of GFs with no high-temperature furnace or lengthy growth process required. The 3D printed GFs show high-porosity (∼99.3%), low-density (∼0.015g cm -3 ), high-quality, and multilayered graphene features. The GFs have an electrical conductivity of ∼8.7 S cm -1 , a remarkable storage modulus of ∼11 kPa, and a high damping capacity of ∼0.06. These excellent physical properties of 3D printed GFs indicate potential applications in fields requiring rapid design and manufacturing of 3D carbon materials, for example, energy storage devices, damping materials, and sound absorption.

Impact of SMOS soil moisture data assimilation on NCEP-GFS forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, X.; Zheng, W.; Meng, J.; Dong, J.; Ek, M.

2012-04-01

Soil moisture is one of the few critical land surface state variables that have long memory to impact the exchanges of water, energy and carbon between the land surface and atmosphere. Accurate information about soil moisture status is thus required for numerical weather, seasonal climate and hydrological forecast as well as for agricultural production forecasts, water management and many other water related economic or social activities. Since the successful launch of ESA's soil moisture ocean salinity (SMOS) mission in November 2009, about 2 years of soil moisture retrievals has been collected. SMOS is believed to be the currently best satellite sensors for soil moisture remote sensing. Therefore, it becomes interesting to examine how the collected SMOS soil moisture data are compared with other satellite-sensed soil moisture retrievals (such as NASA's Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer -AMSR-E and EUMETSAT's Advanced Scatterometer - ASCAT)), in situ soil moisture measurements, and how these data sets impact numerical weather prediction models such as the Global Forecast System of NOAA-NCEP. This study implements the Ensemble Kalman filter in GFS to assimilate the AMSR-E, ASCAT and SMOS soil moisture observations after a quantitative assessment of their error rate based on in situ measurements from ground networks around contiguous United States. in situ soil moisture measurements from ground networks (such as USDA Soil Climate Analysis network - SCAN and NOAA's U.S. Climate Reference Network -USCRN) are used to evaluate the GFS soil moisture simulations (analysis). The benefits and uncertainties of assimilating the satellite data products in GFS are examined by comparing the GFS forecasts of surface temperature and rainfall with and without the assimilations. From these examinations, the advantages of SMOS soil moisture data products over other satellite soil moisture data sets will be evaluated. The next step toward operationally assimilating soil moisture and other land observations into GFS will also be discussed.

Multiphysics and Multiscale Model Coupling Using Gerris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keen, T. R.; Dykes, J. D.; Campbell, T. J.

2012-12-01

This work is implementing oceanographic processes encompassing multiple physics and scales using the Gerris Flow Solver (GFS) in order to examine their interdependence and sensitivity to changes in the physical environment. The processes include steady flow due to tides and the wind, phase-averaged wave-forced flow and oscillatory currents, and sediment transport. The 2D steady flow is calculated by the Ocean module contained within GFS. This model solves the Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations using the finite volume method. The model domain is represented by quad-tree adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). A stationary wave field is computed for a specified wave spectrum is uniformly distributed over the domain as a tracer with local wind input parameterized as a source, and dissipation by friction and breaking as a sink. Alongshore flow is included by a radiation stress term; this current is added to the steady flow component from tides and wind. Wave-current interaction is parameterized using a bottom boundary layer model. Sediment transport as suspended and bed load is implemented using tracers that are transported via the advection equations. A bed-conservation equation is implemented to allow changes in seafloor elevation to be used in adjusting the AMR refinement. These processes are being coupled using programming methods that are inherent to GFS and that do not require modification or recompiling of the code. These techniques include passive tracers, C functions that operate as plug-ins, and user-defined C-type macros included with GFS. Our results suggest that the AMR model coupling method is useful for problems where the dynamics are governed by several processes. This study is examining the relative influence of the steady currents, wave field, and sedimentation. Hydrodynamic and sedimentation interaction in nearshore environments is being studied for an idealized beach and for the Sandy Duck storm of Oct. 1998. The potential behavior of muddy sediments on the inner shelf is being evaluated for cold fronts near Atchafalaya Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. Due to the complexity of the model output results, fields are loaded into ArcMAP, a GIS-based application developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), with additional software that facilitates analysis of the results and assessment of model performance. GFS provides output with sufficient georeferencing information to be suitable for nearly seamless ingestion by ArcMAP. Analysis tools include comparisons between data layers; these may be intra-model, inter-model, or model-observation data. The comparisons become new data layers with additional parameters such as enhancements curves, time series, and statistics.

The Global File System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soltis, Steven R.; Ruwart, Thomas M.; OKeefe, Matthew T.

1996-01-01

The global file system (GFS) is a prototype design for a distributed file system in which cluster nodes physically share storage devices connected via a network-like fiber channel. Networks and network-attached storage devices have advanced to a level of performance and extensibility so that the previous disadvantages of shared disk architectures are no longer valid. This shared storage architecture attempts to exploit the sophistication of storage device technologies whereas a server architecture diminishes a device's role to that of a simple component. GFS distributes the file system responsibilities across processing nodes, storage across the devices, and file system resources across the entire storage pool. GFS caches data on the storage devices instead of the main memories of the machines. Consistency is established by using a locking mechanism maintained by the storage devices to facilitate atomic read-modify-write operations. The locking mechanism is being prototyped in the Silicon Graphics IRIX operating system and is accessed using standard Unix commands and modules.

Validation of the vertical profiles of three meteorological models using radiosondes from Antofagasta, Paranal and Llano de Chajnantor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortés, L.; Curé, M.

2011-11-01

This research presents an evaluation of three meteorological models, the Global Forecast System (GFS), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the mesoscale model WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) for three sites located in north of Chile. Cerro Moreno Airport, the Paranal Observatory and Llano de Chajnantor are located at 25, 130 and 283 km from the city of Antofagasta, respectively. Results for the three sites show that the lowest correlation and the highest errors occur at the surface. ECMWF model presents the best results at these levels for the two hours analyzed. This could be due to the fact that the ECMWF model has 91 vertical levels, compared to the 64 and 27 vertical levels of GFS and WRF models, respectively. Therefore, it can represent better the processes in the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL). In relation to the middle and upper troposphere, the three models show good agreement.

The Implementation of NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) Version 1.0 for Global Dust Forecasting at NOAA NCEP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Cheng-Hsuan; Da Silva, Arlindo M.; Wang, Jun; Moorthi, Shrinivas; Chin, Mian; Colarco, Peter; Tang, Youhua; Bhattacharjee, Partha S.; Chen, Shen-Po; Chuang, Hui-Ya;

MODEL CHANGES SINCE 1991

Science.gov Websites

, effects of balloon drift in time and space included Forecast and post processing: Improved orography minor changes: Observations and analysis: Higher resolution sea ice mask Forecast and post processing . 12/04/07 12Z: Use of Unified Post Processor in GFS 12/04/07 12Z: GFS Ensemble (NAEFS/TIGGE) UPGRADE

Spin-up simulation behaviors in a climate model to build a basement of long-time simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Xue, Y.; De Sales, F.

2015-12-01

It is essential to develop start-up information when conducting long-time climate simulation. In case that the initial condition is already available from the previous simulation of same type model this does not necessary; however, if not, model needs spin-up simulation to have adjusted and balanced initial condition with the model climatology. Otherwise, a severe spin may take several years. Some of model variables such as deep soil temperature fields and temperature in ocean deep layers in initial fields would affect model's further long-time simulation due to their long residual memories. To investigate the important factor for spin-up simulation in producing an atmospheric initial condition, we had conducted two different spin-up simulations when no atmospheric condition is available from exist datasets. One simulation employed atmospheric global circulation model (AGCM), namely Global Forecast System (GFS) of National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), while the other employed atmosphere-ocean coupled global circulation model (CGCM), namely Climate Forecast System (CFS) of NCEP. Both models share the atmospheric modeling part and only difference is in applying of ocean model coupling, which is conducted by Modular Ocean Model version 4 (MOM4) of Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) in CFS. During a decade of spin-up simulation, prescribed sea-surface temperature (SST) fields of target year is forced to the GFS daily basis, while CFS digested only first time step ocean condition and freely iterated for the rest of the period. Both models were forced by CO2 condition and solar constant given from the target year. Our analyses of spin-up simulation results indicate that freely conducted interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere is more helpful to produce the initial condition for the target year rather than produced by fixed SST forcing. Since the GFS used prescribed forcing exactly given from the target year, this result is unexpected. The detail analysis will be discussed in this presentation.

Tropical-Cyclone Formation: Theory and Idealized Modelling

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-11-01

to saturation at the sea-surface temperature and the positive entropy flux from the ocean surface...and Atmospheric Administration; IFEX = Intensity Forecasting Experiment. 15GFS = NOAA Global Forecasting System ; NOGAPS = Navy Operational Global... Atmospheric Prediction System ; UKMET = United Kingdom Meteorological Office. 16 http://www.met.nps.edu/~mtmontgo/storms2010.html 18 overcomes

Using Ground Measurements to Examine the Surface Layer Parameterization Scheme in NCEP GFS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, W.; Ek, M. B.; Mitchell, K.

2017-12-01

Understanding the behavior and the limitation of the surface layer parameneterization scheme is important for parameterization of surface-atmosphere exchange processes in atmospheric models, accurate prediction of near-surface temperature and identifying the role of different physical processes in contributing to errors. In this study, we examine the surface layer paramerization scheme in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) using the ground flux measurements including the FLUXNET data. The model simulated surface fluxes, surface temperature and vertical profiles of temperature and wind speed are compared against the observations. The limits of applicability of the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST), which describes the vertical behavior of nondimensionalized mean flow and turbulence properties within the surface layer, are quantified in daytime and nighttime using the data. Results from unstable regimes and stable regimes are discussed.

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

Organization Search Enter text Search Navigation Bar End Cap Search EMC Go Branches Global Climate and Weather / VISION | About EMC EMC > GLOBAL BRANCH > GFS > HOME Home Implementations Documentation References Products Model Guidance Performance Developers VLab GLOBAL FORECAST SYSTEM Global Data

Potential Technologies for Assessing Risk Associated with a Mesoscale Forecast

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

American GFS models, and informally applied on the Weather Research and Forecasting ( WRF ) model. The current CI equation is as follows...Reen B, Penc R. Investigating surface bias errors in the Weather Research and Forecasting ( WRF ) model using a Geographic Information System (GIS). J...Forecast model ( WRF -ARW) with extensions that might include finer terrain resolutions and more detailed representations of the underlying atmospheric

Guide to GFS History File Change on May 1, 2007

Science.gov Websites

Guide to GFS History File Change on May 1, 2007 On May 1, 2007 12Z, the GFS had a major change. The change caused the internal binary GFS history file to change formats. The file is still in spectral space but now pressure is calculated in a different way. Sometime in the future, the GFS history file may be

Green functions of graphene: An analytic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawlor, James A.; Ferreira, Mauro S.

2015-04-01

In this article we derive the lattice Green Functions (GFs) of graphene using a Tight Binding Hamiltonian incorporating both first and second nearest neighbour hoppings and allowing for a non-orthogonal electron wavefunction overlap. It is shown how the resulting GFs can be simplified from a double to a single integral form to aid computation, and that when considering off-diagonal GFs in the high symmetry directions of the lattice this single integral can be approximated very accurately by an algebraic expression. By comparing our results to the conventional first nearest neighbour model commonly found in the literature, it is apparent that the extended model leads to a sizeable change in the electronic structure away from the linear regime. As such, this article serves as a blueprint for researchers who wish to examine quantities where these considerations are important.

Theoretical Considerations of the Prigogine-Defay Ration with Regard to the Glass-Forming Ability of Drugs from Undercooled Melts

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

Wyttenbach, Nicole; Kirchmeyer, Wiebke; Alsenz, Jochem

Drug behavior in undercooled melts is highly important for pharmaceutics with regard to amorphous solid dispersions, and therefore, categories were recently introduced that differentiate glass formers (GFs) from other drugs that are nonglass formers (nGFs). The present study is based on the assumption that molecular properties relevant for the so-called Prigogine–Defay (PD) ratio would be indicative of a drug’s glass-forming ability. The PD ratio depends in theory on the entropy of fusion and molar volume. Experimental data were gathered from a broad set of pharmaceutical compounds (n = 54) using differential scanning calorimetry. The obtained entropy of fusion and molarmore » volume were indeed found to significantly discriminate GFs from nGFs. In a next step, the entropy of fusion was predicted by different in silico methods. A first group contribution method provided rather unreliable estimates for the entropy of fusion, while an alternative in silico approach seemed more promising for drug categorization. Thus, a significant discrimination model employed molar volume, a so-called effective hydrogen bond number, and effective number of torsional bonds (or torsional units) to categorize GFs and nGFs (p ≤ 0.0000). The results led to new insights into drug vitrification and to practical rules of thumb. The latter may serve as guidance in pharmaceutical profiling and early formulation development with respect to amorphous drug formulations.« less

Understanding the formation mechanism of graphene frameworks synthesized by solvothermal and rapid pyrolytic processes based on an alcohol-sodium hydroxide system.

PubMed

Cui, Huijuan; Zheng, Jianfeng; Yang, Pengju; Zhu, Yanyan; Wang, Zhijian; Zhu, Zhenping

2015-06-03

The determination of ways to facilitate the 2D-oriented assembly of carbons into graphene instead of other carbon structures while restraining the π-π stacking interaction is a challenge for the controllable bulk synthesis of graphene, which is vital both scientifically and technically. In this study, graphene frameworks (GFs) are synthesized by solvothermal and rapid pyrolytic processes based on an alcohol-sodium hydroxide system. The evolution mechanism of GFs is investigated systematically. Under sodium catalysis, the abundant carbon atoms produced by the fast decomposition of solvothermal intermediate self-assembled to graphene. The existence of abundant ether bonds may be favorable for 3D graphene formation. More importantly, GFs were successfully obtained using acetic acid as the carbon source in the synthetic process, suggesting the reasonability of analyzing the formation mechanism. It is quite possible to determine more favorable routes to synthesize graphene under this cognition. The electrochemical energy storage capacity of GFs was also studied, which revealed a high supercapacitor performance with a specific capacitance of 310.7 F/g at the current density of 0.2 A/g.

Acoustically-Responsive Scaffolds: Control of Growth Factor Release for Tissue Regeneration Using Ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moncion, Alexander

Administration of exogenous growth factors (GFs) is a proposed method of stimulating tissue regeneration. Conventional administration routes, such as at-site or systemic injections, have yielded problems with efficacy and/or safety, thus hindering the translation of GF-based regenerative techniques. Hydrogel scaffolds are commonly used as biocompatible delivery vehicles for GFs. Yet hydrogels do not afford spatial or temporal control of GF release - two critical parameters for tissue regeneration. Controlled delivery of GFs is critical for angiogenesis, which is a crucial process in tissue engineering that provides oxygen and nutrients to cells within an implanted hydrogel scaffold. Angiogenesis requires multiple GFs that are presented with distinct spatial and temporal profiles. Thus, controlled release of GFs with spatiotemporal modulation would significantly improve tissue regeneration by recapitulating endogenous GF presentation. In order to achieve this goal, we have developed acoustically-responsive scaffolds (ARSs), which are fibrin hydrogels doped with sonosensitive perfluorocarbon (PFC) emulsions capable of encapsulating various payloads. Focused, mega-Hertz range, ultrasound (US) can modulate the release of a payload non-invasively and in an on-demand manner from ARSs via physical mechanisms termed acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) and inertial cavitation (IC). This work presents the relationship between the ADV/IC thresholds and various US and hydrogel parameters. These physical mechanisms were used for the controlled release of fluorescent dextran in vitro and in vivo to determine the ARS and US parameters that yielded optimal payload release. The optimal ARS and US parameters were used to demonstrate the controlled release of basic fibroblast growth factor from an in vivo subcutaneous implant model - leading to enhanced angiogenesis and perfusion. Additionally, different acoustic parameters and PFCs were tested and optimized to demonstrate the controlled release of two encapsulated payloads within an ARS. Overall, ARSs are a promising platform for GF delivery in tissue regeneration applications.

SP-100 GES/NAT radiation shielding systems design and development testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Disney, Richard K.; Kulikowski, Henry D.; McGinnis, Cynthia A.; Reese, James C.; Thomas, Kevin; Wiltshire, Frank

1991-01-01

Advanced Energy Systems (AES) of Westinghouse Electric Corporation is under subcontract to the General Electric Company to supply nuclear radiation shielding components for the SP-100 Ground Engineering System (GES) Nuclear Assembly Test to be conducted at Westinghouse Hanford Company at Richland, Washington. The radiation shielding components are integral to the Nuclear Assembly Test (NAT) assembly and include prototypic and non-prototypic radiation shielding components which provide prototypic test conditions for the SP-100 reactor subsystem and reactor control subsystem components during the GES/NAT operations. W-AES is designing three radiation shield components for the NAT assembly; a prototypic Generic Flight System (GFS) shield, the Lower Internal Facility Shield (LIFS), and the Upper Internal Facility Shield (UIFS). This paper describes the design approach and development testing to support the design, fabrication, and assembly of these three shield components for use within the vacuum vessel of the GES/NAT. The GES/NAT shields must be designed to operate in a high vacuum which simulates space operations. The GFS shield and LIFS must provide prototypic radiation/thermal environments and mechanical interfaces for reactor system components. The NAT shields, in combination with the test facility shielding, must provide adequate radiation attenuation for overall test operations. Special design considerations account for the ground test facility effects on the prototypic GFS shield. Validation of the GFS shield design and performance will be based on detailed Monte Carlo analyses and developmental testing of design features. Full scale prototype testing of the shield subsystems is not planned.

Synthesis and characterization of Acacia gum-Fe0Np-silica nanocomposite: an efficient Fenton-like catalyst for the degradation of Remazol Brilliant Violet dye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Vandana; Singh, Jadveer; Srivastava, Preeti

2018-04-01

Acacia gum-Fe0Np-silica nanocomposite (GFS1) has been crafted through sol-gel technique using a two-step process that involved the reduction of iron salt to zerovalent iron nanoparticles (Fe0Nps) followed by their impregnation within Acacia gum-silica matrix. GFS1 was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. GFS1 is decorated with Fe0Nps of 5 nm average size. The VSM study revealed that GFS1 has ferromagnetic nature. GFS1 was used as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for the degradation of azo dyes using Remazol Brilliant Violet (RBV) dye as a model dye. In first 5 min of operation, > 86% dye degradation was achieved and 94% dye (from 100 mg L-1 dye solution) was successfully degraded in 50 min. The dye degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The GFS1 performed efficiently well over the wide range of dye concentrations (25-200 mg L-1). The catalyst was reused for eight repeated cycles where 12.5% dye degradation was possible even in the eighth cycle. The catalyst behaved fairly well for the degradation of Metanil Yellow (MY) and Orange G (OG) dyes also. Under the optimum conditions of RBV dye degradation, Metanil Yellow (MY) and Orange G (OG) dyes were degraded to the extent of 97 and 26.3%, respectively.

Platelet-Rich Plasma-Loaded Poly(d,l-lactide)-Poly(ethylene glycol)-Poly(d,l-lactide) Hydrogel Dressing Promotes Full-Thickness Skin Wound Healing in a Rodent Model

PubMed Central

Qiu, Manle; Chen, Daoyun; Shen, Chaoyong; Shen, Ji; Zhao, Huakun; He, Yaohua

2016-01-01

Traditional therapeutic methods for skin wounds have many disadvantages, and new wound dressings that can facilitate the healing process are thus urgently needed. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains multiple growth factors (GFs) and shows a significant capacity to heal soft tissue wounds. However, these GFs have a short half-life and deactivate rapidly; we therefore need a sustained delivery system to overcome this shortcoming. In this study, poly(d,l-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA-PEG-PDLLA: PLEL) hydrogel was successfully created as delivery vehicle for PRP GFs and was evaluated systematically. PLEL hydrogel was injectable at room temperature and exhibited a smart thermosensitive in situ gel-formation behavior at body temperature. In vitro cell culture showed PRP-loaded PLEL hydrogel (PRP/PLEL) had little cytotoxicity, and promoted EaHy926 proliferation, migration and tube formation; the factor release assay additionally indicated that PLEL realized the controlled release of PRP GFs for as long as 14 days. When employed to treat rodents’ full-thickness skin defects, PRP/PLEL showed a significantly better ability to raise the number of both newly formed and mature blood vessels compared to the control, PLEL and PRP groups. Furthermore, the PRP/PLEL-treated group displayed faster wound closure, better reepithelialization and collagen formation. Taken together, PRP/PLEL provides a promising strategy for promoting angiogenesis and skin wound healing, which extends the potential of this dressing for clinical application. PMID:27347938

Evaluation and Improvement of Polar WRF simulations using the observed atmospheric profiles in the Arctic seasonal ice zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; Schweiger, A. J. B.

2016-12-01

We use the Polar Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to simulate atmospheric conditions during the Seasonal Ice Zone Reconnaissance Survey (SIZRS) over the Beaufort Sea in the summer since 2013. With the 119 SIZRS dropsondes in the18 cross sections along the 150W and 140W longitude lines, we evaluate the performance of WRF simulations and two forcing data sets, the ERA-Interim reanalysis and the Global Forecast System (GFS) analysis, and explore the improvement of the Polar WRF performance when the dropsonde data are assimilated using observation nudging. Polar WRF, ERA-Interim, and GFS can reproduce the general features of the observed mean atmospheric profiles, such as low-level temperature inversion, low-level jet (LLJ) and specific humidity inversion. The Polar WRF significantly improves the mean LLJ, with a lower and stronger jet and a larger turning angle than the forcing, which is likely related to the lower values of the boundary layer diffusion in WRF than in the global models such as ECMWF and GFS. The Polar WRF simulated relative humidity closely resembles the forcing datasets while having large biases compared to observations. This suggests that the performance of Polar WRF and its forecasts in this region are limited by the quality of the forcing dataset and that the assimilation of more and better-calibrated observations, such as humidity data, is critical for their improvement. We investigate the potential of assimilating the SIZRS dropsonde dataset in improving the weather forecast over the Beaufort Sea. A simple local nudging approach is adopted. Along SIZRS flight cross sections, a set of Polar WRF simulations are performed with varying number of variables and dropsonde profiles assimilated. Different model physics are tested to examine the sensitivity of different aspects of model physics, such as boundary layer schemes, cloud microphysics, and radiation parameterization, to data assimilation. The comparison of the Polar WRF runs with assimilation and the runs without assimilation demonstrates the importance of SIZRS dropsonde data to the improvement of atmospheric analysis and reanalysis such as GFS and ERA-Interim, and consequently to the improvement of weather forecast in this region.

Global Turbulence Decision Support for Aviation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, J.; Sharman, R.; Kessinger, C.; Feltz, W.; Wimmers, A.

2009-09-01

Turbulence is widely recognized as the leading cause of injuries to flight attendants and passengers on commercial air carriers, yet legacy decision support products such as SIGMETs and SIGWX charts provide relatively low spatial- and temporal-resolution assessments and forecasts of turbulence, with limited usefulness for strategic planning and tactical turbulence avoidance. A new effort is underway to develop an automated, rapid-update, gridded global turbulence diagnosis and forecast system that addresses upper-level clear-air turbulence, mountain-wave turbulence, and convectively-induced turbulence. This NASA-funded effort, modeled on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) and GTG Nowcast systems, employs NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) model output and data from NASA and operational satellites to produce quantitative turbulence nowcasts and forecasts. A convective nowcast element based on GFS forecasts and satellite data provides a basis for diagnosing convective turbulence. An operational prototype "Global GTG” system has been running in real-time at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research since the spring of 2009. Initial verification based on data from TRMM, Cloudsat and MODIS (for the convection nowcasting) and AIREPs and AMDAR data (for turbulence) are presented. This product aims to provide the "single authoritative source” for global turbulence information for the U.S. Next Generation Air Transportation System.

SP-100 GES/NAT radiation shielding systems design and development testing

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

Disney, R.K.; Kulikowski, H.D.; McGinnis, C.A.

1991-01-10

Advanced Energy Systems (AES) of Westinghouse Electric Corporation is under subcontract to the General Electric Company to supply nuclear radiation shielding components for the SP-100 Ground Engineering System (GES) Nuclear Assembly Test to be conducted at Westinghouse Hanford Company at Richland, Washington. The radiation shielding components are integral to the Nuclear Assembly Test (NAT) assembly and include prototypic and non-prototypic radiation shielding components which provide prototypic test conditions for the SP-100 reactor subsystem and reactor control subsystem components during the GES/NAT operations. W-AES is designing three radiation shield components for the NAT assembly; a prototypic Generic Flight System (GFS) shield,more » the Lower Internal Facility Shield (LIFS), and the Upper Internal Facility Shield (UIFS). This paper describes the design approach and development testing to support the design, fabrication, and assembly of these three shield components for use within the vacuum vessel of the GES/NAT. The GES/NAT shields must be designed to operate in a high vacuum which simulates space operations. The GFS shield and LIFS must provide prototypic radiation/thermal environments and mechanical interfaces for reactor system components. The NAT shields, in combination with the test facility shielding, must provide adequate radiation attenuation for overall test operations. Special design considerations account for the ground test facility effects on the prototypic GFS shield. Validation of the GFS shield design and performance will be based on detailed Monte Carlo analyses and developmental testing of design features. Full scale prototype testing of the shield subsystems is not planned.« less

Platelet-Rich Plasma Derived Growth Factors Contribute to Stem Cell Differentiation in Musculoskeletal Regeneration.

PubMed

Qian, Yun; Han, Qixin; Chen, Wei; Song, Jialin; Zhao, Xiaotian; Ouyang, Yuanming; Yuan, Weien; Fan, Cunyi

2017-01-01

Stem cell treatment and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy are two significant issues in regenerative medicine. Stem cells such as bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, adipose-derived stem cells and periodontal ligament stem cells can be successfully applied in the field of tissue regeneration. PRP, a natural product isolated from whole blood, can secrete multiple growth factors (GFs) for regulating physiological activities. These GFs can stimulate proliferation and differentiation of different stem cells in injury models. Therefore, combination of both agents receives wide expectations in regenerative medicine, especially in bone, cartilage and tendon repair. In this review, we thoroughly discussed the interaction and underlying mechanisms of PRP derived GFs with stem cells, and assessed their functions in cell differentiation for musculoskeletal regeneration.

Improved Survival of Full-Thickness Skin Graft With Low-Molecular Weight Heparin-Protamine Micro/Nanoparticles Including Platelet-Rich Plasma.

PubMed

Takabayashi, Yuki; Ishihara, Masayuki; Kuwabara, Masahiro; Takikawa, Makoto; Nakamura, Shingo; Hattori, Hidemi; Kiyosawa, Tomoharu

2017-05-01

Activated platelet-rich plasma secrets many growth factors (GFs), and low-molecular weight heparin-protamine micro/nanoparticles (LMWH-P M/NPs) significantly interact with, enhance, and stabilize the secreted GFs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of LMWH-P M/NPs and GFs (from platelet-rich plasma) on full-thickness skin graft (FTSG). A total of 96 inbred male rats were anesthetized and 4-cm full-thickness skin wound were created on dorsal skin of rats. LMWH-P M/NPs and GFs, LMWH-P M/NPs, GFs and saline (control) were then injected evenly into cutaneous muscles at the wound. The next day, the rats underwent FTSG. On the indicated days after FTSG, blood flow of FTSG site (wound bed and FTSG) was examined by 2-dimensional laser Doppler blood flowmeter. On 10 days, pictures of FTSG site were taken and FTSG survival rate was evaluated. Histologic analyses of skin samples were performed on 4, 7, and 10 days. Treatment of full-thickness skin wound with LMWH-P M/NPs and GFs effectively promoted survival rate of FTSG and blood flow of FTSG site compared with those treated with GFs, LMWH-P M/NPs, and control. LMWH-P M/NPs and GFs also promoted new vessel formation at FTSG site. The prior injection of LMWH-P M/NPs and GFs into wound bed increases FTSG survival rate, and promotes blood flow and angiogenesis at FTSG site.

Handling Input and Output for COAMPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fitzpatrick, Patrick; Tran, Nam; Li, Yongzuo; Anantharaj, Valentine

2007-01-01

Two suites of software have been developed to handle the input and output of the Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Prediction System (COAMPS), which is a regional atmospheric model developed by the Navy for simulating and predicting weather. Typically, the initial and boundary conditions for COAMPS are provided by a flat-file representation of the Navy s global model. Additional algorithms are needed for running the COAMPS software using global models. One of the present suites satisfies this need for running COAMPS using the Global Forecast System (GFS) model of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The first step in running COAMPS downloading of GFS data from an Internet file-transfer-protocol (FTP) server computer of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) is performed by one of the programs (SSC-00273) in this suite. The GFS data, which are in gridded binary (GRIB) format, are then changed to a COAMPS-compatible format by another program in the suite (SSC-00278). Once a forecast is complete, still another program in the suite (SSC-00274) sends the output data to a different server computer. The second suite of software (SSC- 00275) addresses the need to ingest up-to-date land-use-and-land-cover (LULC) data into COAMPS for use in specifying typical climatological values of such surface parameters as albedo, aerodynamic roughness, and ground wetness. This suite includes (1) a program to process LULC data derived from observations by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard NASA s Terra and Aqua satellites, (2) programs to derive new climatological parameters for the 17-land-use-category MODIS data; and (3) a modified version of a FORTRAN subroutine to be used by COAMPS. The MODIS data files are processed to reformat them into a compressed American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format used by COAMPS for efficient processing.

The Global Fleet Station Concept: Meeting Strategic Level Requirements

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-13

combined, and interagency assets to establish a persistent presence with a minimal footprint ashore in the Caribbean Basin and Central America in...the GFS concept and its 2007 deployment to Central America to determine if GFS meets defined strategic requirements. A qualitative analysis was...review the GFS concept and its 2007 deployment to Central America to determine if GFS meets defined strategic requirements. A qualitative analysis was

Human lung fibroblast-derived matrix facilitates vascular morphogenesis in 3D environment and enhances skin wound healing.

PubMed

Du, Ping; Suhaeri, Muhammad; Ha, Sang Su; Oh, Seung Ja; Kim, Sang-Heon; Park, Kwideok

2017-05-01

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial to many aspects of vascular morphogenesis and maintenance of vasculature function. Currently the recapitulation of angiogenic ECM microenvironment is still challenging, due mainly to its diverse components and complex organization. Here we investigate the angiogenic potential of human lung fibroblast-derived matrix (hFDM) in creating a three-dimensional (3D) vascular construct. hFDM was obtained via decellularization of in vitro cultured human lung fibroblasts and analyzed via immunofluorescence staining and ELISA, which detect multiple ECM macromolecules and angiogenic growth factors (GFs). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) morphology was more elongated and better proliferative on hFDM than on gelatin-coated substrate. To prepare 3D construct, hFDM is collected, quantitatively analyzed, and incorporated in collagen hydrogel (Col) with HUVECs. Capillary-like structure (CLS) formation at 7day was significantly better with the groups containing higher doses of hFDM compared to the Col group (control). Moreover, the group (Col/hFDM/GFs) with both hFDM and angiogenic GFs (VEGF, bFGF, SDF-1) showed the synergistic activity on CLS formation and found much larger capillary lumen diameters with time. Further analysis of hFDM via angiogenesis antibody array kit reveals abundant biochemical cues, such as angiogenesis-related cytokines, GFs, and proteolytic enzymes. Significantly up-regulated expression of VE-cadherin and ECM-specific integrin subunits was also noticed in Col/hFDM/GFs. In addition, transplantation of Col/hFMD/GFs with HUVECs in skin wound model presents more effective re-epithelialization, many regenerated hair follicles, better transplanted cells viability, and advanced neovascularization. We believe that current system is a very promising platform for 3D vasculature construction in vitro and for cell delivery toward therapeutic applications in vivo. Functional 3D vasculature construction in vitro is still challenging due to the difficulty of recapitulating the complex angiogenic extracellular matrix (ECM) environment. Herein, we present a simple and practical method to create an angiogenic 3D environment via incorporation of human lung fibroblast-derived matrix (hFDM) into collagen hydrogel. We found that hFDM offers a significantly improved angiogenic microenvironment for HUVECs on 2D substrates and in 3D construct. A synergistic effect of hFDM and angiogenic growth factors has been well confirmed in 3D condition. The prevascularized 3D collagen constructs also facilitate skin wound healing. We believe that current system should be a convenient and powerful platform in engineering 3D vasculature in vitro, and in delivering cells for therapeutic purposes in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intraseasonal Variability of the Indian Monsoon as Simulated by a Global Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Sneh; Kar, S. C.

2018-01-01

This study uses the global forecast system (GFS) model at T126 horizontal resolution to carry out seasonal simulations with prescribed sea-surface temperatures. Main objectives of the study are to evaluate the simulated Indian monsoon variability in intraseasonal timescales. The GFS model has been integrated for 29 monsoon seasons with 15 member ensembles forced with observed sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) and additional 16-member ensemble runs have been carried out using climatological SSTs. Northward propagation of intraseasonal rainfall anomalies over the Indian region from the model simulations has been examined. It is found that the model is unable to simulate the observed moisture pattern when the active zone of convection is over central India. However, the model simulates the observed pattern of specific humidity during the life cycle of northward propagation on day - 10 and day + 10 of maximum convection over central India. The space-time spectral analysis of the simulated equatorial waves shows that the ensemble members have varying amount of power in each band of wavenumbers and frequencies. However, variations among ensemble members are more in the antisymmetric component of westward moving waves and maximum difference in power is seen in the 8-20 day mode among ensemble members.

Analysis of the nexus between population, water resources and Global Food Security highlights significance of governance and research investments and policy priorities.

PubMed

Yunusa, Isa A M; Zerihun, Ayalsew; Gibberd, Mark R

2018-05-10

Analyses of sensitivity of Global Food Security (GFS) score to a key set of supply or demand factors often suggest population and water supply as being the most critical and on which policies tend to focus. To explore other policy options, we characterised the nexus between GFS and a set of supply or demand factors including defining including population, agricultural and industrial water-use, agricultural publications (as a surrogate for investment in agricultural research and development [R&D]), and corruption perception index (CPI), to reveal opportunities for attaining enduring GFS. We found that despite being the primary driver of demand for food, population showed no significant correlation with GFS scores. Similarly agricultural water-use was poorly correlated with GFS scores, except in countries where evaporation exceeds precipitation and irrigation is significant. However, GFS had a strong positive association with industrial water-use as a surrogate for overall industrialisation. Recent expansions in cultivated land area failed to yield concomitant improvements in GFS score since such expansions have been mostly into marginal lands with low productivity and also barely compensated for lands retired from cropping in several developed economies. However, GFS was positively associated with agricultural R&D investments, as it was with the CPI scores. The apparent and relative strengths of these drivers on GFS outcome amongst countries were in the order: industrial water-use ≈ publication rate ≈ corruption perception > agricultural water-use > population. We concluded by suggesting that to enshrine enduring food security, policies should prioritise (1) increased R&D investments that address farmer needs, and (2) governance mechanisms that promote accountability in both research and production value chains. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

BIOMECHANICAL DIFFERENCES IN BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU ATHLETES: THE ROLE OF COMBAT STYLE.

PubMed

Lima, Pedro Olavo de Paula; Lima, Alane Almeida; Coelho, Anita Camila Sampaio; Lima, Yuri Lopes; Almeida, Gabriel Peixoto Leão; Bezerra, Márcio Almeida; de Oliveira, Rodrigo Ribeiro

2017-02-01

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) athletes can be divided into two combat styles: pass fighters (PFs) and guard fighters (GFs). Flexibility of the posterior chain muscles is highly necessary in these athletes, especially in GFs. On the other hand, isometric strength of the trunk extensors is required in PFs. Handgrip strength is important in holding the kimono of the opponent, and symmetrical lower-limb strength is important for the prevention of injuries due to the overload caused by training. The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical profiles of BJJ athletes with different combat styles using the following outcome measures: flexibility, trunk extensor isometric endurance, postural balance, handgrip isometric endurance and lower-limb muscle strength. A cross-sectional study was conducted using 19 GFs and 19 PFs. The sit-and-reach test was used to evaluate the flexibility of the posterior chain muscles. The Biodex Balance System® was used to evaluate balance. A handgrip dynamometer and a dorsal dynamometer were used to evaluate handgrip and trunk extensor endurance, respectively. Quadriceps and hamstring strength were evaluated with an isokinetic dynamometer at 60 °/s. No differences were observed between groups in terms of flexibility, balance, handgrip isometric endurance or quadriceps and hamstring strength; however, PFs (81.33) showed more isometric trunk extension endurance than GFs (68.85) ( p = 0.02). Both groups had low values for hamstring/quadriceps ratio. No significant biomechanical differences were observed between PFs and GFs. 2b.

Nanoparticle-mediated growth factor delivery systems: A new way to treat Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Lauzon, Marc-Antoine; Daviau, Alex; Marcos, Bernard; Faucheux, Nathalie

2015-05-28

The number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing steadily as the world population ages, thus creating a huge socio-economic burden. Current treatments have only transient effects and concentrate on a single aspect of AD. There is much evidence suggesting that growth factors (GFs) have a great therapeutic potential and can play on all AD hallmarks. Because GFs are prone to denaturation and clearance, a delivery system is required to ensure protection and a sustainable delivery. This review provides information about the latest advances in the development of GF delivery systems (GFDS) targeting the brain in terms of in vitro and in vivo effects in the context of AD and discusses new strategies designed to increase the availability and the specificity of GFs to the brain. This paper also discusses, on a mechanistic level, the different delivery hurdles encountered by the carrier or the GF itself from its injection site up to the brain tissue. The major mass transport phenomena influencing the delivery systems targeting the brain are addressed and insights are given about how mechanistic mathematical frameworks can be developed to use and optimize them. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Inhibition of the Differentiation of Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells by Human Gingival Fibroblasts

PubMed Central

Séguier, Sylvie; Tartour, Eric; Guérin, Coralie; Couty, Ludovic; Lemitre, Mathilde; Lallement, Laetitia; Folliguet, Marysette; Naderi, Samah El; Terme, Magali; Badoual, Cécile; Lafont, Antoine; Coulomb, Bernard

2013-01-01

We investigated whether gingival fibroblasts (GFs) can modulate the differentiation and/or maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) and analyzed soluble factors that may be involved in this immune modulation. Experiments were performed using human monocytes in co-culture with human GFs in Transwell® chambers or using monocyte cultures treated with conditioned media (CM) from GFs of four donors. The four CM and supernatants from cell culture were assayed by ELISA for cytokines involved in the differentiation of dendritic cells, such as IL-6, VEGF, TGFβ1, IL-13 and IL-10. The maturation of monocyte-derived DCs induced by LPS in presence of CM was also studied. Cell surface phenotype markers were analyzed by flow cytometry. In co-cultures, GFs inhibited the differentiation of monocyte-derived DCs and the strength of this blockade correlated with the GF/monocyte ratio. Conditioned media from GFs showed similar effects, suggesting the involvement of soluble factors produced by GFs. This inhibition was associated with a lower stimulatory activity in MLR of DCs generated with GFs or its CM. Neutralizing antibodies against IL-6 and VEGF significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the inhibitory effect of CM on the differentiation of monocytes-derived DCs and in a dose dependent manner. Our data suggest that IL-6 is the main factor responsible for the inhibition of DCs differentiation mediated by GFs but that VEGF is also involved and constitutes an additional mechanism. PMID:23936476

Using High Resolution Model Data to Improve Lightning Forecasts across Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capps, S. B.; Rolinski, T.

2014-12-01

Dry lightning often results in a significant amount of fire starts in areas where the vegetation is dry and continuous. Meteorologists from the USDA Forest Service Predictive Services' program in Riverside, California are tasked to provide southern and central California's fire agencies with fire potential outlooks. Logistic regression equations were developed by these meteorologists several years ago, which forecast probabilities of lightning as well as lightning amounts, out to seven days across southern California. These regression equations were developed using ten years of historical gridded data from the Global Forecast System (GFS) model on a coarse scale (0.5 degree resolution), correlated with historical lightning strike data. These equations do a reasonably good job of capturing a lightning episode (3-5 consecutive days or greater of lightning), but perform poorly regarding more detailed information such as exact location and amounts. It is postulated that the inadequacies in resolving the finer details of episodic lightning events is due to the coarse resolution of the GFS data, along with limited predictors. Stability parameters, such as the Lifted Index (LI), the Total Totals index (TT), Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), along with Precipitable Water (PW) are the only parameters being considered as predictors. It is hypothesized that the statistical forecasts will benefit from higher resolution data both in training and implementing the statistical model. We have dynamically downscaled NCEP FNL (Final) reanalysis data using the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) to 3km spatial and hourly temporal resolution across a decade. This dataset will be used to evaluate the contribution to the success of the statistical model of additional predictors in higher vertical, spatial and temporal resolution. If successful, we will implement an operational dynamically downscaled GFS forecast product to generate predictors for the resulting statistical lightning model. This data will help fire agencies be better prepared to pre-deploy resources in advance of these events. Specific information regarding duration, amount, and location will be especially valuable.

Primary adipose-derived stem cells enriched by growth factor treatment improves cell adaptability toward cardiovascular differentiation in a rodent model of acute myocardial infarction.

PubMed

Chang, Jui-Chih; Lee, Ping-Chun; Lin, Yu-Chun; Lee, Kung-Wei; Hsu, Shan-hui

2011-01-01

The heterogeneous cell population in primary adipose-derived adult stem cells (ADAS) and difficulty in keeping their primitive properties have posed certain limitations on using these cells for cell therapy. Therefore, our objective was to generate a population of cells enriched from the adipose stromal-vascular fraction (SVF) with greater differentiation potential than ADAS and to explore the mechanism behind the repair of the injured myocardium in vivo. The distinct population of adipose stromal cells was enriched by immediate treatment of the growth factor cocktail (EGF and PDGF-BB) to the freshly isolated SVF. These cells (ADAS-GFs) had distinct cell morphology from ADAS and in average had a smaller size. They presented co-expression of CD140a (pericytic markers) and CD34 (hematopoietic marker), more obvious mesenchymal (CD13, CD29, CD44, CD90 and CD117) markers, but rare KDR, and were negative for CD45 and CD31. ADAS-GFs not only spontaneously expressed endothelial cell markers and formed capillary-like tubes on Matrigel but also clearly expressed early cardiomyocyte marker genes when embedded in methylcellulose-based medium. In Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with left anterior descending artery (LAD)-induced myocardial infarction (MI), the ADAS-GFs transplanted group had the left ventricular function significantly improved compared with the ADAS transplanted group or the control group at 12 weeks post transplantation. The immunofluorescence staining revealed that the transplanted ADAS-GFs expressed GATA4, betamyosin heavy chain and troponin T protein but not vWF. More capillaries were also observed around the infarcted zone in the ADAS-GFs transplanted group. These data suggested that ADAS-GFs with a higher proangiogenic potential may restore the cardiac function of infarcted myocardium via the direct cardiomyocyte differentiation as well as angiogenesis recruitment.

Real-time Extremely Heavy Rainfall Forecast and Warning over Rajasthan During the Monsoon Season (2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastava, Kuldeep; Pradhan, D.

2018-01-01

Two events of extremely heavy rainfall occurred over Rajasthan during 7-9 August 2016 and 19-21 August 2016. Due to these events, flooding occurred over east Rajasthan and affected the normal life of people. A low-pressure area lying over northwest Madhya Pradesh on 7 August 2016 moved north-westward and lay near east Rajasthan and adjoining northwest Madhya Pradesh on 8 and 9 August 2016. Under the influence of this low-pressure system, Chittorgarh district and adjoining areas of Rajasthan received extremely heavy rainfall of 23 cm till 0300 UTC of 8 August 2016 and 34 cm on 0300 UTC of 9 August 2016. A deep depression lying over extreme south Uttar Pradesh and adjoining northeast Madhya Pradesh on 19 August 2016 moved westward and gradually weakened into a depression on 20 August 2016. It further weakened into a low-pressure area and lay over east Rajasthan on 21 and 22 August 2016. Under the influence of this deep depression, Jhalawar received 31 cm and Baran received 25 cm on 19 August. On 20 August 2016, extremely heavy rainfall (EHR) occurred over Banswara (23.5 cm), Pratapgarh (23.2 cm) and Chittorgarh (22.7 cm) districts. In this paper, the performance of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) global forecast system (GFS) model for real-time forecast and warning of heavy to very heavy/EHR that occurred over Rajasthan during 7-9 August 2016 and 19-21 August 2016 has been examined. The NCEP GFS forecast rainfall (Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3) was compared with the corresponding observed gridded rainfall. Based on the predictions given by the NCEP GFS model for heavy rainfall and with their application in real-time rainfall forecast and warnings issued by the Regional Weather Forecasting Center in New Delhi, it is concluded that the model has predicted the wind pattern and EHR event associated with the low-pressure system very accurately on day 1 and day 2 forecasts and with small errors in intensity and space for day 3.

Innovations in gene and growth factor delivery systems for diabetic wound healing

PubMed Central

Laiva, Ashang Luwang; O'Brien, Fergal J.

2017-01-01

Abstract The rise in lower extremity amputations due to nonhealing of foot ulcers in diabetic patients calls for rapid improvement in effective treatment regimens. Administration of growth factors (GFs) are thought to offer an off‐the‐shelf treatment; however, the dose‐ and time‐dependent efficacy of the GFs together with the hostile environment of diabetic wound beds impose a major hindrance in the selection of an ideal route for GF delivery. As an alternative, the delivery of therapeutic genes using viral and nonviral vectors, capable of transiently expressing the genes until the recovery of the wounded tissue offers promise. The development of implantable biomaterial dressings capable of modulating the release of either single or combinatorial GFs/genes may offer solutions to this overgrowing problem. This article reviews the state of the art on gene and protein delivery and the strategic optimization of clinically adopted delivery strategies for the healing of diabetic wounds. PMID:28482114

Novel drug delivery systems for releasing growth factors to the CNS: focus on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

PubMed

Herran, E; Igartua, M; Pedraz, J L; Hernandez, R M

2014-01-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) represent the most common neurodegenerative disorders and affect more than 35 million people. Due to the limited effectiveness of available treatments in halting the neurodegenerative process, new therapies, such therapies based on growth factors (GFs), have been investigated. Nevertheless, the efficacies of these new treatments depend not only on the application of neurotrophins but also on the approaches used to deliver these proteins such that they can reach the brain. This review summarises the most widely used drug delivery systems (DDSs) for releasing GFs as possible treatments for AD and PD.

Simulation of low clouds in the Southeast Pacific by the NCEP GFS: sensitivity to vertical mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, R.; Moorthi, S.; Xiao, H.; Mechoso, C. R.

2010-12-01

The NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) model has an important systematic error shared by many other models: stratocumuli are missed over the subtropical eastern oceans. It is shown that this error can be alleviated in the GFS by introducing a consideration of the low-level inversion and making two modifications in the model's representation of vertical mixing. The modifications consist of (a) the elimination of background vertical diffusion above the inversion and (b) the incorporation of a stability parameter based on the cloud-top entrainment instability (CTEI) criterion, which limits the strength of shallow convective mixing across the inversion. A control simulation and three experiments are performed in order to examine both the individual and combined effects of modifications on the generation of the stratocumulus clouds. Individually, both modifications result in enhanced cloudiness in the Southeast Pacific (SEP) region, although the cloudiness is still low compared to the ISCCP climatology. If the modifications are applied together, however, the total cloudiness produced in the southeast Pacific has realistic values. This nonlinearity arises as the effects of both modifications reinforce each other in reducing the leakage of moisture across the inversion. Increased moisture trapped below the inversion than in the control run without modifications leads to an increase in cloud amount and cloud-top radiative cooling. Then a positive feedback due to enhanced turbulent mixing in the planetary boundary layer by cloud-top radiative cooling leads to and maintains the stratocumulus cover. Although the amount of total cloudiness obtained with both modifications has realistic values, the relative contributions of low, middle, and high layers tend to differ from the observations. These results demonstrate that it is possible to simulate realistic marine boundary clouds in large-scale models by implementing direct and physically based improvements in the model parameterizations.

Simulation of low clouds in the Southeast Pacific by the NCEP GFS: sensitivity to vertical mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, R.; Moorthi, S.; Xiao, H.; Mechoso, C.-R.

2010-08-01

The NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) model has an important systematic error shared by many other models: stratocumuli are missed over the subtropical eastern oceans. It is shown that this error can be alleviated in the GFS by introducing a consideration of the low-level inversion and making two modifications in the model's representation of vertical mixing. The modifications consist of (a) the elimination of background vertical diffusion above the inversion and (b) the incorporation of a stability parameter based on the cloud-top entrainment instability (CTEI) criterion, which limits the strength of shallow convective mixing across the inversion. A control simulation and three experiments are performed in order to examine both the individual and combined effects of modifications on the generation of the stratocumulus clouds. Individually, both modifications result in enhanced cloudiness in the Southeast Pacific (SEP) region, although the cloudiness is still low compared to the ISCCP climatology. If the modifications are applied together, however, the total cloudiness produced in the southeast Pacific has realistic values. This nonlinearity arises as the effects of both modifications reinforce each other in reducing the leakage of moisture across the inversion. Increased moisture trapped below the inversion than in the control run without modifications leads to an increase in cloud amount and cloud-top radiative cooling. Then a positive feedback due to enhanced turbulent mixing in the planetary boundary layer by cloud-top radiative cooling leads to and maintains the stratocumulus cover. Although the amount of total cloudiness obtained with both modifications has realistic values, the relative contributions of low, middle, and high layers tend to differ from the observations. These results demonstrate that it is possible to simulate realistic marine boundary clouds in large-scale models by implementing direct and physically based improvements in the model parameterizations.

BIOMECHANICAL DIFFERENCES IN BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU ATHLETES: THE ROLE OF COMBAT STYLE

PubMed Central

Lima, Alane Almeida; Coelho, Anita Camila Sampaio; Lima, Yuri Lopes; Almeida, Gabriel Peixoto Leão; Bezerra, Márcio Almeida; de Oliveira, Rodrigo Ribeiro

2017-01-01

Background Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) athletes can be divided into two combat styles: pass fighters (PFs) and guard fighters (GFs). Flexibility of the posterior chain muscles is highly necessary in these athletes, especially in GFs. On the other hand, isometric strength of the trunk extensors is required in PFs. Handgrip strength is important in holding the kimono of the opponent, and symmetrical lower-limb strength is important for the prevention of injuries due to the overload caused by training. Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical profiles of BJJ athletes with different combat styles using the following outcome measures: flexibility, trunk extensor isometric endurance, postural balance, handgrip isometric endurance and lower-limb muscle strength. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using 19 GFs and 19 PFs. The sit-and-reach test was used to evaluate the flexibility of the posterior chain muscles. The Biodex Balance System® was used to evaluate balance. A handgrip dynamometer and a dorsal dynamometer were used to evaluate handgrip and trunk extensor endurance, respectively. Quadriceps and hamstring strength were evaluated with an isokinetic dynamometer at 60 °/s. Results No differences were observed between groups in terms of flexibility, balance, handgrip isometric endurance or quadriceps and hamstring strength; however, PFs (81.33) showed more isometric trunk extension endurance than GFs (68.85) (p = 0.02). Both groups had low values for hamstring/quadriceps ratio. Conclusion No significant biomechanical differences were observed between PFs and GFs. Level of Evidence 2b PMID:28217417

Evaluation of weather forecast systems for storm surge modeling in the Chesapeake Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garzon, Juan L.; Ferreira, Celso M.; Padilla-Hernandez, Roberto

2018-01-01

Accurate forecast of sea-level heights in coastal areas depends, among other factors, upon a reliable coupling of a meteorological forecast system to a hydrodynamic and wave system. This study evaluates the predictive skills of the coupled circulation and wind-wave model system (ADCIRC+SWAN) for simulating storm tides in the Chesapeake Bay, forced by six different products: (1) Global Forecast System (GFS), (2) Climate Forecast System (CFS) version 2, (3) North American Mesoscale Forecast System (NAM), (4) Rapid Refresh (RAP), (5) European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and (6) the Atlantic hurricane database (HURDAT2). This evaluation is based on the hindcasting of four events: Irene (2011), Sandy (2012), Joaquin (2015), and Jonas (2016). By comparing the simulated water levels to observations at 13 monitoring stations, we have found that the ADCIR+SWAN System forced by the following: (1) the HURDAT2-based system exhibited the weakest statistical skills owing to a noteworthy overprediction of the simulated wind speed; (2) the ECMWF, RAP, and NAM products captured the moment of the peak and moderately its magnitude during all storms, with a correlation coefficient ranging between 0.98 and 0.77; (3) the CFS system exhibited the worst averaged root-mean-square difference (excepting HURDAT2); (4) the GFS system (the lowest horizontal resolution product tested) resulted in a clear underprediction of the maximum water elevation. Overall, the simulations forced by NAM and ECMWF systems induced the most accurate results best accuracy to support water level forecasting in the Chesapeake Bay during both tropical and extra-tropical storms.

Establishing the Common Community Physics Package by Transitioning the GFS Physics to a Collaborative Software Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, L.; Firl, G.; Zhang, M.; Jimenez, P. A.; Gill, D.; Carson, L.; Bernardet, L.; Brown, T.; Dudhia, J.; Nance, L. B.; Stark, D. R.

2017-12-01

The Global Model Test Bed (GMTB) has been established to support the evolution of atmospheric physical parameterizations in NCEP global modeling applications. To accelerate the transition to the Next Generation Global Prediction System (NGGPS), a collaborative model development framework known as the Common Community Physics Package (CCPP) is created within the GMTB to facilitate engagement from the broad community on physics experimentation and development. A key component to this Research to Operation (R2O) software framework is the Interoperable Physics Driver (IPD) that hooks the physics parameterizations from one end to the dynamical cores on the other end with minimum implementation effort. To initiate the CCPP, scientists and engineers from the GMTB separated and refactored the GFS physics. This exercise demonstrated the process of creating IPD-compliant code and can serve as an example for other physics schemes to do the same and be considered for inclusion into the CCPP. Further benefits to this process include run-time physics suite configuration and considerably reduced effort for testing modifications to physics suites through GMTB's physics test harness. The implementation will be described and the preliminary results will be presented at the conference.

High-performance wearable supercapacitors fabricated with surface activated continuous filament graphite fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Dedong; Yu, Xin; Chen, Tinghan; Wang, Shu; Tan, Hua; Liu, Hong; Wang, Zhong Lin; Li, Linlin

2017-08-01

Generally, carbon or graphite fibers (GFs) are used as the supporting materials for the preparation of flexible supercapacitors (SCs) by assembling various electrochemically active nanomaterials on them. A facile and rapid electrochemical oxidation method with a voltage of 3 V in a mixed H2SO4-HNO3 solution for 2-15 min is proposed to active continuous filament GFs. Detailed structural characterization, SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman and XPS demonstrate that the GFs-8 (oxidized for 8 min) possessing high specific surface area which provided numerous electrochemical sites and a large number of oxygen-containing functional groups producing pseudocapacitance. Cyclic voltammetric (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are conducted to test the capacitive of GFs and activated GFs. The capacitance of GFs-8 reaches as high as 570 mF cm-1 at the current density of 1 mA cm-1 in LiCl electrolyte, a 1965-fold enhancement with respect to the pristine GFs (0.29 mF cm-1). The fabricated fiber solid-state supercapacitors (SSCs) provide high energy density of 0.68 mWh cm-3 at the power density 3.3 W cm-3 and have excellent durability with 90% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles. In addition, such fiber SSCs features flexibility and mechanical stability, which may have wide applications in wearable electronic devices.

The impact of model prediction error in designing geodetic networks for crustal deformation applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, J. R.

2017-12-01

Earth surface displacements measured at Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sites record crustal deformation due, for example, to slip on faults underground. A primary objective in designing geodetic networks to study crustal deformation is to maximize the ability to recover parameters of interest like fault slip. Given Green's functions (GFs) relating observed displacement to motion on buried dislocations representing a fault, one can use various methods to estimate spatially variable slip. However, assumptions embodied in the GFs, e.g., use of a simplified elastic structure, introduce spatially correlated model prediction errors (MPE) not reflected in measurement uncertainties (Duputel et al., 2014). In theory, selection algorithms should incorporate inter-site correlations to identify measurement locations that give unique information. I assess the impact of MPE on site selection by expanding existing methods (Klein et al., 2017; Reeves and Zhe, 1999) to incorporate this effect. Reeves and Zhe's algorithm sequentially adds or removes a predetermined number of data according to a criterion that minimizes the sum of squared errors (SSE) on parameter estimates. Adapting this method to GNSS network design, Klein et al. select new sites that maximize model resolution, using trade-off curves to determine when additional resolution gain is small. Their analysis uses uncorrelated data errors and GFs for a uniform elastic half space. I compare results using GFs for spatially variable strike slip on a discretized dislocation in a uniform elastic half space, a layered elastic half space, and a layered half space with inclusion of MPE. I define an objective criterion to terminate the algorithm once the next site removal would increase SSE more than the expected incremental SSE increase if all sites had equal impact. Using a grid of candidate sites with 8 km spacing, I find the relative value of the selected sites (defined by the percent increase in SSE that further removal of each site would cause) is more uniform when MPE is included. However, the number and distribution of selected sites depends primarily on site location relative to the fault. For this test case, inclusion of MPE has minimal practical impact; I will investigate whether these findings hold for more densely spaced candidate grids and dipping faults.

Increased phase synchronization during continuous face integration measured simultaneously with EEG and fMRI.

PubMed

Kottlow, Mara; Jann, Kay; Dierks, Thomas; Koenig, Thomas

2012-08-01

Gamma zero-lag phase synchronization has been measured in the animal brain during visual binding. Human scalp EEG studies used a phase locking factor (trial-to-trial phase-shift consistency) or gamma amplitude to measure binding but did not analyze common-phase signals so far. This study introduces a method to identify networks oscillating with near zero-lag phase synchronization in human subjects. We presented unpredictably moving face parts (NOFACE) which - during some periods - produced a complete schematic face (FACE). The amount of zero-lag phase synchronization was measured using global field synchronization (GFS). GFS provides global information on the amount of instantaneous coincidences in specific frequencies throughout the brain. Gamma GFS was increased during the FACE condition. To localize the underlying areas, we correlated gamma GFS with simultaneously recorded BOLD responses. Positive correlates comprised the bilateral middle fusiform gyrus and the left precuneus. These areas may form a network of areas transiently synchronized during face integration, including face-specific as well as binding-specific regions and regions for visual processing in general. Thus, the amount of zero-lag phase synchronization between remote regions of the human visual system can be measured with simultaneously acquired EEG/fMRI. Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth factors delivery from hybrid PCL-starch scaffolds processed using supercritical fluid technology.

PubMed

Diaz-Gomez, Luis; Concheiro, Angel; Alvarez-Lorenzo, Carmen; García-González, Carlos A

2016-05-20

Synthetic polymeric scaffolds to be used as surrogates of autologous bone grafts should not only have suitable physicochemical and mechanical properties, but also contain bioactive agents such as growth factors (GFs) to facilitate the tissue growth. For this purpose, cost-effective and autologous GFs sources are preferred to avoid some post-surgery complications after implantation, like immunogenicity or disease transmission, and the scaffolds should be processed using methods able to preserve GFs activity. In this work, poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds incorporating GFs were processed using a green foaming process based on supercritical fluid technology. Preparation rich in growth factors (PRGF), a natural and highly available cocktail of GFs obtained from platelet rich plasma (PRP), was used as GF source. PCL:starch:PRGF (85:10:5 weight ratio) porous solid scaffolds were obtained by a supercritical CO2-assisted foaming process at 100 bar and 37 °C with no need of post-processing steps. Bioactivity of GFs after processing and scaffold cytocompatibility were confirmed using mesenchymal stem cells. The performance of starch as GF control release component was shown to be dependent on starch pre-gelification conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Modified VFT law of glass former materials under pressure: Part II: Relation with the equation of state.

PubMed

Rault, Jacques

2015-08-01

The dynamical properties of glass formers (GFs) as a function of P, V, and T are reanalyzed in relation with the equations of state (EOS) proposed recently (Eur. Phys. J. E 37, 113 (2014)). The relaxation times τ of the cooperative non-Arrhenius α process and the individual Arrhenius β process are coupled via the Kohlrausch exponent n S(T, P). In the model n S is the sigmoidal logistic function depending on T (and P, and the α relaxation time τ α of GFs above T g verifies the pressure-modified VFT law: log τ α ∼ E β /nsRT, which can be put into a form with separated variables: log τ α ∼ f(T)g(P). From the variation of n S and τ α with T and P the Vogel temperature T 0 (τ α → ∝, n S = 0) and the crossover temperature (also called the merging or splitting temperature) T B (τ α ∼ τ β, n S ∼ 1) are determined. The proposed sm-VFT equation fits with excellent accuracy the experimental data of fragile and strong GFs under pressure. The properties generally observed in organic mineral and metallic GFs are explained: a) The Vogel temperature is independent of P (as suggested by the EOS properties), the crossover is pressure-dependent. b) In crystallizable GFs the T B (P) and Clapeyron curves T m(P) coincide. c) The α and β processes have the same ratio of the activation energies and volume, E*/V* (T- and P-independent), the compensation law is observed, this ratio depends on the anharmonicity Slater-Grüneisen parameter and on the critical pressure P* deduced from the EOS. d) The properties of the Fan Structure of the Tangents (FST) to the isotherms and isobars curves log τ versus P and T and to the isochrones curves P(T). e) The scaling law log τ = f(V (Λ) ) and the relation between Γ and γ. We conclude that these properties should be studied in detail in GFs submitted to negative pressures.

A CPT for Improving Turbulence and Cloud Processes in the NCEP Global Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krueger, S. K.; Moorthi, S.; Randall, D. A.; Pincus, R.; Bogenschutz, P.; Belochitski, A.; Chikira, M.; Dazlich, D. A.; Swales, D. J.; Thakur, P. K.; Yang, F.; Cheng, A.

2016-12-01

Our Climate Process Team (CPT) is based on the premise that the NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) global models can be improved by installing an integrated, self-consistent description of turbulence, clouds, deep convection, and the interactions between clouds and radiative and microphysical processes. The goal of our CPT is to unify the representation of turbulence and subgrid-scale (SGS) cloud processes and to unify the representation of SGS deep convective precipitation and grid-scale precipitation as the horizontal resolution decreases. We aim to improve the representation of small-scale phenomena by implementing a PDF-based SGS turbulence and cloudiness scheme that replaces the boundary layer turbulence scheme, the shallow convection scheme, and the cloud fraction schemes in the GFS (Global Forecast System) and CFS (Climate Forecast System) global models. We intend to improve the treatment of deep convection by introducing a unified parameterization that scales continuously between the simulation of individual clouds when and where the grid spacing is sufficiently fine and the behavior of a conventional parameterization of deep convection when and where the grid spacing is coarse. We will endeavor to improve the representation of the interactions of clouds, radiation, and microphysics in the GFS/CFS by using the additional information provided by the PDF-based SGS cloud scheme. The team is evaluating the impacts of the model upgrades with metrics used by the NCEP short-range and seasonal forecast operations.

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

OPERATIONAL 00Z, .... 12Z ... EXPERIMENTAL Daily Comparisons between GFS/GEFS control & ECMWF/ECMWF control 00Z T382/38km GFS, 00Z T190/70km GEFS control 12Z T1279/16km ECMWF, 12Z T639/30km ECMWF ensemble control Daily Values of 500 hPa Height AC, RMS, Talagrand & Outliers Mean of 14 GFS, 10 ECMWF and 16

Multidimensional Generalized Functions in Aeroacoustics and Fluid Mechanics. Part 1; Basic Concepts and Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farassat, Fereidoun; Myers, Michael K.

2011-01-01

This paper is the first part of a three part tutorial on multidimensional generalized functions (GFs) and their applications in aeroacoustics and fluid mechanics. The subject is highly fascinating and essential in many areas of science and, in particular, wave propagation problems. In this tutorial, we strive to present rigorously and clearly the basic concepts and the tools that are needed to use GFs in applications effectively and with ease. We give many examples to help the readers in understanding the mathematical ideas presented here. The first part of the tutorial is on the basic concepts of GFs. Here we define GFs, their properties and some common operations on them. We define the important concept of generalized differentiation and then give some interesting elementary and advanced examples on Green's functions and wave propagation problems. Here, the analytic power of GFs in applications is demonstrated with ease and elegance. Part 2 of this tutorial is on the diverse applications of generalized derivatives (GDs). Part 3 is on generalized Fourier transformations and some more advanced topics. One goal of writing this tutorial is to convince readers that, because of their powerful operational properties, GFs are absolutely essential and useful in engineering and physics, particularly in aeroacoustics and fluid mechanics.

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

Li, Bin; Gu, Meng; Nie, Zimin

Graphite felts (GFs), as typical electrode materials for all vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs), limit the cell operation to low current density because of their poor kinetic reversibility and electrochemical activity. Here, in order to address this issue we report an electrocatalyst, Nb2O5, decorating the surface of GFs to reduce the activation barrier for redox conversion. Nb2O5 nanofibers with monoclinic phases are synthesized by hydrothermal method and deposited on GFs, which is confirmed to have catalytic effects towards redox couples of V(II)/V(III) at the negative side and V(IV)/V(V) at the positive side, and thus applied in both electrodes of VRBmore » cells. Due to the low conductivity of Nb2O5, the performance of electrodes heavily depends on the nano size and uniform distribution of catalysts on GFs surfaces. The addition of the water-soluble compounds containing W element into the precursor solutions facilitates the precipitation of nanofibers on the GFs. Accordingly, an optimal amount of W-doped Nb2O5 nanofibers with weaker agglomeration and better distribution on GFs surfaces are obtained, leading to significant improvement of the electrochemical performances of VRB cells particularly under the high power operation. The corresponding energy efficiency is enhanced by 10.7 % under the operation of high charge/discharge current density (150 mA•cm-2) owing to faster charge transfer as compared with that without catalysts. These results suggest that Nb2O5 based nanofibers-decorating GFs hold great promise as high-performance electrodes for VRB applications.« less

Patient-Derived Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From Gingival Fibroblasts Composited With Defined Nanohydroxyapatite/Chitosan/Gelatin Porous Scaffolds as Potential Bone Graft Substitutes.

PubMed

Ji, Jun; Tong, Xin; Huang, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Junfeng; Qin, Haiyan; Hu, Qingang

2016-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells have always been the cell source for bone tissue engineering. However, their limitations are obvious, including ethical concerns and/or a short lifespan. The use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) could avoid these problems. Nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) is an important component of natural bone and bone tissue engineering scaffolds. However, its regulation on osteogenic differentiation with hiPSCs from human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs from patient-derived hGFs regulated by nHA/chitosan/gelatin (HCG) scaffolds with different nHA ratios, such as HCG-111 (1 wt/vol% nHA) and HCG-311 (3 wt/vol% nHA). First, hGFs were reprogrammed into hiPSCs, which have enhanced osteogenic differentiation capability. Second, HCG-111 and HCG-311 scaffolds were successfully synthesized. Finally, hiPSC/HCG complexes were cultured in vitro or subcutaneously transplanted into immunocompromised mice in vivo. The osteogenic differentiation effects of two types of HCG scaffolds on hiPSCs were assessed for up to 12 weeks. The results showed that HCG-311 increased osteogenic-related gene expression of hiPSCs in vitro proved by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and hiPSC/HCG-311 complexes formed much bone-like tissue in vivo, indicated by cone-beam computed tomography imaging, H&E staining, Masson staining, and RUNX-2, OCN immunohistochemistry staining. In conclusion, our study has shown that osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs from hGFs was improved by HCG-311. The mechanism might be that the nHA addition stimulates osteogenic marker expression of hiPSCs from hGFs. Our work has provided an innovative autologous cell-based bone tissue engineering approach with soft tissues such as clinically abundant gingiva. The present study focused on patient-personalized bone tissue engineering. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) were established from clinically easily derived human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) and defined nanohydroxyapatite/chitosan/gelatin (HCG) scaffolds. hiPSCs derived from hGFs had better osteogenesis capability than that of hGFs. More interestingly, osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs from hGFs was elevated significantly when composited with HCG-311 scaffolds in vitro and in vivo. The present study has uncovered the important role of different nHA ratios in HCG scaffolds in osteogenesis induction of hiPSCs derived from hGFs. This technique could serve as a potential innovative approach for bone tissue engineering, especially large bone regeneration clinically. ©AlphaMed Press.

Patient-Derived Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From Gingival Fibroblasts Composited With Defined Nanohydroxyapatite/Chitosan/Gelatin Porous Scaffolds as Potential Bone Graft Substitutes

PubMed Central

Ji, Jun; Tong, Xin; Huang, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Junfeng

2016-01-01

Human embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells have always been the cell source for bone tissue engineering. However, their limitations are obvious, including ethical concerns and/or a short lifespan. The use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) could avoid these problems. Nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) is an important component of natural bone and bone tissue engineering scaffolds. However, its regulation on osteogenic differentiation with hiPSCs from human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs from patient-derived hGFs regulated by nHA/chitosan/gelatin (HCG) scaffolds with different nHA ratios, such as HCG-111 (1 wt/vol% nHA) and HCG-311 (3 wt/vol% nHA). First, hGFs were reprogrammed into hiPSCs, which have enhanced osteogenic differentiation capability. Second, HCG-111 and HCG-311 scaffolds were successfully synthesized. Finally, hiPSC/HCG complexes were cultured in vitro or subcutaneously transplanted into immunocompromised mice in vivo. The osteogenic differentiation effects of two types of HCG scaffolds on hiPSCs were assessed for up to 12 weeks. The results showed that HCG-311 increased osteogenic-related gene expression of hiPSCs in vitro proved by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and hiPSC/HCG-311 complexes formed much bone-like tissue in vivo, indicated by cone-beam computed tomography imaging, H&E staining, Masson staining, and RUNX-2, OCN immunohistochemistry staining. In conclusion, our study has shown that osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs from hGFs was improved by HCG-311. The mechanism might be that the nHA addition stimulates osteogenic marker expression of hiPSCs from hGFs. Our work has provided an innovative autologous cell-based bone tissue engineering approach with soft tissues such as clinically abundant gingiva. Significance The present study focused on patient-personalized bone tissue engineering. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) were established from clinically easily derived human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) and defined nanohydroxyapatite/chitosan/gelatin (HCG) scaffolds. hiPSCs derived from hGFs had better osteogenesis capability than that of hGFs. More interestingly, osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs from hGFs was elevated significantly when composited with HCG-311 scaffolds in vitro and in vivo. The present study has uncovered the important role of different nHA ratios in HCG scaffolds in osteogenesis induction of hiPSCs derived from hGFs. This technique could serve as a potential innovative approach for bone tissue engineering, especially large bone regeneration clinically. PMID:26586776

--No Title--

Science.gov Websites

/ARW1 : IC/BC from 6-h old GFS Alaska ARW2 : IC from current NAM, BC from 6-h old NAM CONUS NMMB/ARW1 : IC from current RAP, BC from 6-h old GFS CONUS ARW2 ; IC from current NAM, BC from 6-h old NAM Hawaii NMMB/ARW1: IC/BC from 6-h old GFS Hawaii ARW2 : IC from current NAM, BC from 6-h old NAM Puerto Rico

Effects of Planetary Boundary Layer Parameterizations on CWRF Regional Climate Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, S.; Liang, X.

2011-12-01

Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) parameterizations incorporated in CWRF (Climate extension of the Weather Research and Forecasting model) are first evaluated by comparing simulated PBL heights with observations. Among the 10 evaluated PBL schemes, 2 (CAM, UW) are new in CWRF while the other 8 are original WRF schemes. MYJ, QNSE and UW determine the PBL heights based on turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) profiles, while others (YSU, ACM, GFS, CAM, TEMF) are from bulk Richardson criteria. All TKE-based schemes (MYJ, MYNN, QNSE, UW, Boulac) substantially underestimate convective or residual PBL heights from noon toward evening, while others (ACM, CAM, YSU) well capture the observed diurnal cycle except for the GFS with systematic overestimation. These differences among the schemes are representative over most areas of the simulation domain, suggesting systematic behaviors of the parameterizations. Lower PBL heights simulated by the QNSE and MYJ are consistent with their smaller Bowen ratios and heavier rainfalls, while higher PBL tops by the GFS correspond to warmer surface temperatures. Effects of PBL parameterizations on CWRF regional climate simulation are then compared. The QNSE PBL scheme yields systematically heavier rainfall almost everywhere and throughout the year; this is identified with a much greater surface Bowen ratio (smaller sensible versus larger latent heating) and wetter soil moisture than other PBL schemes. Its predecessor MYJ scheme shares the same deficiency to a lesser degree. For temperature, the performance of the QNSE and MYJ schemes remains poor, having substantially larger rms errors in all seasons. GFS PBL scheme also produces large warm biases. Pronounced sensitivities are also found to the PBL schemes in winter and spring over most areas except the southern U.S. (Southeast, Gulf States, NAM); excluding the outliers (QNSE, MYJ, GFS) that cause extreme biases of -6 to +3°C, the differences among the schemes are still visible (±2°C), where the CAM is generally more realistic. QNSE, MYJ, GFS and BouLac PBL parameterizations are identified as obvious outliers of overall performance in representing precipitation, surface air temperature or PBL height variations. Their poor performance may result from deficiencies in physical formulations, dependences on applicable scales, or trouble numerical implementations, requiring future detailed investigation to isolate the actual cause.

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Highly Active Electrocatalysts for High-Energy Density, Aqueous Zinc-Polyiodide Redox Flow Batteries.

PubMed

Li, Bin; Liu, Jian; Nie, Zimin; Wang, Wei; Reed, David; Liu, Jun; McGrail, Pete; Sprenkle, Vincent

2016-07-13

The new aqueous zinc-polyiodide redox flow battery (RFB) system with highly soluble active materials as well as ambipolar and bifunctional designs demonstrated significantly enhanced energy density, which shows great potential to reduce RFB cost. However, the poor kinetic reversibility and electrochemical activity of the redox reaction of I3(-)/I(-) couples on graphite felts (GFs) electrode can result in low energy efficiency. Two nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), MIL-125-NH2 and UiO-66-CH3, that have high surface areas when introduced to GF surfaces accelerated the I3(-)/I(-) redox reaction. The flow cell with MOF-modified GFs serving as a positive electrode showed higher energy efficiency than the pristine GFs; increases of about 6.4% and 2.7% occurred at the current density of 30 mA/cm(2) for MIL-125-NH2 and UiO-66-CH3, respectively. Moreover, UiO-66-CH3 is more promising due to its excellent chemical stability in the weakly acidic electrolyte. This letter highlights a way for MOFs to be used in the field of RFBs.

Applying an economical scale-aware PDF-based turbulence closure model in NOAA NCEP GCMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belochitski, A.; Krueger, S. K.; Moorthi, S.; Bogenschutz, P.; Pincus, R.

2016-12-01

A novel unified representation of sub-grid scale (SGS) turbulence, cloudiness, and shallow convection is being implemented into the NOAA NCEP Global Forecasting System (GFS) general circulation model. The approach, known as Simplified High Order Closure (SHOC), is based on predicting a joint PDF of SGS thermodynamic variables and vertical velocity and using it to diagnose turbulent diffusion coefficients, SGS fluxes, condensation and cloudiness. Unlike other similar methods, only one new prognostic variable, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), needs to be intoduced, making the technique computationally efficient.SHOC is now incorporated into a version of GFS, as well as into the next generation of the NCEP global model - NOAA Environmental Modeling System (NEMS). Turbulent diffusion coefficients computed by SHOC are now used in place of those produced by the boundary layer turbulence and shallow convection parameterizations. Large scale microphysics scheme is no longer used to calculate cloud fraction or the large-scale condensation/deposition. Instead, SHOC provides these variables. Radiative transfer parameterization uses cloudiness computed by SHOC.Outstanding problems include high level tropical cloud fraction being too high in SHOC runs, possibly related to the interaction of SHOC with condensate detrained from deep convection.Future work will consist of evaluating model performance and tuning the physics if necessary, by performing medium-range NWP forecasts with prescribed initial conditions, and AMIP-type climate tests with prescribed SSTs. Depending on the results, the model will be tuned or parameterizations modified. Next, SHOC will be implemented in the NCEP CFS, and tuned and evaluated for climate applications - seasonal prediction and long coupled climate runs. Impact of new physics on ENSO, MJO, ISO, monsoon variability, etc will be examined.

Gingival Fibroblasts as Autologous Feeders for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

PubMed

Yu, G; Okawa, H; Okita, K; Kamano, Y; Wang, F; Saeki, M; Yatani, H; Egusa, H

2016-01-01

Human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) present an attractive source of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are expected to be a powerful tool for regenerative dentistry. However, problems to be addressed prior to clinical application include the use of animal-derived feeder cells for cultures. The aim of this study was to establish an autologous hGF-derived iPSC (hGF-iPSC) culture system by evaluating the feeder ability of hGFs. In both serum-containing and serum-free media, hGFs showed higher proliferation than human dermal fibroblasts (hDFs). Three hGF strains were isolated under serum-free conditions, although 2 showed impaired proliferation. When hGF-iPSCs were transferred onto mitomycin C-inactivated hGFs, hDFs, or mouse-derived SNL feeders, hGF and SNL feeders were clearly hGF-iPSC supportive for more than 50 passages, whereas hDF feeders were only able to maintain undifferentiated hGF-iPSC growth for a few passages. After 20 passages on hGF feeders, embryonic stem cell marker expression and CpG methylation at the NANOG and OCT3/4 promoters were similar for hGF-iPSCs cultured on hGF and SNL feeder cells. Long-term cultures of hGF-iPSCs on hGF feeders sustained their normal karyotype and pluripotency. On hGF feeders, hGF-iPSC colonies were surrounded by many colony-derived fibroblast-like cells, and the size of intact colonies at 7 d after passage was significantly larger than that on SNL feeders. Allogeneic hGF strains also maintained hGF-iPSCs for 10 passages. Compared with hDFs, hGFs showed a higher production of laminin-332, laminin α5 chain, and insulin-like growth factor-II, which have been reported to sustain the long-term self-renewal of pluripotent stem cells. These results suggest that hGFs possess an excellent feeder capability and thus can be used as alternatives to conventional mouse-derived SNL and hDF feeders. In addition, our findings suggest that hGF feeders are promising candidates for animal component-free ex vivo expansion of autologous hGF-iPSCs, thus providing an important step toward the future therapeutic application of hGF-iPSCs. © International & American Associations for Dental Research 2015.

Evaluation of Causes of Large 96-H and 120-H Track Errors in the Western North Pacific

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

Interpolated GFS (A) forecast track for 11W ( Mawar ) for the 0600 UTC 22 August 2005 E-DCI-m case study. The solid sections of the forecast tracks...fields for 11W ( Mawar ) predicted by GFS for taus (a) 54 and (c) 66 for 0600 UTC 22 August 2005 and the corresponding verifying 00-h NOGAPS analyses...pressure (mb) fields for 11W ( Mawar ) predicted by GFS for taus (a) 90 and (c) 114 for 0600 UTC 22 August 2005 and the corresponding verifying 00-h

Biomaterial delivery of morphogens to mimic the natural healing cascade in bone

PubMed Central

Mehta, Manav; Schmidt-Bleek, Katharina; Duda, Georg N; Mooney, David J

2012-01-01

Complications in treatment of large bone defects using bone grafting still remain. Our understanding of the endogenous bone regeneration cascade has inspired the exploration of a wide variety of growth factors (GFs) in an effort to mimic the natural signaling that controls bone healing. Biomaterial-based delivery of single exogenous GFs has shown therapeutic efficacy, and this likely relates to its ability to recruit and promote replication of cells involved in tissue development and the healing process. However, as the natural bone healing cascade involves the action of multiple factors, each acting in a specific spatiotemporal pattern, strategies aiming to mimic the critical aspects of this process will likely benefit from the usage of multiple therapeutic agents. This article reviews the current status of approaches to deliver single GFs, as well as ongoing efforts to develop sophisticated delivery platforms to deliver multiple lineage-directing morphogens (multiple GFs) during bone healing. PMID:22626978

Global field synchronization in gamma range of the sleep EEG tracks sleep depth: Artifact introduced by a rectangular analysis window.

PubMed

Rusterholz, Thomas; Achermann, Peter; Dürr, Roland; Koenig, Thomas; Tarokh, Leila

2017-06-01

Investigating functional connectivity between brain networks has become an area of interest in neuroscience. Several methods for investigating connectivity have recently been developed, however, these techniques need to be applied with care. We demonstrate that global field synchronization (GFS), a global measure of phase alignment in the EEG as a function of frequency, must be applied considering signal processing principles in order to yield valid results. Multichannel EEG (27 derivations) was analyzed for GFS based on the complex spectrum derived by the fast Fourier transform (FFT). We examined the effect of window functions on GFS, in particular of non-rectangular windows. Applying a rectangular window when calculating the FFT revealed high GFS values for high frequencies (>15Hz) that were highly correlated (r=0.9) with spectral power in the lower frequency range (0.75-4.5Hz) and tracked the depth of sleep. This turned out to be spurious synchronization. With a non-rectangular window (Tukey or Hanning window) these high frequency synchronization vanished. Both, GFS and power density spectra significantly differed for rectangular and non-rectangular windows. Previous papers using GFS typically did not specify the applied window and may have used a rectangular window function. However, the demonstrated impact of the window function raises the question of the validity of some previous findings at higher frequencies. We demonstrated that it is crucial to apply an appropriate window function for determining synchronization measures based on a spectral approach to avoid spurious synchronization in the beta/gamma range. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chitinolytic and chitosanolytic activities from crude cellulase extract produced by A. niger grown on apple pomace through Koji fermentation.

PubMed

Dhillon, Gurpreet Singh; Brar, Satinder Kaur; Kaur, Surinder; Valero, Jose R; Verma, Mausam

2011-12-01

Enzyme extracts of cellulase [filter paper cellulase (FPase) and carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase)], chitinase, and chitosanase produced by Aspergillus niger NRRL-567 were evaluated. The interactive effects of initial moisture and different inducers for FP cellulase and CMCase production were optimized using response surface methodology. Higher enzyme activities [FPase 79.24+/- 4.22 IU/gram fermented substrate (gfs) and CMCase 124.04+/-7.78 IU/gfs] were achieved after 48 h fermentation in solid-state medium containing apple pomace supplemented with rice husk [1% (w/w)] under optimized conditions [pH 4.5, moisture 55% (v/w), and inducers veratryl alcohol (2 mM/kg), copper sulfate (1.5 mM/kg), and lactose 2% (w/w)] (p<0.05). Koji fermentation in trays was carried out and higher enzyme activities (FPase 96.67+/-4.18 IU/gfs and CMCase 146.50+/-11.92 IU/gfs) were achieved. The nonspecific chitinase and chitosanase activities of cellulase enzyme extract were analyzed using chitin and chitosan substrates with different physicochemical characteristics, such as degree of deacetylation, molecular weight, and viscosity. Higher chitinase and chitosanase activities of 70.28+/-3.34 IU/gfs and 60.18+/-3.82 to 64.20+/-4.12 IU/gfs, respectively, were achieved. Moreover, the enzyme was stable and retained 92-94% activity even after one month. Cellulase enzyme extract obtained from A. niger with chitinolytic and chitosanolytic activities could be potentially used for making low-molecular-weight chitin and chitosan oligomers, having promising applications in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, food, and agricultural industries, and in biocontrol formulations.

The Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) - Naval

Science.gov Websites

Prediction Charts (EFS). WxMAP depictions of NAVGEM predictions for side-by-side comparison with NCEP global NWP model (GFS) are also available. Oceanography Products This area provides Global & Regional

Inventory of GFS Files on NOMADS

Science.gov Websites

Inventory of GFS Files on NOMADS GRIB Filter options Description Filename Cycles Available 0.25 .fFFF 00,06,12,18 UTC OPeNDAP options Description Filename Cycles Available 0.25 Degree (3 hourly to 240

Ameliorative effect of black grape juice on systemic alterations and mandibular osteoradionecrosis induced by whole brain irradiation in rats.

PubMed

Freitas, Robson B; González, Paquita; Martins, Nara Maria B; Andrade, Edson R; Cesteros Morante, María Jesús; Conles Picos, Iban; Costilla García, Serafín; Bauermann, Liliane F; Barrio, Juan Pablo

2017-02-01

Whole brain irradiation (WBI) causes a variety of secondary side-effects including anorexia and bone necrosis. We evaluated the radiomodifying effect of black grape juice (BGJ) on WBI alterations in rats measuring food and water intake, body weight, hemogram, and morphological and histological mandibular parameters. Forty male rats (200-250 g) were exposed to eight sessions of cranial X-ray irradiation. The total dose absorbed was 32 Gy delivered over 2 weeks. Four groups were defined: (i) NG: non-irradiated, glucose and fructose solution-supplemented (GFS); (ii) NJ: non-irradiated, BGJ-supplemented; (iii) RG: irradiated, GFS-supplemented; and (iv) RJ: irradiated, BGJ-supplemented. Rats received daily BGJ or GFS dosing by gavage starting 4 days before, continuing during, and ending 4 days after WBI. RJ rats ingested more food and water and showed less body weight loss than RG rats during the irradiation period. Forty days after WBI, irradiated animals started losing weight again compared with controls as a consequence of masticatory hypofunction by mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN). Osteoclastic activity and inflammation were apparent in RG rat mandibles. BGJ was able to attenuate the severity of ORN as well as to improve white and red blood cell counts. Fractionated whole brain irradiation induces mandibular changes that interfere with normal feeding. BGJ can be used to mitigate systemic side-effects of brain irradiation and ORN.

Ternary metal complexes of guaifenesin drug: Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and in vitro anticancer activity of the metal complexes.

PubMed

Mahmoud, W H; Mahmoud, N F; Mohamed, G G; El-Sonbati, A Z; El-Bindary, A A

2015-01-01

The coordination behavior of a series of transition metal ions named Cr(III), Fe(III), Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) with a mono negative tridentate guaifenesin ligand (GFS) (OOO donation sites) and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) is reported. The metal complexes are characterized based on elemental analyses, IR, (1)H NMR, solid reflectance, magnetic moment, molar conductance, UV-vis spectral studies, mass spectroscopy, ESR, XRD and thermal analysis (TG and DTG). The ternary metal complexes were found to have the formulae of [M(GFS)(Phen)Cl]Cl·nH2O (M=Cr(III) (n=1) and Fe(III) (n=0)), [M(GFS)(Phen)Cl]·nH2O (M=Mn(II) (n=0), Zn(II) (n=0) and Cu(II) (n=3)) and [M(GFS)(Phen)(H2O)]Cl·nH2O (M=Co(II) (n=0), Ni(II) (n=0) and Cd(II) (n=4)). All the chelates are found to have octahedral geometrical structures. The ligand and its ternary chelates are subjected to thermal analyses (TG and DTG). The GFS ligand, in comparison to its ternary metal complexes also was screened for their antibacterial activity on gram positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and for in vitro antifungal activity against (Candida albicans). The activity data show that the metal complexes have antibacterial and antifungal activity more than the parent GFS ligand. The complexes were also screened for its in vitro anticancer activity against the Breast cell line (MFC7) and the results obtained show that they exhibit a considerable anticancer activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seasonal variation in xylem pressure of walnut trees: root and stem pressures.

PubMed

Ewers, F W; Améglio, T; Cochard, H; Beaujard, F; Martignac, M; Vandame, M; Bodet, C; Cruiziat, P

2001-09-01

Measurements of air and soil temperatures and xylem pressure were made on 17-year-old orchard trees and on 5-year-old potted trees of walnut (Juglans regia L.). Cooling chambers were used to determine the relationships between temperature and sugar concentration ([glucose] + [fructose] + [sucrose], GFS) and seasonal changes in xylem pressure development. Pressure transducers were attached to twigs of intact plants, root stumps and excised shoots while the potted trees were subjected to various temperature regimes in autumn, winter and spring. Osmolarity and GFS of the xylem sap (apoplast) were measured before and after cooling or warming treatments. In autumn and spring, xylem pressures of up to 160 kPa were closely correlated with soil temperature but were not correlated with GFS in xylem sap. High root pressures were associated with uptake of mineral nutrients from soil, especially nitrate. In autumn and spring, xylem pressures were detected in root stumps as well as in intact plants, but not in excised stems. In contrast, in winter, 83% of the xylem sap osmolarity in both excised stems and intact plants could be accounted for by GFS, and both GFS and osmolarity were inversely proportional to temperature. Plants kept at 1.5 degrees C developed positive xylem pressures up to 35 kPa, xylem sap osmolarities up to 260 mosmol l(-1) and GFS concentrations up to 70 g l(-1). Autumn and spring xylem pressures, which appeared to be of root origin, were about 55% of the theoretical pressures predicted by osmolarity of the xylem sap. In contrast, winter pressures appeared to be of stem origin and were only 7% of the theoretical pressures, perhaps because of a lower stem water content during winter.

Generation and periodontal differentiation of human gingival fibroblasts-derived integration-free induced pluripotent stem cells

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

Yin, Xiaohui; Peking University Stem Cell Research Center and Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191; Li, Yang

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been recognized as a promising cell source for periodontal tissue regeneration. However, the conventional virus-based reprogramming approach is associated with a high risk of genetic mutation and limits their therapeutic utility. Here, we successfully generated iPSCs from readily accessible human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) through an integration-free and feeder-free approach via delivery of reprogramming factors of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, L-myc, Lin28 and TP53 shRNA with episomal plasmid vectors. The iPSCs presented similar morphology and proliferation characteristics as embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and expressed pluripotent markers including Oct4, Tra181, Nanog and SSEA-4. Additionally, these cells maintainedmore » a normal karyotype and showed decreased CpG methylation ratio in the promoter regions of Oct4 and Nanog. In vivo teratoma formation assay revealed the development of tissues representative of three germ layers, confirming the acquisition of pluripotency. Furthermore, treatment of the iPSCs in vitro with enamel matrix derivative (EMD) or growth/differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5) significantly up-regulated the expression of periodontal tissue markers associated with bone, periodontal ligament and cementum respectively. Taken together, our data demonstrate that hGFs are a valuable cell source for generating integration-free iPSCs, which could be sequentially induced toward periodontal cells under the treatment of EMD and GDF-5. - Highlights: • Integration-free iPSCs are successfully generated from hGFs via an episomal approach. • EMD promotes differentiation of the hGFs-derived iPSCs toward periodontal cells. • GDF-5 promotes differentiation of the hGFs-derived iPSCs toward periodontal cells. • hGFs-derived iPSCs could be a promising cell source for periodontal regeneration.« less

Superconductivity in Cage Compounds LaTr2Al20 with Tr = Ti, V, Nb, and Ta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Akira; Higashinaka, Ryuji; Matsuda, Tatsuma D.; Aoki, Yuji

2018-03-01

Electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat measurements on single crystals of LaTr2Al20 (Tr = Ti, V, Nb, and Ta) revealed that these four compounds exhibit weak-coupling superconductivity with transition temperatures Tc = 0.46, 0.15, 1.05, and 1.03 K, respectively. LaTi2Al20 is most probably a type-I superconductor, which is quite rare among intermetallic compounds. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction suggests "rattling" anharmonic large-amplitude oscillations of Al ions (16c site) on the Al16 cage, while no such feature is suggested for the cage-center La ion. Using a parameter dGFS quantifying the "guest free space" of the cage-center ion, we demonstrate that nonmagnetic RTr2Al20 superconductors are classified into two groups, i.e., (A) dGFS ≠ 0 and Tc correlates with dGFS, and (B) dGFS ≃ 0 and Tc seems to be governed by other factors.

Three-dimensional graphene foam as a biocompatible and conductive scaffold for neural stem cells

PubMed Central

Li, Ning; Zhang, Qi; Gao, Song; Song, Qin; Huang, Rong; Wang, Long; Liu, Liwei; Dai, Jianwu; Tang, Mingliang; Cheng, Guosheng

2013-01-01

Neural stem cell (NSC) based therapy provides a promising approach for neural regeneration. For the success of NSC clinical application, a scaffold is required to provide three-dimensional (3D) cell growth microenvironments and appropriate synergistic cell guidance cues. Here, we report the first utilization of graphene foam, a 3D porous structure, as a novel scaffold for NSCs in vitro. It was found that three-dimensional graphene foams (3D-GFs) can not only support NSC growth, but also keep cell at an active proliferation state with upregulation of Ki67 expression than that of two-dimensional graphene films. Meanwhile, phenotypic analysis indicated that 3D-GFs can enhance the NSC differentiation towards astrocytes and especially neurons. Furthermore, a good electrical coupling of 3D-GFs with differentiated NSCs for efficient electrical stimulation was observed. Our findings implicate 3D-GFs could offer a powerful platform for NSC research, neural tissue engineering and neural prostheses. PMID:23549373

Biomaterial delivery of morphogens to mimic the natural healing cascade in bone.

PubMed

Mehta, Manav; Schmidt-Bleek, Katharina; Duda, Georg N; Mooney, David J

2012-09-01

Complications in treatment of large bone defects using bone grafting still remain. Our understanding of the endogenous bone regeneration cascade has inspired the exploration of a wide variety of growth factors (GFs) in an effort to mimic the natural signaling that controls bone healing. Biomaterial-based delivery of single exogenous GFs has shown therapeutic efficacy, and this likely relates to its ability to recruit and promote replication of cells involved in tissue development and the healing process. However, as the natural bone healing cascade involves the action of multiple factors, each acting in a specific spatiotemporal pattern, strategies aiming to mimic the critical aspects of this process will likely benefit from the usage of multiple therapeutic agents. This article reviews the current status of approaches to deliver single GFs, as well as ongoing efforts to develop sophisticated delivery platforms to deliver multiple lineage-directing morphogens (multiple GFs) during bone healing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Cause and A Solution for the Underprediction of Extreme Wave Events in the Northeast Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellenson, A. N.; Ozkan-Haller, H. T.; Thomson, J.; Brown, A. C.; Haller, M. C.

2016-12-01

Along the coastlines of Washington and Oregon, at least one 10 m wave height event occurs every year, and the strongest storms produce wave heights of 14-15 m. Extremely high wave heights can cause severe damage to coastal infrastructure and pose hazards to stakeholders along the coast. A system which can accurately predict such sea states is important for quantifying risk and aiding in preparation for extreme wave events. This study explores how to optimize forecast model performance for extreme wave events by utilizing different physics packages or wind input in four model configurations. The different wind input products consist of a reanalyzed Global Forecasting System (GFS) wind input and a Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) from the National Center of Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The physics packages are the Tolman-Chalikov (1996) ST2 physics package and the Ardhuin et al (2009) ST4 physics package associated with version 4.18 of WaveWatch III. A hindcast was previously performed to assess the wave character along the Pacific Northwest Coastline for wave energy applications. Inspection of hindcast model results showed that the operational model, which consisted of ST2 physics and GFS wind, underpredicted events where wave height exceeded six meters.The under-prediction is most severe for cases with the combined conditions of a distant cyclone and a strong coastal jet. Three such cases were re-analyzed with the four model configurations. Model output is compared with observations at NDBC buoy 46050, offshore of Newport, OR. The model configuration consisting of ST4 physics package and CFSR wind input performs best as compared with the original model, reducing significant wave height underprediction from 1.25 m to approximately 0.67 m and mean wave direction error from 30 degrees to 17 degrees for wave heights greater than 6 m. Spectral analysis shows that the ST4-CFSR model configuration best resolves southerly wave energy, and all model configurations tend to overestimate northerly wave energy. This directional distinction is important when attempting to identify which atmospheric feature has induced the extreme wave energy.

Mode entanglement of Gaussian fermionic states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spee, C.; Schwaiger, K.; Giedke, G.; Kraus, B.

2018-04-01

We investigate the entanglement of n -mode n -partite Gaussian fermionic states (GFS). First, we identify a reasonable definition of separability for GFS and derive a standard form for mixed states, to which any state can be mapped via Gaussian local unitaries (GLU). As the standard form is unique, two GFS are equivalent under GLU if and only if their standard forms coincide. Then, we investigate the important class of local operations assisted by classical communication (LOCC). These are central in entanglement theory as they allow one to partially order the entanglement contained in states. We show, however, that there are no nontrivial Gaussian LOCC (GLOCC) among pure n -partite (fully entangled) states. That is, any such GLOCC transformation can also be accomplished via GLU. To obtain further insight into the entanglement properties of such GFS, we investigate the richer class of Gaussian stochastic local operations assisted by classical communication (SLOCC). We characterize Gaussian SLOCC classes of pure n -mode n -partite states and derive them explicitly for few-mode states. Furthermore, we consider certain fermionic LOCC and show how to identify the maximally entangled set of pure n -mode n -partite GFS, i.e., the minimal set of states having the property that any other state can be obtained from one state inside this set via fermionic LOCC. We generalize these findings also to the pure m -mode n -partite (for m >n ) case.

Therapeutic Potential of Gingival Fibroblasts for Cutaneous Radiation Syndrome: Comparison to Bone Marrow-Mesenchymal Stem Cell Grafts

PubMed Central

Tissedre, Frederique; Busson, Elodie; Holler, Valerie; Leclerc, Thomas; Strup-Perrot, Carine; Couty, Ludovic; L'homme, Bruno; Benderitter, Marc; Lafont, Antoine; Lataillade, Jean Jacques; Coulomb, Bernard

2015-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has recently been investigated as a potential treatment for cutaneous radiation burns. We tested the hypothesis that injection of local gingival fibroblasts (GFs) would promote healing of radiation burn lesions and compared results with those for MSC transplantation. Human clinical- grade GFs or bone marrow-derived MSCs were intradermally injected into mice 21 days after local leg irradiation. Immunostaining and real-time PCR analysis were used to assess the effects of each treatment on extracellular matrix remodeling and inflammation in skin on days 28 and 50 postirradiation. GFs induced the early development of thick, fully regenerated epidermis, skin appendages, and hair follicles, earlier than MSCs did. The acceleration of wound healing by GFs involved rearrangement of the deposited collagen, modification of the Col/MMP/TIMP balance, and modulation of the expression and localization of tenascin-C and of the expression of growth factors (VEGF, EGF, and FGF7). As MSC treatment did, GF injection decreased the irradiation-induced inflammatory response and switched the differentiation of macrophages toward an M2-like phenotype, characterized by CD163+ macrophage infiltration and strong expression of arginase-1. These findings indicate that GFs are an attractive target for regenerative medicine, for easier to collect, can grow in culture, and promote cutaneous wound healing in irradiation burn lesions. PMID:25584741

Micro-precise spatiotemporal delivery system embedded in 3D printing for complex tissue regeneration.

PubMed

Tarafder, Solaiman; Koch, Alia; Jun, Yena; Chou, Conrad; Awadallah, Mary R; Lee, Chang H

2016-04-25

Three dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as an efficient tool for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, given its advantages for constructing custom-designed scaffolds with tunable microstructure/physical properties. Here we developed a micro-precise spatiotemporal delivery system embedded in 3D printed scaffolds. PLGA microspheres (μS) were encapsulated with growth factors (GFs) and then embedded inside PCL microfibers that constitute custom-designed 3D scaffolds. Given the substantial difference in the melting points between PLGA and PCL and their low heat conductivity, μS were able to maintain its original structure while protecting GF's bioactivities. Micro-precise spatial control of multiple GFs was achieved by interchanging dispensing cartridges during a single printing process. Spatially controlled delivery of GFs, with a prolonged release, guided formation of multi-tissue interfaces from bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs). To investigate efficacy of the micro-precise delivery system embedded in 3D printed scaffold, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc scaffolds were fabricated with micro-precise spatiotemporal delivery of CTGF and TGFβ3, mimicking native-like multiphase fibrocartilage. In vitro, TMJ disc scaffolds spatially embedded with CTGF/TGFβ3-μS resulted in formation of multiphase fibrocartilaginous tissues from MSCs. In vivo, TMJ disc perforation was performed in rabbits, followed by implantation of CTGF/TGFβ3-μS-embedded scaffolds. After 4 wks, CTGF/TGFβ3-μS embedded scaffolds significantly improved healing of the perforated TMJ disc as compared to the degenerated TMJ disc in the control group with scaffold embedded with empty μS. In addition, CTGF/TGFβ3-μS embedded scaffolds significantly prevented arthritic changes on TMJ condyles. In conclusion, our micro-precise spatiotemporal delivery system embedded in 3D printing may serve as an efficient tool to regenerate complex and inhomogeneous tissues.

Platelet-rich plasma derived growth factors contribute to stem cell differentiation in musculoskeletal regeneration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Yun; Han, Qixin; Chen, Wei; Song, Jialin; Zhao, Xiaotian; Ouyang, Yuanming; Yuan, Weien; Fan, Cunyi

2017-10-01

Stem cell treatment and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy are two significant issues in regenerative medicine. Stem cells such as bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, adipose-derived stem cells and periodontal ligament stem cells can be successfully applied in the field of tissue regeneration. PRP, a natural product isolated from whole blood, can secrete multiple growth factors (GFs) for regulating physiological activities. These GFs can stimulate proliferation and differentiation of different stem cells in injury models. Therefore, combination of both agents receives wide expectations in regenerative medicine, especially in bone, cartilage and tendon repair. In this review, we thoroughly discussed the interaction and underlying mechanisms of platelet-rich plasma derived growth factors with stem cells, and assessed their functions in cell differentiation for musculoskeletal regeneration.

Toward Improved Land Surface Initialization in Support of Regional WRF Forecasts at the Kenya Meteorological Service (KMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Jonathan L.; Mungai, John; Sakwa, Vincent; Kabuchanga, Eric; Zavodsky, Bradley T.; Limaye, Ashutosh S.

2014-01-01

SPoRT/SERVIR/RCMRD/KMS Collaboration: Builds off strengths of each organization. SPoRT: Transition of satellite, modeling and verification capabilities; SERVIR-Africa/RCMRD: International capacity-building expertise; KMS: Operational organization with regional weather forecasting expertise in East Africa. Hypothesis: Improved land-surface initialization over Eastern Africa can lead to better temperature, moisture, and ultimately precipitation forecasts in NWP models. KMS currently initializes Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with NCEP/Global Forecast System (GFS) model 0.5-deg initial / boundary condition data. LIS will provide much higher-resolution land-surface data at a scale more representative to regional WRF configuration. Future implementation of real-time NESDIS/VIIRS vegetation fraction to further improve land surface representativeness.

Alterations of Growth Factors in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Galvez-Contreras, Alma Y.; Campos-Ordonez, Tania; Gonzalez-Castaneda, Rocio E.; Gonzalez-Perez, Oscar

2017-01-01

Growth factors (GFs) are cytokines that regulate the neural development. Recent evidence indicates that alterations in the expression level of GFs during embryogenesis are linked to the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this concise review, we summarize the current evidence that supports the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor 2, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, neurotrophins 3 and 4, and epidermal growth factor in the pathogenesis of ADHD and ASD. We also highlight the potential use of these GFs as clinical markers for diagnosis and prognosis of these neurodevelopmental disorders. PMID:28751869

The GFS Atmospheric Model description

Science.gov Websites

model has only one type of cloud cover represented by C. In the tropics the cloudiness is primarily due mainly through grid-scale condensation. The fractional cloud cover C is available at all model levels , 1996: Parameterizations for the absorption of solar radiation by water vapor and ozone. J. Atmos. Sci

Potential Vorticity Analysis of Low Level Thunderstorm Dynamics in an Idealized Supercell Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

Severe Weather, Supercell, Weather Research and Forecasting Model , Advanced WRF 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT...27 A. ADVANCED RESEARCH WRF MODEL .................................................27 1. Data, Model Setup, and Methodology...03/11/2006 GFS model run. Top row: 11/12Z initialization. Middle row: 12 hour forecast valid at 12/00Z. Bottom row: 24 hour forecast valid at

Evaluating the performance of real-time streamflow forecasting using multi-satellite precipitation products in the Upper Zambezi, Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demaria, E. M.; Valdes, J. B.; Wi, S.; Serrat-Capdevila, A.; Valdés-Pineda, R.; Durcik, M.

2016-12-01

In under-instrumented basins around the world, accurate and timely forecasts of river streamflows have the potential of assisting water and natural resource managers in their management decisions. The Upper Zambezi river basin is the largest basin in southern Africa and its water resources are critical to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in eight riparian countries. We present a real-time streamflow forecast for the basin using a multi-model-multi-satellite approach that allows accounting for model and input uncertainties. Three distributed hydrologic models with different levels of complexity: VIC, HYMOD_DS, and HBV_DS are setup at a daily time step and a 0.25 degree spatial resolution for the basin. The hydrologic models are calibrated against daily observed streamflows at the Katima-Mulilo station using a Genetic Algorithm. Three real-time satellite products: Climate Prediction Center's morphing technique (CMORPH), Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN), and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM-3B42RT) are bias-corrected with daily CHIRPS estimates. Uncertainty bounds for predicted flows are estimated with the Inverse Variance Weighting method. Because concentration times in the basin range from a few days to more than a week, we include the use of precipitation forecasts from the Global Forecasting System (GFS) to predict daily streamflows in the basin with a 10-days lead time. The skill of GFS-predicted streamflows is evaluated and the usefulness of the forecasts for short term water allocations is presented.

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

available at IMD Click here to go to the Special Report page Aug 2016 - IITM started experimental real-time Experimental version of GFS 10.0.0 ported to IITM & NCMRWF - February 2012 EnKF Hybrid GSI update - Spring diagnostics *Experimental* Climate Prediction Center (CPC) links... African Desk: SWFDP GFS forecasts South

Ultrastrong Graphene-Copper Core-Shell Wires for High-Performance Electrical Cables.

PubMed

Kim, Sang Jin; Shin, Dong Heon; Choi, Yong Seok; Rho, Hokyun; Park, Min; Moon, Byung Joon; Kim, Youngsoo; Lee, Seuoung-Ki; Lee, Dong Su; Kim, Tae-Wook; Lee, Sang Hyun; Kim, Keun Soo; Hong, Byung Hee; Bae, Sukang

2018-03-27

Recent development in mobile electronic devices and electric vehicles requires electrical wires with reduced weight as well as enhanced stability. In addition, since electric energy is mostly generated from power plants located far from its consuming places, mechanically stronger and higher electric power transmission cables are strongly demanded. However, there has been no alternative materials that can practically replace copper materials. Here, we report a method to prepare ultrastrong graphene fibers (GFs)-Cu core-shell wires with significantly enhanced electrical and mechanical properties. The core GFs are synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, followed by electroplating of Cu shells, where the large surface area of GFs in contact with Cu maximizes the mechanical toughness of the core-shell wires. At the same time, the unique electrical and thermal characteristics of graphene allow a ∼10 times higher current density limit, providing more efficient and reliable delivery of electrical energies through the GFs-Cu wires. We believe that our results would be useful to overcome the current limit in electrical wires and cables for lightweight, energy-saving, and high-power applications.

Aeromedical evacuation of injured hikers in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Wong, Tai Wai; Lau, Ping Fat; Lau, Chor Chiu

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Hiking is a very popular sport in Hong Kong. Serious injuries can sometimes occur in the remote areas not accessible to roads. Aeromedical evacuation service is run by the Government Flying Service (GFS) with emergency physicians and nurses as volunteers in Hong Kong. In this paper we describe the profile and outcome of injured hikers rescued by the GFS. METHODS: In this retrospective review, nature of the complaints, medical team composition, vital signs, clinical assessment and diagnosis on site were collected from the GFS medical record. Demographic data, final diagnoses and outcomes of the patients were retrieved from emergency department (ED) and hospital discharge records. RESULTS: A total of 275 cases were recruited for the 3-year period from January 2003 to December 2005. The mean age of the group was 39 years (range 1-83) with more males (159, 58%) than females. Heat illnesses, injuries and medical problems each constituted about one third of the cases. Lower limb injuries accounted for nearly half of the injuries. About 30% of the rescued hikers did not register to be seen at the ED. Only 48 hikers (17.5%) required admission and four were admitted to intensive/coronary care units for heat stroke and acute coronary syndrome. Five cases of pre-hospital cardiac arrest were recorded. CONCLUSION: Most hikers evacuated by the GFS did not suffer from serious conditions. GFS should still be prepared for the occasional cases that require advanced life support. PMID:25214963

Distribution of gelatinous fibers in seedling roots of living cycads.

PubMed

Magellan, Tracy M; Griffith, M Patrick; Tomlinson, P Barry

2015-08-01

• The presence of gelatinous (tension) fibers (GFs) in the roots of two extant cycadales (Cycas and Zamia) in a recent publication raises interesting issues of GF distribution in seed plants. An immediate question that arises from this discovery is whether GFs occur consistently in the radicle of all extant cycad genera and therefore might have a similar role in root contraction. We present results of a survey of nursery-grown material of all 10 genera.• We sequentially sectioned seedling root material and used simple staining and histochemical methods to follow anatomical changes along the radicle of all 10 genera.• We found GFs in nine genera; Stangeria appears to be the only genus without them. In all genera, there is a wide variation in the number of GFs and also variation in the development of thickened, fleshy roots. "Tertiary expansion" is a useful term to describe late cell division and enlargement of both primary and secondary parenchyma, the latter produced by the vascular cambium. Certain other histological features can be diagnostically useful at the generic level.• The functional interpretation of GFs as being wholly responsible for apparent tissue contraction is now somewhat compromised, especially as distortion of tracheary elements by changes in dimensions of parenchyma cells can falsely suggest root contraction when it may not occur. These preliminary results point the way to a more precise investigation of study material grown in more uniform environments using advanced technological methods. © 2015 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Rilonacept for gout flare prevention during initiation of uric acid-lowering therapy: results from the PRESURGE-2 international, phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Mitha, Essack; Schumacher, H Ralph; Fouche, Leon; Luo, Shue-Fen; Weinstein, Steven P; Yancopoulos, George D; Wang, Jian; King-Davis, Shirletta; Evans, Robert R

2013-07-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of IL-1 inhibitor rilonacept (IL-1 Trap) for gout flare (GF) prevention during initiation of uric acid-lowering therapy (ULT) with allopurinol in a multiregional phase 3 clinical trial. Hyperuricaemic adults (n = 248) from South Africa, Germany and Asia with gout and two or more GFs within the past year were initiated on allopurinol and randomized 1:1:1 to once-weekly s.c. treatment with placebo (PBO), rilonacept 80 mg (R80) or rilonacept 160 mg (R160) for 16 weeks. The primary endpoint was the number of GFs per patient through week 16. The population was predominantly male and racially diverse (white, 53.2%; Asian, 33.1%; black, 13.7%). Across treatments, most patients completed the study (87.8-92.9%). At 16 weeks the mean number of GFs per patient was reduced by 71.3% with R80 (0.35) and by 72.6% with R160 (0.34) relative to PBO (1.23; both P < 0.0001). The proportion of patients without GFs was higher with R80 (74.4%) and R160 (79.5%) than with PBO (43.9%; both P ≤ 0.0001), and the proportions of patients on rilonacept with multiple GFs were significantly lower (P < 0.001). Overall, the incidence of adverse events (AEs) was similar between PBO (61.0%) and rilonacept (65.1%). Injection site reactions, generally mild, were the most frequent AE with rilonacept (1.2% PBO, 12.2% R80 and 17.9% R160); none of these injection site reactions led to withdrawal. There were no study drug-related serious AEs or deaths. Rilonacept significantly reduced the occurrence of GFs associated with initiation of ULT, with >70% of patients having no flares, and demonstrated an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. ClinicalTrials.gov, http://clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT00958438.

NCEP Model Verification

Science.gov Websites

daily and monthly statistics. The daily and monthly verification processing is broken down into three geopotential height and wind using daily statistics from the gdas1 prepbufr files at 00Z; 06Z; 12Z; and, 18Z Hemisphere; the Southern Hemisphere; and the Tropics. Daily S1 scores from the GFS and NAM models are

Monitoring the Global Soil Moisture Climatology Using GLDAS/LIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, J.; Mitchell, K.; Wei, H.; Gottschalck, J.

2006-05-01

Soil moisture plays a crucial role in the terrestrial water cycle through governing the process of partitioning precipitation among infiltration, runoff and evaporation. Accurate assessment of soil moisture and other land states, namely, soil temperature, snowpack, and vegetation, is critical in numerical environmental prediction systems because of their regulation of surface water and energy fluxes between the surface and atmosphere over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. The Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) is developed, jointly by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), to perform high-quality global land surface simulation using state-of-art land surface models and further minimizing the errors of simulation by constraining the models with observation- based precipitation, and satellite land data assimilation techniques. The GLDAS-based Land Information System (LIS) infrastructure has been installed on the NCEP supercomputer that serves the operational weather and climate prediction systems. In this experiment, the Noah land surface model is offline executed within the GLDAS/LIS infrastructure, driven by the NCEP Global Reanalysis-2 (GR2) and the CPC Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP). We use the same Noah code that is coupled to the operational NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) for weather prediction and test bed versions of the NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFS) for seasonal prediction. For assessment, it is crucial that this uncoupled GLDAS/Noah uses exactly the same Noah code (and soil and vegetation parameters therein), and executes with the same horizontal grid, landmask, terrain field, soil and vegetation types, seasonal cycle of green vegetation fraction and surface albedo as in the coupled GFS/Noah and CFS/Noah. This execution is for the 25-year period of 1980-2005, starting with a pre-execution 10-year spin-up. This 25-year GLDAS/Noah global land climatology will be used for both climate variability assessment and as a source of land initial conditions for ensemble CFS/Noah seasonal hindcast experiments. Finally, this GLDAS/Noah climatology will serve as the foundation for a global drought/flood monitoring system that includes near realtime daily updates of the global land states.

The DEDS: DSTO’s Environmental-Data Server for Research Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

AccuWeather.com, 2010. Available from: http:// www.accuweather.com/ [cited 15 June 2010]. 44. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, /data/gfs- avn ...hi. Available from: http://nomads.ncdc.noaa.gov/data/gfs- avn -hi/ [cited 15 June 2010]. 45. Wang, Y., L.R. Leung, J.L. McGregor, D.-K. Lee, W.-C

Preparation of Three-Dimensional Graphene Foams Using Powder Metallurgy Templates.

PubMed

Sha, Junwei; Gao, Caitian; Lee, Seoung-Ki; Li, Yilun; Zhao, Naiqin; Tour, James M

2016-01-26

A simple and scalable method which combines traditional powder metallurgy and chemical vapor deposition is developed for the synthesis of mesoporous free-standing 3D graphene foams. The powder metallurgy templates for 3D graphene foams (PMT-GFs) consist of particle-like carbon shells which are connected by multilayered graphene that shows high specific surface area (1080 m(2) g(-1)), good crystallization, good electrical conductivity (13.8 S cm(-1)), and a mechanically robust structure. The PMT-GFs did not break under direct flushing with DI water, and they were able to recover after being compressed. These properties indicate promising applications of PMT-GFs for fields requiring 3D carbon frameworks such as in energy-based electrodes and mechanical dampening.

Integration of Genetic Algorithms and Fuzzy Logic for Urban Growth Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foroutan, E.; Delavar, M. R.; Araabi, B. N.

2012-07-01

Urban growth phenomenon as a spatio-temporal continuous process is subject to spatial uncertainty. This inherent uncertainty cannot be fully addressed by the conventional methods based on the Boolean algebra. Fuzzy logic can be employed to overcome this limitation. Fuzzy logic preserves the continuity of dynamic urban growth spatially by choosing fuzzy membership functions, fuzzy rules and the fuzzification-defuzzification process. Fuzzy membership functions and fuzzy rule sets as the heart of fuzzy logic are rather subjective and dependent on the expert. However, due to lack of a definite method for determining the membership function parameters, certain optimization is needed to tune the parameters and improve the performance of the model. This paper integrates genetic algorithms and fuzzy logic as a genetic fuzzy system (GFS) for modeling dynamic urban growth. The proposed approach is applied for modeling urban growth in Tehran Metropolitan Area in Iran. Historical land use/cover data of Tehran Metropolitan Area extracted from the 1988 and 1999 Landsat ETM+ images are employed in order to simulate the urban growth. The extracted land use classes of the year 1988 include urban areas, street, vegetation areas, slope and elevation used as urban growth physical driving forces. Relative Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve as an fitness function has been used to evaluate the performance of the GFS algorithm. The optimum membership function parameter is applied for generating a suitability map for the urban growth. Comparing the suitability map and real land use map of 1999 gives the threshold value for the best suitability map which can simulate the land use map of 1999. The simulation outcomes in terms of kappa of 89.13% and overall map accuracy of 95.58% demonstrated the efficiency and reliability of the proposed model.

P161 Improved Impact of Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Radiance Assimilation in Numerical Weather Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zavodsky, Bradley T.; Chou, Shih-Hung; Jedlovec, Gary J.

2012-01-01

For over 6 years, AIRS radiances have been assimilated operationally into National (e.g. Environmental Modeling Center (EMC)) and International (e.g. European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)), operational centers; assimilated in the North American Mesoscale (NAM) since 2008. Due partly to data latency and operational constraints, hyperspectral radiance assimilation has had less impact on the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system used in the NAM and GFS. Objective of this project is to use AIRS retrieved profiles as a proxy for the AIRS radiances in situations where AIRS radiances are unable to be assimilated in the current operational system by evaluating location and magnitude of analysis increments.

In Vitro and In Vivo Investigation of the Potential of Amorphous Microporous Silica as a Protein Delivery Vehicle

PubMed Central

Vanmellaert, Lieve; Vermaelen, Peter; Deroose, Christophe M.; Naert, Ignace; Cardoso, Marcio Vivan; Martens, Johan A.

2013-01-01

Delivering growth factors (GFs) at bone/implant interface needs to be optimized to achieve faster osseointegration. Amorphous microporous silica (AMS) has a potential to be used as a carrier and delivery platform for GFs. In this work, adsorption (loading) and release (delivery) mechanism of a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), from AMS was investigated in vitro as well as in vivo. In general, strong BSA adsorption to AMS was observed. The interaction was stronger at lower pH owing to favorable electrostatic interaction. In vitro evaluation of BSA release revealed a peculiar release profile, involving a burst release followed by a 6 h period without appreciable BSA release and a further slower release later. Experimental data supporting this observation are discussed. Apart from understanding protein/biomaterial (BSA/AMS) interaction, determination of in vivo protein release is an essential aspect of the evaluation of a protein delivery system. In this regard micropositron emission tomography (μ-PET) was used in an exploratory experiment to determine in vivo BSA release profile from AMS. Results suggest stronger in vivo retention of BSA when adsorbed on AMS. This study highlights the possible use of AMS as a controlled protein delivery platform which may facilitate osseointegration. PMID:23991413

Tropospheric dry layers in the tropical western Pacific: comparisons of GPS radio occultation with multiple data sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieckh, Therese; Anthes, Richard; Randel, William; Ho, Shu-Peng; Foelsche, Ulrich

2017-03-01

We use GPS radio occultation (RO) data to investigate the structure and temporal behavior of extremely dry, high-ozone tropospheric air in the tropical western Pacific during the 6-week period of the CONTRAST (CONvective TRansport of Active Species in the Tropics) experiment (January and February 2014). Our analyses are aimed at testing whether the RO method is capable of detecting these extremely dry layers and evaluating comparisons with in situ measurements, satellite observations, and model analyses. We use multiple data sources as comparisons, including CONTRAST research aircraft profiles, radiosonde profiles, AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) satellite retrievals, and profiles extracted from the ERA (ERA-Interim reanalysis) and the GFS (US National Weather Service Global Forecast System) analyses, as well as MTSAT-2 satellite images. The independent and complementary radiosonde, aircraft, and RO data provide high vertical resolution observations of the dry layers. However, they all have limitations. The coverage of the radiosonde data is limited by having only a single station in this oceanic region; the aircraft data are limited in their temporal and spatial coverage; and the RO data are limited in their number and horizontal resolution over this period. However, nearby observations from the three types of data are highly consistent with each other and with the lower-vertical-resolution AIRS profiles. They are also consistent with the ERA and GFS data. We show that the RO data, used here for the first time to study this phenomenon, contribute significant information on the water vapor content and are capable of detecting layers in the tropics and subtropics with extremely low humidity (less than 10 %), independent of the retrieval used to extract moisture information. Our results also verify the quality of the ERA and GFS data sets, giving confidence to the reanalyses and their use in diagnosing the full four-dimensional structure of the dry layers.

Estimating and forecasting the precipitable water vapor from GOES satellite data at high altitude sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marín, Julio C.; Pozo, Diana; Curé, Michel

2015-01-01

In this work, we describe a method to estimate the precipitable water vapor (PWV) from Geostationary Observational Environmental Satellite (GOES) data at high altitude sites. The method was applied at Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) and Cerro Toco sites, located above 5000 m altitude in the Chajnantor plateau, in the north of Chile. It was validated using GOES-12 satellite data over the range 0-1.2 mm since submillimeter/millimeter astronomical observations are only useful within this PWV range. The PWV estimated from GOES and the Final Analyses (FNL) at APEX for 2007 and 2009 show root mean square error values of 0.23 mm and 0.36 mm over the ranges 0-0.4 mm and 0.4-1.2 mm, respectively. However, absolute relative errors of 51% and 33% were shown over these PWV ranges, respectively. We recommend using high-resolution thermodynamic profiles from the Global Forecast System (GFS) model to estimate the PWV from GOES data since they are available every three hours and at an earlier time than the FNL data. The estimated PWV from GOES/GFS agrees better with the observed PWV at both sites during night time. The largest errors are shown during daytime. Short-term PWV forecasts were implemented at both sites, applying a simple persistence method to the PWV estimated from GOES/GFS. The 12 h and 24 h PWV forecasts evaluated from August to October 2009 indicates that 25% of them show a very good agreement with observations whereas 50% of them show reasonably good agreement with observations. Transmission uncertainties calculated for PWV estimations and forecasts over the studied sites are larger over the range 0-0.4 mm than over the range 0.4-1.2 mm. Thus, the method can be used over the latter interval with more confidence.

The implementation of NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) Version 1.0 for global dust forecasting at NOAA/NCEP

PubMed Central

Lu, Cheng-Hsuan; da Silva, Arlindo; Wang, Jun; Moorthi, Shrinivas; Chin, Mian; Colarco, Peter; Tang, Youhua; Bhattacharjee, Partha S.; Chen, Shen-Po; Chuang, Hui-Ya; Juang, Hann-Ming Henry; McQueen, Jeffery; Iredell, Mark

2018-01-01

The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) implemented NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) for global dust forecasting in collaboration with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). NGAC Version 1.0 has been providing 5 day dust forecasts at 1°×1° resolution on a global scale, once per day at 00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), since September 2012. This is the first global system capable of interactive atmosphere aerosol forecasting at NCEP. The implementation of NGAC V1.0 reflects an effective and efficient transitioning of NASA research advances to NCEP operations, paving the way for NCEP to provide global aerosol products serving a wide range of stakeholders as well as to allow the effects of aerosols on weather forecasts and climate prediction to be considered. PMID:29652411

The implementation of NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) Version 1.0 for global dust forecasting at NOAA/NCEP.

PubMed

Lu, Cheng-Hsuan; da Silva, Arlindo; Wang, Jun; Moorthi, Shrinivas; Chin, Mian; Colarco, Peter; Tang, Youhua; Bhattacharjee, Partha S; Chen, Shen-Po; Chuang, Hui-Ya; Juang, Hann-Ming Henry; McQueen, Jeffery; Iredell, Mark

2016-01-01

The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) implemented NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) for global dust forecasting in collaboration with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). NGAC Version 1.0 has been providing 5 day dust forecasts at 1°×1° resolution on a global scale, once per day at 00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), since September 2012. This is the first global system capable of interactive atmosphere aerosol forecasting at NCEP. The implementation of NGAC V1.0 reflects an effective and efficient transitioning of NASA research advances to NCEP operations, paving the way for NCEP to provide global aerosol products serving a wide range of stakeholders as well as to allow the effects of aerosols on weather forecasts and climate prediction to be considered.

High-throughput investigation of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transformation (EndMT) with combinatorial cellular microarrays.

PubMed

Wang, Zongjie; Calpe, Blaise; Zerdani, Jalil; Lee, Youngsang; Oh, Jonghyun; Bae, Hojae; Khademhosseini, Ali; Kim, Keekyoung

2016-07-01

In the developing heart, a specific subset of endocardium undergoes an endothelial-to-mesenchymal transformation (EndMT) thus forming nascent valve leaflets. Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and growth factors (GFs) play important roles in regulating EndMT but the combinatorial effect of GFs with ECM proteins is less well understood. Here we use microscale engineering techniques to create single, binary, and tertiary component microenvironments to investigate the combinatorial effects of ECM proteins and GFs on the attachment and transformation of adult ovine mitral valve endothelial cells to a mesenchymal phenotype. With the combinatorial microenvironment microarrays, we utilized 60 different combinations of ECM proteins (Fibronectin, Collagen I, II, IV, Laminin) and GFs (TGF-β1, bFGF, VEGF) and were able to identify new microenvironmental conditions capable of modulating EndMT in MVECs. Experimental results indicated that TGF-β1 significantly upregulated the EndMT while either bFGF or VEGF downregulated EndMT process markedly. Also, ECM proteins could influence both the attachment of MVECs and the response of MVECs to GFs. In terms of attachment, fibronectin is significantly better for the adhesion of MVECs among the five tested proteins. Overall collagen IV and fibronectin appeared to play important roles in promoting EndMT process. Great consistency between macroscale and microarrayed experiments and present studies demonstrates that high-throughput cellular microarrays are a promising approach to study the regulation of EndMT in valvular endothelium. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1403-1412. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The FALL3D Ash Cloud Dispersion Model and its Implementation at the Buenos Aires VAAC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folch, A.; Suaya, M.; Costa, A.; Viramonte, J.

2009-12-01

Airborne volcanic ash and aerosols threat aerial navigation and affect the quality of air at medium to large distances downwind from the volcano. Airplane re-routing and airport disruption carry important socioeconomic consequences at regional and national levels. Models to forecast volcanic ash clouds constitute, together with satellite imagery, a valuable predictive tool during a crisis. FALL3D is an Eulerian ash cloud dispersion model based on the advection-diffusion-sedimentation equation. The model runs at any scale, from regional to global. The dispersion model is off-line coupled with global (e.g. GFS, NMM-b) and mesoscalar (e.g. NMM-b, WRF, ETA) meteorological models and with re-analysis datasets. FALL3D has been recently installed at the Buenos Aires VAAC, depending on the Argentinean National Meteorological Service (SMN). In this presentation we summarize the characteristics of the model and its implementation at the VAAC, including the different domains, the meteorological forecast inputs (ETA or GFS) and the scenarios assumed for some critical volcanoes (Chaitén, Llaima, Lascar, etc.). Pre-defined scenarios are necessary to give an early first order prediction when data is poor or unavailable. This is particularly critical in Central Andes, were most active volcanoes are located in remote areas with poor or inexistent monitoring.

Application and Evaluation of an Explicit Prognostic Cloud-Cover Scheme in GRAPES Global Forecast System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zhanshan; Liu, Qijun; Zhao, Chuanfeng; Shen, Xueshun; Wang, Yuan; Jiang, Jonathan H.; Li, Zhe; Yung, Yuk

2018-03-01

An explicit prognostic cloud-cover scheme (PROGCS) is implemented into the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System (GRAPES) for global middle-range numerical weather predication system (GRAPES_GFS) to improve the model performance in simulating cloud cover and radiation. Unlike the previous diagnostic cloud-cover scheme (DIAGCS), PROGCS considers the formation and dissipation of cloud cover by physically connecting it to the cumulus convection and large-scale stratiform condensation processes. Our simulation results show that clouds in mid-high latitudes arise mainly from large-scale stratiform condensation processes, while cumulus convection and large-scale condensation processes jointly determine cloud cover in low latitudes. Compared with DIAGCS, PROGCS captures more consistent vertical distributions of cloud cover with the observations from Atmospheric Radiation Measurements (ARM) program at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site and simulates more realistic diurnal cycle of marine stratocumulus with the ERA-Interim reanalysis data. The low, high, and total cloud covers that are determined via PROGCS appear to be more realistic than those simulated via DIAGCS when both are compared with satellite retrievals though the former maintains slight negative biases. In addition, the simulations of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) from PROGCS runs have been considerably improved as well, resulting in less biases in radiative heating rates at heights below 850 hPa and above 400 hPa of GRAPES_GFS. Our results indicate that a prognostic method of cloud-cover calculation has significant advantage over the conventional diagnostic one, and it should be adopted in both weather and climate simulation and forecast.

Applying an economical scale-aware PDF-based turbulence closure model in NOAA NCEP GCMs.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belochitski, A.; Krueger, S. K.; Moorthi, S.; Bogenschutz, P.; Cheng, A.

2017-12-01

A novel unified representation of sub-grid scale (SGS) turbulence, cloudiness, and shallow convection is being implemented into the NOAA NCEP Global Forecasting System (GFS) general circulation model. The approach, known as Simplified High Order Closure (SHOC), is based on predicting a joint PDF of SGS thermodynamic variables and vertical velocity, and using it to diagnose turbulent diffusion coefficients, SGS fluxes, condensation, and cloudiness. Unlike other similar methods, comparatively few new prognostic variables needs to be introduced, making the technique computationally efficient. In the base version of SHOC it is SGS turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and in the developmental version — SGS TKE, and variances of total water and moist static energy (MSE). SHOC is now incorporated into a version of GFS that will become a part of the NOAA Next Generation Global Prediction System based around NOAA GFDL's FV3 dynamical core, NOAA Environmental Modeling System (NEMS) coupled modeling infrastructure software, and a set novel physical parameterizations. Turbulent diffusion coefficients computed by SHOC are now used in place of those produced by the boundary layer turbulence and shallow convection parameterizations. Large scale microphysics scheme is no longer used to calculate cloud fraction or the large-scale condensation/deposition. Instead, SHOC provides these quantities. Radiative transfer parameterization uses cloudiness computed by SHOC. An outstanding problem with implementation of SHOC in the NCEP global models is excessively large high level tropical cloudiness. Comparison of the moments of the SGS PDF diagnosed by SHOC to the moments calculated in a GigaLES simulation of tropical deep convection case (GATE), shows that SHOC diagnoses too narrow PDF distributions of total cloud water and MSE in the areas of deep convective detrainment. A subsequent sensitivity study of SHOC's diagnosed cloud fraction (CF) to higher order input moments of the SGS PDF demonstrated that CF is improved if SHOC is provided with correct variances of total water and MSE. Consequently, SHOC was modified to include two new prognostic equations for variances of total water and MSE, and coupled with the Chikira-Sugiyama parameterization of deep convection to include effects of detrainment on the prognostic variances.

Origin of the pre-tropical storm Debby (2006) African easterly wave-mesoscale convective system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yuh-Lang; Liu, Liping; Tang, Guoqing; Spinks, James; Jones, Wilson

2013-05-01

The origins of the pre-Debby (2006) mesoscale convective system (MCS) and African easterly wave (AEW) and their precursors were traced back to the southwest Arabian Peninsula, Asir Mountains (AS), and Ethiopian Highlands (EH) in the vicinity of the ITCZ using satellite imagery, GFS analysis data and ARW model. The sources of the convective cloud clusters and vorticity perturbations were attributed to the cyclonic convergence of northeasterly Shamal wind and the Somali jet, especially when the Mediterranean High shifted toward east and the Indian Ocean high strengthened and its associated Somali jet penetrated farther to the north. The cyclonic vorticity perturbations were strengthened by the vorticity stretching associated with convective cloud clusters in the genesis region—southwest Arabian Peninsula. A conceptual model was proposed to explain the genesis of convective cloud clusters and cyclonic vorticity perturbations preceding the pre-Debby (2006) AEW-MCS system.

Effect of bait delivery rate in a GreenFeed system on methane emission estimates from cattle grazing rangeland

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of bait delivery rate on methane emission estimates measured by a GreenFeed system (GFS; C-Lock, Inc., Rapid City, SD). The manufacture recommends that cattle have a minimum visit time of 3 minutes so that at least 3 eructations are captured to ...

Electrophysiological Recordings from the Giant Fiber System

PubMed Central

Allen, Marcus J

2010-01-01

The giant fiber system (GFS) of Drosophila is a well-characterized neuronal circuit that mediates the escape response in the fly. It is one of the few adult neural circuits from which electrophysiological recordings can be made routinely. This article describes a simple procedure for stimulating the giant fiber neurons directly in the brain of the adult fly and obtaining recordings from the output muscles of the giant fiber system. PMID:20647357

Weather Safety - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

Statistical Models... MOS Prod GFS-LAMP Prod Climate Past Weather Predictions Weather Safety Weather Radio National Weather Service on FaceBook NWS on Facebook NWS Director Home > Safety Weather Safety This page weather safety. StormReady NOAA Weather Radio Emergency Managers Information Network U.S. Hazard Assmt

Climate Prediction - NOAA's National Weather Service

Science.gov Websites

Statistical Models... MOS Prod GFS-LAMP Prod Climate Past Weather Predictions Weather Safety Weather Radio National Weather Service on FaceBook NWS on Facebook NWS Director Home > Climate > Predictions Climate Prediction Long range forecasts across the U.S. Climate Prediction Web Sites Climate Prediction

SW radiative effect of aerosol in GRAPES_GFS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Qiying

2017-04-01

The aerosol particles can scatter and absorb solar radiation, and so change the shortwave radiation absorbed by the atmosphere, reached the surface and that reflected back to outer space at TOA. Since this process doesn't interact with other processes, it is called direct radiation effect. The clear sky downward SW and net SW fluxes at the surface in GRAPES_GFS of China Meteorological Administration are overestimated in Northern multitudes and Tropics. The main source of these errors is the absence of aerosol SW effect in GRAPES_GFS. The climatic aerosol mass concentration data, which include 13 kinds of aerosol and their 14 SW bands optical properties are considered in GRAPES_GFS. The calculated total optical depth, single scatter albedo and asymmetry factor are used as the input to radiation scheme. Compared with the satellite observation from MISER, the calculated total optical depth is in good consistent. The seasonal experiments show that, the summer averaged clear sky radiation fluxes at the surface are improved after including the SW effect of aerosol. The biases in the clear sky downward SW and net SW fluxes at the surface in Northern multitudes and Tropic reduced obviously. Furthermore, the weather forecast experiments also show that the skill scores in Northern hemisphere and East Asia also become better.

Predictability of short-range forecasting: a multimodel approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Moya, Jose-Antonio; Callado, Alfons; Escribà, Pau; Santos, Carlos; Santos-Muñoz, Daniel; Simarro, Juan

2011-05-01

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models (including mesoscale) have limitations when it comes to dealing with severe weather events because extreme weather is highly unpredictable, even in the short range. A probabilistic forecast based on an ensemble of slightly different model runs may help to address this issue. Among other ensemble techniques, Multimodel ensemble prediction systems (EPSs) are proving to be useful for adding probabilistic value to mesoscale deterministic models. A Multimodel Short Range Ensemble Prediction System (SREPS) focused on forecasting the weather up to 72 h has been developed at the Spanish Meteorological Service (AEMET). The system uses five different limited area models (LAMs), namely HIRLAM (HIRLAM Consortium), HRM (DWD), the UM (UKMO), MM5 (PSU/NCAR) and COSMO (COSMO Consortium). These models run with initial and boundary conditions provided by five different global deterministic models, namely IFS (ECMWF), UM (UKMO), GME (DWD), GFS (NCEP) and CMC (MSC). AEMET-SREPS (AE) validation on the large-scale flow, using ECMWF analysis, shows a consistent and slightly underdispersive system. For surface parameters, the system shows high skill forecasting binary events. 24-h precipitation probabilistic forecasts are verified using an up-scaling grid of observations from European high-resolution precipitation networks, and compared with ECMWF-EPS (EC).

A test harness for accelerating physics parameterization advancements into operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firl, G. J.; Bernardet, L.; Harrold, M.; Henderson, J.; Wolff, J.; Zhang, M.

2017-12-01

The process of transitioning advances in parameterization of sub-grid scale processes from initial idea to implementation is often much quicker than the transition from implementation to use in an operational setting. After all, considerable work must be undertaken by operational centers to fully test, evaluate, and implement new physics. The process is complicated by the scarcity of like-to-like comparisons, availability of HPC resources, and the ``tuning problem" whereby advances in physics schemes are difficult to properly evaluate without first undertaking the expensive and time-consuming process of tuning to other schemes within a suite. To address this process shortcoming, the Global Model TestBed (GMTB), supported by the NWS NGGPS project and undertaken by the Developmental Testbed Center, has developed a physics test harness. It implements the concept of hierarchical testing, where the same code can be tested in model configurations of varying complexity from single column models (SCM) to fully coupled, cycled global simulations. Developers and users may choose at which level of complexity to engage. Several components of the physics test harness have been implemented, including a SCM and an end-to-end workflow that expands upon the one used at NOAA/EMC to run the GFS operationally, although the testbed components will necessarily morph to coincide with changes to the operational configuration (FV3-GFS). A standard, relatively user-friendly interface known as the Interoperable Physics Driver (IPD) is available for physics developers to connect their codes. This prerequisite exercise allows access to the testbed tools and removes a technical hurdle for potential inclusion into the Common Community Physics Package (CCPP). The testbed offers users the opportunity to conduct like-to-like comparisons between the operational physics suite and new development as well as among multiple developments. GMTB staff have demonstrated use of the testbed through a comparison between the 2017 operational GFS suite and one containing the Grell-Freitas convective parameterization. An overview of the physics test harness and its early use will be presented.

Continuous Estimates of Precipitable Water Vapor Within and Around Hurricane Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, J. J.; Iwabuchi, T.; van Hove, T.

2008-12-01

This study investigates how estimates of precipitable water vapor (PW) from Global Positioning System (GPS) stations can be used to quantify how atmospheric moisture influences the intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes. The motivation for this study is based on the fact that hurricanes derive their strength through water vapor that is both evaporated from warm ocean surfaces and the existing moisture in the surrounding atmospheric environment. Observationally, there are relatively few instruments that can accurately measure water vapor in the presence of clouds and rain. Retrievals of PW using GPS stations may be the most reliable way to continuously monitor column integrated water vapor. Using storm information from the National Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov), we have compared storm intensity to PW estimates for all tropical storms and hurricanes making landfall within 100-km of a GPS station between 2003 and 2008. We find that PW is inversely correlated (r**2 < -0.7) to the drop in surface pressure observed at that station. We have also begun to relate atmospheric PW at a station to the local sea surface temperature (SST). This comparison can be used to measure how strongly atmospheric water vapor and SST are coupled. It can also be used to measure how quickly the atmosphere responds to changes in SST. Finally we have compared the estimated PW to the Global Forecast System (GFS) analysis fields that are used to initialize numerical weather prediction models. This comparison indicates that the GFS analysis fields have significantly larger errors in atmospheric moisture in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico when compared to differences over the continental United States. These results illustrate that estimates of PW are an important data set for atmospheric scientists and forecasters attempting to improve the prediction of hurricane intensity.

Realtime Hourly Data Table

Science.gov Websites

Tables View the latest hourly text summary CLICK ON UNDERLINED HOUR / SHADED BOX FOR THE LATEST CYCLE 00z Dump Tables View the latest rap text summary CLICK ON UNDERLINED HOUR / SHADED BOX FOR THE LATEST CYCLE Data Dump Tables View the latest model data text summary NAM GFS GDS CLICK ON UNDERLINED HOUR / SHADED

Joint Meteorological Statistics of Observing Sites for the Event Horizon Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lope Córdova Rosado, Rodrigo Eduardo; Doeleman, Sheperd; Paine, Scott; Johnson, Michael; Event Horizon Telescope (EHT)

2018-01-01

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) aims to resolve the general relativistic shadow of Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, via Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) measurements with a multinational array of radio observatories. In order to optimize the scheduling of future observations, we have developed tools to model the atmospheric opacity at each EHT site using the past 10 years of Global Forecast System (GFS) data describing the atmospheric state. These tools allow us to determine the ideal observing windows for EHT observations and to assess the suitability and impact of new EHT sites. We describe our modeling framework, compare our models to in-situ measurements at EHT sites, and discuss the implications of weather limitations for planned extensions of the EHT to higher frequencies, as well as additional sites and observation windows.

Synthesis, spectroscopic, thermogravimetric and antimicrobial studies of mixed ligands complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoud, Walaa H.; Mahmoud, Nessma F.; Mohamed, Gehad G.; El-Sonbati, Adel Z.; El-Bindary, Ashraf A.

2015-09-01

An interesting series of mixed ligand complexes have been synthesized by the reaction of metal chloride with guaifenesin (GFS) in the presence of 2-aminoacetic acid (HGly) (1:1:1 molar ratio). The elemental analysis, magnetic moments, molar conductance, spectral (UV-Vis, IR, 1H NMR and ESR) and thermal studies were used to characterize the isolated complexes. The molecular structure of GFS is optimized theoretically and the quantum chemical parameters are calculated. The IR showed that the ligand (GFS) acts as monobasic tridentate through the hydroxyl, phenoxy etheric and methoxy oxygen atoms and co-ligand (HGly) as monobasic bidentate through the deprotonated carboxylate oxygen atom and nitrogen atom of amino group. The molar conductivities showed that all the complexes are non-electrolytes except Cr(III) complex is electrolyte. Electronic and magnetic data proposed the octahedral structure for all complexes under investigation. ESR spectrum for Cu(II) revealed data which confirm the proposed structure. Antibacterial screening of the compounds were carried out in vitro on gram positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus), gram negative (Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) bacteria and for in vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans organism. However, some complexes showed more chemotherapeutic efficiency than the parent GFS drug. The complexes were also screened for their in vitro anticancer activity against the breast cell line (MFC7) and the results obtained showed that they exhibit a considerable anticancer activity.

Polymer-Enriched 3D Graphene Foams for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Wang, Jun Kit; Xiong, Gordon Minru; Zhu, Minmin; Özyilmaz, Barbaros; Castro Neto, Antonio Helio; Tan, Nguan Soon; Choong, Cleo

2015-04-22

Graphene foams (GFs) are versatile nanoplatforms for biomedical applications because of their excellent physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. However, the brittleness and inflexibility of pristine GF (pGF) are some of the important factors restricting their widespread application. Here, a chemical-vapor-deposition-assisted method was used to synthesize 3D GFs, which were subsequently spin-coated with polymer to produce polymer-enriched 3D GFs with high conductivity and flexibility. Compared to pGF, both poly(vinylidene fluoride)-enriched GF (PVDF/GF) and polycaprolactone-enriched GF (PCL/GF) scaffolds showed improved flexibility and handleability. Despite the presence of the polymers, the polymer-enriched 3D GF scaffolds retained high levels of electrical conductivity because of the presence of microcracks that allowed for the flow of electrons through the material. In addition, polymer enrichment of GF led to an enhancement in the formation of calcium phosphate (Ca-P) compounds when the scaffolds were exposed to simulated body fluid. Between the two polymers tested, PCL enrichment of GF resulted in a higher in vitro mineralization nucleation rate because the oxygen-containing functional group of PCL had a higher affinity for Ca-P deposition and formation compared to the polar carbon-fluorine (C-F) bond in PVDF. Taken together, our current findings are a stepping stone toward future applications of polymer-enriched 3D GFs in the treatment of bone defects as well as other biomedical applications.

Zoledronic acid suppresses transforming growth factor-β-induced fibrogenesis by human gingival fibroblasts.

PubMed

Komatsu, Yuko; Ibi, Miho; Chosa, Naoyuki; Kyakumoto, Seiko; Kamo, Masaharu; Shibata, Toshiyuki; Sugiyama, Yoshiki; Ishisaki, Akira

2016-07-01

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are analogues of pyrophosphate that are known to prevent bone resorption by inhibiting osteoclast activity. Nitrogen-containing BPs, such as zoledronic acid (ZA), are widely used in the treatment of osteoporosis and bone metastasis. However, despite having benefits, ZA has been reported to induce BP-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) in cancer patients. The molecular pathological mechanisms responsible for the development of BRONJ, including necrotic bone exposure after tooth extraction, remain to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the effects of ZA on the transforming growth factor-β (TGF‑β)-induced myofibroblast (MF) differentiation of human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) and the migratory activity of hGFs, which are important for wound closure by fibrous tissue formation. The ZA maximum concentration in serum (Cmax) was found to be approximately 1.47 µM, which clinically, is found after the intravenous administration of 4 mg ZA, and ZA at this dose is considered appropriate for the treatment of cancer bone metastasis or bone diseases, such as Erdheim-Chester disease. At Cmax, ZA significantly suppressed i) the TGF‑β-induced promotion of cell viability, ii) the TGF‑β-induced expression of MF markers such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and type I collagen, iii) the TGF‑β-induced migratory activity of hGFs and iv) the expression level of TGF‑β type I receptor on the surfaces of hGFs, as well as the TGF‑β-induced phosphorylation of Smad2/3. Thus, ZA suppresses TGF‑β-induced fibrous tissue formation by hGFs, possibly through the inhibition of Smad‑dependent signal transduction. Our findings partly elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying BRONJ and may prove to be beneficial to the identification of drug targets for the treatment of this symptom at the molecular level.

A Role of Oral Bacteria in Bisphosphonate-induced Osteonecrosis of the Jaw

PubMed Central

Mawardi, H.; Giro, G.; Kajiya, M.; Ohta, K.; Almazrooa, S.; Alshwaimi, E.; Woo, S.-B.; Nishimura, I.; Kawai, T.

2011-01-01

No consensus has yet been reached to associate oral bacteria conclusively with the etio-pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw (BONJ). Therefore, the present study examined the effects of oral bacteria on the development of BONJ-like lesions in a mouse model. In the pamidronate (Pam)-treated mice, but not control non-drug-treated mice, tooth extraction followed by oral infection with Fusobacterium nucleatum caused BONJ-like lesions and delayed epithelial healing, both of which were completely suppressed by a broad-spectrum antibiotic cocktail. Furthermore, in both in vitro and in vivo experiments, the combination of Pam and Fusobacterium nucleatum caused the death of gingival fibroblasts (GFs) and down-regulated their production of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), which induces epithelial cell growth and migration. Therefore, in periodontal tissues pre-exposed to bisphosphonate, bacterial infection at tooth extraction sites caused diminished KGF expression in GFs, leading to a delay in the epithelial wound-healing process that was mitigated by antibiotics. PMID:21921248

4D Hybrid Ensemble-Variational Data Assimilation for the NCEP GFS: Outer Loops and Variable Transforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleist, D. T.; Ide, K.; Mahajan, R.; Thomas, C.

2014-12-01

The use of hybrid error covariance models has become quite popular for numerical weather prediction (NWP). One such method for incorporating localized covariances from an ensemble within the variational framework utilizes an augmented control variable (EnVar), and has been implemented in the operational NCEP data assimilation system (GSI). By taking the existing 3D EnVar algorithm in GSI and allowing for four-dimensional ensemble perturbations, coupled with the 4DVAR infrastructure already in place, a 4D EnVar capability has been developed. The 4D EnVar algorithm has a few attractive qualities relative to 4DVAR, including the lack of need for tangent-linear and adjoint model as well as reduced computational cost. Preliminary results using real observations have been encouraging, showing forecast improvements nearly as large as were found in moving from 3DVAR to hybrid 3D EnVar. 4D EnVar is the method of choice for the next generation assimilation system for use with the operational NCEP global model, the global forecast system (GFS). The use of an outer-loop has long been the method of choice for 4DVar data assimilation to help address nonlinearity. An outer loop involves the re-running of the (deterministic) background forecast from the updated initial condition at the beginning of the assimilation window, and proceeding with another inner loop minimization. Within 4D EnVar, a similar procedure can be adopted since the solver evaluates a 4D analysis increment throughout the window, consistent with the valid times of the 4D ensemble perturbations. In this procedure, the ensemble perturbations are kept fixed and centered about the updated background state. This is analogous to the quasi-outer loop idea developed for the EnKF. Here, we present results for both toy model and real NWP systems demonstrating the impact from incorporating outer loops to address nonlinearity within the 4D EnVar context. The appropriate amplitudes for observation and background error covariances in subsequent outer loops will be explored. Lastly, variable transformations on the ensemble perturbations will be utilized to help address issues of non-Gaussianity. This may be particularly important for variables that clearly have non-Gaussian error characteristics such as water vapor and cloud condensate.

Reduced insulin signaling maintains electrical transmission in a neural circuit in aging flies

PubMed Central

McGourty, Kieran; Allen, Marcus J.; Madem, Sirisha Kudumala; Adcott, Jennifer; Kerr, Fiona; Wong, Chi Tung; Vincent, Alec; Godenschwege, Tanja; Boucrot, Emmanuel; Partridge, Linda

2017-01-01

Lowered insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling (IIS) can extend healthy lifespan in worms, flies, and mice, but it can also have adverse effects (the “insulin paradox”). Chronic, moderately lowered IIS rescues age-related decline in neurotransmission through the Drosophila giant fiber system (GFS), a simple escape response neuronal circuit, by increasing targeting of the gap junctional protein innexin shaking-B to gap junctions (GJs). Endosomal recycling of GJs was also stimulated in cultured human cells when IIS was reduced. Furthermore, increasing the activity of the recycling small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) Rab4 or Rab11 was sufficient to maintain GJs upon elevated IIS in cultured human cells and in flies, and to rescue age-related loss of GJs and of GFS function. Lowered IIS thus elevates endosomal recycling of GJs in neurons and other cell types, pointing to a cellular mechanism for therapeutic intervention into aging-related neuronal disorders. PMID:28902870

Operational Impact of Data Collected from the Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft During SHOUT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wick, G. A.; Dunion, J. P.; Sippel, J.; Cucurull, L.; Aksoy, A.; Kren, A.; Christophersen, H.; Black, P.

2017-12-01

The primary scientific goal of the Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT) Project was to determine the potential utility of observations from high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft systems such as the Global Hawk (GH) aircraft to improve operational forecasts of high-impact weather events or mitigate potential degradation of forecasts in the event of a future gap in satellite coverage. Hurricanes and tropical cyclones are among the most potentially destructive high-impact weather events and pose a major forecasting challenge to NOAA. Major winter storms over the Pacific Ocean, including atmospheric river events, which make landfall and bring strong winds and extreme precipitation to the West Coast and Alaska are also important to forecast accurately because of their societal impact in those parts of the country. In response, the SHOUT project supported three field campaigns with the GH aircraft and dedicated data impact studies exploring the potential for the real-time data from the aircraft to improve the forecasting of both tropical cyclones and landfalling Pacific storms. Dropsonde observations from the GH aircraft were assimilated into the operational Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) and Global Forecast System (GFS) models. The results from several diverse but complementary studies consistently demonstrated significant positive forecast benefits spanning the regional and global models. Forecast skill improvements within HWRF reached up to about 9% for track and 14% for intensity. Within GFS, track skill improvements for multi-storm averages exceeded 10% and improvements for individual storms reached over 20% depending on forecast lead time. Forecasted precipitation was also improved. Impacts for Pacific winter storms were smaller but still positive. The results are highly encouraging and support the potential for operational utilization of data from a platform like the GH. This presentation summarizes the observations collected and highlights the multiple impact studies completed.

α5β1-Integrin inhibitor (CLT-28643) effective in rabbit trabeculectomy model.

PubMed

Schultheiss, Maximilian; Schnichels, Sven; Konrad, Eva-Maria; Bartz-Schmidt, Karl U; Zahn, Grit; Caldirola, Patrizia; Fsadni, Mario G; Caram-Lelham, Ninus; Spitzer, Martin S

2017-02-01

Glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS) fails due to fibrosis. The α5β1-integrin plays a pivotal role in fibrosis, angiogenesis and inflammation. This is the first experiment evaluating the prevention of fibrosis after GFS by a specific small molecule α5β1-integrin inhibitor (CLT-28643). Twenty-four rabbits received trabeculectomy on their right eyes. The rabbits were randomized into three groups of eight eyes each. CLT-28643 was given as a single subconjunctival injection intraoperatively to two of the right eye groups followed by postoperative vehicle eye drops (CLT+ group) or CLT-28643 eye drops 4 times daily (CLT++ group). A third group received mitomycin-C (MMC) intraoperatively (sponge application, 0.04%, 2 min) followed by vehicle eye drops postoperatively. The control-surgery group consisted of 12 left eyes having trabeculectomy with no adjunctive therapy. The remaining 12 left eyes formed the untreated group. Clinical assessment included intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, slit-lamp examination (including bleb survival and morphology) and bleb photography. The rabbits were killed after four weeks for histology. Both CLT-28643-treated groups showed significantly prolonged bleb survival, and better bleb score compared to the control-surgery group. At end of the study, most functioning blebs were found in the MMC group (MMC group 75%; CLT+ group 12.5%, CLT++ group 25%; CLT+ group 12.5%, control-surgery group 0%). CLT-28643 was non-toxic and well tolerated. This rabbit GFS study indicates that inhibition of α5β1-integrin by the novel α5β1-integrin antagonist CLT-28643 significantly improved the outcome. The effect of a single intro-operative application of CLT-28643 seems to be inferior to 0.04% MMC. © 2016 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Manifestations, acquisition and diagnostic categories of dental fear in a self-referred population.

PubMed

Moore, R; Brødsgaard, I; Birn, H

1991-01-01

This study aimed to clarify how manifestations and acquisition relate to diagnostic categories of dental fear in a population of self-referred dental fear patients, since diagnostic criteria specifically related to dental fear have not been validated. DSM III-R diagnostic criteria for phobias were used to compare with four existing dental fear diagnostic categories, referred to as the Seattle system. Subjects were 208 persons with dental fear who were telephone interviewed, of whom a subsample of 155 responded to a mailed Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a modified FSS-II Geer Fear Scale (GFS). Personal interviews and a Dental Beliefs Scale of perceived trust and social interaction with dentists were also used to evaluate a subsample of 80 patients selected by sex and high dental fear. Results showed that the majority of the 80 patients (66%), suffered from social embarrassment about their dental fear problem and their inability to do something about it. The largest cause of their fear (84%) was reported to be traumatic dental experiences, especially in childhood (70%). A minority of patients (16%) could not isolate traumatic experiences and had a history of general fearfulness or anxiety. Analysis of GFS data for the 155 subjects showed that fear of snakes and injuries were highest among women; heights and injections among men. Fear of blood was rarely reported. Spearman correlations between GFS individual items and DAS scores indicated functional independence between dental fear and common fears such as blood, injections and enclosures in most cases. Only in specific types of dental fear did these results support Rachman and Lopatka's contention that fears are thought to summate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Assessing a local ensemble Kalman filter: perfect model experiments with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction global model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szunyogh, Istvan; Kostelich, Eric J.; Gyarmati, G.; Patil, D. J.; Hunt, Brian R.; Kalnay, Eugenia; Ott, Edward; Yorke, James A.

2005-08-01

The accuracy and computational efficiency of the recently proposed local ensemble Kalman filter (LEKF) data assimilation scheme is investigated on a state-of-the-art operational numerical weather prediction model using simulated observations. The model selected for this purpose is the T62 horizontal- and 28-level vertical-resolution version of the Global Forecast System (GFS) of the National Center for Environmental Prediction. The performance of the data assimilation system is assessed for different configurations of the LEKF scheme. It is shown that a modest size (40-member) ensemble is sufficient to track the evolution of the atmospheric state with high accuracy. For this ensemble size, the computational time per analysis is less than 9 min on a cluster of PCs. The analyses are extremely accurate in the mid-latitude storm track regions. The largest analysis errors, which are typically much smaller than the observational errors, occur where parametrized physical processes play important roles. Because these are also the regions where model errors are expected to be the largest, limitations of a real-data implementation of the ensemble-based Kalman filter may be easily mistaken for model errors. In light of these results, the importance of testing the ensemble-based Kalman filter data assimilation systems on simulated observations is stressed.

The Experimental Regional Ensemble Forecast System (ExREF): Its Use in NWS Forecast Operations and Preliminary Verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, David; Rasch, William; Kozlowski, Daniel; Burks, Jason; Zavodsky, Bradley; Bernardet, Ligia; Jankov, Isidora; Albers, Steve

2014-01-01

The Experimental Regional Ensemble Forecast (ExREF) system is a tool for the development and testing of new Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) methodologies. ExREF is run in near-realtime by the Global Systems Division (GSD) of the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) and its products are made available through a website, an ftp site, and via the Unidata Local Data Manager (LDM). The ExREF domain covers most of North America and has 9-km horizontal grid spacing. The ensemble has eight members, all employing WRF-ARW. The ensemble uses a variety of initial conditions from LAPS and the Global Forecasting System (GFS) and multiple boundary conditions from the GFS ensemble. Additionally, a diversity of physical parameterizations is used to increase ensemble spread and to account for the uncertainty in forecasting extreme precipitation events. ExREF has been a component of the Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT) NWP suite in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 winters. A smaller domain covering just the West Coast was created to minimize band-width consumption for the NWS. This smaller domain has and is being distributed to the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office and California Nevada River Forecast Center in Sacramento, California, where it is ingested into the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS I and II) to provide guidance on the forecasting of extreme precipitation events. This paper will review the cooperative effort employed by NOAA ESRL, NASA SPoRT (Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center), and the NWS to facilitate the ingest and display of ExREF data utilizing the AWIPS I and II D2D and GFE (Graphical Software Editor) software. Within GFE is a very useful verification software package called BoiVer that allows the NWS to utilize the River Forecast Center's 4 km gridded QPE to compare with all operational NWP models 6-hr QPF along with the ExREF mean 6-hr QPF so the forecasters can build confidence in the use of the ExREF in preparing their rainfall forecasts. Preliminary results will be presented.

Climate and Weather Analysis of Afghanistan Thunderstorms

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

dry, continental polar (cP) air. The subtropical jet (STJ) and Extratropical storm track tend to lie south of Kabul. Mean high SFC temperatures...March-April-May (MAM). Note that AFG lies to the east of a broad trough centered over southern Europe and to the west of broad ridge centered over... Extratropical Cyclone FAR False Alarm Rate FOB Forward Operating Base FRN Forecaster Reference Notebook GFS Global Forecast System GoA

Application for the Drosophila ventral nerve cord standard in neuronal circuit reconstruction and in-depth analysis of mutant morphology.

PubMed

Boerner, Jana; Godenschwege, Tanja Angela

2010-09-01

The Drosophila standard brain has been a useful tool that provides information about position and size of different brain structures within a wild-type brain and allows the comparison of imaging data that were collected from individual preparations. Therefore the standard can be used to reveal and visualize differences of brain regions between wild-type and mutant brains and can provide spatial description of single neurons within the nervous system. Recently the standard brain was complemented by the generation of a ventral nerve cord (VNC) standard. Here the authors have registered the major components of a simple neuronal circuit, the Giant Fiber System (GFS), into this standard. The authors show that they can also virtually reconstruct the well-characterized synaptic contact of the Giant Fiber with its motorneuronal target when they register the individual neurons from different preparations into the VNC standard. In addition to the potential application for the standard thorax in neuronal circuit reconstruction, the authors show that it is a useful tool for in-depth analysis of mutant morphology of single neurons. The authors find quantitative and qualitative differences when they compared the Giant Fibers of two different neuroglian alleles, nrg(849) and nrg(G00305), using the averaged wild-type GFS in the standard VNC as a reference.

Growth Friendly Surgery and Serial Cast Correction in the Treatment of Early-onset Scoliosis for Patients With Prader-Willi Syndrome.

PubMed

Oore, Jonathan; Connell, Braydon; Yaszay, Burt; Samdani, Amer; Hilaire, Tricia St; Flynn, Tara; El-Hawary, Ron

2018-02-02

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) patients can present with scoliosis which can be treated with serial cast correction (SCC) or with growth friendly surgery (GFS). This study's purpose was to describe the results of SCC as well as GFS for PWS patients with early-onset scoliosis (EOS). PWS patients were identified from 2 international multicenter EOS databases. Scoliosis, kyphosis, spine height (T1-S1), right/left hemithoracic heights/widths (RHTH, LHTH, RHTW, LHTW) were measured pretreatment, postoperation, and at 2-year follow-up. Complications were recorded. Overall, 23 patients with 2-year follow-up were identified. Pretreatment; patients treated with SCC (n=10) had mean age of 1.8±0.6 years; body mass index (BMI), 16±1.5 kg/m; scoliosis, 45±18 degrees; kyphosis, 56±9 degrees; T1-S1, 22.4±2.4 cm; RHTH, 8.0±2.0 cm; LHTH, 8.5±1.7 cm; RHTW, 6.6±1.3 cm; and LHTW, 8.0±1.0 cm. Patients treated with GFS (n=13) had mean age of 5.8±2.6 years; BMI, 21±5.4 kg/m; scoliosis, 76±14 degrees; kyphosis, 59±25 degrees; T1-S1, 24.1±3.6 cm; RHTH, 10.0±1.6 cm; LHTH, 10.6±1.6 cm; RHTW, 9.4±2.5 cm; and LHTW, 8.1±2.8 cm. At 2-year follow-up, patients treated with SCC had mean scoliosis 37±11 degrees (18% correction, P=0.06); kyphosis, 42±6 degrees (NS); T1-S1, 26.4±2.1 cm (P<0.01); RHTH, 9.0±1.1 cm (13%; P=0.30); LHTH, 10.0±1.5 cm (18%, P<0.01); RHTW, 7.4±1.1 cm (12%, P<0.01); and LHTW, 8.0±1.0 cm (0%, P=0.34). At 2-year follow-up, patients treated with GFS had mean scoliosis 42±13 degrees (45% correction, P<0.000001); kyphosis, 53±13 degrees (10%, P=0.19); T1-S1, 31.5±5.4 cm (P<0.00001); RHTH, 12.0±2.4 cm (20%; P<0.01); LHTH, 12.0±1.7 cm (13%; P<0.01); RHTW, 9.8±1.3 cm (4%; P=0.27); and LHTW, 7.9±2.3 cm (3%;P=0.11). As an entire group, patients with a BMI>17 kg/m² had more device-related than disease-related complications (P=0.09). Patients treated with SCC had 0.9 complications per patient. Patients treated with GFS had 2.2 complications per patient [≤5 y more often had ≥2 complications (P=0.05)]. At 2-year follow-up, SCC and GFS were both effective in treating EOS in PWS patients. Patients treated with SCC had significant improvements in spine height and LHTH. Patients treated with GFS had significant improvements in scoliosis magnitude, spine height, RHTH, and LHTH. Level IV-therapeutic study.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 Impair In Vitro Migration and Induce Apoptosis of Gingival Fibroblasts and Epithelial Cells, Delaying Wound Healing.

PubMed

Basso, Fernanda G; Pansani, Taisa N; Turrioni, Ana Paula S; Soares, Diana G; de Souza Costa, Carlos Alberto; Hebling, Josimeri

2016-08-01

Multiple factors affect oral mucosal healing, such as the persistence of an inflammatory reaction. The present study evaluates effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 on epithelial cells (ECs) and human gingival fibroblasts (GFs) in vitro. GFs and ECs were seeded in 96-well plates (1 × 10(4) cells/well) in plain culture medium (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium [DMEM]) containing 1% antibiotic/antimycotic solution and 10% fetal bovine serum, and incubated for 24 hours. Both cell lines were exposed for 24 hours to the following cytokines: 1) TNF-α (100 ng/mL); 2) IL-1β (1 ng/mL); 3) IL-6 (10 ng/mL); and 4) IL-8 (10 ng/mL). All cytokines were diluted in serum-free DMEM. Control cultures were exposed only to serum-free DMEM. Effects of exposure to inflammatory cytokines were determined by means of: 1) apoptosis (anexin V); 2) cell migration (wound healing assay); 3) inflammatory cytokine synthesis (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests (α = 0.05). Increased apoptosis rates were noted when cells were exposed to inflammatory cytokines, except ECs exposed to IL-1β. Cell migration was negatively affected by all inflammatory cytokines for both cell lines. ECs and GFs exposed to IL-6 and IL-8 significantly increased synthesis of TNF-α and IL-1β. Demonstrated results indicate negative effects of tested inflammatory cytokines on ECs and GFs, inducing apoptosis and impairing cell migration. These results can justify delayed oral mucosa healing in the presence of inflammatory reaction.

Heparin-Poloxamer Thermosensitive Hydrogel Loaded with bFGF and NGF Enhances Peripheral Nerve Regeneration in Diabetic Rats.

PubMed

Li, Rui; Li, Yiyang; Wu, Yanqing; Zhao, Yingzheng; Chen, Huanwen; Yuan, Yuan; Xu, Ke; Zhang, Hongyu; Lu, Yingfeng; Wang, Jian; Li, Xiaokun; Jia, Xiaofeng; Xiao, Jian

2018-06-01

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a major burden to society with limited therapeutic options, and novel biomaterials have great potential for shifting the current paradigm of treatment. With a rising prevalence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus (DM), treatment of PNI is further complicated, and only few studies have proposed therapies suitable for peripheral nerve regeneration in DM. To provide a supportive environment to restore structure and/or function of nerves in DM, we developed a novel thermo-sensitive heparin-poloxamer (HP) hydrogel co-delivered with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in diabetic rats with sciatic nerve crush injury. The delivery vehicle not only had a good affinity for large amounts of growth factors (GFs), but also controlled their release in a steady fashion, preventing degradation in vitro. In vivo, compared with HP hydrogel alone or direct GFs administration, GFs-HP hydrogel treatment is more effective at facilitating Schwann cell (SC) proliferation, leading to an increased expression of nerve associated structural proteins, enhanced axonal regeneration and remyelination, and improved recovery of motor function (all p < 0.05). Our mechanistic investigation also revealed that these neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects of the GFs-HP hydrogel may be associated with activations of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase and protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3), and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathways. Our work provides a promising therapy option for peripheral nerve regeneration in patients with DM. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delivery of Alginate Scaffold Releasing Two Trophic Factors for Spinal Cord Injury Repair

PubMed Central

Grulova, I.; Slovinska, L.; Blaško, J.; Devaux, S.; Wisztorski, M.; Salzet, M.; Fournier, I.; Kryukov, O.; Cohen, S.; Cizkova, D.

2015-01-01

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has been implicated in neural cell loss and consequently functional motor and sensory impairment. In this study, we propose an alginate -based neurobridge enriched with/without trophic growth factors (GFs) that can be utilized as a therapeutic approach for spinal cord repair. The bioavailability of key GFs, such as Epidermal Growth factor (EGF) and basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) released from injected alginate biomaterial to the central lesion site significantly enhanced the sparing of spinal cord tissue and increased the number of surviving neurons (choline acetyltransferase positive motoneurons) and sensory fibres. In addition, we document enhanced outgrowth of corticospinal tract axons and presence of blood vessels at the central lesion. Tissue proteomics was performed at 3, 7 and 10 days after SCI in rats indicated the presence of anti-inflammatory factors in segments above the central lesion site, whereas in segments below, neurite outgrowth factors, inflammatory cytokines and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan of the lectican protein family were overexpressed. Collectively, based on our data, we confirm that functional recovery was significantly improved in SCI groups receiving alginate scaffold with affinity-bound growth factors (ALG +GFs), compared to SCI animals without biomaterial treatment. PMID:26348665

Neocortex expansion is linked to size variations in gene families with chemotaxis, cell-cell signalling and immune response functions in mammals.

PubMed

Castillo-Morales, Atahualpa; Monzón-Sandoval, Jimena; de Sousa, Alexandra A; Urrutia, Araxi O; Gutierrez, Humberto

2016-10-01

Increased brain size is thought to have played an important role in the evolution of mammals and is a highly variable trait across lineages. Variations in brain size are closely linked to corresponding variations in the size of the neocortex, a distinct mammalian evolutionary innovation. The genomic features that explain and/or accompany variations in the relative size of the neocortex remain unknown. By comparing the genomes of 28 mammalian species, we show that neocortical expansion relative to the rest of the brain is associated with variations in gene family size (GFS) of gene families that are significantly enriched in biological functions associated with chemotaxis, cell-cell signalling and immune response. Importantly, we find that previously reported GFS variations associated with increased brain size are largely accounted for by the stronger link between neocortex expansion and variations in the size of gene families. Moreover, genes within these families are more prominently expressed in the human neocortex during early compared with adult development. These results suggest that changes in GFS underlie morphological adaptations during brain evolution in mammalian lineages. © 2016 The Authors.

Neocortex expansion is linked to size variations in gene families with chemotaxis, cell–cell signalling and immune response functions in mammals

PubMed Central

Castillo-Morales, Atahualpa; Monzón-Sandoval, Jimena; de Sousa, Alexandra A.

2016-01-01

Increased brain size is thought to have played an important role in the evolution of mammals and is a highly variable trait across lineages. Variations in brain size are closely linked to corresponding variations in the size of the neocortex, a distinct mammalian evolutionary innovation. The genomic features that explain and/or accompany variations in the relative size of the neocortex remain unknown. By comparing the genomes of 28 mammalian species, we show that neocortical expansion relative to the rest of the brain is associated with variations in gene family size (GFS) of gene families that are significantly enriched in biological functions associated with chemotaxis, cell–cell signalling and immune response. Importantly, we find that previously reported GFS variations associated with increased brain size are largely accounted for by the stronger link between neocortex expansion and variations in the size of gene families. Moreover, genes within these families are more prominently expressed in the human neocortex during early compared with adult development. These results suggest that changes in GFS underlie morphological adaptations during brain evolution in mammalian lineages. PMID:27707894

Development of a two-step protocol for culture expansion of human annulus fibrosus cells with TGF-β1 and FGF-2.

PubMed

Chou, Po-Hsin; Wang, Shih-Tien; Ma, Hsiao-Li; Liu, Chien-Lin; Chang, Ming-Chau; Lee, Oscar Kuang-Sheng

2016-07-12

Different biologic approaches to treat disc regeneration, including growth factors (GFs) application, are currently under investigation. Human annulus fibrosus (hAF) repair or regeneration is one of the key elements for maintenance and restoration of nucleus pulposus function. However, so far there is no effective treatment for this purpose. The aim of the present study was to investigate the response of hAF cells to different combinations of GFs, and develop a protocol for efficient culture expansion. hAF cells were harvested from degenerated disc tissues during surgical intervertebral disc removal, and hAF cells were expanded in a monolayer. The experiments were categorized based on different protocols with transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) culture for 14 days: group 1 had no GFs (control group); group 2 received TGF-β1; group 3 received FGF-2; group 4 received both GFs; and group 5 (two-step) received both GFs for the first 10 days and TGF-β1 only for the next 4 days. Cell proliferation, collagen, and noncollagen extracellular matrix (ECM) production and genes expression were compared among these groups. At days 3, 7 and 10 of cultivation, groups 4 and 5 had significantly more cell numbers and faster cell proliferation rates than groups 1, 2, and 3. At 14 days of cultivation, significantly more cell numbers were observed in groups 3 and 4 than in group 5. The group 4 had the most cell numbers and the fastest proliferation rate at 14 days of cultivation. After normalization for cell numbers, group 5 (two-step) produced the most collagen and noncollagen ECM at 10 and 14 days of cultivation among the five groups. In group 5, ECM gene expression was significantly upregulated. High expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 was upregulated with FGF-2 on the different days as compared to the other groups. Annulus fibrosus cell phenotypes were only marginally retained under the different protocols based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction results. Taken together, the two-step protocol was the most efficient among these different protocols with the most abundant ECM production after normalization for cell numbers for culture expansion of hAF cells. The protocol may be useful in further cell therapy and tissue engineering approaches for disc regeneration.

Evaluation of CMAQ and CAMx Ensemble Air Quality Forecasts during the 2015 MAPS-Seoul Field Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, E.; Kim, S.; Bae, C.; Kim, H. C.; Kim, B. U.

2015-12-01

The performance of Air quality forecasts during the 2015 MAPS-Seoul Field Campaign was evaluated. An forecast system has been operated to support the campaign's daily aircraft route decisions for airborne measurements to observe long-range transporting plume. We utilized two real-time ensemble systems based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE)-Comprehensive Air quality Model with extensions (CAMx) modeling framework and WRF-SMOKE- Community Multi_scale Air Quality (CMAQ) framework over northeastern Asia to simulate PM10 concentrations. Global Forecast System (GFS) from National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) was used to provide meteorological inputs for the forecasts. For an additional set of retrospective simulations, ERA Interim Reanalysis from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) was also utilized to access forecast uncertainties from the meteorological data used. Model Inter-Comparison Study for Asia (MICS-Asia) and National Institute of Environment Research (NIER) Clean Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) emission inventories are used for foreign and domestic emissions, respectively. In the study, we evaluate the CMAQ and CAMx model performance during the campaign by comparing the results to the airborne and surface measurements. Contributions of foreign and domestic emissions are estimated using a brute force method. Analyses on model performance and emissions will be utilized to improve air quality forecasts for the upcoming KORUS-AQ field campaign planned in 2016.

Performance evaluation of WAVEWATCH III model in the Persian Gulf using different wind resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazeminezhad, Mohammad Hossein; Siadatmousavi, Seyed Mostafa

2017-07-01

The third-generation wave model, WAVEWATCH III, was employed to simulate bulk wave parameters in the Persian Gulf using three different wind sources: ERA-Interim, CCMP, and GFS-Analysis. Different formulations for whitecapping term and the energy transfer from wind to wave were used, namely the Tolman and Chalikov (J Phys Oceanogr 26:497-518, 1996), WAM cycle 4 (BJA and WAM4), and Ardhuin et al. (J Phys Oceanogr 40(9):1917-1941, 2010) (TEST405 and TEST451 parameterizations) source term packages. The obtained results from numerical simulations were compared to altimeter-derived significant wave heights and measured wave parameters at two stations in the northern part of the Persian Gulf through statistical indicators and the Taylor diagram. Comparison of the bulk wave parameters with measured values showed underestimation of wave height using all wind sources. However, the performance of the model was best when GFS-Analysis wind data were used. In general, when wind veering from southeast to northwest occurred, and wind speed was high during the rotation, the model underestimation of wave height was severe. Except for the Tolman and Chalikov (J Phys Oceanogr 26:497-518, 1996) source term package, which severely underestimated the bulk wave parameters during stormy condition, the performances of other formulations were practically similar. However, in terms of statistics, the Ardhuin et al. (J Phys Oceanogr 40(9):1917-1941, 2010) source terms with TEST405 parameterization were the most successful formulation in the Persian Gulf when compared to in situ and altimeter-derived observations.

In vitro analyses of the anti-fibrotic effect of SPARC silencing in human Tenon’s fibroblasts: comparisons with mitomycin C

PubMed Central

Seet, Li-Fong; Su, Roseline; Toh, Li Zhen; Wong, Tina T

2012-01-01

Abstract Failure of glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS) is commonly attributed to scarring at the surgical site. The human Tenon’s fibroblasts (HTFs) are considered the major cell type contributing to the fibrotic response. We previously showed that SPARC (secreted protein, acidic, rich in cysteine) knockout mice had improved surgical success in a murine model of GFS. To understand the mechanisms of SPARC deficiency in delaying subconjunctival fibrosis, we used the gene silencing approach to reduce SPARC expression in HTFs and examined parameters important for wound repair and fibrosis. Mitomycin C-treated HTFs were used for comparison. We demonstrate that SPARC-silenced HTFs showed normal proliferation and negligible cellular necrosis but were impaired in motility and collagen gel contraction. The expression of pro-fibrotic genes including collagen I, MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-14, IL-8, MCP-1 and TGF-β2 were also reduced. Importantly, TGF-β2 failed to induce significant collagen I and fibronectin expressions in the SPARC-silenced HTFs. Together, these data demonstrate that SPARC knockdown in HTFs modulates fibroblast functions important for wound fibrosis and is therefore a promising strategy in the development of anti-scarring therapeutics. PMID:21801304

Next Generation Community Based Unified Global Modeling System Development and Operational Implementation Strategies at NCEP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tallapragada, V.

2017-12-01

NOAA's Next Generation Global Prediction System (NGGPS) has provided the unique opportunity to develop and implement a non-hydrostatic global model based on Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) Finite Volume Cubed Sphere (FV3) Dynamic Core at National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), making a leap-step advancement in seamless prediction capabilities across all spatial and temporal scales. Model development efforts are centralized with unified model development in the NOAA Environmental Modeling System (NEMS) infrastructure based on Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF). A more sophisticated coupling among various earth system components is being enabled within NEMS following National Unified Operational Prediction Capability (NUOPC) standards. The eventual goal of unifying global and regional models will enable operational global models operating at convective resolving scales. Apart from the advanced non-hydrostatic dynamic core and coupling to various earth system components, advanced physics and data assimilation techniques are essential for improved forecast skill. NGGPS is spearheading ambitious physics and data assimilation strategies, concentrating on creation of a Common Community Physics Package (CCPP) and Joint Effort for Data Assimilation Integration (JEDI). Both initiatives are expected to be community developed, with emphasis on research transitioning to operations (R2O). The unified modeling system is being built to support the needs of both operations and research. Different layers of community partners are also established with specific roles/responsibilities for researchers, core development partners, trusted super-users, and operations. Stakeholders are engaged at all stages to help drive the direction of development, resources allocations and prioritization. This talk presents the current and future plans of unified model development at NCEP for weather, sub-seasonal, and seasonal climate prediction applications with special emphasis on implementation of NCEP FV3 Global Forecast System (GFS) and Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) into operations by 2019.

Special cases of AIRS v4.0.x retrievals: missing forecast surface pressure and regression-only retrieval

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hearty, Thomas; Manning, Evan

2005-01-01

This memo examines the differences that can be expected when performing two special cases of retrievals with the v.4.0.x PGE: (1) retrivals without the surface pressure from the NOAA Global Forecast System (GFS) and (2) regression only retrievals. An understanding of these differences is important for users who may want to give up some accuracy in the retrieval in exchange for a rapid solution.

Application for the Drosophila ventral nerve cord standard in neuronal circuit reconstruction and in-depth analysis of mutant morphology

PubMed Central

Boerner, Jana; Godenschwege, Tanja Angela

2010-01-01

The Drosophila standard brain has been a useful tool that provides information about position and size of different brain structures within a wild-type brain and allows the comparison of imaging data that were collected from individual preparations. Therefore the standard can be used to reveal and visualize differences of brain regions between wild-type and mutant brains and can provide spatial description of single neurons within the nervous system. Recently the standard brain was complemented by the generation of a ventral nerve cord (VNC) standard. Here the authors have registered the major components of a simple neuronal circuit, the Giant Fiber System (GFS), into this standard. The authors show that they can also virtually reconstruct the well-characterized synaptic contact of the Giant Fiber with its motorneuronal target when they register the individual neurons from different preparations into the VNC standard. In addition to the potential application for the standard thorax in neuronal circuit reconstruction, the authors show that it is a useful tool for in-depth analysis of mutant morphology of single neurons. The authors find quantitative and qualitative differences when they compared the Giant Fibers of two different neuroglian alleles, nrg849 and nrgG00305, using the averaged wild-type GFS in the standard VNC as a reference. PMID:20615087

A Preliminary Examination of the Second Generation CMORPH Real-time Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joyce, R.; Xie, P.; Wu, S.

2017-12-01

The second generation CMORPH (CMORPH2) has started test real-time production of 30-minute precipitation estimates on a 0.05olat/lon grid over the entire globe, from pole-to-pole. The CMORPH2 is built upon the Kalman Filter based CMORPH algorithm of Joyce and Xie (2011). Inputs to the system include rainfall and snowfall rate retrievals from passive microwave (PMW) measurements aboard all available low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, precipitation estimates derived from infrared (IR) observations of geostationary (GEO) and LEO platforms, and precipitation simulations from the NCEP operational global forecast system (GFS). Inputs from the various sources are first inter-calibrated to ensure quantitative consistencies in representing precipitation events of different intensities through PDF calibration against a common reference standard. The inter-calibrated PMW retrievals and IR-based precipitation estimates are then propagated from their respective observation times to the target analysis time along the motion vectors of the precipitating clouds. Motion vectors are first derived separately from the satellite IR based precipitation estimates and the GFS precipitation fields. These individually derived motion vectors are then combined through a 2D-VAR technique to form an analyzed field of cloud motion vectors over the entire globe. The propagated PMW and IR based precipitation estimates are finally integrated into a single field of global precipitation through the Kalman Filter framework. A set of procedures have been established to examine the performance of the CMORPH2 real-time production. CMORPH2 satellite precipitation estimates are compared against the CPC daily gauge analysis, Stage IV radar precipitation over the CONUS, and numerical model forecasts to discover potential shortcomings and quantify improvements against the first generation CMORPH. Special attention has been focused on the CMORPH behavior over high-latitude areas beyond the coverage of the first generation CMORPH. Detailed results will be reported at the AGU.

Layer-by-layer assembled cell instructive nanocoatings containing platelet lysate.

PubMed

Oliveira, Sara M; Santo, Vítor E; Gomes, Manuela E; Reis, Rui L; Mano, João F

2015-04-01

Great efforts have been made to introduce growth factors (GFs) onto 2D/3D constructs in order to control cell behavior. Platelet lysate (PL) presents itself as a cost-effective source of multiple GFs and other proteins. The instruction given by a construct-PL combination will depend on how its instructive cues are presented to the cells. The content, stability and conformation of the GFs affect their instruction. Strategies for a controlled incorporation of PL are needed. Herein, PL was incorporated into nanocoatings by layer-by-layer assembling with polysaccharides presenting different sulfation degrees (SD) and charges. Heparin and several marine polysaccharides were tested to evaluate their PL and GF incorporation capability. The consequent effects of those multilayers on human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs) were assessed in short-term cultures. Both nature of the polysaccharide and SD were important properties that influenced the adsorption of PL, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor b (FGFb) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF). The sulfated polysaccharides-PL multilayers showed to be efficient in the promotion of morphological changes, serum-free adhesion and proliferation of high passage hASCs (P > 5). These biomimetic multilayers promise to be versatile platforms to fabricate instructive devices allowing a tunable incorporation of PL. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultralight Graphene Foam/Conductive Polymer Composites for Exceptional Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.

PubMed

Wu, Ying; Wang, Zhenyu; Liu, Xu; Shen, Xi; Zheng, Qingbin; Xue, Quan; Kim, Jang-Kyo

2017-03-15

Ultralight, high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding graphene foam (GF)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) composites are developed by drop coating of PEDOT:PSS on cellular-structured, freestanding GFs. To enhance the wettability and the interfacial bonds with PEDOT:PSS, GFs are functionalized with 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid. The GF/PEDOT:PSS composites possess an ultralow density of 18.2 × 10 -3 g/cm 3 and a high porosity of 98.8%, as well as an enhanced electrical conductivity by almost 4 folds from 11.8 to 43.2 S/cm after the incorporation of the conductive PEDOT:PSS. Benefiting from the excellent electrical conductivity, ultralight porous structure, and effective charge delocalization, the composites deliver remarkable EMI shielding performance with a shielding effectiveness (SE) of 91.9 dB and a specific SE (SSE) of 3124 dB·cm 3 /g, both of which are the highest among those reported in the literature for carbon-based polymer composites. The excellent electrical conductivities of composites arising from both the GFs with three-dimensionally interconnected conductive networks and the conductive polymer coating, as well as the left-handed composites with absolute permittivity and/or permeability larger than one give rise to significant microwave attenuation by absorption.

Evaluation of High Density Surface Observations in Complex Terrain and Their Contribution to the MM5 Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

westerly surface winds, the existence of a dry-adiabatic lapse rate, and often the appearance of wave cloud features (Oard, 1993). For a long time...indicate that a large-scale mountain wave feature was present across almost the entire western United States. The GFS indicates this was a standing 31... wave and not a propagating feature since it persisted with very little movement from about 0600 UTC 6 Mar until about 0000 UTC 7 Mar. A cross

Using Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) to calibrate probabilistic surface temperature forecasts over Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soltanzadeh, I.; Azadi, M.; Vakili, G. A.

2011-07-01

Using Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA), an attempt was made to obtain calibrated probabilistic numerical forecasts of 2-m temperature over Iran. The ensemble employs three limited area models (WRF, MM5 and HRM), with WRF used with five different configurations. Initial and boundary conditions for MM5 and WRF are obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) and for HRM the initial and boundary conditions come from analysis of Global Model Europe (GME) of the German Weather Service. The resulting ensemble of seven members was run for a period of 6 months (from December 2008 to May 2009) over Iran. The 48-h raw ensemble outputs were calibrated using BMA technique for 120 days using a 40 days training sample of forecasts and relative verification data. The calibrated probabilistic forecasts were assessed using rank histogram and attribute diagrams. Results showed that application of BMA improved the reliability of the raw ensemble. Using the weighted ensemble mean forecast as a deterministic forecast it was found that the deterministic-style BMA forecasts performed usually better than the best member's deterministic forecast.

Development of extended WRF variational data assimilation system (WRFDA) for WRF non-hydrostatic mesoscale model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattanayak, Sujata; Mohanty, U. C.

2018-06-01

The paper intends to present the development of the extended weather research forecasting data assimilation (WRFDA) system in the framework of the non-hydrostatic mesoscale model core of weather research forecasting system (WRF-NMM), as an imperative aspect of numerical modeling studies. Though originally the WRFDA provides improved initial conditions for advanced research WRF, we have successfully developed a unified WRFDA utility that can be used by the WRF-NMM core, as well. After critical evaluation, it has been strategized to develop a code to merge WRFDA framework and WRF-NMM output. In this paper, we have provided a few selected implementations and initial results through single observation test, and background error statistics like eigenvalues, eigenvector and length scale among others, which showcase the successful development of extended WRFDA code for WRF-NMM model. Furthermore, the extended WRFDA system is applied for the forecast of three severe cyclonic storms: Nargis (27 April-3 May 2008), Aila (23-26 May 2009) and Jal (4-8 November 2010) formed over the Bay of Bengal. Model results are compared and contrasted within the analysis fields and later on with high-resolution model forecasts. The mean initial position error is reduced by 33% with WRFDA as compared to GFS analysis. The vector displacement errors in track forecast are reduced by 33, 31, 30 and 20% to 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr forecasts respectively, in data assimilation experiments as compared to control run. The model diagnostics indicates successful implementation of WRFDA within the WRF-NMM system.

Withaferin A effectively targets soluble vimentin in the glaucoma filtration surgical model of fibrosis.

PubMed

Bargagna-Mohan, Paola; Deokule, Sunil P; Thompson, Kyle; Wizeman, John; Srinivasan, Cidambi; Vooturi, Sunil; Kompella, Uday B; Mohan, Royce

2013-01-01

Withaferin A (WFA) is a natural product that binds to soluble forms of the type III intermediate filament (IF) vimentin. Currently, it is unknown under what pathophysiological contexts vimentin is druggable, as cytoskeltal vimentin-IFs are abundantly expressed. To investigate druggability of vimentin, we exploited rabbit Tenon's capsule fibroblast (RbTCF) cell cultures and the rabbit glaucoma filtration surgical (GFS) model of fibrosis. WFA potently caused G₀/G₁ cell cycle inhibition (IC₅₀ 25 nM) in RbTCFs, downregulating ubiquitin E3 ligase skp2 and inducing p27(Kip1) expression. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß-induced myofibroblast transformation caused development of cell spheroids with numerous elongated invadopodia, which WFA blocked potently by downregulating soluble vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression. In the pilot proof-of-concept study using the GFS model, subconjunctival injections of a low WFA dose reduced skp2 expression in Tenon's capsule and increased p27(Kip1) expression without significant alteration to vimentin-IFs. This treatment maintains significant nanomolar WFA concentrations in anterior segment tissues that correspond to WFA's cell cycle targeting activity. A ten-fold higher WFA dose caused potent downregulation of soluble vimentin and skp2 expression, but as found in cell cultures, no further increase in p27(Kip1) expression was observed. Instead, this high WFA dose potently induced vimentin-IF disruption and downregulated α-SMA expression that mimicked WFA activity in TGF-ß-treated RbTCFs that blocked cell contractile activity at submicromolar concentrations. These findings illuminate that localized WFA injection to ocular tissues exerts pharmacological control over the skp2-p27(Kip1) pathway by targeting of soluble vimentin in a model of surgical fibrosis.

In vitro analyses of the anti-fibrotic effect of SPARC silencing in human Tenon's fibroblasts: comparisons with mitomycin C.

PubMed

Seet, Li-Fong; Su, Roseline; Toh, Li Zhen; Wong, Tina T

2012-06-01

Failure of glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS) is commonly attributed to scarring at the surgical site. The human Tenon's fibroblasts (HTFs) are considered the major cell type contributing to the fibrotic response. We previously showed that SPARC (secreted protein, acidic, rich in cysteine) knockout mice had improved surgical success in a murine model of GFS. To understand the mechanisms of SPARC deficiency in delaying subconjunctival fibrosis, we used the gene silencing approach to reduce SPARC expression in HTFs and examined parameters important for wound repair and fibrosis. Mitomycin C-treated HTFs were used for comparison. We demonstrate that SPARC-silenced HTFs showed normal proliferation and negligible cellular necrosis but were impaired in motility and collagen gel contraction. The expression of pro-fibrotic genes including collagen I, MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-14, IL-8, MCP-1 and TGF-β(2) were also reduced. Importantly, TGF-β(2) failed to induce significant collagen I and fibronectin expressions in the SPARC-silenced HTFs. Together, these data demonstrate that SPARC knockdown in HTFs modulates fibroblast functions important for wound fibrosis and is therefore a promising strategy in the development of anti-scarring therapeutics. © 2011 The Authors Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine © 2011 Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Anti-inflammatory effects of zinc in PMA-treated human gingival fibroblast cells

PubMed Central

Kim, Sangwoo; Jeon, Sangmi; Hui, Zheng; Kim, Young; Im, Yeonggwan; Lim, Wonbong; Kim, Changsu; Choi, Hongran; Kim, Okjoon

2015-01-01

Objectives: Abnormal cellular immune response has been considered to be responsible for oral lesions in recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Zinc has been known to be an essential nutrient metal that is necessary for a broad range of biological activities including antioxidant, immune mediator, and anti-inflammatory drugs in oral mucosal disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of zinc in a phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-treated inflammatory model on human gingival fibroblast cells (hGFs). Study Design: Cells were pre-treated with zinc chloride, followed by PMA in hGFs. The effects were assessed on cell viability, cyclooxygenease-1,2(COX-1/2) protein expression, PGE2 release, ROS production and cytokine release, Results: The effects were assessed on cell viability, COX1/2 protein expression, PGE2 release, ROS production, cytokine release. The results showed that, in the presence of PMA, zinc treatment leads to reduce the production of ROS, which results in decrease of COX-2 expression and PGE2 release. Conclusions: Thus, we suggest that zinc treatment leads to the mitigation of oral inflammation and may prove to be an alternative treatment for recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Key words:Zinc, inflammatory response, cytokines, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, gingival fibroblasts cells. PMID:25662537

Evaluation of Recombinant Human FGF-2 and PDGF-BB in Periodontal Regeneration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Li, Feifei; Yu, Fanyuan; Xu, Xin; Li, Chunjie; Huang, Dingming; Zhou, Xuedong; Ye, Ling; Zheng, Liwei

2017-03-06

The prognosis for successful treatment of periodontal diseases is generally poor. Current therapeutic strategies often fail to regenerate infected periodontium. Recently an alternative strategy has been developed that combines conventional treatment with the application of recombinant human growth factors (rhGFs). But ambiguities in existed studies on the clinical efficacy of rhGFs do not permit either the identification of the specific growth factors effective for therapeutic interventions or the optimal concentration of them. Neither is it known whether the same rhGF can stimulate regeneration of both soft tissue and bone, or whether different patient populations call for differential use of the growth factors. In order to explore these issues, a meta-analysis was carried out. Particular attention was given to the therapeutic impact of fibroblast growth factor 2(FGF-2) and platelet derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB). Our findings indicate that 0.3% rhFGF-2 and 0.3 mg/ml rhPDGF-BB show a greater capacity for periodontal regeneration than other concentrations and superiority to control groups with statistical significance. In the case of patients suffering only from gingival recession, however, the application of rhPDGF-BB produces no significant regenerative advantage. The findings of this study can potentially endow clinicians with guidelines for the appropriate application of these two rhGFs.

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IITM CFS v2 Forecast for 2017 monsoon : link Experimental short-range GEFS ensemble forecast : link Experimental short-range GFS-T1534(upto 8days) forecast : link

Design and Use of Chimeric Proteins Containing a Collagen-Binding Domain for Wound Healing and Bone Regeneration.

PubMed

Addi, Cyril; Murschel, Frederic; De Crescenzo, Gregory

2017-04-01

Collagen-based biomaterials are widely used in the field of tissue engineering; they can be loaded with biomolecules such as growth factors (GFs) to modulate the biological response of the host and thus improve its potential for regeneration. Recombinant chimeric GFs fused to a collagen-binding domain (CBD) have been reported to improve their bioavailability and the host response, especially when combined with an appropriate collagen-based biomaterial. This review first provides an extensive description of the various CBDs that have been fused to proteins, with a focus on the need for accurate characterization of their interaction with collagen. The second part of the review highlights the benefits of various CBD/GF fusion proteins that have been designed for wound healing and bone regeneration.

Simultaneous water activation and glucose metabolic rate imaging with PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verhaeghe, Jeroen; Reader, Andrew J.

2013-02-01

A novel imaging and signal separation strategy is proposed to be able to separate [18F]FDG and multiple [15O]H2O signals from a simultaneously acquired dynamic PET acquisition of the two tracers. The technique is based on the fact that the dynamics of the two tracers are very distinct. By adopting an appropriate bolus injection strategy and by defining tailored sets of basis functions that model either the FDG or water component, it is possible to separate the FDG and water signal. The basis functions are inspired from the spectral analysis description of dynamic PET studies and are defined as the convolution of estimated generating functions (GFs) with a set of decaying exponential functions. The GFs are estimated from the overall measured head curve, while the decaying exponential functions are pre-determined. In this work, the time activity curves (TACs) are modelled post-reconstruction but the model can be incorporated in a global 4D reconstruction strategy. Extensive PET simulation studies are performed considering single [18F]FDG and 6 [15O]H2O bolus injections for a total acquisition time of 75 min. The proposed method is evaluated at multiple noise levels and different parameters were estimated such as [18F]FDG uptake and blood flow estimated from the [15O]H2O component, requiring a full dynamic analysis of the two components, static images of [18F]FDG and the water components as well as [15O]H2O activation. It is shown that the resulting images and parametric values in ROIs are comparable to images obtained from separate imaging, illustrating the feasibility of simultaneous imaging of [18F]FDG and [15O]H2O components. For more information on this article, see medicalphysicsweb.org

Evaluation of streamflow forecast for the National Water Model of U.S. National Weather Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafieeinasab, A.; McCreight, J. L.; Dugger, A. L.; Gochis, D.; Karsten, L. R.; Zhang, Y.; Cosgrove, B.; Liu, Y.

2016-12-01

The National Water Model (NWM), an implementation of the community WRF-Hydro modeling system, is an operational hydrologic forecasting model for the contiguous United States. The model forecasts distributed hydrologic states and fluxes, including soil moisture, snowpack, ET, and ponded water. In particular, the NWM provides streamflow forecasts at more than 2.7 million river reaches for three forecast ranges: short (15 hr), medium (10 days), and long (30 days). In this study, we verify short and medium range streamflow forecasts in the context of the verification of their respective quantitative precipitation forecasts/forcing (QPF), the High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) and the Global Forecast System (GFS). The streamflow evaluation is performed for summer of 2016 at more than 6,000 USGS gauges. Both individual forecasts and forecast lead times are examined. Selected case studies of extreme events aim to provide insight into the quality of the NWM streamflow forecasts. A goal of this comparison is to address how much streamflow bias originates from precipitation forcing bias. To this end, precipitation verification is performed over the contributing areas above (and between assimilated) USGS gauge locations. Precipitation verification is based on the aggregated, blended StageIV/StageII data as the "reference truth". We summarize the skill of the streamflow forecasts, their skill relative to the QPF, and make recommendations for improving NWM forecast skill.

TOWARDS OPERATIONAL FORECASTING OF LOWER ATMOSPHERE EFFECTS ON THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE AND IONOSPHERE: INTEGRATED DYNAMICS IN EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE (IDEA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akmaev, R. A.; Fuller-Rowell, T. J.; Wu, F.; Wang, H.; Juang, H.; Moorthi, S.; Iredell, M.

2009-12-01

The upper atmosphere and ionosphere exhibit variability and phenomena that have been associated with planetary and tidal waves originating in the lower atmosphere. To study and be able to predict the effects of these global-scale dynamical perturbations on the coupled thermosphere-ionosphere-electrodynamics system a new coupled model is being developed under the IDEA project. To efficiently cross the infamous R2O “death valley”, from the outset the IDEA project leverages the natural synergy between NOAA’s National Weather Service’s (NWS) Space Weather Prediction and Environmental Modeling Centers and a NOAA-University of Colorado cooperative institute (CIRES). IDEA interactively couples a Whole Atmosphere Model (WAM) with ionosphere-plasmasphere and electrodynamics models. WAM is a 150-layer general circulation model (GCM) based on NWS’s operational weather prediction Global Forecast System (GFS) extended from its nominal top altitude of 62 km to over 600 km. It incorporates relevant physical processes including those responsible for the generation of tidal and planetary waves in the troposphere and stratosphere. Long-term simulations reveal realistic seasonal variability of tidal waves with a substantial contribution from non-migrating tidal modes, recently implicated in the observed morphology of the ionosphere. Such phenomena as the thermospheric Midnight Temperature Maximum (MTM), previously associated with the tides, are also realistically simulated for the first time.

Sphere-shaped nano-hydroxyapatite/chitosan/gelatin 3D porous scaffolds increase proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells from gingival fibroblasts.

PubMed

Ji, Jun; Tong, Xin; Huang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Tiancong; Lin, Zitong; Cao, Yazhou; Zhang, Junfeng; Dong, Lei; Qin, Haiyan; Hu, Qingang

2015-07-08

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is an important component of human bone and bone tissue engineering scaffolds. A plethora of bone tissue engineering scaffolds have been synthesized so far, including nano-HA/chitosan/gelatin (nHA/CG) scaffolds; and for seeding cells, stem cells, especially induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), have been a promising cell source for bone tissue engineering recently. However, the influence of different HA nano-particle morphologies on the osteogenic differentiation of human iPSCs (hiPSCs) from human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the osteogenic differentiation of hiPSCs from hGFs seeded on nHA/CG scaffolds with 2 shapes (rod and sphere) of nHA particles. Firstly, hGFs isolated from discarded normal gingival tissues were reprogrammed into hiPSCs. Secondly, hiPSCs were seeded on rod-like nHA/CG (rod-nHA/CG) and sphere-shaped nHA/CG (sphere-nHA/CG) scaffolds respectively and then cell/scaffold complexes were cultured in vitro. Scanning electron microscope, hematoxyline and eosin (HE) staining, Masson's staining, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques were used to examine hiPSC morphology, proliferation, and differentiation on rod-nHA/CG and sphere-nHA/CG scaffolds. Finally, hiPSCs composited with 2 kinds of nHA/CG were transplanted in vivo in a subcutaneous implantation model for 12 weeks; pure scaffolds were also transplanted as a blank control. HE, Masson's, and immunohistochemistry staining were applied to detect new bone regeneration ability. The results showed that sphere-nHA/CG significantly increased hiPSCs from hGF proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in vitro. hiPSCs and sphere-nHA/CG composities generated large bone, whereas hiPSCs and rod-nHA/CG composities produced tiny bone in vivo. Moreover, pure scaffolds without cells almost produced no bone. In conclusion, our work provided a potential innovative bone tissue engineering approach using clinically discarded gingival tissues and sphere-nHA/CG scaffolds.

Growth Factor-Induced Mobilization of Cardiac Progenitor Cells Reduces the Risk of Arrhythmias, in a Rat Model of Chronic Myocardial Infarction

PubMed Central

Graiani, Gallia; Rossi, Stefano; Agnetti, Aldo; Stillitano, Francesca; Lagrasta, Costanza; Baruffi, Silvana; Berni, Roberta; Frati, Caterina; Vassalle, Mario; Squarcia, Umberto; Cerbai, Elisabetta; Macchi, Emilio; Stilli, Donatella; Quaini, Federico; Musso, Ezio

2011-01-01

Heart repair by stem cell treatment may involve life-threatening arrhythmias. Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) appear best suited for reconstituting lost myocardium without posing arrhythmic risks, being commissioned towards cardiac phenotype. In this study we tested the hypothesis that mobilization of CPCs through locally delivered Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 to heal chronic myocardial infarction (MI), lowers the proneness to arrhythmias. We used 133 adult male Wistar rats either with one-month old MI and treated with growth factors (GFs, n = 60) or vehicle (V, n = 55), or sham operated (n = 18). In selected groups of animals, prior to and two weeks after GF/V delivery, we evaluated stress-induced ventricular arrhythmias by telemetry-ECG, cardiac mechanics by echocardiography, and ventricular excitability, conduction velocity and refractoriness by epicardial multiple-lead recording. Invasive hemodynamic measurements were performed before sacrifice and eventually the hearts were subjected to anatomical, morphometric, immunohistochemical, and molecular biology analyses. When compared with untreated MI, GFs decreased stress-induced arrhythmias and concurrently prolonged the effective refractory period (ERP) without affecting neither the duration of ventricular repolarization, as suggested by measurements of QTc interval and mRNA levels for K-channel α-subunits Kv4.2 and Kv4.3, nor the dispersion of refractoriness. Further, markers of cardiomyocyte reactive hypertrophy, including mRNA levels for K-channel α-subunit Kv1.4 and β-subunit KChIP2, interstitial fibrosis and negative structural remodeling were significantly reduced in peri-infarcted/remote ventricular myocardium. Finally, analyses of BrdU incorporation and distribution of connexin43 and N-cadherin indicated that cytokines generated new vessels and electromechanically-connected myocytes and abolished the correlation of infarct size with deterioration of mechanical function. In conclusion, local injection of GFs ameliorates electromechanical competence in chronic MI. Reduced arrhythmogenesis is attributable to prolongation of ERP resulting from improved intercellular coupling via increased expression of connexin43, and attenuation of unfavorable remodeling. PMID:21445273

A Comparison of HWRF, ARW and NMM Models in Hurricane Katrina (2005) Simulation

PubMed Central

Dodla, Venkata B.; Desamsetti, Srinivas; Yerramilli, Anjaneyulu

2011-01-01

The life cycle of Hurricane Katrina (2005) was simulated using three different modeling systems of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model. These are, HWRF (Hurricane WRF) designed specifically for hurricane studies and WRF model with two different dynamic cores as the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) model and the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM). The WRF model was developed and sourced from National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), incorporating the advances in atmospheric simulation system suitable for a broad range of applications. The HWRF modeling system was developed at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) based on the NMM dynamic core and the physical parameterization schemes specially designed for tropics. A case study of Hurricane Katrina was chosen as it is one of the intense hurricanes that caused severe destruction along the Gulf Coast from central Florida to Texas. ARW, NMM and HWRF models were designed to have two-way interactive nested domains with 27 and 9 km resolutions. The three different models used in this study were integrated for three days starting from 0000 UTC of 27 August 2005 to capture the landfall of hurricane Katrina on 29 August. The initial and time varying lateral boundary conditions were taken from NCEP global FNL (final analysis) data available at 1 degree resolution for ARW and NMM models and from NCEP GFS data at 0.5 degree resolution for HWRF model. The results show that the models simulated the intensification of Hurricane Katrina and the landfall on 29 August 2005 agreeing with the observations. Results from these experiments highlight the superior performance of HWRF model over ARW and NMM models in predicting the track and intensification of Hurricane Katrina. PMID:21776239

A comparison of HWRF, ARW and NMM models in Hurricane Katrina (2005) simulation.

PubMed

Dodla, Venkata B; Desamsetti, Srinivas; Yerramilli, Anjaneyulu

2011-06-01

The life cycle of Hurricane Katrina (2005) was simulated using three different modeling systems of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model. These are, HWRF (Hurricane WRF) designed specifically for hurricane studies and WRF model with two different dynamic cores as the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) model and the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM). The WRF model was developed and sourced from National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), incorporating the advances in atmospheric simulation system suitable for a broad range of applications. The HWRF modeling system was developed at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) based on the NMM dynamic core and the physical parameterization schemes specially designed for tropics. A case study of Hurricane Katrina was chosen as it is one of the intense hurricanes that caused severe destruction along the Gulf Coast from central Florida to Texas. ARW, NMM and HWRF models were designed to have two-way interactive nested domains with 27 and 9 km resolutions. The three different models used in this study were integrated for three days starting from 0000 UTC of 27 August 2005 to capture the landfall of hurricane Katrina on 29 August. The initial and time varying lateral boundary conditions were taken from NCEP global FNL (final analysis) data available at 1 degree resolution for ARW and NMM models and from NCEP GFS data at 0.5 degree resolution for HWRF model. The results show that the models simulated the intensification of Hurricane Katrina and the landfall on 29 August 2005 agreeing with the observations. Results from these experiments highlight the superior performance of HWRF model over ARW and NMM models in predicting the track and intensification of Hurricane Katrina.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Numerical Prediction for Hurricane Juan (2003)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyakum, J.; McTaggart-Cowan, R.

2004-05-01

The range of accuracy of the numerical weather prediction (NWP) guidance for the landfall of Hurricane Juan (2003), from nearly perfect to nearly useless, motivates a study of the NWP forecast errors on 28-29 September 2003 in the eastern North Atlantic. Although the forecasts issued over the period were of very high quality, this is primarily because of the diligence of the forecasters, and not related to the reliability of the numerical predictions provided to them by the North American operational centers and the research community. A bifurcation in the forecast fields from various centers and institutes occurred beginning with the 0000 UTC run of 28 September, and continuing until landfall just after 0000 UTC on 29 September. The GFS (NCEP), Eta (NCEP), GEM (Canadian Meteorological Centre; CMC), and MC2 (McGill) forecast models all showed an extremely weak (minimum SLP above 1000 hPa) remnant vortex moving north-northwestward into the Gulf of Maine and merging with a diabatically-developed surface low offshore. The GFS uses a vortex-relocation scheme, the Eta a vortex bogus, and the GEM and MC2 are run on CMC analyses that contain no enhanced vortex. The UK Met Office operational, the GFDL, and the NOGAPS (US Navy) forecast models all ran a small-scale hurricane-like vortex directly into Nova Scotia and verified very well for this case. The UKMO model uses synthetic observations to enhance structures in poorly-forecasted areas during the analysis cycle and both the GFDL and NOGAPS model use advanced idealized vortex bogusing in their initial conditions. The quality of the McGill MC2 forecast is found to be significantly enhanced using a bogusing technique similar to that used in the initialization of the successful forecast models. A verification of the improved forecast is presented along with a discussion of the need for operational quality control of the background fields in the analysis cycle and for proper representation of strong, small-scale tropical vortices.

Using Analog Ensemble to generate spatially downscaled probabilistic wind power forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delle Monache, L.; Shahriari, M.; Cervone, G.

2017-12-01

We use the Analog Ensemble (AnEn) method to generate probabilistic 80-m wind power forecasts. We use data from the NCEP GFS ( 28 km resolution) and NCEP NAM (12 km resolution). We use forecasts data from NAM and GFS, and analysis data from NAM which enables us to: 1) use a lower-resolution model to create higher-resolution forecasts, and 2) use a higher-resolution model to create higher-resolution forecasts. The former essentially increases computing speed and the latter increases forecast accuracy. An aggregated model of the former can be compared against the latter to measure the accuracy of the AnEn spatial downscaling. The AnEn works by taking a deterministic future forecast and comparing it with past forecasts. The model searches for the best matching estimates within the past forecasts and selects the predictand value corresponding to these past forecasts as the ensemble prediction for the future forecast. Our study is based on predicting wind speed and air density at more than 13,000 grid points in the continental US. We run the AnEn model twice: 1) estimating 80-m wind speed by using predictor variables such as temperature, pressure, geopotential height, U-component and V-component of wind, 2) estimating air density by using predictors such as temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. We use the air density values to correct the standard wind power curves for different values of air density. The standard deviation of the ensemble members (i.e. ensemble spread) will be used as the degree of difficulty to predict wind power at different locations. The value of the correlation coefficient between the ensemble spread and the forecast error determines the appropriateness of this measure. This measure is prominent for wind farm developers as building wind farms in regions with higher predictability will reduce the real-time risks of operating in the electricity markets.

Clinical Applications of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Patellar Tendinopathy

PubMed Central

Jeong, D. U.; Lee, C.-R.; Lee, J. H.; Pak, J.; Kang, L.-W.; Jeong, B. C.

2014-01-01

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a blood derivative with high concentrations of platelets, has been found to have high levels of autologous growth factors (GFs), such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblastic growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). These GFs and other biological active proteins of PRP can promote tissue healing through the regulation of fibrosis and angiogenesis. Moreover, PRP is considered to be safe due to its autologous nature and long-term usage without any reported major complications. Therefore, PRP therapy could be an option in treating overused tendon damage such as chronic tendinopathy. Here, we present a systematic review highlighting the clinical effectiveness of PRP injection therapy in patellar tendinopathy, which is a major cause of athletes to retire from their respective careers. PMID:25136568

Rod-like polyaniline supported on three-dimensional boron and nitrogen-co-doped graphene frameworks for high-performance supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Kexuan; Gao, Jialu; Fan, Jinchen; Mo, Yao; Xu, Qunjie; Min, Yulin

2017-12-01

In this work, novel three-dimensional (3D) boron and nitrogen-co-doped three-dimensional (3D) graphene frameworks (BN-GFs) supporting rod-like polyaniline (PANI) are facilely prepared and used as electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors. The results demonstrated that BN-GFs with tuned electronic structure can not only provide a large surface area for rod-like PANI to anchor but also effectively facilitate the ion transfer and charge storage in the electrode. The PANI/BN-GF composite with wrinkled boron and nitrogen-co-doped graphene sheets interconnected by rod-like PANI exhibits excellent capacitive properties with a maximum specific capacitance of 596 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g. Notably, they also show excellent cycling stability with more than 81% capacitance retention after 5000 charge-discharge cycles.

Understanding the role of growth factors in modulating stem cell tenogenesis.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Ana I; Rodrigues, Márcia T; Lee, Sang-Jin; Atala, Anthony; Yoo, James J; Reis, Rui L; Gomes, Manuela E

2013-01-01

Current treatments for tendon injuries often fail to fully restore joint biomechanics leading to the recurrence of symptoms, and thus resulting in a significant health problem with a relevant social impact worldwide. Cell-based approaches involving the use of stem cells might enable tailoring a successful tendon regeneration outcome. As growth factors (GFs) powerfully regulate the cell biological response, their exogenous addition can further stimulate stem cells into the tenogenic lineage, which might eventually depend on stem cells source. In the present study we investigate the tenogenic differentiation potential of human- amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) and adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) with several GFs associated to tendon development and healing; namely, EGF, bFGF, PDGF-BB and TGF-β1. Stem cells response to biochemical stimuli was studied by screening of tendon-related genes (collagen type I, III, decorin, tenascin C and scleraxis) and proteins found in tendon extracellular matrix (ECM) (Collagen I, III, and Tenascin C). Despite the fact that GFs did not seem to influence the synthesis of tendon ECM proteins, EGF and bFGF influenced the expression of tendon-related genes in hAFSCs, while EGF and PDGF-BB stimulated the genetic expression in hASCs. Overall results on cellular alignment morphology, immunolocalization and PCR analysis indicated that both stem cell source can be biochemically induced towards tenogenic commitment, validating the potential of hASCs and hAFSCs for tendon regeneration strategies.

Diversity of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genes in Indonesian populations of Java, Kalimantan, Timor and Irian Jaya.

PubMed

Velickovic, M; Velickovic, Z; Panigoro, R; Dunckley, H

2009-01-01

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) regulate the activity of natural killer and T cells through interactions with specific human leucocyte antigen class I molecules on target cells. Population studies performed over the last several years have established that KIR gene frequencies (GFs) and genotype content vary considerably among different ethnic groups, indicating the extent of KIR diversity, some of which have also shown the effect of the presence or absence of specific KIR genes in human disease. We have determined the frequencies of 16 KIR genes and pseudogenes and genotypes in 193 Indonesian individuals from Java, East Timor, Irian Jaya (western half of the island of New Guinea) and Kalimantan provinces of Indonesian Borneo. All 16 KIR genes were observed in all four populations. Variation in GFs between populations was observed, except for KIR2DL4, KIR3DL2, KIR3DL3, KIR2DP1 and KIR3DP1 genes, which were present in every individual tested. When comparing KIR GFs between populations, both principal component analysis and a phylogenetic tree showed close clustering of the Kalimantan and Javanese populations, while Irianese populations were clearly separated from the other three populations. Our results indicate a high level of KIR polymorphism in Indonesian populations that probably reflects the large geographical spread of the Indonesian archipelago and the complex evolutionary history and population migration in this region.

High temperature dependence of thermal transport in graphene foam.

PubMed

Li, Man; Sun, Yi; Xiao, Huying; Hu, Xuejiao; Yue, Yanan

2015-03-13

In contrast to the decreased thermal property of carbon materials with temperature according to the Umklapp phonon scattering theory, highly porous free-standing graphene foam (GF) exhibits an abnormal characteristic that its thermal property increases with temperature above room temperature. In this work, the temperature dependence of thermal properties of free-standing GF is investigated by using the transient electro-thermal technique. Significant increase for thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity from ∼0.3 to 1.5 W m(-1) K(-1) and ∼4 × 10(-5) to ∼2 × 10(-4) m(2) s(-1) respectively is observed with temperature from 310 K to 440 K for three GF samples. The quantitative analysis based on a physical model for porous media of Schuetz confirms that the thermal conductance across graphene contacts rather than the heat conductance inside graphene dominates thermal transport of our GFs. The thermal expansion effect at an elevated temperature makes the highly porous structure much tighter is responsible for the reduction in thermal contact resistance. Besides, the radiation heat exchange inside the pores of GFs improves the thermal transport at high temperatures. Since free-standing GF has great potential for being used as supercapacitor and battery electrode where the working temperature is always above room temperature, this finding is beneficial for thermal design of GF-based energy applications.

Integrating Wind Profiling Radars and Radiosonde Observations with Model Point Data to Develop a Decision Support Tool to Assess Upper-Level Winds for Space Launch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauman, William H., III; Flinn, Clay

2013-01-01

On the day of launch, the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) Launch Weather Officers (LWOs) monitor the upper-level winds for their launch customers. During launch operations, the payload/launch team sometimes asks the LWOs if they expect the upper-level winds to change during the countdown. The LWOs used numerical weather prediction model point forecasts to provide the information, but did not have the capability to quickly retrieve or adequately display the upper-level observations and compare them directly in the same display to the model point forecasts to help them determine which model performed the best. The LWOs requested the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) develop a graphical user interface (GUI) that will plot upper-level wind speed and direction observations from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) Automated Meteorological Profiling System (AMPS) rawinsondes with point forecast wind profiles from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) North American Mesoscale (NAM), Rapid Refresh (RAP) and Global Forecast System (GFS) models to assess the performance of these models. The AMU suggested adding observations from the NASA 50 MHz wind profiler and one of the US Air Force 915 MHz wind profilers, both located near the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility, to supplement the AMPS observations with more frequent upper-level profiles. Figure 1 shows a map of KSC/CCAFS with the locations of the observation sites and the model point forecasts.

A study on super-sulfated cement using Dinh Vu phosphogypsum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, Nguyen Ngoc

2018-04-01

Super-sulfated cement (SSC) is a newly developed unburnt cementitious material. It is a kind of environmental-friendly cementitious material due to its energy-saving, carbon emission reducing, and waste-utilization. It mainly composes of phosphogysum (PG) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GFS), with a small amount of cement. In Vietnam, the Diammonium Phosphate DAP – Dinh Vu fertilizer plant in Dinh Vu industrial zone in the northern port city of Hai Phong – has discharged millions of tons of solid waste containing gypsum after 9 years of operation. The waste has changed the color of the water, eroded metal and destroyed fauna and floral systems in the surrounding area. Notably, according to the environmental impact assessment, the gypsum landfill area is supposed to be 13 hectares and the storage time reaches up to five years. This paper presents the experimental results on SSC using a high amount of Dinh Vu phosphogypsum and GFS in comparison with those of ordinary Portland cement (PC). The results show that the setting time of SSC is much longer than that of Portland cement but the compressive strength of SSC can be obtained 45-50 MPa at the age of 28 days, similar to that of the control sample using 100% PC40, and 69MPa at the age of 90 days. This value even exceeds the compressive strength of the PC40 cement.

AIRS associated accomplishments at the JCSDA: First use of full spatial resolution hyperspectral data show significant improvements in global forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Marshall, J.; Jung, J.; Lord, S. J.; Derber, J. C.; Treadon, R.; Joiner, J.; Goldberg, M.; Wolf, W.; Liu, H. C.

2005-08-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Department of Defense (DoD), Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA) was established in 2000/2001. The goal of the JCSDA is to accelerate the use of observations from earth-orbiting satellites into operational numerical environmental analysis and prediction systems for the purpose of improving weather and oceanic forecasts, seasonal climate forecasts and the accuracy of climate data sets. As a result, a series of data assimilation experiments were undertaken at the JCSDA as part of the preparations for the operational assimilation of AIRS data by its partner organizations1,2. Here, for the first time full spatial resolution radiance data, available in real-time from the AIRS instrument, were used at the JCSDA in data assimilation studies over the globe utilizing the operational NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS). The radiance data from each channel of the instrument were carefully screened for cloud effects and those radiances which were deemed to be clear of cloud effects were used by the GFS forecast system. The result of these assimilation trials has been a first demonstration of significant improvements in forecast skill over both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere compared to the operational system without AIRS data. The experimental system was designed in a way that rendered it feasible for operational application, and that constraint involved using the subset of AIRS channels chosen for operational distribution and an analysis methodology close to the current analysis practice, with particular consideration given to time limitations. As a result, operational application of these AIRS data was enabled by the recent NCEP operational upgrade. In addition, because of the improved impact resulting from use of this enhanced data set compared to that used operationally to date, provision of a realtime "warmest field" of view data set has been established for use by international NWP Centers.

PLGA-Mesoporous Silicon Microspheres for the in Vivo Controlled Temporospatial Delivery of Proteins.

PubMed

Minardi, Silvia; Pandolfi, Laura; Taraballi, Francesca; De Rosa, Enrica; Yazdi, Iman K; Liu, Xeuwu; Ferrari, Mauro; Tasciotti, Ennio

2015-08-05

In regenerative medicine, the temporospatially controlled delivery of growth factors (GFs) is crucial to trigger the desired healing mechanisms in the target tissues. The uncontrolled release of GFs has been demonstrated to cause severe side effects in the surrounding tissues. The aim of this study was to optimize a translational approach for the fine temporal and spatial control over the release of proteins, in vivo. Hence, we proposed a newly developed multiscale composite microsphere based on a core consisting of the nanostructured silicon multistage vector (MSV) and a poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) outer shell. Both of the two components of the resulting composite microspheres (PLGA-MSV) can be independently tailored to achieve multiple release kinetics contributing to the control of the release profile of a reporter protein in vitro. The influence of MSV shape (hemispherical or discoidal) and size (1, 3, or 7 μm) on PLGA-MSV's morphology and size distribution was investigated. Second, the copolymer ratio of the PLGA used to fabricate the outer shell of PLGA-MSV was varied. The composites were fully characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, ζ potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry, and their release kinetics over 30 days. PLGA-MSV's biocompatibility was assessed in vitro with J774 macrophages. Finally, the formulation of PLGA-MSV was selected, which concurrently provided the most consistent microsphere size and allowed for a zero-order release kinetic. The selected PLGA-MSVs were injected in a subcutaneous model in mice, and the in vivo release of the reporter protein was followed over 2 weeks by intravital microscopy, to assess if the zero-order release was preserved. PLGA-MSV was able to retain the payload over 2 weeks, avoiding the initial burst release typical of most drug delivery systems. Finally, histological evaluation assessed the biocompatibility of the platform in vivo.

Intelligent Machine Learning Approaches for Aerospace Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathyan, Anoop

Machine Learning is a type of artificial intelligence that provides machines or networks the ability to learn from data without the need to explicitly program them. There are different kinds of machine learning techniques. This thesis discusses the applications of two of these approaches: Genetic Fuzzy Logic and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). Fuzzy Logic System (FLS) is a powerful tool that can be used for a wide variety of applications. FLS is a universal approximator that reduces the need for complex mathematics and replaces it with expert knowledge of the system to produce an input-output mapping using If-Then rules. The expert knowledge of a system can help in obtaining the parameters for small-scale FLSs, but for larger networks we will need to use sophisticated approaches that can automatically train the network to meet the design requirements. This is where Genetic Algorithms (GA) and EVE come into the picture. Both GA and EVE can tune the FLS parameters to minimize a cost function that is designed to meet the requirements of the specific problem. EVE is an artificial intelligence developed by Psibernetix that is trained to tune large scale FLSs. The parameters of an FLS can include the membership functions and rulebase of the inherent Fuzzy Inference Systems (FISs). The main issue with using the GFS is that the number of parameters in a FIS increase exponentially with the number of inputs thus making it increasingly harder to tune them. To reduce this issue, the FLSs discussed in this thesis consist of 2-input-1-output FISs in cascade (Chapter 4) or as a layer of parallel FISs (Chapter 7). We have obtained extremely good results using GFS for different applications at a reduced computational cost compared to other algorithms that are commonly used to solve the corresponding problems. In this thesis, GFSs have been designed for controlling an inverted double pendulum, a task allocation problem of clustering targets amongst a set of UAVs, a fire detection problem and the aircraft conflict resolution problem. During the last decade, CNNs have become increasingly popular in the domain of image and speech processing. CNNs have a lot more parameters compared to GFSs that are tuned using the back-propagation algorithm. CNNs typically have hundreds of thousands or maybe millions of parameters that are tuned using common cost functions such as integral squared error, softmax loss etc. Chapter 5 discusses a classification problem to classify images as humans or not and Chapter 6 discusses a regression task using CNN for producing an approximate near-optimal route for the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) which is regarded as one of the most complicated decision making problem. Both the GFS and CNN are used to develop intelligent systems specific to the application providing them computational efficiency, robustness in the face of uncertainties and scalability.

A SEQUENTIAL, MULTIPLE-TREATMENT, TARGETED APPROACH TO REDUCE WOUND HEALING AND FAILURE OF GLAUCOMA FILTRATION SURGERY IN A RABBIT MODEL (AN AMERICAN OPHTHALMOLOGICAL SOCIETY THESIS)

PubMed Central

Sherwood, Mark Brian

2006-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concept of targeting mediators of the scarring process at multiple points across the course of bleb failure, in order to prolong bleb survival. Methods There were three linked parts to the experiment. In the first part, a cannula glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS) was performed on 32 New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits, and bleb survival was assessed for six different regimens plus controls by grading bleb height and width. For the second part of the study, the same GFS surgery was performed on an additional 10 NZW rabbits. Two additional filtering blebs were treated with balanced saline solution (BSS), two received mitomycin-C (MMC) (0.4 mg/mL), and for the remaining six, a sequential regimen was given consisting of 200 mmol/L mannose-6-phosphate (M-6-P) solution at the time of surgery, followed by subconjunctival injections of antibody to connective tissue growth factor at days 2 and 4, and Ilomastat, a broad-spectrum matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, at days 7, 12, and 20 postoperatively. Bleb survival was again assessed. In the final part of the experiment, blebs treated with either BSS, MMC, or the above sequential multitreatment regimen were examined histologically at 14 days postoperatively in three additional NZW rabbits. Results All six individual therapies selected resulted in some improvement of bleb survival compared to BSS control. Blebs treated with the new sequential, multitreatment protocol survived an average of 29 days (regression slope, P < .0001 compared to control), those receiving BSS an average of 17 days, and those treated with MMC (0.4 mg/mL) an average of 36 days. The sequential, multitreatment regimen was significantly superior to any of the six monotherapies for time to zero analysis (flattening) of the bleb (P < .002). Histologic examination of the bleb tissues showed a markedly less epithelial thinning, subepithelial collagen thinning, and goblet cell loss in the multitreatment group, when compared with the MMC blebs. Conclusions In a rabbit model of GFS, a sequential, targeted, multitreatment approach prolonged bleb survival compared to BSS controls and decreased bleb tissue morphological changes when compared to those treated with MMC. It is not known whether these findings can be reproduced in humans, and further work is needed to determine an optimum regimen and timing of therapeutic delivery. PMID:17471357

Mesoporous cellular-structured carbons derived from glucose-fructose syrup and their adsorption properties towards acetaminophen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzvetkov, George; Spassov, Tony; Kaneva, Nina; Tsyntsarski, Boyko

Here, a series of cellular-structured and predominantly mesoporous carbons were prepared via carbonization of glucose-fructose syrup (GFS) with sulfuric acid and subsequent calcination between 400∘C and 700∘C. Comparative results on the microstructure, chemical and textural properties of the newly produced carbons are presented. Furthermore, their adsorption performance for removal of acetaminophen from water was tested and it was found that the carbon calcined at 700∘C has a maximum adsorption capacity (98.7mgṡg-1) among all samples due to its suitable textural properties (BET surface area of 418m2ṡg-1 and total pore volume of 0.2cm3ṡg-1). This study demonstrates the potential use of GFS as a precursor in the preparation of carbonaceous materials for removal of biologically-active micropollutants from water.

Using Deep Learning for Targeted Data Selection, Improving Satellite Observation Utilization for Model Initialization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y. J.; Bonfanti, C. E.; Trailovic, L.; Etherton, B.; Govett, M.; Stewart, J.

2017-12-01

At present, a fraction of all satellite observations are ultimately used for model assimilation. The satellite data assimilation process is computationally expensive and data are often reduced in resolution to allow timely incorporation into the forecast. This problem is only exacerbated by the recent launch of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-16 satellite and future satellites providing several order of magnitude increase in data volume. At the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) we are researching the use of machine learning the improve the initial selection of satellite data to be used in the model assimilation process. In particular, we are investigating the use of deep learning. Deep learning is being applied to many image processing and computer vision problems with great success. Through our research, we are using convolutional neural network to find and mark regions of interest (ROI) to lead to intelligent extraction of observations from satellite observation systems. These targeted observations will be used to improve the quality of data selected for model assimilation and ultimately improve the impact of satellite data on weather forecasts. Our preliminary efforts to identify the ROI's are focused in two areas: applying and comparing state-of-art convolutional neural network models using the analysis data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) weather model, and using these results as a starting point to optimize convolution neural network model for pattern recognition on the higher resolution water vapor data from GOES-WEST and other satellite. This presentation will provide an introduction to our convolutional neural network model to identify and process these ROI's, along with the challenges of data preparation, training the model, and parameter optimization.

Real-Time Ocean Prediction System for the East Coast of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warrior, H. V.

2016-02-01

The primary objective of the research work reported in this abstract was to develop a Realtime Environmental model for Ocean Dispersion and Impact (as part of an already in-place Decision Support System) for the purpose of radiological safety for the area along Kalpakkam (East Indian) coast. This system involves combining real-time ocean observations with numerical models of ocean processes to provide hindcasts, nowcasts and forecasts of currents, tides and waves. In this work we present the development of an Automated Coupled Atmospheric - Ocean Model (we call it IIT-CAOM) used to forecast the sea surface currents, sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity etc of the Bay of Bengal region under the influence of transient and unsteady atmospheric conditions. This method uses a coupling of Atmosphere and Ocean model. The models used here are the WRF for atmospheric simulations and POM for the ocean counterpart. It has a 3 km X 3 km resolution. This Coupled Model uses GFS (Global Forecast System) Data or FNL (Final Analyses) Data as initial conditions for jump-starting the atmospheric model. The Atmospheric model is run first thus extracting air temperature, wind speed and relative humidity. The heat flux subroutine computes the net heat flux, using above mentioned parameters data. The net heat flux feeds to the ocean model by simply adding net heat flux subroutine to the ocean model code without changing the model original structure. The online forecast of the IIT-CAOM is currently available in the web. The whole system has been automized and runs without any more manual support. The IIT-CAOM simulations have been carried out for Kalpakkam region, which is located on the East coast of India, about 70 km south of Chennai in Tamilnadu State and a three day forecast of sea surface currents, sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity, etc have been obtained.

Immunomodulatory properties of human periodontal ligament stem cells.

PubMed

Wada, Naohisa; Menicanin, Danijela; Shi, Songtao; Bartold, P Mark; Gronthos, Stan

2009-06-01

Tissue engineering utilizing periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) has recently been proposed for the development of new periodontal regenerative therapies. Although the use of autologous PDLSC transplantation eliminates the potential of a significant host immune response against the donor cells, it is often difficult to generate enough PDLSCs from one donor source due to the variation of stem cell potential between donors and disease state of each patient. In this study, we examined the immunomodulatory properties of PDLSCs as candidates for new allogeneic stem cell-based therapies. Human PDLSCs displayed cell surface marker characteristics and differentiation potential similar to bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSSCs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). PDLSCs, BMSSCs, and DPSCs inhibited peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMNC) proliferation stimulated with mitogen or in an allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Interestingly, gingival fibroblasts (GFs) also suppressed allogeneic PBMNC proliferation under both assay conditions. PDLSCs, BMSSCs, DPSCs, and GFs exhibited non-cell contact dependent suppression of PBMNC proliferation in co-cultures using transwells. Furthermore, conditioned media (CM) derived from each cell type pretreated with IFN-gamma partially suppressed PBMNC proliferation when compared to CMs without IFN-gamma stimulation. In all of these mesenchymal cell types cultured with activated PBMNCs, the expression of TGF-beta1, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) was upregulated while IDO expression was upregulated following stimulation with IFN-gamma. These results suggest that PDLSCs, BMSSCs, DPSCs, and GFs possess immunosuppressive properties mediated, in part, by soluble factors, produced by activated PBMNCs. J. Cell. Physiol. 219: 667-676, 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Structural Biology and Evolution of the TGF-β Family

PubMed Central

Hinck, Andrew P.; Mueller, Thomas D.; Springer, Timothy A.

2017-01-01

We review the evolution and structure of members of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) family, antagonistic or agonistic modulators, and receptors that regulate TGF-β signaling in extracellular environments. The growth factor (GF) domain common to all family members and many of their antagonists evolved from a common cystine knot growth factor (CKGF) domain. The CKGF superfamily comprises six distinct families in primitive metazoans, including the TGF-β and Dan families. Compared with Wnt/Frizzled and Notch/Delta families that also specify body axes, cell fate, tissues, and other families that contain CKGF domains that evolved in parallel, the TGF-β family was the most fruitful in evolution. Complexes between the prodomains and GFs of the TGF-β family suggest a new paradigm for regulating GF release by conversion from closed- to open-arm procomplex conformations. Ternary complexes of the final step in extracellular signaling show how TGF-β GF dimers bind type I and type II receptors on the cell surface, and enable understanding of much of the specificity and promiscuity in extracellular signaling. However, structures suggest that when GFs bind repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) family coreceptors, type I receptors do not bind until reaching an intracellular, membrane-enveloped compartment, blurring the line between extra- and intracellular signaling. Modulator protein structures show how structurally diverse antagonists including follistatins, noggin, and members of the chordin family bind GFs to regulate signaling; complexes with the Dan family remain elusive. Much work is needed to understand how these molecular components assemble to form signaling hubs in extracellular environments in vivo. PMID:27638177

Working With the Wave Equation in Aeroacoustics: The Pleasures of Generalized Functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farassat, F.; Brentner, Kenneth S.; Dunn, mark H.

2007-01-01

The theme of this paper is the applications of generalized function (GF) theory to the wave equation in aeroacoustics. We start with a tutorial on GFs with particular emphasis on viewing functions as continuous linear functionals. We next define operations on GFs. The operation of interest to us in this paper is generalized differentiation. We give many applications of generalized differentiation, particularly for the wave equation. We discuss the use of GFs in finding Green s function and some subtleties that only GF theory can clarify without ambiguities. We show how the knowledge of the Green s function of an operator L in a given domain D can allow us to solve a whole range of problems with operator L for domains situated within D by the imbedding method. We will show how we can use the imbedding method to find the Kirchhoff formulas for stationary and moving surfaces with ease and elegance without the use of the four-dimensional Green s theorem, which is commonly done. Other subjects covered are why the derivatives in conservation laws should be viewed as generalized derivatives and what are the consequences of doing this. In particular we show how we can imbed a problem in a larger domain for the identical differential equation for which the Green s function is known. The primary purpose of this paper is to convince the readers that GF theory is absolutely essential in aeroacoustics because of its powerful operational properties. Furthermore, learning the subject and using it can be fun.

An Assessment of the SST Simulation Using the Climate Forecast System Coupled to the SSiB Surface Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Xue, Y.; Huang, B.; Lee, J.; De Sales, F.

2016-12-01

A long term simulation has been conducted using the Climate Forecast System (CFSv2) coupled to the SSiB-2 land model, which consists of the Global Forecast System atmospheric model (GFS) and the Modular Ocean model - version 4 (MOM4) as the ocean component. This study evaluates the model's performance in simulating sea surface temperature (SST) mean state, trend, and inter-annual and decadal variabilities. The model is able to produce the reasonable spatial distribution of the SST climatology; however, it has prominent large scale biases. In the middle latitude of the Northern Hemisphere, major cold biases is close to the warm side of the large SST gradients, which may be associated with the weaker Kuroshio and Gulf Stream extensions that diffuse the SST gradient. IN addition, warm biases extend along the west coast of the North America continent to the high latitude, which may be related with excessive Ekman down-welling and solar radiation fluxes reaching to the surface due to the lack of cloud there. Warm biases also exist over the tropical cold tough areas in the Pacific and Atlantic. The global SST trend and interannual variations are well captured except for that in the south Hemisphere after year 2000, which is mainly contributed by the bias from the southern Pacific Ocean. Although the model fails to accurately produce ENSO events in proper years, it does reproduce the ENSO frequency well; they are skewed toward more warm events after 1990. The model also shows ability in SST decadal variation, such as the so-called inter-decadal Pacific oscillation (IPO); however, its phases seem to go reversely compared with the observation.

Large scale snow water status monitoring: comparison of different snow water products in the upper Colorado basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Artan, G.A.; Verdin, J.P.; Lietzow, R.

2013-01-01

We illustrate the ability to monitor the status of snowpack over large areas by using a~spatially distributed snow accumulation and ablation model in the Upper Colorado Basin. The model was forced with precipitation fields from the National Weather Service (NWS) Multi-sensor Precipitation Estimator (MPE) and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) datasets; remaining meteorological model input data was from NOAA's Global Forecast System (GFS) model output fields. The simulated snow water equivalent (SWE) was compared to SWEs from the Snow Data Assimilation System (SNODAS) and SNOwpack TELemetry system (SNOTEL) over a~region of the Western United States that covers parts of the Upper Colorado Basin. We also compared the SWE product estimated from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) to the SNODAS and SNOTEL SWE datasets. Agreement between the spatial distribution of the simulated SWE with both SNODAS and SNOTEL was high for the two model runs for the entire snow accumulation period. Model-simulated SWEs, both with MPE and TRMM, were significantly correlated spatially on average with the SNODAS (r = 0.81 and r = 0.54; d.f. = 543) and the SNOTEL SWE (r = 0.85 and r = 0.55; d.f. = 543), when monthly basinwide simulated average SWE the correlation was also highly significant (r = 0.95 and r = 0.73; d.f. = 12). The SWE estimated from the passive microwave imagery was not correlated either with the SNODAS SWE or (r = 0.14, d.f. = 7) SNOTEL-reported SWE values (r = 0.08, d.f. = 7). The agreement between modeled SWE and the SWE recorded by SNODAS and SNOTEL weakened during the snowmelt period due to an underestimation bias of the air temperature that was used as model input forcing.

EMC HWRF Weekly Meeting Homepage

Science.gov Websites

structure using idealized HWRF simulations with GFS and MYJ PBL schemes by Jun Zhang (HRD/AOML) NOAA- MoES Zhan Zhang(EMC) (NOTE: Links open presentations in a new window) Please e-mail comments, questions, or

Prediction of drug synergy in cancer using ensemble-based machine learning techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Harpreet; Rana, Prashant Singh; Singh, Urvinder

2018-04-01

Drug synergy prediction plays a significant role in the medical field for inhibiting specific cancer agents. It can be developed as a pre-processing tool for therapeutic successes. Examination of different drug-drug interaction can be done by drug synergy score. It needs efficient regression-based machine learning approaches to minimize the prediction errors. Numerous machine learning techniques such as neural networks, support vector machines, random forests, LASSO, Elastic Nets, etc., have been used in the past to realize requirement as mentioned above. However, these techniques individually do not provide significant accuracy in drug synergy score. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper is to design a neuro-fuzzy-based ensembling approach. To achieve this, nine well-known machine learning techniques have been implemented by considering the drug synergy data. Based on the accuracy of each model, four techniques with high accuracy are selected to develop ensemble-based machine learning model. These models are Random forest, Fuzzy Rules Using Genetic Cooperative-Competitive Learning method (GFS.GCCL), Adaptive-Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Dynamic Evolving Neural-Fuzzy Inference System method (DENFIS). Ensembling is achieved by evaluating the biased weighted aggregation (i.e. adding more weights to the model with a higher prediction score) of predicted data by selected models. The proposed and existing machine learning techniques have been evaluated on drug synergy score data. The comparative analysis reveals that the proposed method outperforms others in terms of accuracy, root mean square error and coefficient of correlation.

Mechanism of ENSO influence on the South Asian monsoon rainfall in global model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Sneh; Kar, Sarat C.

2018-02-01

Coupled ocean atmosphere global climate models are increasingly being used for seasonal scale simulation of the South Asian monsoon. In these models, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) evolve as coupled air-sea interaction process. However, sensitivity experiments with various SST forcing can only be done in an atmosphere-only model. In this study, the Global Forecast System (GFS) model at T126 horizontal resolution has been used to examine the mechanism of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forcing on the monsoon circulation and rainfall. The model has been integrated (ensemble) with observed, climatological and ENSO SST forcing to document the mechanism on how the South Asian monsoon responds to basin-wide SST variations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The model simulations indicate that the internal variability gets modulated by the SSTs with warming in the Pacific enhancing the ensemble spread over the monsoon region as compared to cooling conditions. Anomalous easterly wind anomalies cover the Indian region both at 850 and 200 hPa levels during El Niño years. The locations and intensity of Walker and Hadley circulations are altered due to ENSO SST forcing. These lead to reduction of monsoon rainfall over most parts of India during El Niño events compared to La Niña conditions. However, internally generated variability is a major source of uncertainty in the model-simulated climate.

Climate Prediction Center - Forecasts & Outlook Maps, Graphs and Tables

Science.gov Websites

moisture, and a forecast for daily ultraviolet (UV) radiation index. Many of the outlook maps have an acute short-term threats due to severe weather events. Another of the many products available is the GFS

Contribution of land use changes to meteorological parameters in Greater Jakarta: Case 17 January 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuryanto, D. E.; Pawitan, H.; Hidayat, R.; Aldrian, E.

2018-05-01

The impact of land use changes on meteorological parameters during a heavy rainfall event on 17 January 2014 in Greater Jakarta (GJ) was examined using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. This study performed two experimental simulation methods. The first WRF simulation uses default land use (CTL). The second simulation applies the experiment by changing the size of urban and built-up land use (SCE). The Global Forecast System (GFS) data is applied to provide more realistic initial and boundary conditions for the nested model domains (3 km, 1 km). The simulations were initiated at 00:00 UTC January 13, 2014 and the period of modeling was equal to six days. The air temperature and the precipitation pattern in GJ shows a good agreement between the observed and simulated data. The results show a consistent significant contribution of urban development and accompany land use changes in air temperature and precipitation. According to the model simulation, urban and built-up land contributed about 6% of heavy rainfall and about 0.2 degrees of air temperatures in the morning. Simulations indicate that new urban developments led to an intensification and expansion of the rain area. The results can support the decision-making of flooding and watershed management.

NR2E3 mutations in enhanced S-cone sensitivity syndrome (ESCS), Goldmann-Favre syndrome (GFS), clumped pigmentary retinal degeneration (CPRD), and retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

PubMed

Schorderet, Daniel F; Escher, Pascal

2009-11-01

NR2E3, also called photoreceptor-specific nuclear receptor (PNR), is a transcription factor of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily whose expression is uniquely restricted to photoreceptors. There, its physiological activity is essential for proper rod and cone photoreceptor development and maintenance. Thirty-two different mutations in NR2E3 have been identified in either homozygous or compound heterozygous state in the recessively inherited enhanced S-cone sensitivity syndrome (ESCS), Goldmann-Favre syndrome (GFS), and clumped pigmentary retinal degeneration (CPRD). The clinical phenotype common to all these patients is night blindness, rudimental or absent rod function, and hyperfunction of the "blue" S-cones. A single p.G56R mutation is inherited in a dominant manner and causes retinitis pigmentosa (RP). We have established a new locus-specific database for NR2E3 (www.LOVD.nl/eye), containing all reported mutations, polymorphisms, and unclassified sequence variants, including novel ones. A high proportion of mutations are located in the evolutionarily-conserved DNA-binding domains (DBDs) and ligand-binding domains (LBDs) of NR2E3. Based on homology modeling of these NR2E3 domains, we propose a structural localization of mutated residues. The high variability of clinical phenotypes observed in patients affected by NR2E3-linked retinal degenerations may be caused by different disease mechanisms, including absence of DNA-binding, altered interactions with transcriptional coregulators, and differential activity of modifier genes.

Three-dimensional graphene foams loaded with bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells promote skin wound healing with reduced scarring.

PubMed

Li, Zhonghua; Wang, Haiqin; Yang, Bo; Sun, Yukai; Huo, Ran

2015-12-01

The regeneration of functional skin remains elusive, due to poor engraftment, deficient vascularization, and excessive scar formation. Aiming to overcome these issues, the present study proposed the combination of a three-dimensional graphene foam (GF) scaffold loaded with bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to improve skin wound healing. The GFs demonstrated good biocompatibility and promoted the growth and proliferation of MSCs. Meanwhile, the GFs loaded with MSCs obviously facilitated wound closure in animal model. The dermis formed in the presence of the GF structure loaded with MSCs was thicker and possessed a more complex structure at day 14 post-surgery. The transplanted MSCs correlated with upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which may lead to neo-vascularization. Additionally, an anti-scarring effect was observed in the presence of the 3D-GF scaffold and MSCs, as evidenced by a downregulation of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) together with an increase of TGF-β3. Altogether, the GF scaffold could guide the wound healing process with reduced scarring, and the MSCs were crucial to enhance vascularization and provided a better quality neo-skin. The GF scaffold loaded with MSCs possesses necessary bioactive cues to improve wound healing with reduced scarring, which may be of great clinical significance for skin wound healing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source Inversion of Seismic Events Associated with the Sinkhole at Napoleonville Salt Dome, Louisiana using a 3D Velocity Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Avinash; Dreger, Douglas S.

2018-05-01

The formation of a large sinkhole at the Napoleonville salt dome (NSD), Assumption Parish, Louisiana, caused by the collapse of a brine cavern, was accompanied by an intense and complex sequence of seismic events. We implement a grid-search approach to compute centroid locations and point-source moment tensor (MT) solutions of these seismic events using ˜0.1-0.3 Hz displacement waveforms and synthetic Green's functions computed using a 3D velocity model of the western edge of the NSD. The 3D model incorporates the currently known approximate geometry of the salt dome and the overlying anhydrite-gypsum cap rock, and features a large velocity contrast between the high velocity salt dome and low velocity sediments overlying and surrounding it. For each possible location on the source grid, Green's functions (GFs) to each station were computed using source-receiver reciprocity and the finite-difference seismic wave propagation software SW4. We also establish an empirical method to rigorously assess uncertainties in the centroid location, MW and source type of these events under evolving network geometry, using the results of synthetic tests with hypothetical events and real seismic noise. We apply the methods on the entire duration of data (˜6 months) recorded by the temporary US Geological Survey network. During an energetic phase of the sequence from 24-31 July 2012 when 4 stations were operational, the events with the best waveform fits are primarily located at the western edge of the salt dome at most probable depths of ˜0.3-0.85 km, close to the horizontal positions of the cavern and the future sinkhole. The data are fit nearly equally well by opening crack MTs in the high velocity salt medium or by isotropic volume-increase MTs in the low velocity sediment layers. We find that data recorded by 6 stations during 1-2 August 2012, right before the appearance of the sinkhole, indicate that some events are likely located in the lower velocity media just outside the salt dome at slightly shallower depth ˜0.35-0.65 km, with preferred isotropic volume-increase MT solutions. We find that GFs computed using the 3D velocity model generally result in better fits to the data than GFs computed using 1D velocity models, especially for the smaller amplitude tangential and vertical components, and result in better resolution of event locations. The dominant seismicity during 24-30 July 2012 is characterized by steady occurrence of seismic events with similar locations and MT solutions at a near-characteristic inter-event time. The steady activity is sometimes interrupted by tremor-like sequences of multiple events in rapid succession, followed by quiet periods of little of no seismic activity, in turn followed by the resumption of seismicity with a reduced seismic moment-release rate. The dominant volume-increase MT solutions and the steady features of the seismicity indicate a crack-valve-type source mechanism possibly driven by pressurized natural gas.

Verification of temperature, precipitation, and streamflow forecasts from the NOAA/NWS Hydrologic Ensemble Forecast Service (HEFS): 1. Experimental design and forcing verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, James D.; Wu, Limin; He, Minxue; Regonda, Satish; Lee, Haksu; Seo, Dong-Jun

2014-11-01

Retrospective forecasts of precipitation, temperature, and streamflow were generated with the Hydrologic Ensemble Forecast Service (HEFS) of the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) for a 20-year period between 1979 and 1999. The hindcasts were produced for two basins in each of four River Forecast Centers (RFCs), namely the Arkansas-Red Basin RFC, the Colorado Basin RFC, the California-Nevada RFC, and the Middle Atlantic RFC. Precipitation and temperature forecasts were produced with the HEFS Meteorological Ensemble Forecast Processor (MEFP). Inputs to the MEFP comprised ;raw; precipitation and temperature forecasts from the frozen (circa 1997) version of the NWS Global Forecast System (GFS) and a climatological ensemble, which involved resampling historical observations in a moving window around the forecast valid date (;resampled climatology;). In both cases, the forecast horizon was 1-14 days. This paper outlines the hindcasting and verification strategy, and then focuses on the quality of the temperature and precipitation forecasts from the MEFP. A companion paper focuses on the quality of the streamflow forecasts from the HEFS. In general, the precipitation forecasts are more skillful than resampled climatology during the first week, but comprise little or no skill during the second week. In contrast, the temperature forecasts improve upon resampled climatology at all forecast lead times. However, there are notable differences among RFCs and for different seasons, aggregation periods and magnitudes of the observed and forecast variables, both for precipitation and temperature. For example, the MEFP-GFS precipitation forecasts show the highest correlations and greatest skill in the California Nevada RFC, particularly during the wet season (November-April). While generally reliable, the MEFP forecasts typically underestimate the largest observed precipitation amounts (a Type-II conditional bias). As a statistical technique, the MEFP cannot detect, and thus appropriately correct for, conditions that are undetected by the GFS. The calibration of the MEFP to provide reliable and skillful forecasts of a range of precipitation amounts (not only large amounts) is a secondary factor responsible for these Type-II conditional biases. Interpretation of the verification results leads to guidance on the expected performance and limitations of the MEFP, together with recommendations on future enhancements.

Nitric oxide donor restores lung growth factor and receptor expression in hyperoxia-exposed rat pups.

PubMed

Lopez, Emmanuel; Boucherat, Olivier; Franco-Montoya, Marie-Laure; Bourbon, Jacques R; Delacourt, Christophe; Jarreau, Pierre-Henri

2006-06-01

Exposure of newborn rats to hyperoxia impairs alveolarization. Nitric oxide (NO) may prevent this evolution. Angiogenesis and factors involved in this process, but also other growth factors (GFs) involved in alveolar development, are likely potential therapeutic targets for NO. We studied the effects of the NO donor, [Z]-1-[N-(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-ammonioethyl)aminio]diazen-1-ium-1, 2-diolate, also termed DETANONOate (D-NO), on hyperoxia-induced changes in key regulatory factors of alveolar development in neonatal rats, and its possible preventive effect on the physiologic consequences of hyperoxia. Newborn rat pups were randomized at birth to hyperoxia (> 95% O2) or room air exposure for 6 or 10 d, while receiving D-NO or its diluent. On Day 6, several GFs and their receptors were studied at pre- and/or post-translational levels. Elastin transcript determination on Day 6, and elastin deposition in tissue and morphometric analysis of the lungs on Day 10, were also performed. Hyperoxia decreased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor (VEGFR) 2, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-18, and FGF receptors (FGFRs) FGFR3 and FGFR4, increased mortality, and impaired alveolarization and capillary growth. D-NO treatment of hyperoxia-exposed pups restored the expression level of FGF18 and FGFR4, induced an increase of both VEGF mRNA and protein, enhanced elastin expression, and partially restored elastin deposition in alveolar walls. Although, under the present conditions, D-NO failed to prevent the physiologic consequences of hyperoxia in terms of survival and lung alveolarization, our findings demonstrate molecular effects of NO on GFs involved in alveolar development that may have contributed to the protective effects previously reported for NO.

Two novel mutations in the BCKDK (branched-chain keto-acid dehydrogenase kinase) gene are responsible for a neurobehavioral deficit in two pediatric unrelated patients.

PubMed

García-Cazorla, Angels; Oyarzabal, Alfonso; Fort, Joana; Robles, Concepción; Castejón, Esperanza; Ruiz-Sala, Pedro; Bodoy, Susanna; Merinero, Begoña; Lopez-Sala, Anna; Dopazo, Joaquín; Nunes, Virginia; Ugarte, Magdalena; Artuch, Rafael; Palacín, Manuel; Rodríguez-Pombo, Pilar; Alcaide, Patricia; Navarrete, Rosa; Sanz, Paloma; Font-Llitjós, Mariona; Vilaseca, Ma Antonia; Ormaizabal, Aida; Pristoupilova, Anna; Agulló, Sergi Beltran

2014-04-01

Inactivating mutations in the BCKDK gene, which codes for the kinase responsible for the negative regulation of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex (BCKD), have recently been associated with a form of autism in three families. In this work, two novel exonic BCKDK mutations, c.520C>G/p.R174G and c.1166T>C/p.L389P, were identified at the homozygous state in two unrelated children with persistently reduced body fluid levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), developmental delay, microcephaly, and neurobehavioral abnormalities. Functional analysis of the mutations confirmed the missense character of the c.1166T>C change and showed a splicing defect r.[520c>g;521_543del]/p.R174Gfs1*, for c.520C>G due to the presence of a new donor splice site. Mutation p.L389P showed total loss of kinase activity. Moreover, patient-derived fibroblasts showed undetectable (p.R174Gfs1*) or barely detectable (p.L389P) levels of BCKDK protein and its phosphorylated substrate (phospho-E1α), resulting in increased BCKD activity and the very rapid BCAA catabolism manifested by the patients' clinical phenotype. Based on these results, a protein-rich diet plus oral BCAA supplementation was implemented in the patient homozygous for p.R174Gfs1*. This treatment normalized plasma BCAA levels and improved growth, developmental and behavioral variables. Our results demonstrate that BCKDK mutations can result in neurobehavioral deficits in humans and support the rationale for dietary intervention. © 2014 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Antinutritional factors in pearl millet grains: Phytate and goitrogens content variability and molecular characterization of genes involved in their pathways

PubMed Central

Gangashetty, Prakash Irappa; Grando, Stefania; Kwaku Zu, Theophilus Tenutse; Daminati, Maria Gloria

2018-01-01

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is an important “orphan” cereal and the most widely grown of all the millet species worldwide. It is also the sixth most important cereal in the world after wheat, rice, maize, barley, and sorghum, being largely grown and used in West Africa as well as in India and Pakistan. The present study was carried out in the frame of a program designed to increase benefits and reduce potential health problems deriving from the consumption of pearl millet. The specific goal was to provide a database of information on the variability existing in pearl millet germplasm as to the amounts of phytate, the most relevant antinutrient compound, and the goitrogenic compounds C-glycosylflavones (C-GFs) accumulated in the grain.Results we obtained clearly show that, as indicated by the range in values, a substantial variability subsists across the investigated pearl millet inbred lines as regards the grain level of phytic acid phosphate, while the amount of C-GFs shows a very high variation. Suitable potential parents to be used in breeding programs can be therefore chosen from the surveyed material in order to create new germplasm with increased nutritional quality and food safety. Moreover, we report novel molecular data showing which genes are more relevant for phytic acid biosynthesis in the seeds as well as a preliminary analysis of a pearl millet orthologous gene for C-GFs biosynthesis. These results open the way to dissect the genetic determinants controlling key seed nutritional phenotypes and to the characterization of their impact on grain nutritional value in pearl millet. PMID:29856884

Benefits of an ultra large and multiresolution ensemble for estimating available wind power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berndt, Jonas; Hoppe, Charlotte; Elbern, Hendrik

2016-04-01

In this study we investigate the benefits of an ultra large ensemble with up to 1000 members including multiple nesting with a target horizontal resolution of 1 km. The ensemble shall be used as a basis to detect events of extreme errors in wind power forecasting. Forecast value is the wind vector at wind turbine hub height (~ 100 m) in the short range (1 to 24 hour). Current wind power forecast systems rest already on NWP ensemble models. However, only calibrated ensembles from meteorological institutions serve as input so far, with limited spatial resolution (˜10 - 80 km) and member number (˜ 50). Perturbations related to the specific merits of wind power production are yet missing. Thus, single extreme error events which are not detected by such ensemble power forecasts occur infrequently. The numerical forecast model used in this study is the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). Model uncertainties are represented by stochastic parametrization of sub-grid processes via stochastically perturbed parametrization tendencies and in conjunction via the complementary stochastic kinetic-energy backscatter scheme already provided by WRF. We perform continuous ensemble updates by comparing each ensemble member with available observations using a sequential importance resampling filter to improve the model accuracy while maintaining ensemble spread. Additionally, we use different ensemble systems from global models (ECMWF and GFS) as input and boundary conditions to capture different synoptic conditions. Critical weather situations which are connected to extreme error events are located and corresponding perturbation techniques are applied. The demanding computational effort is overcome by utilising the supercomputer JUQUEEN at the Forschungszentrum Juelich.

Evaluation of the Operational Multi-scale Environment model with Grid Adaptivity (OMEGA) for use in Wind Energy Applications in the Great Basin of Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Kristien C.

In order to further assess the wind energy potential for Nevada, the accuracy of a computational meteorological model, the Operational Multi-scale Environment model with Grid Adaptivity (OMEGA), was evaluated by comparing simulation results with data collected from a wind monitoring tower near Tonopah, NV. The state of Nevada is characterized by high mountains and low-lying valleys, therefore, in order to determine the wind potential for the state, meteorological models that predict the wind must be able to accurately represent and account for terrain features and simulate topographic forcing with accuracy. Topographic forcing has a dominant role in the development and modification of mesoscale flows in regions of complex terrain, like Tonopah, especially at the level of wind turbine blade heights (~80 m). Additionally, model factors such as horizontal resolution, terrain database resolution, model physics, time of model initialization, stability regime, and source of initial conditions may each affect the ability of a mesoscale model to forecast winds correctly. The observational tower used for comparison was located at Stone Cabin, Nevada. The tower had both sonic anemometers and cup anemometers installed at heights of 40 m, 60 m, and 80 m above the surface. During a previous experiment, tower data were collected for the period February 9 through March 10, 2007 and compared to model simulations using the MM5 and WRF models at a number of varying horizontal resolutions. In this previous research, neither the MM5 nor the WRF showed a significant improvement in ability to forecast wind speed with increasing horizontal grid resolution. The present research evaluated the ability of OMEGA to reproduce point winds as compared to the observational data from the Stone Cabin Tower at heights of 40 m, 60 m, and 80 m. Unlike other mesoscale atmospheric models, OMEGA incorporates an unstructured triangular adaptive grid which allows for increased flexibility and accuracy in characterizing areas of complex terrain. Model sensitivity to horizontal grid resolution, initial conditions, and time of initialization were tested. OMEGA was run over three different horizontal grid resolutions with minimum horizontal edge lengths of: 18 km, 6 km, and 2 km. For each resolution, the model was initialized using both the Global Forecasting System (GFS) and North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) to determine model sensitivity to initial conditions. For both the NARR and GFS initializations, the model was started at both 0000 UTC and 1200 UTC to determine the effect of start time and stability regime on the performance of the model. An additional intensive study into the model's performance was also conducted by a detailed evaluation of model results during two separate 24-hour periods, the first a period where the model performed well and the second a period where the model performed poorly, to determine which atmospheric factors most affect the predictive ability of the OMEGA model. The statistical results were then compared with the results from the MM5 and WRF simulations to determine the most appropriate model for wind energy potential studies in complex terrain.

Data Assimilation of AIRS Water Vapor Profiles: Impact on Precipitation Forecasts for Atmospheric River Cases Affecting the Western of the United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, Clay; Zavodsky, Bradley; Jedlovec, Gary; Wick, Gary; Neiman, Paul

2013-01-01

Atmospheric rivers are transient, narrow regions in the atmosphere responsible for the transport of large amounts of water vapor. These phenomena can have a large impact on precipitation. In particular, they can be responsible for intense rain events on the western coast of North America during the winter season. This paper focuses on attempts to improve forecasts of heavy precipitation events in the Western US due to atmospheric rivers. Profiles of water vapor derived from from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) observations are combined with GFS forecasts by a three-dimensional variational data assimilation in the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI). Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) forecasts initialized from the combined field are compared to forecasts initialized from the GFS forecast only for 3 test cases in the winter of 2011. Results will be presented showing the impact of the AIRS profile data on water vapor and temperature fields, and on the resultant precipitation forecasts.

Antimicrobial effect of platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin.

PubMed

Badade, Pallavi S; Mahale, Swapna A; Panjwani, Alisha A; Vaidya, Prutha D; Warang, Ayushya D

2016-01-01

Platelet concentrates have been extensively used in a variety of medical fields to promote soft- and hard-tissue regeneration. The significance behind their use lies in the abundance of growth factors (GFs) in platelets α-granules that promote wound healing. Other than releasing a pool of GFs upon activation, platelets also have many features that indicate their role in the anti-infective host defense. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) against periodontal disease-associated bacteria. Blood samples were obtained from ten adult male patients. PRP and PRF were procured using centrifugation. The antimicrobial activity of PRP and PRF was evaluated by microbial culturing using bacterial strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans were inhibited by PRP but not by PRF. PRP is a potentially useful substance in the fight against periodontal pathogens. This might represent a valuable property in adjunct to the enhancement of tissue regeneration.

Bias Correction for Assimilation of Retrieved AIRS Profiles of Temperature and Humidity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, Clay; Zavodsky, Brad; Blackwell, William

2014-01-01

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a hyperspectral radiometer aboard NASA's Aqua satellite designed to measure atmospheric profiles of temperature and humidity. AIRS retrievals are assimilated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model over the North Pacific for some cases involving "atmospheric rivers". These events bring a large flux of water vapor to the west coast of North America and often lead to extreme precipitation in the coastal mountain ranges. An advantage of assimilating retrievals rather than radiances is that information in partly cloudy fields of view can be used. Two different Level 2 AIRS retrieval products are compared: the Version 6 AIRS Science Team standard retrievals and a neural net retrieval from MIT. Before assimilation, a bias correction is applied to adjust each layer of retrieved temperature and humidity so the layer mean values agree with a short-term model climatology. WRF runs assimilating each of the products are compared against each other and against a control run with no assimilation. This paper will describe the bias correction technique and results from forecasts evaluated by validation against a Total Precipitable Water (TPW) product from CIRA and against Global Forecast System (GFS) analyses.

A near real time regional JPSS and GOES-R data assimilation system for high impact weather research and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Wang, P.; Han, H.; Schmit, T. J.

2014-12-01

JPSS and GOES-R observations play important role in numerical weather prediction (NWP). However, how to best represent the information from satellite observations and how to get value added information from these satellite data into regional NWP models, including both radiance and derived products, still need investigations. In order to enhance the applications of JPSS and GOES-R data in regional NWP for high impact weather forecasts, scientists from Cooperative Institute of Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at University of Wisconsin-Madison have recently developed a near realtime regional Satellite Data Assimilation system for Tropical storm forecasts (SDAT) (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/sdat). The system consists of the community Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) assimilation system and the advanced Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model. In addition to assimilate GOES, AMSUA/AMSUB, HIRS, MHS, ATMS (Suomi-NPP), AIRS and IASI radiances, the SDAT is also able to assimilate satellite-derived products such as hyperspectral IR retrieved temperature and moisture profiles, total precipitable water (TPW), GOES Sounder (and future GOES-R) layer precipitable water (LPW) and GOES Imager atmospheric motion vector (AMV) products into the system. Real time forecasted GOES infrared (IR) images simulated from SDAT output have also been part of the SDAT system for applications and forecast evaluations. To set up the system parameters, a series of experiments have been carried out to test the impacts of different initialization schemes, including different background error matrix, different NCEP global model date sets, and different WRF model horizontal resolutions. Using SDAT as a research testbed, researches have been conducted for different satellite data impacts study, as well as different techniques for handling clouds in radiance assimilation. Since the fall of 2013, the SDAT system has been running in near real time. The results from historical cases and 2014 hurricane season cases will be compared with the operational GFS and HWRF, and presented at the meeting.

Antifibrotic effects of pirfenidone on Tenon's fibroblasts in glaucomatous eyes: comparison with mitomycin C and 5-fluorouracil.

PubMed

Na, Jung Hwa; Sung, Kyung Rim; Shin, Jin A; Moon, Jung Il

2015-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antifibrotic effects of pirfenidone (PFD) on primary cultured human Tenon's fibroblasts (HTFs) from primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes, compared to mitomicin C (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Samples of human Tenon's capsule were obtained during respective surgeries from three groups of patients: patients with cataract (CAT group), patients with POAG who underwent glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS) (POAG1 group), and patients with POAG who underwent GFS due to failed bleb of previous GFS (POAG2 group). Cell toxicity, cell migration, and the expression level of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) protein were evaluated in primary cultured HTFs from the three patient groups after treatment (PFD, MMC, or 5-FU). Overall, cell viability after PFD treatment was higher compared to MMC treatment (82.3 ± 5.1 % vs 56.7 ± 3.8 %; p = 0.001) and comparable to 5-FU treatment (82.3 ± 5.1 % vs 85.7 ± 10.7 %, p = 0.214) at the same concentration (0.4 mg/ml). Both 0.3 mg/ml PFD and 0.1 mg/ml MMC inhibited cell migration compared to control (without treatment) cells (p = 0.014 and 0.005, respectively), while 0.2 mg/ml 5-FU showed the highest degree of cell migration among the three agents in the POAG1 group (PFD vs MMC vs 5-FU; 29.5 ± 2.1 % vs 34.5 ± 0.7 % vs 76.0 ± 8.5 %, PFD vs MMC; p = 1.000, PFD vs 5-FU; p = 0.008, MMC vs 5-FU; p = 0.011). PFD (0.1 or 0.3 mg/ml) and MMC (0.05 and 0.1 mg/ml) treatment significantly reduced the protein expression level of α-SMA in the POAG 1 group (all p < 0.05), and the α-SMA protein level following treatment with 0.3 mg/ml PFD was lower than that of 0.1 mg/ml MMC (p = 0.040). PFD showed less cytotoxicity compared to MMC. PFD and MMC inhibited cell migration and reduced α-SMA protein expression levels, while 5-FU showed neither inhibition of cell migration nor reduction in α-SMA expression level. These findings indicate PFD as a potential adjunctive antifibrotic agent to prevent bleb failure during GFS.

Developing of operational hydro-meteorological simulating and displaying system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Shih, D.; Chen, C.

2010-12-01

Hydrological hazards, which often occur in conjunction with extreme precipitation events, are the most frequent type of natural disaster in Taiwan. Hence, the researchers at the Taiwan Typhoon and Flood Research Institute (TTFRI) are devoted to analyzing and gaining a better understanding of the causes and effects of natural disasters, and in particular, typhoons and floods. The long-term goal of the TTFRI is to develop a unified weather-hydrological-oceanic model suitable for simulations with local parameterizations in Taiwan. The development of a fully coupled weather-hydrology interaction model is not yet completed but some operational hydro-meteorological simulations are presented as a step in the direction of completing a full model. The predicted rainfall data from Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) are used as our meteorological forcing on watershed modeling. The hydrology and hydraulic modeling are conducted by WASH123D numerical model. And the WRF/WASH123D coupled system is applied to simulate floods during the typhoon landfall periods. The daily operational runs start at 04UTC, 10UTC, 16UTC and 22UTC, about 4 hours after data downloaded from NCEP GFS. This system will execute 72-hr weather forecasts. The simulation of WASH123D will sequentially trigger after receiving WRF rainfall data. This study presents the preliminary framework of establishing this system, and our goal is to build this earlier warning system to alert the public form dangerous. The simulation results are further display by a 3D GIS web service system. This system is established following the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standardization process for GIS web service, such as Web Map Service (WMS) and Web Feature Service (WFS). The traditional 2D GIS data, such as high resolution aerial photomaps and satellite images are integrated into 3D landscape model. The simulated flooding and inundation area can be dynamically mapped on Wed 3D world. The final goal of this system is to real-time forecast flood and the results can be visually displayed on the virtual catchment. The policymaker can easily and real-time gain visual information for decision making at any site through internet.

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.sfluxgrbf06.grib2

Science.gov Websites

hour ave Visible Diffuse Downward Solar Flux [W/m^2] 036 surface NBDSF 0-6 hour ave Near IR Beam Downward Solar Flux [W/m^2] 037 surface NDDSF 0-6 hour ave Near IR Diffuse Downward Solar Flux [W/m^2] 038

Carbohydrate composition of mature and immature faba bean (Vicia faba L.) seeds from diverse origins

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a valuable pulse crop for human consumption. The low molecular weight carbohydrates (LMWC): glucose, fructose, sucrose (GFS), raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose (RFO- raffinose family oligosaccharides) in faba bean seeds are significant components of human nutrition an...

Development of novel electrospun dual-drug fiber mats loaded with a combination of ampicillin and metronidazole.

PubMed

Schkarpetkin, Dennis; Reise, Markus; Wyrwa, Ralf; Völpel, Andrea; Berg, Albrecht; Schweder, Martina; Schnabelrauch, Matthias; Watts, David C; Sigusch, Bernd W

2016-08-01

Our study was performed with the aim of preparing electrospun polylactide fibers with a combination of ampicillin (AMP) and metronidazole (MNZ) and investigating their drug release behavior and the antibacterial effect on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and other oral pathogens. AMP and MNZ were integrated as a combination in two separate fibers (dual fiber mats - DFW mix) of electrospun PLA fiber mats by means of multijet electrospinning and in a single fiber (single fiber mats - SFW mix). HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) was used to measure the released drug quantities. Agar diffusion tests were used to determine the antibacterial effect of the eluates on A. actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Enterococcus faecalis. The neutral red test was made to examine the cytocompatibility of the eluates with human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs). The release of the active agents varied with the antibiotic concentrations initially used in the fiber mats, but also with the distribution of the active agents in one or two fibers. Of the total quantity of MNZ (AMP), the SFW mix fiber mats released >60% (>70%) within a span of 5min, and 76% (71%) after 96h. With these drug concentrations released by the fiber mats (≥5m%), an antibacterial effect was achieved on A. actinomycetemcomitans and on all other species tested. Fiber mats and their eluates have no cytotoxic influence on human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs). Electrospun AMP/MNZ-loaded polymer fibers are a potential drug delivery system for use in periodontal and endodontic infections. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temporal and spatial variability of Fe and Mn in perched groundwater flowing through weathered argillite underlying a steep forested hillslope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H.; Bishop, J. K.

2013-12-01

Groundwater flowing through weathered bedrock dictates the runoff chemistry to streams in many catchments yet; its chemical evolution has been rarely documented. In particular, observations of Fe and Mn dynamics in groundwater are extremely challenging due to their high reactivity. To preserve the sample integrity for these elements we have developed a new sampling scheme that is applicable to autosamplers; a gravitational filtration system (GFS). GFS is capable of filtering samples by gravity within 30 minutes after the sampling. The GFS samples showed a good agreement with reference samples, which were collected following the standard sampling method for trace metals (i.e. immediate filtration and acidification). Since October 2011, GFS has been employed to monitor Fe and Mn in perched groundwater that moves through weathered argillite in an intensively instrumented hillslope (Rivendell), in the Angelo Coast Range Reserve. The study site is located at the headwaters of the Eel River, northern California, characterized by a typical coastal Californian Mediterranean climate. We collected groundwater samples at 3 wells along the hillslope (upslope (W10), mid-slope (W3) and near the creek (W1)) with 1-3 day intervals. Additionally, rainwater and throughfall samples were collected at a meadow near the hillslope and at the middle of the hillslope, respectively. The results from our observations indicate that Fe and Mn exhibit distinct spatial and temporal behavior under variable hydrologic conditions. The concentrations of Fe in throughfall vs. rainwater were similar (0.45μM vs. 0.49μM), but Mn in throughfall was 10-fold higher than that in rainwater (1.2 μM vs. 0.1 μM). In the early rainy season, W10's water table was deep (-18m) and Fe and Mn in W10 were 30-150 nM and 1-2 μM, respectively. As the rainy season proceeds, W10's water table rose by 4-6m, indicating the arrival of new water. At this time, Mn in W10 decreased to ~0.1 μM, synchronizing with the water table rise, and remained unchanged throughout the season. In contrast, Fe slowly declined to <10nM for this high water table regime. During the summer recession limb, Fe and Mn concentrations in W10 began to increase. During the dry summer, the concentrations of Fe and Mn at W3 were 2-3μM and 15-20 μM, respectively. At the beginning of the rainy seasons, the W3 water table slowly rose (<1 m) and both Fe and Mn decreased by 10-fold. The concentrations of Fe and Mn decreased to 20-70nM and 0.1 μM, respectively, when W3's water table became highly dynamic and fluctuated about 4 m. At W1, Fe and Mn remained in the 50-100nM and 5-10 μM ranges, respectively; however, the water table was extremely responsive to rainfall inputs. Mn in W1 was briefly diluted to <0.1 μM during large rainstorms and rebounded within several days. In the late summer of 2012, Fe and Mn in W1 increased up to 2-6 μM and 80 μM, respectively. These high-frequency observations of Fe and Mn will provide insight into the biogeochemical cycles of redox sensitive elements in upland terrains, allowing for better quantitative estimation of these elemental fluxes.

High resolution probabilistic precipitation forecast over Spain combining the statistical downscaling tool PROMETEO and the AEMET short range EPS system (AEMET/SREPS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cofino, A. S.; Santos, C.; Garcia-Moya, J. A.; Gutierrez, J. M.; Orfila, B.

2009-04-01

The Short-Range Ensemble Prediction System (SREPS) is a multi-LAM (UM, HIRLAM, MM5, LM and HRM) multi analysis/boundary conditions (ECMWF, UKMetOffice, DWD and GFS) run twice a day by AEMET (72 hours lead time) over a European domain, with a total of 5 (LAMs) x 4 (GCMs) = 20 members. One of the main goals of this project is analyzing the impact of models and boundary conditions in the short-range high-resolution forecasted precipitation. A previous validation of this method has been done considering a set of climate networks in Spain, France and Germany, by interpolating the prediction to the gauge locations (SREPS, 2008). In this work we compare these results with those obtained by using a statistical downscaling method to post-process the global predictions, obtaining an "advanced interpolation" for the local precipitation using climate network precipitation observations. In particular, we apply the PROMETEO downscaling system based on analogs and compare the SREPS ensemble of 20 members with the PROMETEO statistical ensemble of 5 (analog ensemble) x 4 (GCMs) = 20 members. Moreover, we will also compare the performance of a combined approach post-processing the SREPS outputs using the PROMETEO system. References: SREPS 2008. 2008 EWGLAM-SRNWP Meeting (http://www.aemet.es/documentos/va/divulgacion/conferencias/prediccion/Ewglam/PRED_CSantos.pdf)

Growth Factor Signaling and Memory Formation: Temporal and Spatial Integration of a Molecular Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopec, Ashley M.; Carew, Thomas J.

2013-01-01

Growth factor (GF) signaling is critically important for developmental plasticity. It also plays a crucial role in adult plasticity, such as that required for memory formation. Although different GFs interact with receptors containing distinct types of kinase domains, they typically signal through converging intracellular cascades (e.g.,…

Three-Dimensional Rebar Graphene.

PubMed

Sha, Junwei; Salvatierra, Rodrigo V; Dong, Pei; Li, Yilun; Lee, Seoung-Ki; Wang, Tuo; Zhang, Chenhao; Zhang, Jibo; Ji, Yongsung; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Lou, Jun; Zhao, Naiqin; Tour, James M

2017-03-01

Free-standing robust three-dimensional (3D) rebar graphene foams (GFs) were developed by a powder metallurgy template method with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a reinforcing bar, sintered Ni skeletons as a template and catalyst, and sucrose as a solid carbon source. As a reinforcement and bridge between different graphene sheets and carbon shells, MWCNTs improved the thermostability, storage modulus (290.1 kPa) and conductivity (21.82 S cm -1 ) of 3D GF resulting in a high porosity and structurally stable 3D rebar GF. The 3D rebar GF can support >3150× the foam's weight with no irreversible height change, and shows only a ∼25% irreversible height change after loading >8500× the foam's weight. The 3D rebar GF also shows stable performance as a highly porous electrode in lithium ion capacitors (LICs) with an energy density of 32 Wh kg -1 . After 500 cycles of testing at a high current density of 6.50 mA cm -2 , the LIC shows 78% energy density retention. These properties indicate promising applications with 3D rebar GFs in devices requiring stable mechanical and electrochemical properties.

Application of platelet-rich plasma with stem cells in bone and periodontal tissue engineering

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Gabriela; Yang, Shuying

2016-01-01

Presently, there is a high paucity of bone grafts in the United States and worldwide. Regenerating bone is of prime concern due to the current demand of bone grafts and the increasing number of diseases causing bone loss. Autogenous bone is the present gold standard of bone regeneration. However, disadvantages like donor site morbidity and its decreased availability limit its use. Even allografts and synthetic grafting materials have their own limitations. As certain specific stem cells can be directed to differentiate into an osteoblastic lineage in the presence of growth factors (GFs), it makes stem cells the ideal agents for bone regeneration. Furthermore, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which can be easily isolated from whole blood, is often used for bone regeneration, wound healing and bone defect repair. When stem cells are combined with PRP in the presence of GFs, they are able to promote osteogenesis. This review provides in-depth knowledge regarding the use of stem cells and PRP in vitro, in vivo and their application in clinical studies in the future. PMID:28018706

Uniformly coated highly porous graphene/MnO2 foams for flexible asymmetric supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drieschner, Simon; von Seckendorff, Maximilian; del Corro, Elena; Wohlketzetter, Jörg; Blaschke, Benno M.; Stutzmann, Martin; Garrido, Jose A.

2018-06-01

Supercapacitors are called to play a prominent role in the newly emerging markets of electric vehicles, flexible displays and sensors, and wearable electronics. In order to compete with current battery technology, supercapacitors have to be designed with highly conductive current collectors exhibiting high surface area per unit volume and uniformly coated with pseudocapacitive materials, which is crucial to boost the energy density while maintaining a high power density. Here, we present a versatile technique to prepare thickness-controlled thin-film micro graphene foams (μGFs) with pores in the lower micrometer range grown by chemical vapor deposition which can be used as highly conductive current collectors in flexible supercapacitors. To fabricate the μGF, we use porous metallic catalytic substrates consisting of nickel/copper alloy synthesized on nickel foil by electrodeposition in an electrolytic solution. Changing the duration of the electrodeposition allows the control of the thickness of the metal foam, and thus of the μGF, ranging from a few micrometers to the millimeter scale. The resulting μGF with a thickness and pores in the micrometer regime exhibits high structural quality which leads to a very low intrinsic resistance of the devices. Transferred onto flexible substrates, we demonstrate a uniform coating of the μGFs with manganese oxide, a pseudocapacitively active material. Considering the porous structure and the thickness of the μGFs, square wave potential pulses are used to ensure uniform coverage by the oxide material boosting the volumetric and areal capacitance to 14 F cm‑3 and 0.16 F cm‑2. The μGF with a thickness and pores in the micrometer regime in combination with a coating technique tuned to the porosity of the μGF is of great relevance for the development of supercapacitors based on state-of-the-art graphene foams.

Perceptual suppression revealed by adaptive multi-scale entropy analysis of local field potential in monkey visual cortex.

PubMed

Hu, Meng; Liang, Hualou

2013-04-01

Generalized flash suppression (GFS), in which a salient visual stimulus can be rendered invisible despite continuous retinal input, provides a rare opportunity to directly study the neural mechanism of visual perception. Previous work based on linear methods, such as spectral analysis, on local field potential (LFP) during GFS has shown that the LFP power at distinctive frequency bands are differentially modulated by perceptual suppression. Yet, the linear method alone may be insufficient for the full assessment of neural dynamic due to the fundamentally nonlinear nature of neural signals. In this study, we set forth to analyze the LFP data collected from multiple visual areas in V1, V2 and V4 of macaque monkeys while performing the GFS task using a nonlinear method - adaptive multi-scale entropy (AME) - to reveal the neural dynamic of perceptual suppression. In addition, we propose a new cross-entropy measure at multiple scales, namely adaptive multi-scale cross-entropy (AMCE), to assess the nonlinear functional connectivity between two cortical areas. We show that: (1) multi-scale entropy exhibits percept-related changes in all three areas, with higher entropy observed during perceptual suppression; (2) the magnitude of the perception-related entropy changes increases systematically over successive hierarchical stages (i.e. from lower areas V1 to V2, up to higher area V4); and (3) cross-entropy between any two cortical areas reveals higher degree of asynchrony or dissimilarity during perceptual suppression, indicating a decreased functional connectivity between cortical areas. These results, taken together, suggest that perceptual suppression is related to a reduced functional connectivity and increased uncertainty of neural responses, and the modulation of perceptual suppression is more effective at higher visual cortical areas. AME is demonstrated to be a useful technique in revealing the underlying dynamic of nonlinear/nonstationary neural signal.

Uniformly coated highly porous graphene/MnO2 foams for flexible asymmetric supercapacitors.

PubMed

Drieschner, Simon; Seckendorff, Maximilian von; Corro, Elena Del; Wohlketzetter, Jörg; Blaschke, Benno M; Stutzmann, Martin; Garrido, Jose A

2018-06-01

Supercapacitors are called to play a prominent role in the newly emerging markets of electric vehicles, flexible displays and sensors, and wearable electronics. In order to compete with current battery technology, supercapacitors have to be designed with highly conductive current collectors exhibiting high surface area per unit volume and uniformly coated with pseudocapacitive materials, which is crucial to boost the energy density while maintaining a high power density. Here, we present a versatile technique to prepare thickness-controlled thin-film micro graphene foams (μGFs) with pores in the lower micrometer range grown by chemical vapor deposition which can be used as highly conductive current collectors in flexible supercapacitors. To fabricate the μGF, we use porous metallic catalytic substrates consisting of nickel/copper alloy synthesized on nickel foil by electrodeposition in an electrolytic solution. Changing the duration of the electrodeposition allows the control of the thickness of the metal foam, and thus of the μGF, ranging from a few micrometers to the millimeter scale. The resulting μGF with a thickness and pores in the micrometer regime exhibits high structural quality which leads to a very low intrinsic resistance of the devices. Transferred onto flexible substrates, we demonstrate a uniform coating of the μGFs with manganese oxide, a pseudocapacitively active material. Considering the porous structure and the thickness of the μGFs, square wave potential pulses are used to ensure uniform coverage by the oxide material boosting the volumetric and areal capacitance to 14 F cm -3 and 0.16 F cm -2 . The μGF with a thickness and pores in the micrometer regime in combination with a coating technique tuned to the porosity of the μGF is of great relevance for the development of supercapacitors based on state-of-the-art graphene foams.

Regional Precipitation Forecast with Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) Profile Assimilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chou, S.-H.; Zavodsky, B. T.; Jedloved, G. J.

2010-01-01

Advanced technology in hyperspectral sensors such as the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS; Aumann et al. 2003) on NASA's polar orbiting Aqua satellite retrieve higher vertical resolution thermodynamic profiles than their predecessors due to increased spectral resolution. Although these capabilities do not replace the robust vertical resolution provided by radiosondes, they can serve as a complement to radiosondes in both space and time. These retrieved soundings can have a significant impact on weather forecasts if properly assimilated into prediction models. Several recent studies have evaluated the performance of specific operational weather forecast models when AIRS data are included in the assimilation process. LeMarshall et al. (2006) concluded that AIRS radiances significantly improved 500 hPa anomaly correlations in medium-range forecasts of the Global Forecast System (GFS) model. McCarty et al. (2009) demonstrated similar forecast improvement in 0-48 hour forecasts in an offline version of the operational North American Mesoscale (NAM) model when AIRS radiances were assimilated at the regional scale. Reale et al. (2008) showed improvements to Northern Hemisphere 500 hPa height anomaly correlations in NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5 (GEOS-5) global system with the inclusion of partly cloudy AIRS temperature profiles. Singh et al. (2008) assimilated AIRS temperature and moisture profiles into a regional modeling system for a study of a heavy rainfall event during the summer monsoon season in Mumbai, India. This paper describes an approach to assimilate AIRS temperature and moisture profiles into a regional configuration of the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model using its three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) assimilation system (WRF-Var; Barker et al. 2004). Section 2 describes the AIRS instrument and how the quality indicators are used to intelligently select the highest-quality data for assimilation. Section 3 presents an overall precipitation improvement with AIRS assimilation during a 37-day case study period, and Section 4 focuses on a single case study to further investigate the meteorological impact of AIRS profiles on synoptic scale models. Finally, Section 5 provides a summary of the paper.

An operational global ocean forecast system and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehra, A.; Tolman, H. L.; Rivin, I.; Rajan, B.; Spindler, T.; Garraffo, Z. D.; Kim, H.

2012-12-01

A global Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (RTOFS) was implemented in operations at NCEP/NWS/NOAA on 10/25/2011. This system is based on an eddy resolving 1/12 degree global HYCOM (HYbrid Coordinates Ocean Model) and is part of a larger national backbone capability of ocean modeling at NWS in strong partnership with US Navy. The forecast system is run once a day and produces a 6 day long forecast using the daily initialization fields produced at NAVOCEANO using NCODA (Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation), a 3D multi-variate data assimilation methodology. As configured within RTOFS, HYCOM has a horizontal equatorial resolution of 0.08 degrees or ~9 km. The HYCOM grid is on a Mercator projection from 78.64 S to 47 N and north of this it employs an Arctic dipole patch where the poles are shifted over land to avoid a singularity at the North Pole. This gives a mid-latitude (polar) horizontal resolution of approximately 7 km (3.5 km). The coastline is fixed at 10 m isobath with open Bering Straits. This version employs 32 hybrid vertical coordinate surfaces with potential density referenced to 2000 m. Vertical coordinates can be isopycnals, often best for resolving deep water masses, levels of equal pressure (fixed depths), best for the well mixed unstratified upper ocean and sigma-levels (terrain-following), often the best choice in shallow water. The dynamic ocean model is coupled to a thermodynamic energy loan ice model and uses a non-slab mixed layer formulation. The forecast system is forced with 3-hourly momentum, radiation and precipitation fluxes from the operational Global Forecast System (GFS) fields. Results include global sea surface height and three dimensional fields of temperature, salinity, density and velocity fields used for validation and evaluation against available observations. Several downstream applications of this forecast system will also be discussed which include search and rescue operations at US Coast Guard, navigation safety information provided by OPC using real time ocean model guidance from Global RTOFS surface ocean currents, operational guidance on radionuclide dispersion near Fukushima using 3D tracers, boundary conditions for various operational coastal ocean forecast systems (COFS) run by NOS etc.

Operational flood forecasting: further lessons learned form a recent inundation in Tuscany, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caparrini, F.; Castelli, F.; di Carlo, E.

2010-09-01

After a few years of experimental setup, model refinement and parameters calibration, a distributed flood forecasting system for the Tuscany region was promoted to operational use in early 2008. The hydrologic core of the system, MOBIDIC, is a fully distributed soil moisture accounting model, with sequential assimilation of hydrometric data. The model is forced by the real-time dense hydrometeorological network of the Regional Hydrologic Service as well from the QPF products of a number of different limited area meteorological models (LAMI, WRF+ECMWF, WRF+GFS). Given the relatively short response time of the Tuscany basins, the river flow forecasts based on ground measured precipitation are operationally used mainly as a monitoring tool, while the true usable predictions are necessarily based on the QPF input. The first severe flooding event the system had to face occurred in late December 2009, when a failure of the right levee of the Serchio river caused an extensive inundation (on December 25th). In the days following the levee breaking, intensive monitoring and forecast was needed (another flood peak occurred on the night between December 29th and January 1st 2010) as a support for decisions regarding the management of the increased vulnerability of the area and the planning of emergency reparation works at the river banks. The operational use of the system during such a complex event, when both the meteorological and the hydrological components may be said to have performed well form a strict modeling point of view, brought to attention a number of additional issues about the system as a whole. The main of these issues may be phrased in terms of additional system requirements, namely: the ranking of different QPF products in terms of some likelihood measure; the rapid redefinition of alarm thresholds due to sudden changes in the river flow capacity; the supervised prediction for evaluating the consequences of different management scenarios for reservoirs, regulated floodplains, levees, etc. In order to quantitatively address these issues, a multivariate sensitivity hindcast of the above event is presented here, where variation of model predictions and subsequent likely decision making are measured against QPF accuracy, other possible levees failures, different reservoir releases.

Upregulation of distinct collagen transcripts in post-surgery scar tissue: a study of conjunctival fibrosis.

PubMed

Seet, Li-Fong; Toh, Li Zhen; Chu, Stephanie W L; Finger, Sharon N; Chua, Jocelyn L L; Wong, Tina T

2017-06-01

Excessive accumulation of collagen is often used to assess the development of fibrosis. This study aims to identify collagen genes that define fibrosis in the conjunctiva following glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS). Using the mouse model of GFS, we have identified collagen transcripts that were upregulated in the fibrotic phase of wound healing via RNA-seq. The collagen transcripts that were increased the most were encoded by Col8a1 , Col11a1 and Col8a2 Further analysis of the Col8a1 , Col11a1 and Col8a2 transcripts revealed their increase by 67-, 54- and 18-fold, respectively, in the fibrotic phase, compared with 12-fold for Col1a1 , the most commonly evaluated collagen gene for fibrosis. However, only type I collagen was significantly upregulated at the protein level in the fibrotic phase. Type VIII and type I collagens colocalized in fibrous structures and in ACTA2-positive pericytes, and appeared to compensate for each other in expression levels. Type XI collagen showed low colocalization with both type VIII and type I collagens but can be found in association with macrophages. Furthermore, we show that both mouse and human conjunctival fibroblasts expressed elevated levels of the most highly expressed collagen genes in response to TGFβ2 treatment. Importantly, conjunctival tissues from individuals whose GF surgeries have failed due to scarring showed 3.60- and 2.78-fold increases in type VIII and I collagen transcripts, respectively, compared with those from individuals with no prior surgeries. These data demonstrate that distinct collagen transcripts are expressed at high levels in the conjunctiva after surgery and their unique expression profiles may imply differential influences on the fibrotic outcome. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Resolution analysis of finite fault source inversion using one- and three-dimensional Green's functions 2. Combining seismic and geodetic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wald, D.J.; Graves, R.W.

2001-01-01

Using numerical tests for a prescribed heterogeneous earthquake slip distribution, we examine the importance of accurate Green's functions (GF) for finite fault source inversions which rely on coseismic GPS displacements and leveling line uplift alone and in combination with near-source strong ground motions. The static displacements, while sensitive to the three-dimensional (3-D) structure, are less so than seismic waveforms and thus are an important contribution, particularly when used in conjunction with waveform inversions. For numerical tests of an earthquake source and data distribution modeled after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a joint geodetic and seismic inversion allows for reasonable recovery of the heterogeneous slip distribution on the fault. In contrast, inaccurate 3-D GFs or multiple 1-D GFs allow only partial recovery of the slip distribution given strong motion data alone. Likewise, using just the GPS and leveling line data requires significant smoothing for inversion stability, and hence, only a blurred vision of the prescribed slip is recovered. Although the half-space approximation for computing the surface static deformation field is no longer justifiable based on the high level of accuracy for current GPS data acquisition and the computed differences between 3-D and half-space surface displacements, a layered 1-D approximation to 3-D Earth structure provides adequate representation of the surface displacement field. However, even with the half-space approximation, geodetic data can provide additional slip resolution in the joint seismic and geodetic inversion provided a priori fault location and geometry are correct. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of the static displacements to the Earth structure begs caution for interpretation of surface displacements, particularly those recorded at monuments located in or near basin environments. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

NAME Modeling and Climate Process Team

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schemm, J. E.; Williams, L. N.; Gutzler, D. S.

2007-05-01

NAME Climate Process and Modeling Team (CPT) has been established to address the need of linking climate process research to model development and testing activities for warm season climate prediction. The project builds on two existing NAME-related modeling efforts. One major component of this project is the organization and implementation of a second phase of NAMAP, based on the 2004 season. NAMAP2 will re-examine the metrics proposed by NAMAP, extend the NAMAP analysis to transient variability, exploit the extensive observational database provided by NAME 2004 to analyze simulation targets of special interest, and expand participation. Vertical column analysis will bring local NAME observations and model outputs together in a context where key physical processes in the models can be evaluated and improved. The second component builds on the current NAME-related modeling effort focused on the diurnal cycle of precipitation in several global models, including those implemented at NCEP, NASA and GFDL. Our activities will focus on the ability of the operational NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) to simulate the diurnal and seasonal evolution of warm season precipitation during the NAME 2004 EOP, and on changes to the treatment of deep convection in the complicated terrain of the NAMS domain that are necessary to improve the simulations, and ultimately predictions of warm season precipitation These activities will be strongly tied to NAMAP2 to ensure technology transfer from research to operations. Results based on experiments conducted with the NCEP CFS GCM will be reported at the conference with emphasis on the impact of horizontal resolution in predicting warm season precipitation over North America.

Multiple Sensitivity Testing for Regional Air Quality Model in summer 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Y.; Lee, P.; Pan, L.; Tong, D.; Kim, H. C.; Huang, M.; Wang, J.; McQueen, J.; Lu, C. H.; Artz, R. S.

2015-12-01

The NOAA Air Resources laboratory leads to improve the performance of the U.S. Air Quality Forecasting Capability (NAQFC). It is operational in NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) which focuses on predicting surface ozone and PM2.5. In order to improve its performance, we tested several approaches, including NOAA Environmental Modeling System Global Aerosol Component (NGAC) simulation derived ozone and aerosol lateral boundary conditions (LBC), bi-direction NH3 emission and HMS(Hazard Mapping System)-BlueSky emission with the latest U.S. EPA Community Multi-scale Air Quality model (CMAQ) version and the U.S EPA National Emission Inventory (NEI)-2011 anthropogenic emissions. The operational NAQFC uses static profiles for its lateral boundary condition (LBC), which does not impose severe issue for near-surface air quality prediction. However, its degraded performance for the upper layer (e.g. above 3km) is evident when comparing with aircraft measured ozone. NCEP's Global Forecast System (GFS) has tracer O3 prediction treated as 3-D prognostic variable (Moorthi and Iredell, 1998) after being initialized with Solar Backscatter Ultra Violet-2 (SBUV-2) satellite data. We applied that ozone LBC to the CMAQ's upper layers and yield more reasonable O3 prediction than that with static LBC comparing with the aircraft data in Discover-AQ Colorado campaign. NGAC's aerosol LBC also improved the PM2.5 prediction with more realistic background aerosols. The bi-direction NH3 emission used in CMAQ also help reduce the NH3 and nitrate under-prediction issue. During summer 2014, strong wildfires occurred in northwestern USA, and we used the US Forest Service's BlueSky fire emission with HMS fire counts to drive CMAQ and tested the difference of day-1 and day-2 fire emission estimation. Other related issues were also discussed.

78 FR 10656 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board; Notice of Filing of a...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-14

... dealers and the public and is generally consistent with the type of information currently required to be... leads to corruption. GFS stated that it would be helpful to place in the public record information... proposed rule change provide the appropriate types of information that should be disclosed to the general...

Evaluating tropospheric humidity from GPS radio occultation, radiosonde, and AIRS from high-resolution time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieckh, Therese; Anthes, Richard; Randel, William; Ho, Shu-Peng; Foelsche, Ulrich

2018-05-01

While water vapor is the most important tropospheric greenhouse gas, it is also highly variable in both space and time, and water vapor concentrations range over 3 orders of magnitude in the troposphere. These properties challenge all observing systems to accurately measure and resolve the vertical structure and variability of tropospheric humidity. In this study we characterize the humidity measurements of various observing techniques, including four separate Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) humidity retrievals (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) direct, UCAR one-dimensional variational retrieval (1D-Var), Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (WEGC) 1D-Var, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) direct), radiosonde, and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) data. Furthermore, we evaluate how well the ERA-Interim reanalysis and NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) model perform in analyzing water vapor at different levels. To investigate detailed vertical structure, we analyzed time-height cross sections over four radiosonde stations in the tropical and subtropical western Pacific for the year 2007. We found that the accuracy of RO humidity is comparable to or better than both radiosonde and AIRS humidity over 800 to 400 hPa, as well as below 800 hPa if super-refraction is absent. The various RO retrievals of specific humidity agree within 20 % in the 1000-400 hPa layer, and differences are most pronounced above 600 hPa.

Flexible Control of Safety Margins for Action Based on Environmental Variability.

PubMed

Hadjiosif, Alkis M; Smith, Maurice A

2015-06-17

To reduce the risk of slip, grip force (GF) control includes a safety margin above the force level ordinarily sufficient for the expected load force (LF) dynamics. The current view is that this safety margin is based on the expected LF dynamics, amounting to a static safety factor like that often used in engineering design. More efficient control could be achieved, however, if the motor system reduces the safety margin when LF variability is low and increases it when this variability is high. Here we show that this is indeed the case by demonstrating that the human motor system sizes the GF safety margin in proportion to an internal estimate of LF variability to maintain a fixed statistical confidence against slip. In contrast to current models of GF control that neglect the variability of LF dynamics, we demonstrate that GF is threefold more sensitive to the SD than the expected value of LF dynamics, in line with the maintenance of a 3-sigma confidence level. We then show that a computational model of GF control that includes a variability-driven safety margin predicts highly asymmetric GF adaptation between increases versus decreases in load. We find clear experimental evidence for this asymmetry and show that it explains previously reported differences in how rapidly GFs and manipulatory forces adapt. This model further predicts bizarre nonmonotonic shapes for GF learning curves, which are faithfully borne out in our experimental data. Our findings establish a new role for environmental variability in the control of action. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/359106-16$15.00/0.

pERK1/2 Peripheral Recruitment and Filopodia Protrusion Augment Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Migration: Combined Effects of PDGF-A and Fibronectin.

PubMed

Tripathi, Ashutosh; Parikh, Zalak S; Vora, Parvez; Frost, Emma E; Pillai, Prakash P

2017-03-01

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) migration is critical for effective myelination of the central nervous system. Not only during normal myelination but also during remyelination, the growth factors (GFs) and extracellular matrix (ECM) protein affect the OPC migration. Studies showed the altered levels of GFs and ECM in the demyelinating lesions. In our earlier studies, we have shown that the effect of platelet-derived growth factor alpha (PDGF-A) on OPC migration is dose- and time-dependent. In that we have shown that the physiological concentration (1 ng/ml) of PDGF-A was unable to induce OPC migration at transient exposure (30 min). However, the involvement of ECM in the regulation of PDGF-A mediated OPC migration was not clear. In the present study, we have used fibronectin (FN) as ECM. PDGF-A and FN have similar and overlapping intracellular signaling pathways including the extracellular regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Here we demonstrate how physiological concentration of PDGF-A combines with FN to augment OPC migration in vitro. The present study is first of its kind to show the importance of the synergistic effects of PDGF-A and FN on peripheral recruitment of phosphorylated/activated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2), actin-pERK1/2 co-localization, and filopodia formation, which are essential for the enhanced OPC migration. These findings were further confirmed by ERK1/2 inhibition studies, using the pharmacological inhibitor U0126. An understanding of these complex interactions may lead to additional strategies for transplanting genetically modified OPCs to repair widespread demyelinated lesions.

Combinatorial Analysis of Growth Factors Reveals the Contribution of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins to Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Periosteal Cells.

PubMed

Mendes, Luis Filipe; Tam, Wai Long; Chai, Yoke Chin; Geris, Liesbet; Luyten, Frank P; Roberts, Scott J

2016-05-01

Successful application of cell-based strategies in cartilage and bone tissue engineering has been hampered by the lack of robust protocols to efficiently differentiate mesenchymal stem cells into the chondrogenic lineage. The development of chemically defined culture media supplemented with growth factors (GFs) has been proposed as a way to overcome this limitation. In this work, we applied a fractional design of experiment (DoE) strategy to screen the effect of multiple GFs (BMP2, BMP6, GDF5, TGF-β1, and FGF2) on chondrogenic differentiation of human periosteum-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPDCs) in vitro. In a micromass culture (μMass) system, BMP2 had a positive effect on glycosaminoglycan deposition at day 7 (p < 0.001), which in combination with BMP6 synergistically enhanced cartilage-like tissue formation that displayed in vitro mineralization capacity at day 14 (p < 0.001). Gene expression of μMasses cultured for 7 days with a medium formulation supplemented with 100 ng/mL of BMP2 and BMP6 and a low concentration of GDF5, TGF-β1, and FGF2 showed increased expression of Sox9 (1.7-fold) and the matrix molecules aggrecan (7-fold increase) and COL2A1 (40-fold increase) compared to nonstimulated control μMasses. The DoE analysis indicated that in GF combinations, BMP2 was the strongest effector for chondrogenic differentiation of hPDCs. When transplanted ectopically in nude mice, the in vitro-differentiated μMasses showed maintenance of the cartilaginous phenotype after 4 weeks in vivo. This study indicates the power of using the DoE approach for the creation of new medium formulations for skeletal tissue engineering approaches.

Assessing the aerosol direct and first indirect effects using ACM/GCM simulation results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, H.; Gu, Y.; Xue, Y.; Lu, C. H.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric aerosols have been found to play an important role in global climate change but there are still large uncertainty in evaluating its role in the climate system. The aerosols generally affect global and regional climate through the scattering and the absorption of solar radiation (direct effect) and through their influences on cloud particle, number and sizes (first indirect effect). The indirect effect will further affects cloud water content, cloud top albedo and surface precipitations. In this study, we investigate the global climatic effect of aerosols using a coupled NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) and a land surface model (SSiB2) The OPAC (Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds) database is used for aerosol effect. The OPAC data provides the optical properties (i.e., the extinction, scattering and absorption coefficient, single-scattering albedo, asymmetry factor and phase function) of ten types of aerosols under various relative humidity conditions for investigating the global direct and first indirect effects of dust aerosols. For indirect forcings due to liquid water, we follow the approach presented by Jiang et al (2011), in which a parameterization of cloud effective radius was calculated to describe its variance with convective strength and aerosol concentration. Since the oceans also play an important role on aerosol climatic effect, we also design a set of simulations using a coupled atmosphere/ocean model (CFS) to evaluate the sensitivity of aerosol effect with two-way atmosphere-ocean interactions.

A non-parametric postprocessor for bias-correcting multi-model ensemble forecasts of hydrometeorological and hydrologic variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, James; Seo, Dong-Jun

2010-05-01

Operational forecasts of hydrometeorological and hydrologic variables often contain large uncertainties, for which ensemble techniques are increasingly used. However, the utility of ensemble forecasts depends on the unbiasedness of the forecast probabilities. We describe a technique for quantifying and removing biases from ensemble forecasts of hydrometeorological and hydrologic variables, intended for use in operational forecasting. The technique makes no a priori assumptions about the distributional form of the variables, which is often unknown or difficult to model parametrically. The aim is to estimate the conditional cumulative distribution function (ccdf) of the observed variable given a (possibly biased) real-time ensemble forecast from one or several forecasting systems (multi-model ensembles). The technique is based on Bayesian optimal linear estimation of indicator variables, and is analogous to indicator cokriging (ICK) in geostatistics. By developing linear estimators for the conditional expectation of the observed variable at many thresholds, ICK provides a discrete approximation of the full ccdf. Since ICK minimizes the conditional error variance of the indicator expectation at each threshold, it effectively minimizes the Continuous Ranked Probability Score (CRPS) when infinitely many thresholds are employed. However, the ensemble members used as predictors in ICK, and other bias-correction techniques, are often highly cross-correlated, both within and between models. Thus, we propose an orthogonal transform of the predictors used in ICK, which is analogous to using their principal components in the linear system of equations. This leads to a well-posed problem in which a minimum number of predictors are used to provide maximum information content in terms of the total variance explained. The technique is used to bias-correct precipitation ensemble forecasts from the NCEP Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS), for which independent validation results are presented. Extension to multimodel ensembles from the NCEP GFS and Short Range Ensemble Forecast (SREF) systems is also proposed.

Seasonal prediction of typhoon genesis frequency and track patterns in the North West Pacific area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyoun, Yoosun; Kang, Kiryong; Shin, Do-Shick

2014-05-01

This study is to investigate the performance of the typhoon seasonal predictability using a dynamical model. The check items are the monthly statistics for total number of typhoon genesis in Western North Pacific (WNP) area and possible threat to Korean peninsula among them, and the probability of each categorized track pattern. As the dynamical model the Florida State University/Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (FSU/COAPS) was used, and it uses five ensemble members including control run are generated using time-lagged methods and the resolution of T126L27 (a Gaussian grid spacing of 0.94º). The model initial conditions are obtained from the National Center for Enviromental Prediction Global Forecast System (NCEP GFS) and the SST from Climate Forecast System with bias correction was used for ocean surface boundary condition. The summer (Jun-Jul-Aug) season prediction is made one month prior to target season. The detection of tropical cyclone used in this system is based on six criteria. First, the isolated vortex type minimum sea level pressure should be below 1008hPa. Second, the maximum wind speed is larger than 17m s-1. Third, the magnitude of the maximum relative vorticity at 850hPa exceeds 3.5x10-5s-1. Fourth, the average temperature difference from the area mean of surrounding region at 300hPa, 500hPa, 700hPa exceeds 2.5K. Fifth, the maximum wind speed at 850hPa is larger than that at 300hPa. Sixth, this identified vortex should last more than two days. These criteria were chosen after close examination from model-observation comparison. In this study, we will focus on performance of the system typhoon frequency and track pattern in the WNP area during 2004-2013.

Extended Range Prediction of Indian Summer Monsoon: Current status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahai, A. K.; Abhilash, S.; Borah, N.; Joseph, S.; Chattopadhyay, R.; S, S.; Rajeevan, M.; Mandal, R.; Dey, A.

2014-12-01

The main focus of this study is to develop forecast consensus in the extended range prediction (ERP) of monsoon Intraseasonal oscillations using a suit of different variants of Climate Forecast system (CFS) model. In this CFS based Grand MME prediction system (CGMME), the ensemble members are generated by perturbing the initial condition and using different configurations of CFSv2. This is to address the role of different physical mechanisms known to have control on the error growth in the ERP in the 15-20 day time scale. The final formulation of CGMME is based on 21 ensembles of the standalone Global Forecast System (GFS) forced with bias corrected forecasted SST from CFS, 11 low resolution CFST126 and 11 high resolution CFST382. Thus, we develop the multi-model consensus forecast for the ERP of Indian summer monsoon (ISM) using a suite of different variants of CFS model. This coordinated international effort lead towards the development of specific tailor made regional forecast products over Indian region. Skill of deterministic and probabilistic categorical rainfall forecast as well the verification of large-scale low frequency monsoon intraseasonal oscillations has been carried out using hindcast from 2001-2012 during the monsoon season in which all models are initialized at every five days starting from 16May to 28 September. The skill of deterministic forecast from CGMME is better than the best participating single model ensemble configuration (SME). The CGMME approach is believed to quantify the uncertainty in both initial conditions and model formulation. Main improvement is attained in probabilistic forecast which is because of an increase in the ensemble spread, thereby reducing the error due to over-confident ensembles in a single model configuration. For probabilistic forecast, three tercile ranges are determined by ranking method based on the percentage of ensemble members from all the participating models falls in those three categories. CGMME further added value to both deterministic and probability forecast compared to raw SME's and this better skill is probably flows from large spread and improved spread-error relationship. CGMME system is currently capable of generating ER prediction in real time and successfully delivering its experimental operational ER forecast of ISM for the last few years.

An Overview of the National Weather Service National Water Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cosgrove, B.; Gochis, D.; Clark, E. P.; Cui, Z.; Dugger, A. L.; Feng, X.; Karsten, L. R.; Khan, S.; Kitzmiller, D.; Lee, H. S.; Liu, Y.; McCreight, J. L.; Newman, A. J.; Oubeidillah, A.; Pan, L.; Pham, C.; Salas, F.; Sampson, K. M.; Sood, G.; Wood, A.; Yates, D. N.; Yu, W.

2016-12-01

The National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Water Prediction (OWP), in conjunction with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the NWS National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) recently implemented version 1.0 of the National Water Model (NWM) into operations. This model is an hourly cycling uncoupled analysis and forecast system that provides streamflow for 2.7 million river reaches and other hydrologic information on 1km and 250m grids. It will provide complementary hydrologic guidance at current NWS river forecast locations and significantly expand guidance coverage and type in underserved locations. The core of this system is the NCAR-supported community Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-Hydro hydrologic model. It ingests forcing from a variety of sources including Multi-Sensor Multi-Radar (MRMS) radar-gauge observed precipitation data and High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), Rapid Refresh (RAP), Global Forecast System (GFS) and Climate Forecast System (CFS) forecast data. WRF-Hydro is configured to use the Noah-Multi Parameterization (Noah-MP) Land Surface Model (LSM) to simulate land surface processes. Separate water routing modules perform diffusive wave surface routing and saturated subsurface flow routing on a 250m grid, and Muskingum-Cunge channel routing down National Hydrogaphy Dataset Plus V2 (NHDPlusV2) stream reaches. River analyses and forecasts are provided across a domain encompassing the Continental United States (CONUS) and hydrologically contributing areas, while land surface output is available on a larger domain that extends beyond the CONUS into Canada and Mexico (roughly from latitude 19N to 58N). The system includes an analysis and assimilation configuration along with three forecast configurations. These include a short-range 15 hour deterministic forecast, a medium-Range 10 day deterministic forecast and a long-range 30 day 16-member ensemble forecast. United Sates Geologic Survey (USGS) streamflow observations are assimilated into the analysis and assimilation configuration, and all four configurations benefit from the inclusion of 1,260 reservoirs. An overview of the National Water Model will be given, along with information on ongoing evaluation activities and plans for future NWM enhancements.

A 3-D Finite-Volume Non-hydrostatic Icosahedral Model (NIM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jin

2014-05-01

The Nonhydrostatic Icosahedral Model (NIM) formulates the latest numerical innovation of the three-dimensional finite-volume control volume on the quasi-uniform icosahedral grid suitable for ultra-high resolution simulations. NIM's modeling goal is to improve numerical accuracy for weather and climate simulations as well as to utilize the state-of-art computing architecture such as massive parallel CPUs and GPUs to deliver routine high-resolution forecasts in timely manner. NIM dynamic corel innovations include: * A local coordinate system remapped spherical surface to plane for numerical accuracy (Lee and MacDonald, 2009), * Grid points in a table-driven horizontal loop that allow any horizontal point sequence (A.E. MacDonald, et al., 2010), * Flux-Corrected Transport formulated on finite-volume operators to maintain conservative positive definite transport (J.-L, Lee, ET. Al., 2010), *Icosahedral grid optimization (Wang and Lee, 2011), * All differentials evaluated as three-dimensional finite-volume integrals around the control volume. The three-dimensional finite-volume solver in NIM is designed to improve pressure gradient calculation and orographic precipitation over complex terrain. NIM dynamical core has been successfully verified with various non-hydrostatic benchmark test cases such as internal gravity wave, and mountain waves in Dynamical Cores Model Inter-comparisons Projects (DCMIP). Physical parameterizations suitable for NWP are incorporated into NIM dynamical core and successfully tested with multimonth aqua-planet simulations. Recently, NIM has started real data simulations using GFS initial conditions. Results from the idealized tests as well as real-data simulations will be shown in the conference.

77 FR 9298 - Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Actions on Special Permit Applications

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-16

... follows: 1--Motor vehicle, 2--Rail freight, 3--Cargo vessel, 4--Cargo aircraft only, 5--Passenger-carrying... permit to Bethlehem, PA. , (b)(3) and authorize (b)(4); ultrasonic testing 180.205(c) and of DOT-SP 9001... every 10 years. (modes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 15257-N......... GFS Chemicals 49 CFR To authorize the Columbus...

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.sfluxgrbf00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

Volumetric Soil Moisture Content [Fraction] 007 0.1-0.4 m below ground SOILW analysis Volumetric Soil Volumetric Soil Moisture Content [Fraction] 068 1-2 m below ground SOILW analysis Volumetric Soil Moisture analysis Temperature [K] 071 0-0.1 m below ground SOILL analysis Liquid Volumetric Soil Moisture (non

The effect of surface modification of glass fiber on the performance of poly(lactic acid) composites: Graphene oxide vs. silane coupling agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Mengfan; Che, Junjin; Xu, Shuman; Liu, Zhenwei; Fu, Qiang

2018-03-01

In this work, a comparison study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of glass fiber (GF) in reinforcing poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by using traditional silane coupling agents (GF-S) and novel graphene oxide (GF-GO) as surface modifiers. The crystallization behavior of the PLA matrix was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The mechanical performances and the thermomechanical properties of the composites were evaluated by uniaxial tensile testing and dynamic mechanical analysis, respectively. For neat GF without any treatment, the poor interfacial adhesion and the sharp shortening of the GF length result in the relatively poor mechanical performances of PLA/GF composites. However, the incorporation of GF-S significantly improves the mechanical strength and keeps relatively good toughness of the composites, while GF-GO exhibits excellent nucleation ability for PLA and could moderately increase the modulus of the composites. The thermomechanical properties of the composites are improved markedly resulting from the crystallinity increase. The different surface modification of glass fiber influences the crystallinity of matrix, the interfacial interaction and the length of fiber, which altogether affect the mechanical performances of the prepared PLA/GF composites.

Antioxidant lactobacilli could protect gingival fibroblasts against hydrogen peroxide: a preliminary in vitro study.

PubMed

Mendi, Ayşegül; Aslım, Belma

2014-12-01

Oxidative stress and tissue destruction are at the heart of periodontal diseases. The dental research area is geared toward the prevention of free radicals by nutrient antioxidants. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have recently attracted attention in alternative dental therapies. We aimed at highlighting the antioxidative property of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium strains and at determining their protective effect on gingival fibroblasts (GFs). Two Lactobacilli and 2 Bifidobacterium strains were screened for their exopolysaccharide (EPSs) production. Antioxidative assays were conducted by spectrophotometer analysis. Resistance to different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was determined by the serial dilution technique. The protective effect of strains on GFs on hydrogen peroxide exposure was also examined by a new trypan blue exclusion assay method. Bifidobacterium breve A28 showed the highest EPS production (122 mg/l) and remarkable antioxidant activity, which were demonstrated by its ability to scavenge 72% α,α-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical and chelate 88% of iron ion, respectively. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation was determined as 71% for the A28 strain. We suggest that LAB with antioxidative activity could be a good natural therapy agent for periodontal disorders.

Prediction of heavy rainfall over Chennai Metropolitan City, Tamil Nadu, India: Impact of microphysical parameterization schemes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K. S.; Bonthu, Subbareddy; Purvaja, R.; Robin, R. S.; Kannan, B. A. M.; Ramesh, R.

2018-04-01

This study attempts to investigate the real-time prediction of a heavy rainfall event over the Chennai Metropolitan City, Tamil Nadu, India that occurred on 01 December 2015 using Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model. The study evaluates the impact of six microphysical (Lin, WSM6, Goddard, Thompson, Morrison and WDM6) parameterization schemes of the model on prediction of heavy rainfall event. In addition, model sensitivity has also been evaluated with six Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) and two Land Surface Model (LSM) schemes. Model forecast was carried out using nested domain and the impact of model horizontal grid resolutions were assessed at 9 km, 6 km and 3 km. Analysis of the synoptic features using National Center for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System (NCEP-GFS) analysis data revealed strong upper-level divergence and high moisture content at lower level were favorable for the occurrence of heavy rainfall event over the northeast coast of Tamil Nadu. The study signified that forecasted rainfall was more sensitive to the microphysics and PBL schemes compared to the LSM schemes. The model provided better forecast of the heavy rainfall event using the logical combination of Goddard microphysics, YSU PBL and Noah LSM schemes, and it was mostly attributed to timely initiation and development of the convective system. The forecast with different horizontal resolutions using cumulus parameterization indicated that the rainfall prediction was not well represented at 9 km and 6 km. The forecast with 3 km horizontal resolution provided better prediction in terms of timely initiation and development of the event. The study highlights that forecast of heavy rainfall events using a high-resolution mesoscale model with suitable representations of physical parameterization schemes are useful for disaster management and planning to minimize the potential loss of life and property.

Exploring Western and Eastern Pacific contributions to the 21st century Walker circulation intensification and teleconnected precipitation declines (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funk, C. C.; Hoerling, M. P.; Hoell, A.; Verdin, J. P.; Robertson, F. R.; Alured, D.; Liebmann, B.

2013-12-01

As the earth's population, industry, and agricultural systems continue to expand and increase demand for limited hydrologic resources, developing better tools for monitoring, analyzing and perhaps even predicting decadal variations in precipitation will enable the climate community to better inform important policy and management decisions. To this end, in support of the development and humanitarian relief efforts of the US Agency for International Development, USGS, NOAA, UC Santa Barbara, and NASA scientists have been exploring global precipitation trends using observations and new ensembles of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) simulations from the ECHAM5, GFSv2, CAM4 and GMAO models. This talk summarizes this work, and discusses how combined analyses of AGCM simulations and observations might lead to credible decadal projections, for some regions and seasons, based on the strength of the Indo-Pacific warming signal. Focusing on the late boreal spring, a critical period for food insecure Africa, we begin by linearly decomposing 1900-2012 sea surface temperatures (SST) into components loading strongly in the Indo-Western Pacific and Eastern Pacific. Eastern Pacific (EP) SST variations are based on regressions with three time series: the first and second principal components of equatorial Pacific SST and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. These influences are removed from Indo-Pacific SSTs, and the Indo-Western Pacific (IWP) SST variations are defined by the 1st principal component of the residuals, which we refer to as the Indo-West Pacific Warming Signal (IWPWS). The pattern of IWPWS SST changes resembles recent assessments of centennial warming, and identifies rapid warming in the equatorial western Pacific and north and south Pacific convergence zones. The circulation impacts of IWP and EP SST forcing are explored in two ways. First, assuming linear SST forcing relationships, IWP and EP decompositions of ECHAM5, GFS, CAM4 and GMAO AGCM simulations are presented. These results suggest that a substantial component of the recent Walker circulation intensification has been related to the IWPWS. The IWPWS warming extends from just north of Papua New Guinea to just west of Hawaii, and appears associated with SLP, wind and rainfall responses consistent with enhanced Indo-Pacific convection. These decomposition results are compared with a set of numerical simulation experiments based on the ECHAM5 and GFS models forced with characteristic IWP and EP SST for 1983-1996 and 1999-2012. The talk concludes with a tentative discussion of the decadal predictability associated with the IWPWS. Using both observed and model-simulated precipitation, we briefly explore potential IWPWS drought teleconnection regions in the Americas, Asia, Middle East, and Eastern Africa. Figure 1. Western Pacific and Eastern Pacific SST changes between 1999-2012 and 1983-1996. Figure 2. Western Pacific and Eastern Pacific GPCP precipitation changes between 1999-2012 and 1983-1996.

Transcriptome profiling analysis of senescent gingival fibroblasts in response to Fusobacterium nucleatum infection

PubMed Central

Ahn, Sun-Hee; Chun, Sung-Min; Park, Chungoo; Lee, Jong-Hee; Lee, Seok-Woo

2017-01-01

Periodontal disease is caused by dental plaque biofilms. Fusobacterium nucleatum is an important periodontal pathogen involved in the development of bacterial complexity in dental plaque biofilms. Human gingival fibroblasts (GFs) act as the first line of defense against oral microorganisms and locally orchestrate immune responses by triggering the production of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8). The frequency and severity of periodontal diseases is known to increase in elderly subjects. However, despite several studies exploring the effects of aging in periodontal disease, the underlying mechanisms through which aging affects the interaction between F. nucleatum and human GFs remain unclear. To identify genes affected by infection, aging, or both, we performed an RNA-Seq analysis using GFs isolated from a single healthy donor that were passaged for a short period of time (P4) ‘young GFs’ or for longer period of time (P22) ‘old GFs’, and infected or not with F. nucleatum. Comparing F. nucleatum-infected and uninfected GF(P4) cells the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in host defense mechanisms (i.e., immune responses and defense responses), whereas comparing F. nucleatum-infected and uninfected GF(P22) cells the DEGs were involved in cell maintenance (i.e., TGF-β signaling, skeletal development). Most DEGs in F. nucleatum-infected GF(P22) cells were downregulated (85%) and were significantly associated with host defense responses such as inflammatory responses, when compared to the DEGs in F. nucleatum-infected GF(P4) cells. Five genes (GADD45b, KLF10, CSRNP1, ID1, and TM4SF1) were upregulated in response to F. nucleatum infection; however, this effect was only seen in GF(P22) cells. The genes identified here appear to interact with each other in a network associated with free radical scavenging, cell cycle, and cancer; therefore, they could be potential candidates involved in the aged GF’s response to F. nucleatum infection. Further studies are needed to confirm these observations. PMID:29190775

Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpes Virus (KSHV) Induced COX-2: A Key Factor in Latency, Inflammation, Angiogenesis, Cell Survival and Invasion

PubMed Central

Sharma-Walia, Neelam; Sadagopan, Sathish; Veettil, Mohanan Valiya; Kerur, Nagaraj; Chandran, Bala

2010-01-01

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), an enigmatic endothelial cell vascular neoplasm, is characterized by the proliferation of spindle shaped endothelial cells, inflammatory cytokines (ICs), growth factors (GFs) and angiogenic factors. KSHV is etiologically linked to KS and expresses its latent genes in KS lesion endothelial cells. Primary infection of human micro vascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-d) results in the establishment of latent infection and reprogramming of host genes, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is one of the highly up-regulated genes. Our previous study suggested a role for COX-2 in the establishment and maintenance of KSHV latency. Here, we examined the role of COX-2 in the induction of ICs, GFs, angiogenesis and invasive events occurring during KSHV de novo infection of endothelial cells. A significant amount of COX-2 was detected in KS tissue sections. Telomerase-immortalized human umbilical vein endothelial cells supporting KSHV stable latency (TIVE-LTC) expressed elevated levels of functional COX-2 and microsomal PGE2 synthase (m-PGES), and secreted the predominant eicosanoid inflammatory metabolite PGE2. Infected HMVEC-d and TIVE-LTC cells secreted a variety of ICs, GFs, angiogenic factors and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which were significantly abrogated by COX-2 inhibition either by chemical inhibitors or by siRNA. The ability of these factors to induce tube formation of uninfected endothelial cells was also inhibited. PGE2, secreted early during KSHV infection, profoundly increased the adhesion of uninfected endothelial cells to fibronectin by activating the small G protein Rac1. COX-2 inhibition considerably reduced KSHV latent ORF73 gene expression and survival of TIVE-LTC cells. Collectively, these studies underscore the pivotal role of KSHV induced COX-2/PGE2 in creating KS lesion like microenvironment during de novo infection. Since COX-2 plays multiple roles in KSHV latent gene expression, which themselves are powerful mediators of cytokine induction, anti-apoptosis, cell survival and viral genome maintainence, effective inhibition of COX-2 via well-characterized clinically approved COX-2 inhibitors could potentially be used in treatment to control latent KSHV infection and ameliorate KS. PMID:20169190

IGF-1 and PDGF-bb Suppress IL-1β-Induced Cartilage Degradation through Down-Regulation of NF-κB Signaling: Involvement of Src/PI-3K/AKT Pathway

PubMed Central

Mobasheri, Ali; Buhrmann, Constanze; Aldinger, Constance; Rad, Jafar Soleimani; Shakibaei, Mehdi

2011-01-01

Objective Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Growth factors (GFs) capable of antagonizing the catabolic actions of cytokines may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of OA. Herein, we investigated the potential synergistic effects of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-bb) on different mechanisms participating in IL-1β-induced activation of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) and apoptosis in chondrocytes. Methods Primary chondrocytes were treated with IL-1β to induce dedifferentiation and co-treated with either IGF-1 or/and PDGF-bb and evaluated by immunoblotting and electron microscopy. Results Pretreatment of chondrocytes with IGF-1 or/and PDGF-bb suppressed IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation via inhibition of IκB-α kinase. Inhibition of IκB-α kinase by GFs led to the suppression of IκB-α phosphorylation and degradation, p65 nuclear translocation and NF-κB-regulated gene products involved in inflammation and cartilage degradation (COX-2, MMPs) and apoptosis (caspase-3). GFs or BMS-345541 (specific inhibitor of the IKK) reversed the IL-1β-induced down-regulation of collagen type II, cartilage specific proteoglycans, β1-integrin, Shc, activated MAPKinase, Sox-9 and up-regulation of active caspase-3. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of IGF-1 or/and PDGF-bb on IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation were sensitive to inhibitors of Src (PP1), PI-3K (wortmannin) and Akt (SH-5), suggesting that the pathway consisting of non-receptor tyrosine kinase (Src), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B must be involved in IL-1β signaling. Conclusion The results presented suggest that IGF-1 and PDGF-bb are potent inhibitors of IL-1β-mediated activation of NF-κB and apoptosis in chondrocytes, may be mediated in part through suppression of Src/PI-3K/AKT pathway, which may contribute to their anti-inflammatory effects. PMID:22194879

Near-Field Tsunami Models with Rapid Earthquake Source Inversions from Land and Ocean-Based Observations: The Potential for Forecast and Warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melgar, D.; Bock, Y.; Crowell, B. W.; Haase, J. S.

2013-12-01

Computation of predicted tsunami wave heights and runup in the regions adjacent to large earthquakes immediately after rupture initiation remains a challenging problem. Limitations of traditional seismological instrumentation in the near field which cannot be objectively employed for real-time inversions and the non-unique source inversion results are a major concern for tsunami modelers. Employing near-field seismic, GPS and wave gauge data from the Mw 9.0 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, we test the capacity of static finite fault slip models obtained from newly developed algorithms to produce reliable tsunami forecasts. First we demonstrate the ability of seismogeodetic source models determined from combined land-based GPS and strong motion seismometers to forecast near-source tsunamis in ~3 minutes after earthquake origin time (OT). We show that these models, based on land-borne sensors only tend to underestimate the tsunami but are good enough to provide a realistic first warning. We then demonstrate that rapid ingestion of offshore shallow water (100 - 1000 m) wave gauge data significantly improves the model forecasts and possible warnings. We ingest data from 2 near-source ocean-bottom pressure sensors and 6 GPS buoys into the earthquake source inversion process. Tsunami Green functions (tGFs) are generated using the GeoClaw package, a benchmarked finite volume code with adaptive mesh refinement. These tGFs are used for a joint inversion with the land-based data and substantially improve the earthquake source and tsunami forecast. Model skill is assessed by detailed comparisons of the simulation output to 2000+ tsunami runup survey measurements collected after the event. We update the source model and tsunami forecast and warning at 10 min intervals. We show that by 20 min after OT the tsunami is well-predicted with a high variance reduction to the survey data and by ~30 minutes a model that can be considered final, since little changed is observed afterwards, is achieved. This is an indirect approach to tsunami warning, it relies on automatic determination of the earthquake source prior to tsunami simulation. It is more robust than ad-hoc approaches because it relies on computation of a finite-extent centroid moment tensor to objectively determine the style of faulting and the fault plane geometry on which to launch the heterogeneous static slip inversion. Operator interaction and physical assumptions are minimal. Thus, the approach can provide the initial conditions for tsunami simulation (seafloor motion) irrespective of the type of earthquake source and relies heavily on oceanic wave gauge measurements for source determination. It reliably distinguishes among strike-slip, normal and thrust faulting events, all of which have been observed recently to occur in subduction zones and pose distinct tsunami hazards.

Influence of high-resolution surface databases on the modeling of local atmospheric circulation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paiva, L. M. S.; Bodstein, G. C. R.; Pimentel, L. C. G.

2013-12-01

Large-eddy simulations are performed using the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) code at horizontal grid resolutions as fine as 300 m to assess the influence of detailed and updated surface databases on the modeling of local atmospheric circulation systems of urban areas with complex terrain. Applications to air pollution and wind energy are sought. These databases are comprised of 3 arc-sec topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, 10 arc-sec vegetation type data from the European Space Agency (ESA) GlobCover Project, and 30 arc-sec Leaf Area Index and Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation data from the ESA GlobCarbon Project. Simulations are carried out for the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro using six one-way nested-grid domains that allow the choice of distinct parametric models and vertical resolutions associated to each grid. ARPS is initialized using the Global Forecasting System with 0.5°-resolution data from the National Center of Environmental Prediction, which is also used every 3 h as lateral boundary condition. Topographic shading is turned on and two soil layers with depths of 0.01 and 1.0 m are used to compute the soil temperature and moisture budgets in all runs. Results for two simulated runs covering the period from 6 to 7 September 2007 are compared to surface and upper-air observational data to explore the dependence of the simulations on initial and boundary conditions, topographic and land-use databases and grid resolution. Our comparisons show overall good agreement between simulated and observed data and also indicate that the low resolution of the 30 arc-sec soil database from United States Geological Survey, the soil moisture and skin temperature initial conditions assimilated from the GFS analyses and the synoptic forcing on the lateral boundaries of the finer grids may affect an adequate spatial description of the meteorological variables.

The LHRH-astroglial network of signals as a model to study neuroimmune interactions: assessment of messenger systems and transduction mechanisms at cellular and molecular levels.

PubMed

Marchetti, B

1996-01-01

Neurons and astrocytes have a close anatomic and functional relationship that plays a crucial role during development and in the adult brain. Astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) express receptors for a variety of growth factors (GFs), neurotransmitters and/or neuromodulators; in turn, neuronal cells can respond to astrocyte-derived GFs and control astrocyte function via a common set of signaling molecules and intracellular transducing pathways. There is also increasing evidence that soluble factors from lymphoid/mononuclear cells are able to modulate the growth and function of cells found in the CNS, specifically macroglial and microglial cells. Furthermore, glial cells can secrete immunoregulatory molecules that influence immune cells as well as the glial cells themselves. As neuronal and immune cells share common signaling systems, the potential exists for bidirectional communication not only between lymphoid and glial cells, but also between neuronal cells and immune and glial cells. In the present work, interactions of luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) and the astroglial cell are proposed as a prototype for the study of neuroimmune communication within the CNS in the light of (1) the commonality of signal molecules (hormones, neurotransmitters and cytokines) and transduction mechanisms shared by glia LHRH neurons and lymphoid cells; (2) the central role of glia in the developmental organization and pattern of LHRH neuronal migration during embryogenesis, and (3) the strong modulatory role played by sex steroids in mechanisms involved in synaptic and interneuronal organization, as well as in the sexual dimorphisms of neuroendocrine-immune functions. During their maturation and differentiation in vitro, astroglial cells release factors able to accelerate markedly the LHRH neuronal phenotypic differentiation as well as the acquisition of mature LHRH secretory potential, with a potency depending on both the 'age' and the specific brain localization of the astroglia, as well as the degree of LHRH neuronal differentiation in vitro. Regional differences in astroglial sensitivity to estrogens were also measured. Different experimental paradigms such as coculture and mixed-culture models between the immortalized LHRH (GT1-1) neuronal cell line and astroglial cells in primary culture, disclosed the presence of a bidirectional flow of informational molecules regulating both proliferative and secretory capacities of each cell type. The importance of adhesive mechanisms in such cross-talk is underscored by the complete abolition of GT1-1 LHRH production and cell proliferation following the counteraction of neuronal-neuronal/neuronal-glial interactions through addition of neural-cell adhesion molecule antiserum. Other information came from pharmacological experiments manipulating the astroglia-derived cytokines and/or nitric oxide, which revealed cross-talk between the neuronal and astroglial compartments. From the bulk of this information, it seems likely that interactions between astroglia and LHRH neurons play a major role in the integration of the multiplicity of brain signals converging on the LHRH neurons that govern reproduction. Another important facet of neuronal-glial interactions is that concerning neuron-guided migration, and unraveling astroglial/LHRH-neuronal networks might then constitute an additional effort in the comprehension of defective LHRH-neuronal migration in Kallman's syndrome.

Assessing the Impact of Observations on the Prediction of Effective Atmospheric Angular Momentum from NAVGEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, N. L.; Langland, R.

2016-12-01

Variations in Earth rotation are measured by comparing a time based on Earth's variable rotation rate about its axis to a time standard based on an internationally coordinated ensemble of atomic clocks that provide a uniform time scale. The variability of Earth's rotation is partly due to the changes in angular momentum that occur in the atmosphere and ocean as weather patterns and ocean features develop, propagate, and dissipate. The NAVGEM Effective Atmospheric Angular Momentum Functions (EAAMF) and their predictions are computed following Barnes et al. (1983), and provided to the U.S. Naval Observatory daily. These along with similar data from the NOAA GFS model are used to calculate and predict the Earth orientation parameters (Stamatakos et al., 2016). The Navy's high-resolution global weather prediction system consists of the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM; Hogan et al., 2014) and a hybrid four-dimensional variational data assimilation system (4DVar) (Kuhl et al., 2013). An important component of NAVGEM is the Forecast Sensitivity Observation Impact (FSOI). FSOI is a mathematical method to quantify the contribution of individual observations or sets of observations to the reduction in the 24-hr forecast error (Langland and Baker, 2004). The FSOI allows for dynamic monitoring of the relative quality and value of the observations assimilated by NAVGEM, and the relative ability of the data assimilation system to effectively use the observation information to generate an improved forecast. For this study, along with the FSOI based on the global moist energy error norm, we computed the FSOI using an error norm based on the Effective Angular Momentum Functions. This modification allowed us to assess which observations were most beneficial in reducing the 24-hr forecast error for the atmospheric angular momentum.

Preparing for Operational Use of High Priority Products from the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) in Numerical Weather Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandi, S.; Layns, A. L.; Goldberg, M.; Gambacorta, A.; Ling, Y.; Collard, A.; Grumbine, R. W.; Sapper, J.; Ignatov, A.; Yoe, J. G.

2017-12-01

This work describes end to end operational implementation of high priority products from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) operational polar-orbiting satellite constellation, to include Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and the Joint Polar Satellite System series initial satellite (JPSS-1), into numerical weather prediction and earth systems models. Development and evaluation needed for the initial implementations of VIIRS Environmental Data Records (EDR) for Sea Surface Temperature ingestion in the Real-Time Global Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (RTG) and Polar Winds assimilated in the National Weather Service (NWS) Global Forecast System (GFS) is presented. These implementations ensure continuity of data in these models in the event of loss of legacy sensor data. Also discussed is accelerated operational implementation of Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) Temperature Data Records (TDR) and Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) Sensor Data Records, identified as Key Performance Parameters by the National Weather Service. Operational use of SNPP after 28 October, 2011 launch took more than one year due to the learning curve and development needed for full exploitation of new remote sensing capabilities. Today, ATMS and CrIS data positively impact weather forecast accuracy. For NOAA's JPSS initial satellite (JPSS-1), scheduled for launch in late 2017, we identify scope and timelines for pre-launch and post-launch activities needed to efficiently transition these capabilities into operations. As part of these alignment efforts, operational readiness for KPPs will be possible as soon as 90 days after launch. The schedule acceleration is possible because of the experience with S-NPP. NOAA operational polar-orbiting satellite constellation provides continuity and enhancement of earth systems observations out to 2036. Program best practices and lessons learned will inform future implementation for follow-on JPSS-3 and -4 missions ensuring benefits and enhancements during the system's design life.

The Navy at a Tipping Point: Maritime Dominance at Stake?

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

Navy" USN Deployment Strategy Future Global Environment for USN Operations External and Internal Drivers on USN Options Five Means for a "Global...Defense CARAT Deployment HCA cruises Counter-Dnjg oPs NAVSO/4 ,h Fleet Patmi NAVCENT/5,h Fleet GFS . . „ Horn of Global Fleet Station ...against advanced air defenses, conduct and enable littoral/amphibious operations in opposed environments , and establish blue-water dominance against

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.1p00.f000

Science.gov Websites

analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 002 planetary boundary layer VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 003 planetary boundary layer VRATE analysis Ventilation Rate [m^2/s] 004 surface GUST analysis Wind Speed (Gust mb RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 008 10 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 009 10 mb VGRD

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.0p50.f000

Science.gov Websites

analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 002 planetary boundary layer VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 003 planetary boundary layer VRATE analysis Ventilation Rate [m^2/s] 004 surface GUST analysis Wind Speed (Gust mb RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 008 10 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 009 10 mb VGRD

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.0p25.f000

Science.gov Websites

analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 002 planetary boundary layer VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 003 planetary boundary layer VRATE analysis Ventilation Rate [m^2/s] 004 surface GUST analysis Wind Speed (Gust mb RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 008 10 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 009 10 mb VGRD

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.2p50.f000

Science.gov Websites

analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 002 planetary boundary layer VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 003 planetary boundary layer VRATE analysis Ventilation Rate [m^2/s] 004 surface GUST analysis Wind Speed (Gust mb RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 008 10 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 009 10 mb VGRD

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam12.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

Temperature [K] 002 surface DPT 12 hour fcst Dew Point Temperature [K] 003 surface SPFH 12 hour fcst Specific Best (4 layer) Lifted Index [K] 020 surface TMP 11 hour fcst Temperature [K] 021 surface TMP 10 hour fcst Temperature [K] 022 surface DPT 11 hour fcst Dew Point Temperature [K] 023 surface DPT 10 hour

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam06.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

(0=sea, 1=land) [Proportion] 009 surface APCP 3-6 hour acc Total Precipitation [kg/m^2] 010 surface ] 020 surface TMAX 3-6 hour acc Maximum Temperature [K] 021 surface TMIN 3-6 hour acc Minimum Temperature [K] 022 surface MAXRH 3-6 hour acc Maximum Relative Humidity [%] 023 surface MINRH 3-6 hour acc

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam15.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

hour fcst Visibility [m] 014 planetary boundary layer WDIR 15 hour fcst Wind Direction (from which blowing) [degtrue] 015 planetary boundary layer WIND 15 hour fcst Wind Speed [m/s] 016 planetary boundary layer RH 15 hour fcst Relative Humidity [%] 017 planetary boundary layer DIST 15 hour fcst Geometric

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam00.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

boundary layer WDIR analysis Wind Direction (from which blowing) [degtrue] 013 planetary boundary layer WIND analysis Wind Speed [m/s] 014 planetary boundary layer RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 015 planetary boundary layer DIST analysis Geometric Height [m] 016 surface 4LFTX analysis Best (4 layer) Lifted

Quercitrin for periodontal regeneration: effects on human gingival fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells.

PubMed

Gómez-Florit, Manuel; Monjo, Marta; Ramis, Joana M

2015-11-12

Periodontal disease (PD) is the result of an infection and chronic inflammation of the gingiva that may lead to its destruction and, in severe cases, alveolar bone and tooth loss. The ultimate goal of periodontal treatment is to achieve periodontal soft and hard tissues regeneration. We previously selected quercitrin, a catechol-containing flavonoid, as a potential agent for periodontal applications. In this study, we tested the ability of quercitrin to alter biomarker production involved in periodontal regeneration on primary human gingival fibroblasts (hGF) and primary human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) cultured under basal and inflammatory conditions. To mimic PD inflammatory status, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) was used. The expression of different genes related to inflammation and extracellular matrix were evaluated and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production was quantified in hGFs; alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium content were analysed in hMSCs. Quercitrin decreased the release of the inflammatory mediator PGE2 and partially re-established the impaired collagen metabolism induced by IL-1β treatment in hGFs. Quercitrin also increased ALP activity and mineralization in hMSCs, thus, it increased hMSCs differentiation towards the osteoblastic lineage. These findings suggest quercitrin as a novel bioactive molecule with application to enhance both soft and hard tissue regeneration of the periodontium.

Patterns of growth factor usage and febrile neutropenia among older patients with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with CHOP or R-CHOP: the Intergroup experience (CALGB 9793; ECOG-SWOG 4494).

PubMed

Morrison, Vicki A; Weller, Edie A; Habermann, Thomas M; Li, Shuli; Fisher, Richard I; Cheson, Bruce D; Peterson, Bruce A

2017-08-01

Patterns of myeloid growth factor (GF) usage and febrile neutropenia (FN) were examined in patients >60 years of age with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (DLBCL) enrolled on CALGB 9793/ECOG-SWOG 4494, receiving initial therapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone (CHOP) or rituximab + CHOP (R-CHOP). Myeloid GFs were administered to 256/520 (49%) patients. Indications for use were: prevent dose reduction/dose delay (81%, 207/256); treat FN or non-febrile neutropenia (NFN) (19%, 48/256). One or more FN episodes occurred in 41% (212/520) of patients, with FN most often in cycle 1 (38% of episodes). In multivariate analysis, risk factors for FN included age >65 years (odds ratio (OR) = 2.6, 95% CI: [1.4, 4.9]) and anemia (hemoglobin <12 g/dl) (OR =2.2, 95% confidence intervals (CI): [1.4, 3.5]. Myeloid GF use was common in this older DLBCL population receiving CHOP-based therapy, as was FN, especially during cycle one. Risk factors predictive for FN should be used prospectively to identify patients for whom myeloid GFs are best utilized.

Convective and microphysics parameterization impact on simulating heavy rainfall in Semarang (case study on February 12th, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faridatussafura, Nurzaka; Wandala, Agie

2018-05-01

The meteorological model WRF-ARW version 3.8.1 is used for simulating the heavy rainfall in Semarang that occurred on February 12th, 2015. Two different convective schemes and two different microphysics scheme in a nested configuration were chosen. The sensitivity of those schemes in capturing the extreme weather event has been tested. GFS data were used for the initial and boundary condition. Verification on the twenty-four hours accumulated rainfall using GSMaPsatellite data shows that Kain-Fritsch convective scheme and Lin microphysics scheme is the best combination scheme among the others. The combination also gives the highest success ratio value in placing high intensity rainfall area. Based on the ROC diagram, KF-Lin shows the best performance in detecting high intensity rainfall. However, the combination still has high bias value.

Integrating Wind Profiling Radars and Radiosonde Observations with Model Point Data to Develop a Decision Support Tool to Assess Upper-Level Winds for Space Launch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauman, William H., III; Flinn, Clay

2013-01-01

On the day-of-launch, the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) Launch Weather Officers (LWOs) monitor the upper-level winds for their launch customers to include NASA's Launch Services Program and NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations Program. They currently do not have the capability to display and overlay profiles of upper-level observations and numerical weather prediction model forecasts. The LWOs requested the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) develop a tool in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) that will allow them to plot upper-level wind speed and direction observations from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) 50 MHz tropospheric wind profiling radar, KSC Shuttle Landing Facility 915 MHz boundary layer wind profiling radar and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) Automated Meteorological Processing System (AMPS) radiosondes, and then overlay forecast wind profiles from the model point data including the North American Mesoscale (NAM) model, Rapid Refresh (RAP) model and Global Forecast System (GFS) model to assess the performance of these models. The AMU developed an Excel-based tool that provides an objective method for the LWOs to compare the model-forecast upper-level winds to the KSC wind profiling radars and CCAFS AMPS observations to assess the model potential to accurately forecast changes in the upperlevel profile through the launch count. The AMU wrote Excel Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) scripts to automatically retrieve model point data for CCAFS (XMR) from the Iowa State University Archive Data Server (http://mtarchive.qeol.iastate.edu) and the 50 MHz, 915 MHz and AMPS observations from the NASA/KSC Spaceport Weather Data Archive web site (http://trmm.ksc.nasa.gov). The AMU then developed code in Excel VBA to automatically ingest and format the observations and model point data in Excel to ready the data for generating Excel charts for the LWO's. The resulting charts allow the LWOs to independently initialize the three models 0-hour forecasts against the observations to determine which is the best performing model and then overlay the model forecasts on time-matched observations during the launch countdown to further assess the model performance and forecasts. This paper will demonstrate integration of observed and predicted atmospheric conditions into a decision support tool and demonstrate how the GUI is implemented in operations.

High-resolution visibility and air quality forecasting using multi-layer urban canopy model for highly urbanized Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piu NG, Chak; HAO, Song; Fat LAM, Yun

2015-04-01

Visibility is a universally critical element which affects the public in many aspects, including economic activities, health of local citizens and safety of marine transportation and aviation. The Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) visibility equation, an empirical equation developed by USEPA, has been modified by various studies to fit into the application upon the Asian continent including Hong Kong and China. Often these studies focused on the improvement of the existing IMPROVE equation by modifying its particulate speciation using local observation data. In this study, we developed an Integrated Forecast System (IFS) to predict the next-day air quality and visibility using Weather Research and Forecasting model with Building Energy Parameterization and Building Energy Model (WRF-BEP+BEM) and Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (CMAQ). Unlike the other studies, the core of this study is to include detailed urbanization impacts with calibrated "IMPROVE equation for PRD" into the modeling system for Hong Kong's environs. The ultra-high resolution land cover information (~1km x 1km) from Google images, was digitized into the Geographic Information System (GIS) for preparing the model-ready input for IFS. The NCEP FNL (Final) Operation Global Analysis (FNL) and the Global Forecasting System (GFS) datasets were tested for both hind-cast and forecast cases, in order to calibrate the input of urban parameters in the WRF-BEP+BEM model. The evaluation of model performance with sensitivity cases was performed on sea surface temperature (SST), surface temperature (T), wind speed/direction with the major pollutants (i.e., PM10, PM2.5, NOx, SO2 and O3) using local observation and will be presented/discussed in this paper. References: 1. Y. L. Lee, R. Sequeira, Visibility degradation across Hong Kong its components and their relative contribution. Atmospheric Environment 2001, 35, 5861-5872. doi:10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00395-8 2. R. Zhang, Q. Bian, J. C. H. Fung, A. K. H. Lau, Mathematical modeling of seasonal variations in visibility in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region. Atmospheric Environment 2013, 77, 803-816. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.05.048

The US CLIVAR Working Group on Drought: A Multi-Model Assessment of the Impact of SST Anomalies on Regional Drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert; Drought Working Group, S.

2008-12-01

The USCLIVAR working group on drought recently initiated a series of global climate model simulations forced with idealized SST anomaly patterns, designed to address a number of uncertainties regarding the impact of SST forcing and the role of land-atmosphere feedbacks on regional drought. Specific questions that the runs are designed to address include: What are mechanisms that maintain drought across the seasonal cycle and from one year to the next. What is the role of the land? What is the role of the different ocean basins, including the impact of El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO), and warming trends in the global oceans? The runs were done with several global atmospheric models including NASA/NSIPP-1, NCEP/GFS, GFDL/AM2, and NCAR CCM3 and CAM3. In addition, runs were done with the NCEP CFS (coupled atmosphere-ocean) model by employing a novel adjustment technique to nudge the coupled model towards the imposed SST forcing patterns. This talk provides an overview of the experiments and some initial results.

The US CLIVAR Working Group on Drought: A Multi-Model Assessment of the Impact of SST Anomalies on Regional Drought

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Siegfried

2008-01-01

The US CLIVAR working group on drought recently initiated a series of global climate model simulations forced with idealized SST anomaly patterns, designed to address a number of uncertainties regarding the impact of SST forcing and the role of land-atmosphere feedbacks on regional drought. Specific questions that the runs are designed to address include: What are mechanisms that maintain drought across the seasonal cycle and from one year to the next. What is the role of the land? What is the role of the different ocean basins, including the impact of EL Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO), and warming trends in the global oceans? The runs were done with several global atmospheric models including NASA/NSIPP-1, NCEP/GFS, GFDL/AM2, and NCAR CCM3 and CAM3. In addition, runs were done with the NCEP CFS (coupled atmosphere-ocean) model by employing a novel adjustment technique to nudge the coupled model towards the imposed SST forcing patterns. This talk provides an overview of the experiments and some initial results.

Using Enabling Technologies to Facilitate the Comparison of Satellite Observations with the Model Forecasts for Hurricane Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, P.; Knosp, B.; Hristova-Veleva, S. M.; Niamsuwan, N.; Johnson, M. P.; Shen, T. P. J.; Tanelli, S.; Turk, J.; Vu, Q. A.

2014-12-01

Due to their complexity and volume, the satellite data are underutilized in today's hurricane research and operations. To better utilize these data, we developed the JPL Tropical Cyclone Information System (TCIS) - an Interactive Data Portal providing fusion between Near-Real-Time satellite observations and model forecasts to facilitate model evaluation and improvement. We have collected satellite observations and model forecasts in the Atlantic Basin and the East Pacific for the hurricane seasons since 2010 and supported the NASA Airborne Campaigns for Hurricane Study such as the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) in 2010 and the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) from 2012 to 2014. To enable the direct inter-comparisons of the satellite observations and the model forecasts, the TCIS was integrated with the NASA Earth Observing System Simulator Suite (NEOS3) to produce synthetic observations (e.g. simulated passive microwave brightness temperatures) from a number of operational hurricane forecast models (HWRF and GFS). An automated process was developed to trigger NEOS3 simulations via web services given the location and time of satellite observations, monitor the progress of the NEOS3 simulations, display the synthetic observation and ingest them into the TCIS database when they are done. In addition, three analysis tools, the joint PDF analysis of the brightness temperatures, ARCHER for finding the storm-center and the storm organization and the Wave Number Analysis tool for storm asymmetry and morphology analysis were integrated into TCIS to provide statistical and structural analysis on both observed and synthetic data. Interactive tools were built in the TCIS visualization system to allow the spatial and temporal selections of the datasets, the invocation of the tools with user specified parameters, and the display and the delivery of the results. In this presentation, we will describe the key enabling technologies behind the design of the TCIS interactive data portal and analysis tools, including the spatial database technology for the representation and query of the level 2 satellite data, the automatic process flow using web services, the interactive user interface using the Google Earth API, and a common and expandable Python wrapper to invoke the analysis tools.

The POLIMI forecasting chain for real time flood and drought predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceppi, Alessandro; Ravazzani, Giovanni; Corbari, Chiara; Mancini, Marco

2016-04-01

Nowadays coupling meteorological and hydrological models is recognized by scientific community as a necessary way to forecast extreme hydrological phenomena, in order to activate useful mitigation measurements and alert systems in advance. The development and implementation of a real-time forecasting chain with a hydro-meteorological operational alert procedure for flood and drought events is presented in this study. Different weather models are used to build the POLIMI operative chain: the probabilistic COSMO-LEPS model with 16 ensembles developed by ARPA-Emilia Romagna, the deterministic Bolam and Moloch models, developed by the Italian ISAC-CNR, and nine further simulations obtained by different runs of the WRF-ARW (3), WRF-NMM (2), ETA2012 (1) and the GFS (3), provided by the private Epson Meteo Center and Terraria companies. All the meteorological runs are then implemented with the rainfall-runoff physically-based distributed FEST-WB model, developed at Politecnico di Milano to obtain a multi-model approach system with hydrological ensemble forecasts in different areas of study over the Italian country. As far as concerning drought predictions, three test-beds are monitored: two in maize fields, one in the Puglia region (South of Italy), and another in the Po Valley area, (northern Italy), and one in a golf course in Milan city. The hydrological model was here calibrated and validated against measurements of latent heat flux and soil moisture acquired by an eddy-covariance station, TDR probes and remote sensing images. Regarding flood forecasts, two test-sites are chosen: the first one is the urban area northern Milan where three catchments (the Seveso, Olona, and Lambro River basins) are used to show how early warning systems are an effective complement to structural measures for flood control in Milan city which flooded frequently in the last 25 years, while the second test-site is the Idro Lake, located between the Lombardy and Trentino region where the POLIMI hydro-meteorological chain is performed to forecast the hydrometric lake level for a better management of the upstream and downstream basin. The same hydrological model has been here calibrated and validated with observed data coming from local bodies: ARPA Lombardy, Meteonetwork and Meteo Trentino. Reliability of the forecasting system and its benefits are assessed with skill scores on some cases-study occurred in the recent years and through the real-time visualization of the implemented dashboards.

Precipitation forecasts for rainfall runoff predictions. A case study in poorly gauged Ribb and Gumara catchments, upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyoum, Mesgana; van Andel, Schalk Jan; Xuan, Yunqing; Amare, Kibreab

Flow forecasting in poorly gauged, flood-prone Ribb and Gumara sub-catchments of the Blue Nile was studied with the aim of testing the performance of Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPFs). Four types of QPFs namely MM5 forecasts with a spatial resolution of 2 km; the Maximum, Mean and Minimum members (MaxEPS, MeanEPS and MinEPS where EPS stands for Ensemble Prediction System) of the fixed, low resolution (2.5 by 2.5 degrees) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Global Forecast System (NOAA GFS) ensemble forecasts were used. Both the MM5 and the EPS were not calibrated (bias correction, downscaling (for EPS), etc.). In addition, zero forecasts assuming no rainfall in the coming days, and monthly average forecasts assuming average monthly rainfall in the coming days, were used. These rainfall forecasts were then used to drive the Hydrologic Engineering Center’s-Hydrologic Modeling System, HEC-HMS, hydrologic model for flow predictions. The results show that flow predictions using MaxEPS and MM5 precipitation forecasts over-predicted the peak flow for most of the seven events analyzed, whereas under-predicted peak flow was found using zero- and monthly average rainfall. The comparison of observed and predicted flow hydrographs shows that MM5, MaxEPS and MeanEPS precipitation forecasts were able to capture the rainfall signal that caused peak flows. Flow predictions based on MaxEPS and MeanEPS gave results that were quantitatively close to the observed flow for most events, whereas flow predictions based on MM5 resulted in large overestimations for some events. In follow-up research for this particular case study, calibration of the MM5 model will be performed. The overall analysis shows that freely available atmospheric forecasting products can provide additional information on upcoming rainfall and peak flow events in areas where only base-line forecasts such as no-rainfall or climatology are available.

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam03.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

Temperature [K] 002 surface DPT 3 hour fcst Dew Point Temperature [K] 003 surface SPFH 3 hour fcst Specific surface 4LFTX 3 hour fcst Best (4 layer) Lifted Index [K] 019 surface TMP 2 hour fcst Temperature [K] 020 surface TMP 1 hour fcst Temperature [K] 021 surface DPT 2 hour fcst Dew Point Temperature [K] 022 surface

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam18.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

Temperature [K] 002 surface DPT 18 hour fcst Dew Point Temperature [K] 003 surface SPFH 18 hour fcst Specific TMP 17 hour fcst Temperature [K] 022 surface TMP 16 hour fcst Temperature [K] 023 surface DPT 17 hour fcst Dew Point Temperature [K] 024 surface DPT 16 hour fcst Dew Point Temperature [K] 025 surface TMAX

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.smartguam24.tm00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

boundary layer WDIR 24 hour fcst Wind Direction (from which blowing) [degtrue] 016 planetary boundary layer WIND 24 hour fcst Wind Speed [m/s] 017 planetary boundary layer RH 24 hour fcst Relative Humidity [%] 018 planetary boundary layer DIST 24 hour fcst Geometric Height [m] 019 surface 4LFTX 24 hour fcst

Detecting Non-Gaussian and Lognormal Characteristics of Temperature and Water Vapor Mixing Ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kliewer, A.; Fletcher, S. J.; Jones, A. S.; Forsythe, J. M.

2017-12-01

Many operational data assimilation and retrieval systems assume that the errors and variables come from a Gaussian distribution. This study builds upon previous results that shows that positive definite variables, specifically water vapor mixing ratio and temperature, can follow a non-Gaussian distribution and moreover a lognormal distribution. Previously, statistical testing procedures which included the Jarque-Bera test, the Shapiro-Wilk test, the Chi-squared goodness-of-fit test, and a composite test which incorporated the results of the former tests were employed to determine locations and time spans where atmospheric variables assume a non-Gaussian distribution. These tests are now investigated in a "sliding window" fashion in order to extend the testing procedure to near real-time. The analyzed 1-degree resolution data comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Forecast System (GFS) six hour forecast from the 0Z analysis. These results indicate the necessity of a Data Assimilation (DA) system to be able to properly use the lognormally-distributed variables in an appropriate Bayesian analysis that does not assume the variables are Gaussian.

Human-model hybrid Korean air quality forecasting system.

PubMed

Chang, Lim-Seok; Cho, Ara; Park, Hyunju; Nam, Kipyo; Kim, Deokrae; Hong, Ji-Hyoung; Song, Chang-Keun

2016-09-01

The Korean national air quality forecasting system, consisting of the Weather Research and Forecasting, the Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions, and the Community Modeling and Analysis (CMAQ), commenced from August 31, 2013 with target pollutants of particulate matters (PM) and ozone. Factors contributing to PM forecasting accuracy include CMAQ inputs of meteorological field and emissions, forecasters' capacity, and inherent CMAQ limit. Four numerical experiments were conducted including two global meteorological inputs from the Global Forecast System (GFS) and the Unified Model (UM), two emissions from the Model Intercomparison Study Asia (MICS-Asia) and the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment (INTEX-B) for the Northeast Asia with Clear Air Policy Support System (CAPSS) for South Korea, and data assimilation of the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC). Significant PM underpredictions by using both emissions were found for PM mass and major components (sulfate and organic carbon). CMAQ predicts PM2.5 much better than PM10 (NMB of PM2.5: -20~-25%, PM10: -43~-47%). Forecasters' error usually occurred at the next day of high PM event. Once CMAQ fails to predict high PM event the day before, forecasters are likely to dismiss the model predictions on the next day which turns out to be true. The best combination of CMAQ inputs is the set of UM global meteorological field, MICS-Asia and CAPSS 2010 emissions with the NMB of -12.3%, the RMSE of 16.6μ/m(3) and the R(2) of 0.68. By using MACC data as an initial and boundary condition, the performance skill of CMAQ would be improved, especially in the case of undefined coarse emission. A variety of methods such as ensemble and data assimilation are considered to improve further the accuracy of air quality forecasting, especially for high PM events to be comparable to for all cases. The growing utilization of the air quality forecast induced the public strongly to demand that the accuracy of the national forecasting be improved. In this study, we investigated the problems in the current forecasting as well as various alternatives to solve the problems. Such efforts to improve the accuracy of the forecast are expected to contribute to the protection of public health by increasing the availability of the forecast system.

Development of an operational African Drought Monitor prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaney, N.; Sheffield, J.; Wood, E. F.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2011-12-01

Droughts have severe economic, environmental, and social impacts. However, timely detection and monitoring can minimize these effects. Based on previous drought monitoring over the continental US, a drought monitor has been developed for Africa. Monitoring drought in data sparse regions such as Africa is difficult due to a lack of historical or real-time observational data at a high spatial and temporal resolution. As a result, a land surface model is used to estimate hydrologic variables, which are used as surrogate observations for monitoring drought. The drought monitoring system consists of two stages: the first is to create long-term historical background simulations against which current conditions can be compared. The second is the real-time estimation of current hydrological conditions that results in an estimated drought index value. For the first step, a hybrid meteorological forcing dataset was created that assimilates reanalysis and observational datasets from 1950 up to real-time. Furthermore, the land surface model (currently the VIC land surface model is being used) was recalibrated against spatially disaggregated runoff fields derived from over 500 GRDC stream gauge measurements over Africa. The final result includes a retrospective database from 1950 to real-time of soil moisture, evapotranspiration, river discharge at the GRDC gauged sites (etc.) at a 1/4 degree spatial resolution, and daily temporal resolution. These observation-forced simulations are analyzed to detect and track historical drought events according to a drought index that is calculated from the soil moisture fields and river discharge relative to their seasonal climatology. The real-time monitoring requires the use of remotely sensed and weather-model analysis estimates of hydrological model forcings. For the current system, NOAA's Global Forecast System (GFS) is used along with remotely sensed precipitation from the NASA TMPA system. The historical archive of these data is evaluated against the data set used to create the background simulations. Real-time adjustments are used to preserve consistency between the historical and real-time data. The drought monitor will be presented together with the web-interface that has been developed for the scientific community to access and retrieve the data products. This system will be deployed for operational use at AGRHYMET in Niamey, Niger before the end of 2011.

The Impact of Different Complexity on Numerical Weather Predictions within the Coupled Global Online Modeling System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Grell, G. A.; McKeen, S. A.; Ahmadov, R.

2017-12-01

The global Flow-following finite-volume Icosahedra Model (FIM), which was developed in the Global Systems Division of NOAA/ESRL and the Finite-volume cubed-sphere dynamical core (FV3) developed by GFDL, have been coupled online with aerosol and gas-phase chemistry schemes (FIM-Chem and FV3-Chem). Within the aerosol and chemistry modules, the models handle wet and dry deposition, chemical reactions, aerosol direct and semi-direct effect, anthropogenic emissions, biogenic emissions, biomass burning, dust and sea-salt emissions. They are able to provide chemical weather predictions at various spatial resolutions and with different levels of complexity. FIM-Chem is also able to quantify the impact of aerosol on numerical weather predictions (NWP). Currently, three different chemical schemes have been coupled with the FIM model. The simplest aerosol modules are from the GOCART model with its simplified parameterization of sulfur/sulfate chemistry. The photochemical gas-phase mechanism RACM was included to determine the impact of additional complexity on the aerosol and gas simulations. We have also implemented a more sophisticated aerosol scheme that includes secondary organic aerosols (SOA) based on the VBS approach. The model performance has been evaluated by comparing with the ATom-1 observations. FIM-Chem is able to reproduce many observed aerosol and gas features very well. A five-day NWP on 120 km horizontal resolution using FIM-Chem has been done for the end of July, 2016 to quantify the impact of the three different chemical schemes on weather forecasts. Compared to a meteorological run that excludes the model chemical schemes, and is driven only by background AODs from the GFS model, the 5-day forecast results shows significant impact on weather predictions when including the prognostic aerosol schemes. This includes convective precipitation, surface temperature, and 700 hPa air temperature. We also use FIM-Chem to investigate the 2012 South American Biomass Burning Analysis (SAMBBA) campaign period to determine whether more complex chemistry provides benefits for global numerical weather prediction.

The Specific Features of Pollution Transport in the Northwest Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diansky, Nikolay; Fomin, Vladimir; Gusev, Anatoly

2013-04-01

Two calculations of pollutant dispersal in the Northwest Pacific Ocean are presented: (1) during possible shipwrecks in the process of spent nuclear fuel transportation from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and (2) pollutant spread from the Japanese coast after the Fukushima 1 nuclear disaster on March 11, 2011. The circulation was simulated using a σ - coordinate ocean model INMOM (Institute of Numerical Mathematics Ocean Model) developed at the INM RAS. The INMOM is based on the primitive equations using the spherical σ - coordinate system with a free ocean surface. The INMOM was realized for the Pacific Ocean basin from the equator to the Bering Strait with a high 1/8° spatial resolution for reproducing the mesoscale ocean variability. The pollutant dispersal in the case of possible shipwrecks was estimated for currents for a statistically average year with atmospheric forcing from Common Ocean-ice Reference Experiments (CORE) for normal year data. The pollution spread from the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant (NPP) was estimated for currents calculated with the real atmospheric forcing in accordance with the NCEP GFS (0.5 degree grid). The simulation period of pollutant dispersal from Fukushima 1 was 17 days: from March 11 to 28, 2011. The results of numerical simulation show that pollutant dispersal from the Fukushima 1 spread eastward according to the Kuroshio. Moreover, exceeding of natural background radiation level was simulated in the narrow region of the Japanese coast with width of less than 50 km.

Air quality modelling over the Eastern Mediterranean using the WRF/Chem model: Comparison of gas-phase chemistry and aerosol mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiou, George K.; Christoudias, Theodoros; Proestos, Yiannis; Kushta, Jonilda; Hadjinicolaou, Panos; Lelieveld, Jos

2017-04-01

A comprehensive analysis of the performance of three coupled gas-phase chemistry and aerosol mechanisms included in the WRF/Chem model has been performed over the Eastern Mediterranean focusing on Cyprus during the CYPHEX campaign in 2014, using high temporal and spatial resolution. The model performance was evaluated by comparing calculations to measurements of gas phase species (O3, CO, NOx, SO2) and aerosols (PM10, PM2.5) from 13 ground stations. Initial results indicate that the calculated day-to-day and diurnal variations of the aforementioned species show good agreement with observations. The model was set up with three nested grids, downscaling to 4km over Cyprus. The meteorological boundary conditions were updated every 3 hours throughout the simulation using the Global Forecast System (GFS), while chemical boundary conditions were updated every 6 hours using the MOZART global chemical transport model. Biogenic emissions were calculated online by the the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature version 2.1 (MEGAN2.1). Anthropogenic emissions were based on the EDGAR HTAP v2 global emission inventory, provided on a horizontal grid resolution of 0.1o × 0.1o. Three simulations were performed employing different chemistry and aerosol mechanisms; i) RADM2 chemical mechanism and MADE/SORGAM aerosols, ii) CBMZ chemical mechanism and MOSAIC aerosols, iii) MOZART chemical mechanism and MOSAIC aerosols. Results show that the WRF/Chem model satisfactorily estimates the trace gases relative concentrations at the background sites but not at the urban and traffic sites, while some differences appear between the simulated concentrations by the three mechanisms. The resulting discrepancies between the model outcome and measurements, especially at the urban and traffic sites, suggest that a higher resolution anthropogenic emission inventory might help improve fine resolution, regional air quality modelling. Differences in the simulated concentrations by the three chemical mechanisms are attributed to the different chemical species and reaction rate constants used.

Ship’s Stores Automation Modernization (SSAM) - Phase I Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-01

Fleet Accounting and Disbursing Center FI0o.1 Function 10 sub-function 1 GFS General Fund Survey GMO Game Machine Operator ICR Inventory Control...PERFORMERS: SSO, BSO, Food Service Officer (FSO), RSO, highest ranking Supply Officer (SO), Commanding Officer (CO) DESCRIPTION: Issues to Enlisted Dining...also counted from vending machines by the VMO and from the game machines by the GMO and turned over to the CA. The procedure is the same. The collection

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.1p00.f006

Science.gov Websites

fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 002 planetary boundary layer VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s Wind Speed (Gust) [m/s] 005 10 mb HGT 6 hour fcst Geopotential Height [gpm] 006 10 mb TMP 6 hour fcst Temperature [K] 007 10 mb RH 6 hour fcst Relative Humidity [%] 008 10 mb UGRD 6 hour fcst U-Component of Wind

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.0p25.f006

Science.gov Websites

fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 002 planetary boundary layer VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s Wind Speed (Gust) [m/s] 005 10 mb HGT 6 hour fcst Geopotential Height [gpm] 006 10 mb TMP 6 hour fcst Temperature [K] 007 10 mb RH 6 hour fcst Relative Humidity [%] 008 10 mb UGRD 6 hour fcst U-Component of Wind

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.0p50.f006

Science.gov Websites

fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 002 planetary boundary layer VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s Wind Speed (Gust) [m/s] 005 10 mb HGT 6 hour fcst Geopotential Height [gpm] 006 10 mb TMP 6 hour fcst Temperature [K] 007 10 mb RH 6 hour fcst Relative Humidity [%] 008 10 mb UGRD 6 hour fcst U-Component of Wind

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.2p50.f006

Science.gov Websites

fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 002 planetary boundary layer VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s Wind Speed (Gust) [m/s] 005 10 mb HGT 6 hour fcst Geopotential Height [gpm] 006 10 mb TMP 6 hour fcst Temperature [K] 007 10 mb RH 6 hour fcst Relative Humidity [%] 008 10 mb UGRD 6 hour fcst U-Component of Wind

Index of /data/nccf/com/gfs/prod

Science.gov Websites

-2018 08:00 - enkf.20180527/ 27-May-2018 06:37 - gdas.20180518/ 21-May-2018 01:00 - gdas.20180519/ 22 -May-2018 01:00 - gdas.20180520/ 23-May-2018 02:00 - gdas.20180521/ 24-May-2018 01:00 - gdas.20180522 / 25-May-2018 02:00 - gdas.20180523/ 26-May-2018 02:00 - gdas.20180524/ 27-May-2018 02:00 - gdas

A Customized Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogel for Dental Pulp Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

Hartgerink, Jeffrey D.; Cavender, Adriana C.; Schmalz, Gottfried

2012-01-01

Root canal therapy is common practice in dentistry. During this procedure, the inflamed or necrotic dental pulp is removed and replaced with a synthetic material. However, recent research provides evidence that engineering of dental pulp and dentin is possible by using biologically driven approaches. As tissue engineering strategies hold the promise to soon supersede conventional root canal treatment, there is a need for customized scaffolds for stem cell delivery or recruitment. We hypothesize that the incorporation of dental pulp-derived stem cells with bioactive factors into such a scaffold can promote cell proliferation, differentiation, and angiogenesis. In this study, we used a cell adhesive, enzyme-cleavable hydrogel made from self-assembling peptide nanofibers to encapsulate dental pulp stem cells. The growth factors (GFs) fibroblast growth factor basic, transforming growth factor β1, and vascular endothelial growth factor were incorporated into the hydrogel via heparin binding. Release profiles were established, and the influence of GFs on cell morphology and proliferation was assessed to confirm their bioactivity after binding and subsequent release. Cell morphology and spreading in three-dimensional cultures were visualized by using cell tracker and histologic stains. Subcutaneous transplantation of the hydrogel within dentin cylinders into immunocompromised mice led to the formation of a vascularized soft connective tissue similar to dental pulp. These data support the use of this novel biomaterial as a highly promising candidate for future treatment concepts in regenerative endodontics. PMID:21827280

Graphene frameworks synthetized with Na2CO3 as a renewable water-soluble substrate and their high rate capability for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Huijuan; Zheng, Jianfeng; Zhu, Yanyan; Wang, Zhijian; Jia, Suping; Zhu, Zhenping

2015-10-01

Substrates are normally required in the chemical synthesis of graphene to enhance its formation. However, removing substrates in the post purification stage is difficult, during which harsh reagents are used and the substrates are usually consumed undesirably. In this paper, we report that universal sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) particles can effectively promote the construction of well-structured graphene frameworks based on a quick thermal decomposition of fumaric acids. Notably, the Na2CO3 particles are easily separated from graphene through a simple and green method, namely, washing with water at room temperature. Together with the reused characteristic of the recovered Na2CO3 particles, this approach is undoubtedly beneficial to the low-cost and clean synthesis of graphene. Benefiting from the framework structure, the as-synthesized graphene exhibits excellent performance in the supercapacitor. The specific capacitance of the GFs-modified electrode was calculated to be 242 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1, which was almost twice that of the RGO-modified electrode (134 F g-1). More importantly, the GFs-modified electrode maintained 92.6% retention of its initial specific capacitance (from current density of 0.5 to 16 A g-1), which was much higher than that of 2D graphene-modified electrode.

Adsorption of ion pairs onto graphene flakes and impacts of counterions during the adsorption processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Chang; Yun, Jiena; Wang, Qian; Yang, Gang

2018-03-01

Although cations and anions are two integral constituents for all electrolytes, adsorption of ion pairs onto carbonaceous materials gains obviously less attention than adsorption of only cations or anions. Here DFT calculations are employed finding that four adsorption configurations emerge for KI onto graphene flakes (GF) instead of three for the other ion pairs. Reservation of ionic bonds is critical to their stabilities, and the bilateral configurations, where GFs couple with both cations and anions, are disfavored due to rupture of ionic bonds. Relative stabilities of two vertical configurations can be regulated and even reversed through edge-functionalization. Surprisingly, the horizontal adsorption configurations, which are global energy minima as long as present, are non-existent for a majority of ion pairs, and their existence or not is determined by the adsorption differences between halide ions and alkali ions (△Ead). Counterions effects for both cations and anions increase with the atomic electronegativities and cations correspond to stronger counterion effects; e.g., Li+ added on the other side of GFs promotes the adsorption of F- more pronouncedly than edge-functionalization. Mechanisms of electron transfers are also discussed, and three alteration patterns by counterions are observed for each type of adsorption configurations. Furthermore, addition of counterions causes band gaps to vary within a wider range that may be useful to design electronic devices.

Decellularized bone extracellular matrix and human dental pulp stem cells as a construct for bone regeneration.

PubMed

Paduano, Francesco; Marrelli, Massimo; Alom, Noura; Amer, Mahetab; White, Lisa J; Shakesheff, Kevin M; Tatullo, Marco

2017-06-01

Dental pulp tissue represents a source of mesenchymal stem cells that have a strong differentiation potential towards the osteogenic lineage. The objective of the current study was to examine in vitro osteogenic induction of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) cultured on hydrogel scaffolds derived from decellularized bone extracellular matrix (bECM) compared to collagen type I (Col-I), the major component of bone matrix. DPSCs in combination with bECM hydrogels were cultured under three different conditions: basal medium, osteogenic medium and medium supplemented with growth factors (GFs) and cell growth, mineral deposition, gene and protein expression were investigated. The DPSCs/bECM hydrogel constructs cultured in basal medium showed that cells were viable after three weeks and that the expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX-2) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) were significantly upregulated in the absence of extra osteogenic inducers compared to Col-I hydrogel scaffolds. In addition, the protein expression levels of BSP and osteocalcin were higher on bECM with respect to Col-I hydrogel scaffolds. Furthermore, DPSCs/bECM hydrogels cultured with osteogenic or GFs supplemented medium displayed a higher upregulation of the osteo-specific markers compared to Col-I hydrogels in identical media. Collectively, our results demonstrate that bECM hydrogels might be considered as suitable scaffolds to support osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs.

Simulating the Effects of Irrigation over the U.S. in a Land Surface Model Based on Satellite Derived Agricultural Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ozdogan, Mutlu; Rodell, Matthew; Beaudoing, Hiroko Kato; Toll, David L.

2009-01-01

A novel method is introduced for integrating satellite derived irrigation data and high-resolution crop type information into a land surface model (LSM). The objective is to improve the simulation of land surface states and fluxes through better representation of agricultural land use. Ultimately, this scheme could enable numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to capture land-atmosphere feedbacks in managed lands more accurately and thus improve forecast skill. Here we show that application of the new irrigation scheme over the continental US significantly influences the surface water and energy balances by modulating the partitioning of water between the surface and the atmosphere. In our experiment, irrigation caused a 12% increase in evapotranspiration (QLE) and an equivalent reduction in the sensible heat flux (QH) averaged over all irrigated areas in the continental US during the 2003 growing season. Local effects were more extreme: irrigation shifted more than 100 W/m from QH to QLE in many locations in California, eastern Idaho, southern Washington, and southern Colorado during peak crop growth. In these cases, the changes in ground heat flux (QG), net radiation (RNET), evapotranspiration (ET), runoff (R), and soil moisture (SM) were more than 3 W/m(sup 2), 20 W/m(sup 2), 5 mm/day, 0.3 mm/day, and 100 mm, respectively. These results are highly relevant to continental- to global-scale water and energy cycle studies that, to date, have struggled to quantify the effects of agricultural management practices such as irrigation. Based on the results presented here, we expect that better representation of managed lands will lead to improved weather and climate forecasting skill when the new irrigation scheme is incorporated into NWP models such as NOAA's Global Forecast System (GFS).

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.wafs_grb45f06.nouswafs.grib

Science.gov Websites

Wind [m/s] 004 100 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 125 mb HGT 6 hour fcst Wind [m/s] 008 125 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 009 150 mb HGT 6 hour fcst Wind [m/s] 012 150 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 013 175 mb HGT 6 hour fcst

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2b.0p25.f000

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 1 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 006 1 mb ABSV Temperature [K] 011 2 mb RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 012 2 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s ] 013 2 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 014 2 mb ABSV analysis Absolute Vorticity [1/s] 015 2

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.0p25.anl

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 10 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 006 10 mb -Component of Wind [m/s] 011 20 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 012 20 mb ABSV analysis Absolute UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 018 30 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 019 30 mb

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2b.1p00.f000

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 1 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 006 1 mb ABSV Temperature [K] 011 2 mb RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 012 2 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s ] 013 2 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 014 2 mb ABSV analysis Absolute Vorticity [1/s] 015 2

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2b.0p50.f000

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 1 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 006 1 mb ABSV Temperature [K] 011 2 mb RH analysis Relative Humidity [%] 012 2 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s ] 013 2 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 014 2 mb ABSV analysis Absolute Vorticity [1/s] 015 2

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2.0p50.anl

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 10 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 006 10 mb -Component of Wind [m/s] 011 20 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 012 20 mb ABSV analysis Absolute UGRD analysis U-Component of Wind [m/s] 018 30 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of Wind [m/s] 019 30 mb

Comparative cytotoxicity of chlorophenols to cultured fish cells

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

Saito, Hotaka; Shigeoka, Tadayoshi

1994-10-01

In vitro cytotoxicity of chlorophenols to Cyprinus carpio brain (CCB) cells derived from carp and Oryzias latipes fin (OLF-136) cells derived from medaka was examined with the neutral red (3-amino-7-dimethylamino-2-methylphenazine hydrochloride) incorporation assay. Results were compared with previous cytotoxicity data of chlorophenols to goldfish (Carassius auratus) scale (GFS) cells derived from the goldfish. There were excellent correlations between the 24-h NR50 values of chlorophenols toward the three kinds of cells (r[sup 2] > 0.94).

Highly Strong and Elastic Graphene Fibres Prepared from Universal Graphene Oxide Precursors

PubMed Central

Huang, Guoji; Hou, Chengyi; Shao, Yuanlong; Wang, Hongzhi; Zhang, Qinghong; Li, Yaogang; Zhu, Meifang

2014-01-01

Graphene fibres are continuously prepared from universal graphene oxide precursors by a novel hydrogel-assisted spinning method. With assistance of a rolling process, meters of ribbon-like GFs, or GRs with improved conductivity, tensile strength, and a long-range ordered compact layer structure are successfully obtained. Furthermore, we refined our spinning process to obtained elastic GRs with a mixing microstructure and exceptional elasticity, which may provide a platform for electronic skins and wearable electronics, sensors, and energy devices. PMID:24576869

Analysis of Interface Properties of Hybrid Pre-stressed Strengthening RC Beams with Crack

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

Xie Zhihong; Huang Peiyan; Guo Yongchang

2010-05-21

A finite element (FE) analysis model of interface layer is established for the pre-stressed CFS-GFS hybrid strengthened beams. An elastic solution for the interfacial stress in the adhesive layer of the retrofitted beams is developed as well. The analytical results were compared with the FE results of interfacial stresses in the beams with different thickness of the adhesive and the fibre sheet. Different heights of Cracks in the interfacial layer of the concrete beam are considered in FE Model. Analysis results show the strengthening pattern is of excellent interface performance and the strength of the fiber sheet can be effectivelymore » utilized. The results also indicate the shear and normal stresses in the interfacial layer of the concrete beam release at the locations of the cracks and reach the maximal value before the concrete cracked. The shear and normal stresses in the adhesive layer increase abruptly, and the cracks in the adhesive layer then appear. The axial stresses of hybrid fiber sheet near the cracks decrease locally at the sites of the concrete cracks.« less

An Assessment of the Potential Predictability of Drought Over the United States Based on Climate Model Simulations with Specified SST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Siegfried; Wang, Hailan; Suarez, Max; Koster, Randal

2010-01-01

The USCLIV AR working group on drought recently initiated a series of global climate model simulations forced with idealized SST anomaly patterns, designed to address a number of uncertainties regarding the impact of SST forcing and the role of land-atmosphere feedbacks on regional drought. The runs were done with several global atmospheric models including NASA/NSIPP-l, NCEP/GFS, GFDLlAM2, and NCAR CCM3 and CAM3.5. Specific questions that the runs are designed to address include: What are mechanisms that maintain drought across the seasonal cycle and from one year to the next. To what extent can droughts develop independently of ocean variability due to year-to-year memory that may be inherent to the land. What is the role of the different ocean basins? Here we focus on the potential predictability of drought conditions over the United States. Specific issues addressed include the seasonality and regionality of the signal-to-noise ratios associated with Pacific and Atlantic SST forcing, and the sensitivity of the results to the climatological stationary waves simulated by the different AGCMs.

Cell surgery and growth factors in dry age-related macular degeneration: visual prognosis and morphological study

PubMed Central

Limoli, Paolo Giuseppe; Limoli, Celeste; Vingolo, Enzo Maria; Scalinci, Sergio Zaccaria; Nebbioso, Marcella

2016-01-01

Background The aim of this research was to study the overall restoration effect on residual retinal cells through surgically grafted autologous cells onto the surrounding tissue, choroid and retina in order to produce a constant secretion of growth factors (GFs) in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. Results 6 months after surgery, several values were statistically significant in the group with higher RTA. Also patient compliance analysis (PCA) in relation to functional change perception appeared to be very good. Methods Thirty-six eyes of 25 patients (range 64-84 years of age) affected by dry AMD were included in study, and divided in two groups by spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT): group A with retinal thickness average (RTA) less than 250 microns (μm) and group B with RTA equal to or more than 250 μm. Adipocytes, adipose-derived stem cells from the stromal-vascular fraction, and platelets from platelet-rich plasma were implanted in the suprachoroidal space. Particularly, the following parameters were evaluated: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for far and near distance, retinal thickness maps, scotopic and photopic electroretinogram (ERG), and microperimetry (MY). All statistical analyses were performed with STATA 14.0 (Collage Station, Texas, USA). Conclusions The available set of GFs allowed biological retinal neuroenhancement. After 6 months it improved visual performance (VP), but the increase was better if RTA recorded by OCT was higher, probably in relation to the presence of areas with greater cellularity. PMID:27391437

Cell surgery and growth factors in dry age-related macular degeneration: visual prognosis and morphological study.

PubMed

Limoli, Paolo Giuseppe; Limoli, Celeste; Vingolo, Enzo Maria; Scalinci, Sergio Zaccaria; Nebbioso, Marcella

2016-07-26

The aim of this research was to study the overall restoration effect on residual retinal cells through surgically grafted autologous cells onto the surrounding tissue, choroid and retina in order to produce a constant secretion of growth factors (GFs) in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients. 6 months after surgery, several values were statistically significant in the group with higher RTA. Also patient compliance analysis (PCA) in relation to functional change perception appeared to be very good. Thirty-six eyes of 25 patients (range 64-84 years of age) affected by dry AMD were included in study, and divided in two groups by spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT): group A with retinal thickness average (RTA) less than 250 microns (µm) and group B with RTA equal to or more than 250 µm. Adipocytes, adipose-derived stem cells from the stromal-vascular fraction, and platelets from platelet-rich plasma were implanted in the suprachoroidal space. Particularly, the following parameters were evaluated: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for far and near distance, retinal thickness maps, scotopic and photopic electroretinogram (ERG), and microperimetry (MY). All statistical analyses were performed with STATA 14.0 (Collage Station, Texas, USA). The available set of GFs allowed biological retinal neuroenhancement. After 6 months it improved visual performance (VP), but the increase was better if RTA recorded by OCT was higher, probably in relation to the presence of areas with greater cellularity.

Simulating infectious disease risk based on climatic drivers: from numerical weather prediction to long term climate change scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caminade, C.; Ndione, J. A.; Diallo, M.; MacLeod, D.; Faye, O.; Ba, Y.; Dia, I.; Medlock, J. M.; Leach, S.; McIntyre, K. M.; Baylis, M.; Morse, A. P.

2012-04-01

Climate variability is an important component in determining the incidence of a number of diseases with significant health and socioeconomic impacts. In particular, vector born diseases are the most likely to be affected by climate; directly via the development rates and survival of both the pathogen and the vector, and indirectly through changes in the surrounding environmental conditions. Disease risk models of various complexities using different streams of climate forecasts as inputs have been developed within the QWeCI EU and ENHanCE ERA-NET project frameworks. This work will present two application examples, one for Africa and one for Europe. First, we focus on Rift Valley fever over sub-Saharan Africa, a zoonosis that affects domestic animals and humans by causing an acute fever. We show that the Rift Valley fever outbreak that occurred in late 2010 in the northern Sahelian region of Mauritania might have been anticipated ten days in advance using the GFS numerical weather prediction system. Then, an ensemble of regional climate projections is employed to model the climatic suitability of the Asian tiger mosquito for the future over Europe. The Asian tiger mosquito is an invasive species originally from Asia which is able to transmit West Nile and Chikungunya Fever among others. This species has spread worldwide during the last decades, mainly through the shipments of goods from Asia. Different disease models are employed and inter-compared to achieve such a task. Results show that the climatic conditions over southern England, central Western Europe and the Balkans might become more suitable for the mosquito (including the proviso that the mosquito has already been introduced) to establish itself in the future.

Wrinkle-stabilized metal-graphene hybrid fibers with zero temperature coefficient of resistance.

PubMed

Fang, Bo; Xi, Jiabin; Liu, Yingjun; Guo, Fan; Xu, Zhen; Gao, Weiwei; Guo, Daoyou; Li, Peigang; Gao, Chao

2017-08-24

The interfacial adhesion between graphene and metals is poor, as metals tend to generate superlubricity on smooth graphene surface. This problem renders the free assembly of graphene and metals to be a big challenge, and therefore, some desired conducting properties (e.g., stable metal-like conductivities in air, lightweight yet flexible conductors, and ultralow temperature coefficient of resistance, TCR) likely being realized by integrating the merits of graphene and metals remains at a theoretical level. This work proposes a wrinkle-stabilized approach to address the poor adhesion between graphene surface and metals. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests and theoretical analysis by Scharifker-Hills models demonstrate that multiscale wrinkles effectively induce nucleation of metal particles, locking in metal nuclei and guiding the continuous growth of metal islands in an instantaneous model on rough graphene surface. The universality and practicability of the wrinkle-stabilized approach is verified by our investigation through the electrodeposition of nine kinds of metals on graphene fibers (GF). The strong interface bonding permits metal-graphene hybrid fibers to show metal-level conductivities (up to 2.2 × 10 7 S m -1 , a record high value for GF in air), reliable weatherability and favorable flexibility. Due to the negative TCR of graphene and positive TCR of metals, the TCR of Cu- and Au-coated GFs reaches zero at a wide temperature range (15 K-300 K). For this layered model, the quantitative analysis by classical theories demonstrates the suitable thickness ratio of graphene layer and metal layer to achieve zero TCR to be 0.2, agreeing well with our experimental results. This wrinkle-stabilized approach and our theoretical analysis of zero-TCR behavior of the graphene-metal system are conducive to the design of high-performance conducting materials based on graphene and metals.

Data Assimilation Cycling for Weather Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tran, Nam; Li, Yongzuo; Fitzpatrick, Patrick

2008-01-01

This software package runs the atmospheric model MM5 in data assimilation cycling mode to produce an optimized weather analysis, including the ability to insert or adjust a hurricane vortex. The program runs MM5 through a cycle of short forecasts every three hours where the vortex is adjusted to match the observed hurricane location and storm intensity. This technique adjusts the surrounding environment so that the proper steering current and environmental shear are achieved. MM5cycle uses a Cressman analysis to blend observation into model fields to get a more accurate weather analysis. Quality control of observations is also done in every cycle to remove bad data that may contaminate the analysis. This technique can assimilate and propagate data in time from intermittent and infrequent observations while maintaining the atmospheric field in a dynamically balanced state. The software consists of a C-shell script (MM5cycle.driver) and three FORTRAN programs (splitMM5files.F, comRegrid.F, and insert_vortex.F), and are contained in the pre-processor component of MM5 called "Regridder." The model is first initialized with data from a global model such as the Global Forecast System (GFS), which also provides lateral boundary conditions. These data are separated into single-time files using splitMM5.F. The hurricane vortex is then bogussed in the correct location and with the correct wind field using insert_vortex.F. The modified initial and boundary conditions are then recombined into the model fields using comRegrid.F. The model then makes a three-hour forecast. The three-hour forecast data from MM5 now become the analysis for the next short forecast run, where the vortex will again be adjusted. The process repeats itself until the desired time of analysis is achieved. This code can also assimilate observations if desired.

From DNS to RANS: A Multi-model workflow to understand the Influence of Hurricanes on Generating Turbidity Currents in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syvitski, J. P.; Arango, H.; Harris, C. K.; Meiburg, E. H.; Jenkins, C. J.; Auad, G.; Hutton, E.; Kniskern, T. A.; Radhakrishnan, S.

2016-12-01

A loosely coupled numerical workflow is developed to address land-sea pathways for sediment routing from terrestrial and coastal sources, across the continental shelf and ultimately down the continental slope canyon system of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Model simulations represent a range of environmental conditions that might lead to the generation of turbidity-currents. The workflow comprises: 1) A simulator for the water and sediment discharged from rivers into the GOM with WMBsedv2 with calibration using USGS and USACE gauged river data; 2) Domain grids and bathymetry (ETOPO2) for the ocean models and realistic seabed sediment texture grids (dbSEABED) for the sediment transport models; 3) A spectral wave action simulator (10 km resolution) (WaveWatch III) driven by GFDL - GFS winds; 4) A simulator for ocean dynamics (ROMS) forced with ECMWF ERA winds; 5) A simulator for seafloor resuspension and transport (CSTMS); 6) Simulators (HurriSlip) of seafloor failure and flow ignition locations for boundary input to a turbidity current model; and 7) A RANS turbidity current model (TURBINS) to route sediment flows down GOM canyons, providing estimates of bottom shear stresses. TURBINS was developed first as a DNS model and then converted to an LES model wherein a dynamic turbulence closure scheme was employed. Like most DNS to LES model comparisons (these being done by the UCSB team), turbulence scaling allowed for higher Re applications but were found still not capable of simulating field scale (GOM continental canyons) environments. The LES model was next converted to a non-hydrostatic RANS model capable of field scale applications but only with a daisy-chain approach to multiple model runs along the simulated canyon floor. These model adaptations allowed the workflow to be tested for the year 1-Oct-2007 to 30-Sep-2008 that included two domain Hurricanes (Ike and Gustav). The RANS-TURBINS employed further boundary simplifications on both sediment erosion and deposition in line with the ocean model ROMS-CSTMS.

Adding Four- Dimensional Data Assimilation (aka grid ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Adding four-dimensional data assimilation (a.k.a. grid nudging) to MPAS.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is investigating the use of MPAS as the meteorological driver for its next-generation air quality model. To function as such, MPAS needs to operate in a diagnostic mode in much the same manner as the current meteorological driver, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The WRF operates in diagnostic mode using Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation, also known as "grid nudging". MPAS version 4.0 has been modified with the addition of an FDDA routine to the standard physics drivers to nudge the state variables for wind, temperature and water vapor towards MPAS initialization fields defined at 6-hour intervals from GFS-derived data. The results to be shown demonstrate the ability to constrain MPAS simulations to known historical conditions and thus provide the U.S. EPA with a practical meteorological driver for global-scale air quality simulations. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposure Division (CED) develops and evaluates data, decision-support tools, and models to be applied to media-specific or receptor-specific problem areas. CED uses modeling-based approaches to characterize exposures, evaluate fate and transport, and support environmental diagnostics/forensics with input from multiple data sources. It also develops media- and receptor-specific models, process models, and decision support tools for use bo

Assimilation of Quality Controlled AIRS Temperature Profiles using the NCEP GFS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Susskind, Joel; Reale, Oreste; Iredell, Lena; Rosenberg, Robert

2013-01-01

We have previously conducted a number of data assimilation experiments using AIRS Version-5 quality controlled temperature profiles as a step toward finding an optimum balance of spatial coverage and sounding accuracy with regard to improving forecast skill. The data assimilation and forecast system we used was the Goddard Earth Observing System Model , Version-5 (GEOS-5) Data Assimilation System (DAS), which represents a combination of the NASA GEOS-5 forecast model with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) operational Grid Point Statistical Interpolation (GSI) global analysis scheme. All analyses and forecasts were run at a 0.5deg x 0.625deg spatial resolution. Data assimilation experiments were conducted in four different seasons, each in a different year. Three different sets of data assimilation experiments were run during each time period: Control; AIRS T(p); and AIRS Radiance. In the "Control" analysis, all the data used operationally by NCEP was assimilated, but no AIRS data was assimilated. Radiances from the Aqua AMSU-A instrument were also assimilated operationally by NCEP and are included in the "Control". The AIRS Radiance assimilation adds AIRS observed radiance observations for a select set of channels to the data set being assimilated, as done operationally by NCEP. In the AIRS T(p) assimilation, all information used in the Control was assimilated as well as Quality Controlled AIRS Version-5 temperature profiles, i.e., AIRS T(p) information was substituted for AIRS radiance information. The AIRS Version-5 temperature profiles were presented to the GSI analysis as rawinsonde profiles, assimilated down to a case-by-case appropriate pressure level p(sub best) determined using the Quality Control procedure. Version-5 also determines case-by-case, level-by-level error estimates of the temperature profiles, which were used as the uncertainty of each temperature measurement. These experiments using GEOS-5 have shown that forecasts resulting from analyses using the AIRS T(p) assimilation system were superior to those from the Radiance assimilation system, both with regard to global 7 day forecast skill and also the ability to predict storm tracks and intensity.

Wind Power predictability a risk factor in the design, construction and operation of Wind Generation Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiesen, J.; Gulstad, L.; Ristic, I.; Maric, T.

2010-09-01

Summit: The wind power predictability is often a forgotten decision and planning factor for most major wind parks, both onshore and offshore. The results of the predictability are presented after having examined a number of European offshore and offshore parks power predictability by using three(3) mesoscale model IRIE_GFS and IRIE_EC and WRF. Full description: It is well known that the potential wind production is changing with latitude and complexity in terrain, but how big are the changes in the predictability and the economic impacts on a project? The concept of meteorological predictability has hitherto to some degree been neglected as a risk factor in the design, construction and operation of wind power plants. Wind power plants are generally built in places where the wind resources are high, but these are often also sites where the predictability of the wind and other weather parameters is comparatively low. This presentation addresses the question of whether higher predictability can outweigh lower average wind speeds with regard to the overall economy of a wind power project. Low predictability also tends to reduce the value of the energy produced. If it is difficult to forecast the wind on a site, it will also be difficult to predict the power production. This, in turn, leads to increased balance costs and a less reduced carbon emission from the renewable source. By investigating the output from three(3) mesoscale models IRIE and WRF, using ECMWF and GFS as boundary data over a forecasting period of 3 months for 25 offshore and onshore wind parks in Europe, the predictability are mapped. Three operational mesoscale models with two different boundary data have been chosen in order to eliminate the uncertainty with one mesoscale model. All mesoscale models are running in a 10 km horizontal resolution. The model output are converted into "day a head" wind turbine generation forecasts by using a well proven advanced physical wind power model. The power models are using a number of weather parameters like wind speed in different heights, friction velocity and DTHV. The 25 wind sites are scattered around in Europe and contains 4 offshore parks and 21 onshore parks in various terrain complexity. The "day a head" forecasts are compared with production data and predictability for the period February 2010-April 2010 are given in Mean Absolute Errors (MAE) and Root Mean Squared Errors (RMSE). The power predictability results are mapped for each turbine giving a clear picture of the predictability in Europe. . Finally a economic analysis are shown for each wind parks in different regimes of predictability will be compared with regard to the balance costs that result from errors in the wind power prediction. Analysis shows that it may very well be profitable to place wind parks in regions of lower, but more predictable wind ressource. Authors: Ivan Ristic, CTO Weather2Umberlla D.O.O Tomislav Maric, Meteorologist at Global Flow Solutions Vestas Wind Technology R&D Line Gulstad, Manager Global Flow Solutions Vestas Wind Technology R&D Jesper Thiesen, CEO ConWx ApS

NASA's Climate in a Box: Desktop Supercomputing for Open Scientific Model Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojcik, G. S.; Seablom, M. S.; Lee, T. J.; McConaughy, G. R.; Syed, R.; Oloso, A.; Kemp, E. M.; Greenseid, J.; Smith, R.

2009-12-01

NASA's High Performance Computing Portfolio in cooperation with its Modeling, Analysis, and Prediction program intends to make its climate and earth science models more accessible to a larger community. A key goal of this effort is to open the model development and validation process to the scientific community at large such that a natural selection process is enabled and results in a more efficient scientific process. One obstacle to others using NASA models is the complexity of the models and the difficulty in learning how to use them. This situation applies not only to scientists who regularly use these models but also non-typical users who may want to use the models such as scientists from different domains, policy makers, and teachers. Another obstacle to the use of these models is that access to high performance computing (HPC) accounts, from which the models are implemented, can be restrictive with long wait times in job queues and delays caused by an arduous process of obtaining an account, especially for foreign nationals. This project explores the utility of using desktop supercomputers in providing a complete ready-to-use toolkit of climate research products to investigators and on demand access to an HPC system. One objective of this work is to pre-package NASA and NOAA models so that new users will not have to spend significant time porting the models. In addition, the prepackaged toolkit will include tools, such as workflow, visualization, social networking web sites, and analysis tools, to assist users in running the models and analyzing the data. The system architecture to be developed will allow for automatic code updates for each user and an effective means with which to deal with data that are generated. We plan to investigate several desktop systems, but our work to date has focused on a Cray CX1. Currently, we are investigating the potential capabilities of several non-traditional development environments. While most NASA and NOAA models are designed for Linux operating systems (OS), the arrival of the WindowsHPC 2008 OS provides the opportunity to evaluate the use of a new platform on which to develop and port climate and earth science models. In particular, we are evaluating Microsoft's Visual Studio Integrated Developer Environment to determine its appropriateness for the climate modeling community. In the initial phases of this project, we have ported GEOS-5, WRF, GISS ModelE, and GFS to Linux on a CX1 and are in the process of porting WRF and ModelE to WindowsHPC 2008. Initial tests on the CX1 Linux OS indicate favorable comparisons in terms of performance and consistency of scientific results when compared with experiments executed on NASA high end systems. As in the past, NASA's large clusters will continue to be an important part of our objectives. We envision a seamless environment in which an investigator performs model development and testing on a desktop system and can seamlessly transfer execution to supercomputer clusters for production.

A Weather Analysis and Forecasting System for Baja California, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farfan, L. M.

2006-05-01

The weather of the Baja California Peninsula, part of northwestern Mexico, is mild and dry most of the year. However, during the summer, humid air masses associated with tropical cyclones move northward in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Added features that create a unique meteorological situation include mountain ranges along the spine of the peninsula, warm water in the Gulf of California, and the cold California Current in the Pacific. These features interact with the environmental flow to induce conditions that play a role in the occurrence of localized, convective systems during the approach of tropical cyclones. Most of these events occur late in the summer, generating heavy precipitation, strong winds, lightning, and are associated with significant property damage to the local populations. Our goal is to provide information on the characteristics of these weather systems by performing an analysis of observations derived from a regional network. This includes imagery from radar and geostationary satellite, and data from surface stations. A set of real-time products are generated in our research center and are made available to a broad audience (researchers, students, and business employees) by using an internet site. Graphical products are updated anywhere from one to 24 hours and includes predictions from numerical models. Forecasts are derived from an operational model (GFS) and locally generated simulations based on a mesoscale model (MM5). Our analysis and forecasting system has been in operation since the summer of 2005 and was used as a reference for a set of discussions during the development of eastern Pacific tropical cyclones. This basin had 15 named storms and none of them made landfall on the west coast of Mexico; however, four systems were within 800 km from the area of interest, resulting in some convective activity. During the whole season, a group of 30 users from our institution, government offices, and local businesses received daily information on storm location, expected track, and potential impact on weather conditions over Baja California. From late June through October, a set of more than 50 messages were issued daily and distributed to these users. This presentation focuses on providing an overview of the lessons learned from this experience, feedback from users, and our plans for the upcoming 2006 season.

A seamless global hydrological monitoring and forecasting system for water resources assessment and hydrological hazard early warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheffield, Justin; He, Xiaogang; Wood, Eric; Pan, Ming; Wanders, Niko; Zhan, Wang; Peng, Liqing

2017-04-01

Sustainable management of water resources and mitigation of the impacts of hydrological hazards are becoming ever more important at large scales because of inter-basin, inter-country and inter-continental connections in water dependent sectors. These include water resources management, food production, and energy production, whose needs must be weighed against the water needs of ecosystems and preservation of water resources for future generations. The strains on these connections are likely to increase with climate change and increasing demand from burgeoning populations and rapid development, with potential for conflict over water. At the same time, network connections may provide opportunities to alleviate pressures on water availability through more efficient use of resources such as trade in water dependent goods. A key constraint on understanding, monitoring and identifying solutions to increasing competition for water resources and hazard risk is the availability of hydrological data for monitoring and forecasting water resources and hazards. We present a global online system that provides continuous and consistent water products across time scales, from the historic instrumental period, to real-time monitoring, short-term and seasonal forecasts, and climate change projections. The system is intended to provide data and tools for analysis of historic hydrological variability and trends, water resources assessment, monitoring of evolving hazards and forecasts for early warning, and climate change scale projections of changes in water availability and extreme events. The system is particular useful for scientists and stakeholders interested in regions with less available in-situ data, and where forecasts have the potential to help decision making. The system is built on a database of high-resolution climate data from 1950 to present that merges available observational records with bias-corrected reanalysis and satellite data, which then drives a coupled land surface model-flood inundation model to produce hydrological variables and indices at daily, 0.25-degree resolution, globally. The system is updated in near real-time (< 2 days) using satellite precipitation and weather model data, and produces forecasts at short-term (out to 7 days) based on the Global Forecast System (GFS) and seasonal (up to 6 months) based on U.S. National Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) seasonal forecasts. Climate change projections are based on bias-corrected and downscaled CMIP5 climate data that is used to force the hydrological model. Example products from the system include real-time and forecast drought indices for precipitation, soil moisture, and streamflow, and flood magnitude and extent indices. The model outputs are complemented by satellite based products and indices based on satellite data for vegetation health (MODIS NDVI) and soil moisture (SMAP). We show examples of the validation of the system at regional scales, including how local information can significantly improve predictions, and examples of how the system can be used to understand large-scale water resource issues, and in real-world contexts for early warning, decision making and planning.

Ambient observations of hygroscopic growth factor and f(RH) below 1: Case studies from surface and airborne measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shingler, Taylor; Sorooshian, Armin; Ortega, Amber; Crosbie, Ewan; Wonaschütz, Anna; Perring, Anne E.; Beyersdorf, Andreas; Ziemba, Luke; Jimenez, Jose L.; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Mikoviny, Tomas; Wisthaler, Armin; Russell, Lynn M.

2016-11-01

This study reports a detailed set of ambient observations of optical/physical shrinking of particles from exposure to water vapor with consistency across different instruments and regions. Data have been utilized from (i) a shipboard humidified tandem differential mobility analyzer during the Eastern Pacific Emitted Aerosol Cloud Experiment in 2011, (ii) multiple instruments on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft during the Studies of Emissions, Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys in 2013, and (iii) the Differential Aerosol Sizing and Hygroscopicity Spectrometer Probe during ambient measurements in Tucson, Arizona, during summer 2014 and winter 2015. Hygroscopic growth factor (ratio of humidified-to-dry diameter, GF = Dp,wet/Dp,dry) and f(RH) (ratio of humidified-to-dry scattering coefficients) values below 1 were observed across the range of relative humidity (RH) investigated (75-95%). A commonality of observations of GF and f(RH) below 1 in these experiments was the presence of particles enriched with carbonaceous matter, especially from biomass burning. Evidence of externally mixed aerosol, and thus multiple GFs with at least one GF < 1, was observed concurrently with f(RH) < 1 during smoke periods. Possible mechanisms responsible for observed shrinkage are discussed and include particle restructuring, volatilization effects, and refractive index modifications due to aqueous processing resulting in optical size modification. To further investigate ambient observations of GFs and f(RH) values less than 1, it is recommended to add an optional prehumidification bypass module to hygroscopicity instruments, to preemptively collapse particles prior to controlled RH measurements.

Wave ensemble forecast in the Western Mediterranean Sea, application to an early warning system.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pallares, Elena; Hernandez, Hector; Moré, Jordi; Espino, Manuel; Sairouni, Abdel

2015-04-01

The Western Mediterranean Sea is a highly heterogeneous and variable area, as is reflected on the wind field, the current field, and the waves, mainly in the first kilometers offshore. As a result of this variability, the wave forecast in these regions is quite complicated to perform, usually with some accuracy problems during energetic storm events. Moreover, is in these areas where most of the economic activities take part, including fisheries, sailing, tourism, coastal management and offshore renewal energy platforms. In order to introduce an indicator of the probability of occurrence of the different sea states and give more detailed information of the forecast to the end users, an ensemble wave forecast system is considered. The ensemble prediction systems have already been used in the last decades for the meteorological forecast; to deal with the uncertainties of the initial conditions and the different parametrizations used in the models, which may introduce some errors in the forecast, a bunch of different perturbed meteorological simulations are considered as possible future scenarios and compared with the deterministic forecast. In the present work, the SWAN wave model (v41.01) has been implemented for the Western Mediterranean sea, forced with wind fields produced by the deterministic Global Forecast System (GFS) and Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS). The wind fields includes a deterministic forecast (also named control), between 11 and 21 ensemble members, and some intelligent member obtained from the ensemble, as the mean of all the members. Four buoys located in the study area, moored in coastal waters, have been used to validate the results. The outputs include all the time series, with a forecast horizon of 8 days and represented in spaghetti diagrams, the spread of the system and the probability at different thresholds. The main goal of this exercise is to be able to determine the degree of the uncertainty of the wave forecast, meaningful between the 5th and the 8th day of the prediction. The information obtained is then included in an early warning system, designed in the framework of the European project iCoast (ECHO/SUB/2013/661009) with the aim of set alarms in coastal areas depending on the wave conditions, the sea level, the flooding and the run up in the coast.

Sensitivity of Satellite-Based Skin Temperature to Different Surface Emissivity and NWP Reanalysis Sources Demonstrated Using a Single-Channel, Viewing-Angle-Corrected Retrieval Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarino, B. R.; Minnis, P.; Yost, C. R.; Chee, T.; Palikonda, R.

2015-12-01

Single-channel algorithms for satellite thermal-infrared- (TIR-) derived land and sea surface skin temperature (LST and SST) are advantageous in that they can be easily applied to a variety of satellite sensors. They can also accommodate decade-spanning instrument series, particularly for periods when split-window capabilities are not available. However, the benefit of one unified retrieval methodology for all sensors comes at the cost of critical sensitivity to surface emissivity (ɛs) and atmospheric transmittance estimation. It has been demonstrated that as little as 0.01 variance in ɛs can amount to more than a 0.5-K adjustment in retrieved LST values. Atmospheric transmittance requires calculations that employ vertical profiles of temperature and humidity from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Selection of a given NWP model can significantly affect LST and SST agreement relative to their respective validation sources. Thus, it is necessary to understand the accuracies of the retrievals for various NWP models to ensure the best LST/SST retrievals. The sensitivities of the single-channel retrievals to surface emittance and NWP profiles are investigated using NASA Langley historic land and ocean clear-sky skin temperature (Ts) values derived from high-resolution 11-μm TIR brightness temperature measured from geostationary satellites (GEOSat) and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers (AVHRR). It is shown that mean GEOSat-derived, anisotropy-corrected LST can vary by up to ±0.8 K depending on whether CERES or MODIS ɛs sources are used. Furthermore, the use of either NOAA Global Forecast System (GFS) or NASA Goddard Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) for the radiative transfer model initial atmospheric state can account for more than 0.5-K variation in mean Ts. The results are compared to measurements from the Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD), an Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program ground station, and NOAA ESRL high-resolution Optimum Interpolation SST (OISST). Precise understanding of the influence these auxiliary inputs have on final satellite-based Ts retrievals may help guide refinement in ɛs characterization and NWP development, e.g., future Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation System versions.

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2b.1p00.f006

Science.gov Websites

mb UGRD 6 hour fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 1 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 006 hour fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 013 2 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 014 2 mb ABSV 6 fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 021 3 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 022 3 mb ABSV 6 hour

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2b.0p25.f006

Science.gov Websites

mb UGRD 6 hour fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 1 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 006 hour fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 013 2 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 014 2 mb ABSV 6 fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 021 3 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 022 3 mb ABSV 6 hour

Inventory of File gfs.t06z.pgrb2b.0p50.f006

Science.gov Websites

mb UGRD 6 hour fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 005 1 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 006 hour fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 013 2 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 014 2 mb ABSV 6 fcst U-Component of Wind [m/s] 021 3 mb VGRD 6 hour fcst V-Component of Wind [m/s] 022 3 mb ABSV 6 hour

Bioreactor strategy in bone tissue engineering: pre-culture and osteogenic differentiation under two flow configurations.

PubMed

Kim, Junho; Ma, Teng

2012-11-01

Since robust osteogenic differentiation and mineralization are integral to the engineering of bone constructs, understanding the impact of the cellular microenvironments on human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSCs) osteogenic differentiation is crucial to optimize bioreactor strategy. Two perfusion flow conditions were utilized in order to understand the impact of the flow configuration on hMSC construct development during both pre-culture (PC) in growth media and its subsequent osteogenic induction (OI). The media in the in-house perfusion bioreactor was controlled to perfuse either around (termed parallel flow [PF]) the construct surfaces or penetrate through the construct (termed transverse flow [TF]) for 7 days of the PC followed by 7 days of the OI. The flow configuration during the PC not only changed growth kinetics but also influenced cell distribution and potency of osteogenic differentiation and mineralization during the subsequent OI. While shear stress resulted from the TF stimulated cell proliferation during PC, the convective removal of de novo extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and growth factors (GFs) reduced cell proliferation on OI. In contrast, the effective retention of de novo ECM proteins and GFs in the PC constructs under the PF maintained cell proliferation under the OI but resulted in localized cell aggregations, which influenced their osteogenic differentiation. The results revealed the contrasting roles of the convective flow as a mechanical stimulus, the redistribution of the cells and macromolecules in 3D constructs, and their divergent impacts on cellular events, leading to bone construct formation. The results suggest that the modulation of the flow configuration in the perfusion bioreactor is an effective strategy that regulates the construct properties and maximizes the functional outcome.

Comparison of Four Protocols to Generate Chondrocyte-Like Cells from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs).

PubMed

Suchorska, Wiktoria Maria; Augustyniak, Ewelina; Richter, Magdalena; Trzeciak, Tomasz

2017-04-01

Stem cells (SCs) are a promising approach to regenerative medicine, with the potential to treat numerous orthopedic disorders, including osteo-degenerative diseases. The development of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has increased the potential of SCs for new treatments. However, current methods of differentiating hiPSCs into chondrocyte-like cells are suboptimal and better methods are needed. The aim of the present study was to assess four different chondrogenic differentiation protocols to identify the most efficient method of generating hiPSC-derived chondrocytes. For this study, hiPSCs were obtained from primary human dermal fibroblasts (PHDFs) and differentiated into chondrocyte-like cells using four different protocols: 1) monolayer culture with defined growth factors (GF); 2) embryoid bodies (EBs) in a chondrogenic medium with TGF-β3 cells; 3) EBs in chondrogenic medium conditioned with human chondrocytes (HC-402-05a cell line) and 4) EBs in chondrogenic medium conditioned with human chondrocytes and supplemented with TGF-β3. The cells obtained through these four protocols were evaluated and compared at the mRNA and protein levels. Although chondrogenic differentiation of hiPSCs was successfully achieved with all of these protocols, the two fastest and most cost-effective methods were the monolayer culture with GFs and the medium conditioned with human chondrocytes. Both of these methods are superior to other available techniques. The main advantage of the conditioned medium is that the technique is relatively simple and inexpensive while the directed method (i.e., monolayer culture with GFs) is faster than any protocol described to date because it is does not require additional steps such as EB formation.

Identification of an AR Mutation-Negative Class of Androgen Insensitivity by Determining Endogenous AR Activity.

PubMed

Hornig, N C; Ukat, M; Schweikert, H U; Hiort, O; Werner, R; Drop, S L S; Cools, M; Hughes, I A; Audi, L; Ahmed, S F; Demiri, J; Rodens, P; Worch, L; Wehner, G; Kulle, A E; Dunstheimer, D; Müller-Roßberg, E; Reinehr, T; Hadidi, A T; Eckstein, A K; van der Horst, C; Seif, C; Siebert, R; Ammerpohl, O; Holterhus, P-M

2016-11-01

Only approximately 85% of patients with a clinical diagnosis complete androgen insensitivity syndrome and less than 30% with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome can be explained by inactivating mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. The objective of the study was to clarify this discrepancy by in vitro determination of AR transcriptional activity in individuals with disorders of sex development (DSD) and male controls. Quantification of DHT-dependent transcriptional induction of the AR target gene apolipoprotein D (APOD) in cultured genital fibroblasts (GFs) (APOD assay) and next-generation sequencing of the complete coding and noncoding AR locus. The study was conducted at a university hospital endocrine research laboratory. GFs from 169 individuals were studied encompassing control males (n = 68), molecular defined DSD other than androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS; n = 18), AR mutation-positive AIS (n = 37), and previously undiagnosed DSD including patients with a clinical suspicion of AIS (n = 46). There were no interventions. DHT-dependent APOD expression in cultured GF and AR mutation status in 169 individuals was measured. The APOD assay clearly separated control individuals (healthy males and molecular defined DSD patients other than AIS) from genetically proven AIS (cutoff < 2.3-fold APOD-induction; 100% sensitivity, 93.3% specificity, P < .0001). Of 46 DSD individuals with no AR mutation, 17 (37%) fell below the cutoff, indicating disrupted androgen signaling. AR mutation-positive AIS can be reliably identified by the APOD assay. Its combination with next-generation sequencing of the AR locus uncovered an AR mutation-negative, new class of androgen resistance, which we propose to name AIS type II. Our data support the existence of cellular components outside the AR affecting androgen signaling during sexual differentiation with high clinical relevance.

Visual function affects prosocial behaviors in older adults.

PubMed

Teoli, Dac A; Smith, Merideth D; Leys, Monique J; Jain, Priyanka; Odom, J Vernon

2016-02-01

Eye-related pathological conditions such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration commonly lead to decreased peripheral/central field, decreased visual acuity, and increased functional disability. We sought to answer if relationships exist between measures of visual function and reported prosocial behaviors in an older adult population with eye-related diagnoses. The sample consisted of adults, aged ≥ 60 years old, at an academic hospital's eye institute. Vision ranged from normal to severe impairment. Medical charts determined the visual acuities, ocular disease, duration of disease (DD), and visual fields (VF). Measures of giving help were via validated questionnaires on giving formal support (GFS) and giving informal support; measures of help received were perceived support (PS) and informal support received (ISR). ISR had subscales: tangible support (ISR-T), emotional support (ISR-E), and composite (ISR-C). Visual acuities of the better and worse seeing eyes were converted to LogMAR values. VF information converted to a 4-point rating scale of binocular field loss severity. DD was in years. Among 96 participants (mean age 73.28; range 60-94), stepwise regression indicated a relationship of visual variables to GFS (p < 0.05; Multiple R (2) = 0.1679 with acuity-better eye, VF rating, and DD), PS (p < 0.05; Multiple R (2) = 0.2254 with acuity-better eye), ISR-C (p < 0.05; Multiple R (2) = 0.041 with acuity-better eye), and ISR-T (p < 0.05; Multiple R (2) = 0.1421 with acuity-better eye). The findings suggest eye-related conditions can impact levels and perceptions of support exchanges. Our data reinforces the importance of visual function as an influence on prosocial behavior in older adults.

The Early-Warning System for incoming storm surge and tide in the Republic of Mauritius

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogaard, Tom; de Lima Rego, Joao; Vatvani, Deepak; Virasami, Renganaden; Verlaan, Martin

2016-04-01

The Republic of Mauritius (ROM) is a group of islands in the South West of the Indian Ocean, consisting of the main islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and Agalega and the archipelago of Saint Brandon. The ROM is particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, especially in the coastal zone, where a convergence of accelerating sea level rise and increasing intensity of tropical cyclones is expected to result in considerable economic loss, humanitarian stresses, and environmental degradation. Storm surges and swell waves are expected to be aggravated through sea level rise and climate change effects on weather patterns. Adaptation to increased vulnerability requires a re-evaluation of existing preparedness measures. The focus of this project is on more effective preparedness and issuing of alerts developing a fully-automated Early-Warning System for incoming storm surge and tide, together with the Mauritius Meteorological Services and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre (NDRRMC), such that coastal communities in Mauritius, Rodrigues and Agalega Islands are able to evacuate timely and safely in case of predicted extreme water levels. The Mauritius Early-Warning System for storm surge and tide was implemented using software from Deltares' Open-Source and free software Community. A set of five depth-averaged Delft3D-FLOW hydrodynamic models are run every six-hours with a forecast horizon of three days, simulating water levels along the coast of the three main islands. Two regional models of horizontal resolution 5km force the three detailed models of 500m resolution; all models are forced at the surface by the 0.25° NOAA/GFS meteorological forecasts. In addition, our Wind-Enhancement Scheme is used to blend detailed cyclone track bulletin's info with the larger-scale Numerical Weather Predictions. Measured data is retrieved near real-time from available Automatic Weather Stations. All these workflows are managed by the operational platform software, Delft-FEWS. The presently operational Mauritius Early-Warning System produces a set of intuitive tables for each island, containing time- and space-varying information on threshold crossings by predicted water levels. At multiple locations for each island of the ROM, the operator is informed in one glance about the recommended preparedness level, from "Safe" to "Watch", "Alert" or "Warning" based on water level forecasts. The HTML page was designed together with the MMS and the NDRRMC, in order to be easy to interpret and disseminate by local authorities.

Ensemble-sensitivity Analysis Based Observation Targeting for Mesoscale Convection Forecasts and Factors Influencing Observation-Impact Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, A.; Weiss, C.; Ancell, B. C.

2017-12-01

The basic premise of observation targeting is that additional observations, when gathered and assimilated with a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model, will produce a more accurate forecast related to a specific phenomenon. Ensemble-sensitivity analysis (ESA; Ancell and Hakim 2007; Torn and Hakim 2008) is a tool capable of accurately estimating the proper location of targeted observations in areas that have initial model uncertainty and large error growth, as well as predicting the reduction of forecast variance due to the assimilated observation. ESA relates an ensemble of NWP model forecasts, specifically an ensemble of scalar forecast metrics, linearly to earlier model states. A thorough investigation is presented to determine how different factors of the forecast process are impacting our ability to successfully target new observations for mesoscale convection forecasts. Our primary goals for this work are to determine: (1) If targeted observations hold more positive impact over non-targeted (i.e. randomly chosen) observations; (2) If there are lead-time constraints to targeting for convection; (3) How inflation, localization, and the assimilation filter influence impact prediction and realized results; (4) If there exist differences between targeted observations at the surface versus aloft; and (5) how physics errors and nonlinearity may augment observation impacts.Ten cases of dryline-initiated convection between 2011 to 2013 are simulated within a simplified OSSE framework and presented here. Ensemble simulations are produced from a cycling system that utilizes the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model v3.8.1 within the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART). A "truth" (nature) simulation is produced by supplying a 3-km WRF run with GFS analyses and integrating the model forward 90 hours, from the beginning of ensemble initialization through the end of the forecast. Target locations for surface and radiosonde observations are computed 6, 12, and 18 hours into the forecast based on a chosen scalar forecast response metric (e.g., maximum reflectivity at convection initiation). A variety of experiments are designed to achieve the aforementioned goals and will be presented, along with their results, detailing the feasibility of targeting for mesoscale convection forecasts.

Automated turbulence forecasts for aviation hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharman, R.; Frehlich, R.; Vandenberghe, F.

2010-09-01

An operational turbulence forecast system for commercial and aviation use is described that is based on an ensemble of turbulence diagnostics derived from standard NWP model outputs. In the U. S. this forecast product is named GTG (Graphical Turbulence Guidance) and has been described in detail in Sharman et al., WAF 2006. Since turbulence has many sources in the atmosphere, the ensemble approach of combining diagnostics has been shown to provide greater statistical accuracy than the use of a single diagnostic, or of a subgrid tke parameterization. GTG is sponsored by the FAA, and has undergone rigorous accuracy, safety, and usability evaluations. The GTG product is now hosted on NOAA's Aviation Data Service (ADDS), web site (http://aviationweather.gov/), for access by pilots, air traffic controllers, and dispatchers. During this talk the various turbulence diagnostics, their statistical properties, and their relative performance (based on comparisons to observations) will be presented. Importantly, the model output is ɛ1/3 (where ɛ is the eddy dissipation rate), so is aircraft independent. The diagnostics are individually and collectively calibrated so that their PDFs satisfy the expected log normal distribution of ɛ^1/3. Some of the diagnostics try to take into account the role of gravity waves and inertia-gravity waves in the turbulence generation process. Although the current GTG product is based on the RUC forecast model running over the CONUS, it is transitioning to a WRF based product, and in fact WRF-based versions are currently running operationally over Taiwan and has also been implemented for use by the French Navy in climatological studies. Yet another version has been developed which uses GFS model output to provide global turbulence forecasts. Thus the forecast product is available as a postprocessing program for WRF or other model output and provides 3D maps of turbulence likelihood of any region where NWP model data is available. Although the current GTG has been used mainly for large commercial aircraft, since the output is aircraft independent it could readily be scaled to smaller aircraft such as UAVs. Further, the ensemble technique allows the diagnostics to be used to form probabilistic forecasts, in a manner similar to ensemble NWP forecasts.

WRF dynamically downscaling PCM data for climate change impacts in California & application of a signal technique to the source-receptor relationship in WRF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhan

2009-12-01

My dissertation consists of three parts. Parts I and II are focused on the climate change impacts on meteorology and air quality conditions in California (CA), while Part III is focused on the source-receptor relationship. The WRF model is applied to dynamically downscaled PCM data, with a horizontal resolution of approximately 2.8°x2.8°, to 4km resolution under the Business as Usual (BAU) scenario. The dynamical downscaling method could retain the large-scale features of the global simulations with more meso-scale details. A seven year simulation is conducted for both present (2000˜2006) and future (2047˜2053) in order to avoid the El Nino related inter-annual variation. In order to assess the PCM data quality and estimate the simulation error inherited from the PCM data bias, the present seven year simulations are driven by NCEP's Global Forecast System (GFS) data with the same model configuration. Part I is focused on the comparisons of the present time climatology from the two sets of simulations and the driving global datasets (i.e., PCM vs. GFS), which illustrate that the biases of the downscaling results are mostly inherited from the driving GCM. The imprecise prediction for the location and strength of the Pacific Subtropical High (PSH) is a main source of the PCM data bias. The analysis also implies that using the simulation results driven by PCM data as the input of the air quality model will underrate the air pollution problems in CA. The regional averaged statistics of the downscaling results compared to observational data show that both the surface temperature and wind speed were overestimate for most times of the year, and WRF preformed better during summer than winter. The low summer PBLH in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is addressed, and two reasons causing this are the dominance of a high pressure system over the valley and, to a lesser extent, the valley wind at daytime during summer. Part II is focused on the future change of meteorology and air quality in CA and comparisons are made between future and present simulations driven by the PCM data. Both the duration and strength of stagnant events, during which most air pollution problems occur in SJV, are increased during summer and winter. The seven-year averaged spatial distribution of the air-pollution related meteorological variables, such as surface wind, temperature, PBLH, etc., indicate that the future summer ozone problem would be mitigated in the coast region of Los Angeles County (LAC), while both the summer ozone and winter particulate matter (PM) problem in SJV and other parts of the Southern California Air Basin (SoCAB) will be exacerbated in the future. The impact on the land-sea breeze, which plays a big role in California's climate, is also explored in this part. Part III of the thesis is to investigate the potential of applying a signal technique on the source-receptor relationship. This approach is more economical in terms of computational time and memory than the conventional tracer method. The signal technique was implemented into the WRF model, and an idealized supercell case and a real case in Turkey were used to investigate the potential of the technique. Emissions from different source locations were tagged with different frequencies, which were added onto the emitted pollutants, with a specific frequency from each location. The time series of the pollutant concentration collected at receptors were then projected onto the frequency space using the Fourier transform and short-time Fourier transform methods to identify the source locations. During the model integration, a particular constant tracer was also emitted from each pollutant source location to validate and evaluate the signal technique. Results show that the frequencies could be slightly shifted after signals were transported over a long distance and evident secondary frequencies (i.e., beats) could be generated due to nonlinear effects. Although these could potentially confuse the identification of signals released from source points, signals were still distinguishable in this study.

a 24/7 High Resolution Storm Surge, Inundation and Circulation Forecasting System for Florida Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paramygin, V.; Davis, J. R.; Sheng, Y.

2012-12-01

A 24/7 forecasting system for Florida is needed because of the high risk of tropical storm surge-induced coastal inundation and damage, and the need to support operational management of water resources, utility infrastructures, and fishery resources. With the anticipated climate change impacts, including sea level rise, coastal areas are facing the challenges of increasing inundation risk and increasing population. Accurate 24/7 forecasting of water level, inundation, and circulation will significantly enhance the sustainability of coastal communities and environments. Supported by the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) through NOAA IOOS, a 24/7 high-resolution forecasting system for storm surge, coastal inundation, and baroclinic circulation is being developed for Florida using CH3D Storm Surge Modeling System (CH3D-SSMS). CH3D-SSMS is based on the CH3D hydrodynamic model coupled to a coastal wave model SWAN and basin scale surge and wave models. CH3D-SSMS has been verified with surge, wave, and circulation data from several recent hurricanes in the U.S.: Isabel (2003); Charley, Dennis and Ivan (2004); Katrina and Wilma (2005); Ike and Fay (2008); and Irene (2011), as well as typhoons in the Pacific: Fanapi (2010) and Nanmadol (2011). The effects of tropical cyclones on flow and salinity distribution in estuarine and coastal waters has been simulated for Apalachicola Bay as well as Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas Estuary using CH3D-SSMS. The system successfully reproduced different physical phenomena including large waves during Ivan that damaged I-10 Bridges, a large alongshore wave and coastal flooding during Wilma, salinity drop during Fay, and flooding in Taiwan as a result of combined surge and rain effect during Fanapi. The system uses 4 domains that cover entire Florida coastline: West, which covers the Florida panhandle and Tampa Bay; Southwest spans from Florida Keys to Charlotte Harbor; Southeast, covering Biscayne Bay and Miami and East, which continues north to the Florida/Georgia border. The system has a data acquisition and processing module that is used to collect data for model runs (e.g. wind, river flow, precipitation). Depending on the domain, forecasts runs can take ~1-18 hours to complete on a single CPU (8-core) system (1-2 hrs for 2D setup and up to 18 hrs for a 3D setup) with 4 forecasts generated per day. All data is archived / catalogued and model forecast skill is continuously being evaluated. In addition to the baseline forecasts, additional forecasts are being perform using various options for wind forcing (GFS, GFDL, WRF, and parametric hurricane models), model configurations (2D/ 3D), and open boundary conditions by coupling with large scale models (ROMS, NCOM, HYCOM), as well as incorporating real-time and forecast river flow and precipitation data to better understand how to improve model skill. In addition, new forecast products (e.g. more informative inundation maps) are being developed to targeted stakeholders. To support modern data standards, CH3D-SSMS results are available online via a THREDDS server in CF-Compliant NetCDF format as well as other stakeholder-friendly (e.g. GIS) formats. The SECOORA website provides visualization of the model via GODIVA-THREDDS interface.

The total release of xenon-133 from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident.

PubMed

Stohl, Andreas; Seibert, Petra; Wotawa, Gerhard

2012-10-01

The accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FD-NPP) on 11 March 2011 released large amounts of radioactivity into the atmosphere. We determine the total emission of the noble gas xenon-133 ((133)Xe) using global atmospheric concentration measurements. For estimating the emissions, we used three different methods: (i) using a purely observation-based multi-box model, (ii) comparisons of dispersion model results driven with GFS meteorological data with the observation data, and (iii) such comparisons with the dispersion model driven by ECMWF data. From these three methods, we have obtained total (133)Xe releases from FD-NPP of (i) 16.7 ± 1.9 EBq, (ii) 14.2 ± 0.8 EBq, and (iii) 19.0 ± 3.4 EBq, respectively. These values are substantially larger than the entire (133)Xe inventory of FD-NPP of about 12.2 EBq derived from calculations of nuclear fuel burn-up. Complete release of the entire (133)Xe inventory of FD-NPP and additional release of (133)Xe due to the decay of iodine-133 ((133)I), which can add another 2 EBq to the (133)Xe FD-NPP inventory, is required to explain the atmospheric observations. Two of our three methods indicate even higher emissions, but this may not be a robust finding given the differences between our estimates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Insulin catalyzes the curcumin-induced wound healing: An in vitro model for gingival repair

PubMed Central

Singh, Neetu; Ranjan, Vishal; Zaidi, Deeba; Shyam, Hari; Singh, Aparna; Lodha, Divya; Sharma, Ramesh; Verma, Umesh; Dixit, Jaya; Balapure, Anil K.

2012-01-01

Objectives: Human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) play a major role in the maintenance and repair of gingival connective tissue. The mitogen insulin with IGFs etc. synergizes in facilitating wound repair. Although curcumin (CUR) and insulin regulate apoptosis, their impact as a combination on hGF in wound repair remains unknown. Our study consists of: 1) analysis of insulin-mediated mitogenesis on CUR-treated hGF cells, and 2) development of an in vitro model of wound healing. Materials and Methods: Apoptotic rate in CUR-treated hGF cells with and without insulin was observed by AnnexinV/PI staining, nuclear morphological analysis, FACS and DNA fragmentation studies. Using hGF confluent cultures, wounds were mechanically created in vitro and incubated with the ligands for 48 h in 0.2% fetal bovine serum DMEM. Results: CUR alone showed dose-dependent (1–50 μM) effects on hGF. Insulin (1 μg/ml) supplementation substantially enhanced cell survival through up-regulation of mitogenesis/anti-apoptotic elements. Conclusions: The in vitro model for gingival wound healing establishes that insulin significantly enhanced wound filling faster than CUR-treated hGF cells over 48 h. This reinforces the pivotal role of insulin in supporting CUR-mediated wound repair. The findings have significant bearing in metabolic dysfunctions, e.g. diabetes, atherosclerosis, etc., especially under Indian situations. PMID:23087505

Toward improving hurricane forecasts using the JPL Tropical Cyclone Information System (TCIS): A framework to address the issues of Big Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hristova-Veleva, S. M.; Boothe, M.; Gopalakrishnan, S.; Haddad, Z. S.; Knosp, B.; Lambrigtsen, B.; Li, P.; montgomery, M. T.; Niamsuwan, N.; Tallapragada, V. S.; Tanelli, S.; Turk, J.; Vukicevic, T.

2013-12-01

Accurate forecasting of extreme weather requires the use of both regional models as well as global General Circulation Models (GCMs). The regional models have higher resolution and more accurate physics - two critical components needed for properly representing the key convective processes. GCMs, on the other hand, have better depiction of the large-scale environment and, thus, are necessary for properly capturing the important scale interactions. But how to evaluate the models, understand their shortcomings and improve them? Satellite observations can provide invaluable information. And this is where the issues of Big Data come: satellite observations are very complex and have large variety while model forecast are very voluminous. We are developing a system - TCIS - that addresses the issues of model evaluation and process understanding with the goal of improving the accuracy of hurricane forecasts. This NASA/ESTO/AIST-funded project aims at bringing satellite/airborne observations and model forecasts into a common system and developing on-line tools for joint analysis. To properly evaluate the models we go beyond the comparison of the geophysical fields. We input the model fields into instrument simulators (NEOS3, CRTM, etc.) and compute synthetic observations for a more direct comparison to the observed parameters. In this presentation we will start by describing the scientific questions. We will then outline our current framework to provide fusion of models and observations. Next, we will illustrate how the system can be used to evaluate several models (HWRF, GFS, ECMWF) by applying a couple of our analysis tools to several hurricanes observed during the 2013 season. Finally, we will outline our future plans. Our goal is to go beyond the image comparison and point-by-point statistics, by focusing instead on understanding multi-parameter correlations and providing robust statistics. By developing on-line analysis tools, our framework will allow for consistent model evaluation, providing results that are much more robust than those produced by case studies - the current paradigm imposed by the Big Data issues (voluminous data and incompatible analysis tools). We believe that this collaborative approach, with contributions of models, observations and analysis approaches used by the research and operational communities, will help untangle the complex interactions that lead to hurricane genesis and rapid intensity changes - two processes that still pose many unanswered questions. The developed framework for evaluation of the global models will also have implications for the improvement of the climate models, which output only a limited amount of information making it difficult to evaluate them. Our TCIS will help by investigating the GCMs under current weather scenarios and with much more detailed model output, making it possible to compare the models to multiple observed parameters to help narrow down the uncertainty in their performance. This knowledge could then be transferred to the climate models to lower the uncertainty in their predictions. The work described here was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Quantifying Uncertainty of Wind Power Production Through an Analog Ensemble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahriari, M.; Cervone, G.

2016-12-01

The Analog Ensemble (AnEn) method is used to generate probabilistic weather forecasts that quantify the uncertainty in power estimates at hypothetical wind farm locations. The data are from the NREL Eastern Wind Dataset that includes more than 1,300 modeled wind farms. The AnEn model uses a two-dimensional grid to estimate the probability distribution of wind speed (the predictand) given the values of predictor variables such as temperature, pressure, geopotential height, U-component and V-component of wind. The meteorological data is taken from the NCEP GFS which is available on a 0.25 degree grid resolution. The methodology first divides the data into two classes: training period and verification period. The AnEn selects a point in the verification period and searches for the best matching estimates (analogs) in the training period. The predictand value at those analogs are the ensemble prediction for the point in the verification period. The model provides a grid of wind speed values and the uncertainty (probability index) associated with each estimate. Each wind farm is associated with a probability index which quantifies the degree of difficulty to estimate wind power. Further, the uncertainty in estimation is related to other factors such as topography, land cover and wind resources. This is achieved by using a GIS system to compute the correlation between the probability index and geographical characteristics. This study has significant applications for investors in renewable energy sector especially wind farm developers. Lower level of uncertainty facilitates the process of submitting bids into day ahead and real time electricity markets. Thus, building wind farms in regions with lower levels of uncertainty will reduce the real-time operational risks and create a hedge against volatile real-time prices. Further, the links between wind estimate uncertainty and factors such as topography and wind resources, provide wind farm developers with valuable information regarding wind farm siting.

Atmospheric Transport Modelling assessing radionuclide detection chances after the nuclear test announced by the DPRK in January 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, J. Ole; Ceranna, Lars

2016-04-01

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) prohibits all kinds of nuclear explosions. The International Monitoring System (IMS) is in place and at about 90% complete to verify compliance with the CTBT. The stations of the waveform technologies are capable to detect seismic, hydro-acoustic and infrasonic signals for detection, localization, and characterization of explosions. The seismic signals of the DPRK event on 6 January 2016 were detected by many seismic stations around the globe and allow for localization of the event and identification as explosion (see poster by G. Hartmann et al.). However, the direct evidence for a nuclear explosion is only possible through the detection of nuclear fission products which may be released. For that 80 Radionuclide (RN) Stations are part of the designed IMS, about 60 are already operational. All RN stations are highly sensitive for tiny traces of particulate radionuclides in large volume air samplers. There are 40 of the RN stations designated to be equipped with noble gas systems detecting traces of radioactive xenon isotopes which are more likely to escape from an underground test cavity than particulates. Already 30 of the noble gas systems are operational. Atmospheric Transport Modelling supports the interpretation of radionuclide detections (and as appropriate non-detections) by connecting the activity concentration measurements with potential source locations and release times. In our study forecasts with the Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model HYSPLIT (NOAA) and GFS (NCEP) meteorological data are considered to assess the plume propagation patterns for hypothetical releases at the known DPRK nuclear test site. The results show a considerable sensitivity of the IMS station RN 38 Takasaki (Japan) to a potential radionuclide release at the test site in the days and weeks following the explosion in January 2016. In addition, backtracking simulations with ECMWF analysis data in 0.2° horizontal resolution are performed for selected samples to get a complementary estimation of the sensitivities and the connected thresholds for detectable releases.The meteorological situation is compared to the aftermath of the nuclear explosion on 12 February 2013 after which a specific occurrence of an unusual 131mXe signature at RN 38 eight weeks after the test could be very likely attributed to a late release from the DPRK event.

An Initial Assessment of the Impact of CYGNSS Ocean Surface Wind Assimilation on Navy Global and Mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, N. L.; Tsu, J.; Swadley, S. D.

2017-12-01

We assess the impact of assimilation of CYclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) ocean surface winds observations into the NAVGEM[i] global and COAMPS®[ii] mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems. Both NAVGEM and COAMPS® used the NRL 4DVar assimilation system NAVDAS-AR[iii]. Long term monitoring of the NAVGEM Forecast Sensitivity Observation Impact (FSOI) indicates that the forecast error reduction for ocean surface wind vectors (ASCAT and WindSat) are significantly larger than for SSMIS wind speed observations. These differences are larger than can be explained by simply two pieces of information (for wind vectors) versus one (wind speed). To help understand these results, we conducted a series of Observing System Experiments (OSEs) to compare the assimilation of ASCAT wind vectors with the equivalent (computed) ASCAT wind speed observations. We found that wind vector assimilation was typically 3 times more effective at reducing the NAVGEM forecast error, with a higher percentage of beneficial observations. These results suggested that 4DVar, in the absence of an additional nonlinear outer loop, has limited ability to modify the analysis wind direction. We examined several strategies for assimilating CYGNSS ocean surface wind speed observations. In the first approach, we assimilated CYGNSS as wind speed observations, following the same methodology used for SSMIS winds. The next two approaches converted CYGNSS wind speed to wind vectors, using NAVGEM sea level pressure fields (following Holton, 1979), and using NAVGEM 10-m wind fields with the AER Variational Analysis Method. Finally, we compared these methods to CYGNSS wind speed assimilation using multiple outer loops with NAVGEM Hybrid 4DVar. Results support the earlier studies suggesting that NAVDAS-AR wind speed assimilation is sub-optimal. We present detailed results from multi-month NAVGEM assimilation runs along with case studies using COAMPS®. Comparisons include the fit of analyses and forecasts with in-situ observations and analyses from other NWP centers (e.g. ECMWF and GFS). [i] NAVy Global Environmental Model [ii] COAMPS® is a registered trademark of the Naval Research Laboratory for the Navy's Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System. [iii] NRL Atmospheric Variational Data Assimilation System

[Comprehensive regulation effect of traditional Chinese medicine on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells].

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Jin; Li, Jing-Jing; Ke, Hui; Xu, Xiao-Yu

2017-11-01

Since the discovery of neural stem cells(NSCs) in embryonic and adult mammalian central nervous systems, new approaches for proliferation and differentiation of NSCs have been put forward. One of the approaches to promote the clinical application of NSCs is to search effective methods to regulate the proliferation and differentiation. This problem is urgently to be solved in the medical field. Previous studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine could promote the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs by regulating the relevant signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro. Domestic and foreign literatures for regulating the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in recent 10 years and the reports for their target and signaling pathways were analyzed in this paper. Traditional Chinese medicine could regulate the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs through signaling pathways of Notch, PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin and GFs. However, studies about NSCs and traditional Chinese medicine should be further deepened; the mechanism of multiple targets and the comprehensive regulation function of traditional Chinese medicine should be clarified. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Potential influences of neglecting aerosol effects on the NCEP GFS precipitation forecast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Mengjiao; Feng, Jinqin; Li, Zhanqing; Sun, Ruiyu; Hou, Yu-Tai; Zhu, Yuejian; Wan, Bingcheng; Guo, Jianping; Cribb, Maureen

2017-11-01

Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACIs) have been widely recognized as a factor affecting precipitation. However, they have not been considered in the operational National Centers for Environmental Predictions Global Forecast System model. We evaluated the potential impact of neglecting ACI on the operational rainfall forecast using ground-based and satellite observations and model reanalysis. The Climate Prediction Center unified gauge-based precipitation analysis and the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 aerosol reanalysis were used to evaluate the forecast in three countries for the year 2015. The overestimation of light rain (47.84 %) and underestimation of heavier rain (31.83, 52.94, and 65.74 % for moderate rain, heavy rain, and very heavy rain, respectively) from the model are qualitatively consistent with the potential errors arising from not accounting for ACI, although other factors cannot be totally ruled out. The standard deviation of the forecast bias was significantly correlated with aerosol optical depth in Australia, the US, and China. To gain further insight, we chose the province of Fujian in China to pursue a more insightful investigation using a suite of variables from gauge-based observations of precipitation, visibility, water vapor, convective available potential energy (CAPE), and satellite datasets. Similar forecast biases were found: over-forecasted light rain and under-forecasted heavy rain. Long-term analyses revealed an increasing trend in heavy rain in summer and a decreasing trend in light rain in other seasons, accompanied by a decreasing trend in visibility, no trend in water vapor, and a slight increasing trend in summertime CAPE. More aerosols decreased cloud effective radii for cases where the liquid water path was greater than 100 g m-2. All findings are consistent with the effects of ACI, i.e., where aerosols inhibit the development of shallow liquid clouds and invigorate warm-base mixed-phase clouds (especially in summertime), which in turn affects precipitation. While we cannot establish rigorous causal relations based on the analyses presented in this study, the significant rainfall forecast bias seen in operational weather forecast model simulations warrants consideration in future model improvements.

Comprehensive Prediction of Large-height Swell-like Waves in East Coast of Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, S. J.; Lee, C.; Ahn, S. J.; Kim, H. K.

2014-12-01

There have been growing interests in the large-height swell-like wave (LSW) in the east coast of Korea because such big waves have caused human victims as well as damages to facilities such as breakwaters in the coast. The LSW was found to be generated due to an atmospherically great valley in the north area of the East Sea and then propagate long distance to the east coast of Korea in prominently southwest direction (Oh et al., 2010).In this study, we will perform two methods, real-time data based and numerical-model based predictions in order to predict the LSW in the east coast of Korea. First, the real-time data based prediction method uses information which is collected by the directional wave gauge installed near Sokcho. Using the wave model SWAN (Booij et al., 1999) and the wave ray method (Munk and Arthur, 1952), we will estimate wave data in open sea from the real-time data and predict the travel time of LSW from the measurement site (near Sokcho) to several target points in the east coast of Korea. Second, the numerical-model based method uses three different numerical models; WW3 in deep water, SWAN in shallow water, and CADMAS-SURF for wave run-up (CDIT). The surface winds from the 72 hours prediction system of NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) GFS (Global Forecast System) will be inputted in finer grids after interpolating these in certain domains of WW3 and SWAN models. The significant wave heights and peak wave directions predicted by the two methods will be compared to the measured data of LSW at several target points near the coasts. Further, the prediction method will be improved using more measurement sites which will be installed in the future. ReferencesBooij, N., Ris, R.C., and Holthuijsen, L.H. (1999). A third-generation wave model for coastal regions 1. Model description and validation. J. of Geophysical Research, 103(C4), 7649-7666.Munk, W.H. and Arthur, R.S. (1952). Gravity Waves. 13. Wave Intensity along a Refracted Ray. National Bureau of Standards Circular 521, Washington D.C., 95-108.Oh, S.-H., Jeong, W.-M., Lee, D.Y. and Kim, S.I. (2010). Analysis of the reason for occurrence of large-height swell-like waves in the east coast of Korea. J. of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers, 22(2), 101-111 (in Korean).

Simulation of boreal Summer Monsoon Rainfall using CFSV2_SSiB model: sensitivity to Land Use Land Cover (LULC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chilukoti, N.; Xue, Y.

2016-12-01

The land surface play a vital role in determining the surface energy budget, accurate representation of land use and land cover (LULC) is necessary to improve forecast. In this study, we have investigated the influence of surface vegetation maps with different LULC on simulating the boreal summer monsoon rainfall. Using a National Centres for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Coupled Forecast System version 2(CFSv2) model coupled with Simplified Simple Biosphere (SSiB) model, two experiments were conducted: one with old vegetation map and one with new vegetation map. The significant differences between new and old vegetation map were in semi-arid and arid areas. For example, in old map Tibetan plateau classified as desert, which is not appropriate, while in new map it was classified as grasslands or shrubs with bare soil. Old map classified the Sahara desert as a bare soil and shrubs with bare soil, whereas in new map it was classified as bare ground. In addition to central Asia and the Sahara desert, in new vegetation map, Europe had more cropped area and India's vegetation cover was changed from crops and forests to wooded grassland and small areas of grassland and shrubs. The simulated surface air temperature with new map shows a significant improvement over Asia, South Africa, and northern America by some 1 to 2ºC and 2 to 3ºC over north east China and these are consistent with the reduced rainfall biases over Africa, near Somali coast, north east India, Bangladesh, east China sea, eastern Pacific and northern USA. Over Indian continent and bay of Bengal dry rainfall anomalies that is the only area showing large dry rainfall bias, however, they were unchanged with new map simulation. Overall the CFSv2(coupled with SSiB) model with new vegetation map show a promising result in improving the monsoon forecast by improving the Land -Atmosphere interactions. To compare with the LULC forcing, experiment was conducted using the Global Forecast System (GFS) simulations forced with different observed Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) for the same period: one is from NCEP reanalysis and one from Hadley Center. They have substantial difference in Indian Ocean. Preliminary analysis shows that, the impact of these two SST data sets on Indian summer monsoon rainfall has no significant impact.

Evaluation of an operational real-time irrigation scheduling scheme for drip irrigated citrus fields in Picassent, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dazhi; Hendricks-Franssen, Harrie-Jan; Han, Xujun; Jiménez Bello, Miguel Angel; Martínez Alzamora, Fernando; Vereecken, Harry

2017-04-01

Irrigated agriculture accounts worldwide for 40% of food production and 70% of fresh water withdrawals. Irrigation scheduling aims to minimize water use while maintaining the agricultural production. In this study we were concerned with the real-time automatic control of irrigation, which calculates daily water allocation by combining information from soil moisture sensors and a land surface model. The combination of soil moisture measurements and predictions by the Community Land Model (CLM) using sequential data assimilation (DA) is a promising alternative to improve the estimate of soil and plant water status. The LETKF (Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter) was chosen to assimilate soil water content measured by FDR (Frequency Domain Reflectometry) into CLM and improve the initial (soil moisture) conditions for the next model run. In addition, predictions by the GFS (Global Forecast System) atmospheric simulation model were used as atmospheric input data for CLM to predict an ensemble of possible soil moisture evolutions for the next days. The difference between predicted and target soil water content is defined as the water deficit, and the irrigation amount was calculated by the integrated water deficit over the root zone. The corresponding irrigation time to apply the required water was introduced in SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition system) for each citrus field. In total 6 fields were irrigated according our optimization approach including data assimilation (CLM-DA) and there were also 2 fields following the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) water balance method and 4 fields controlled by farmers as reference. During the real-time irrigation campaign in Valencia from July to October in 2015 and June to October in 2016, the applied irrigation amount, stem water potential and soil moisture content were recorded. The data indicated that 5% 20% less irrigation water was needed for the CLM-DA scheduled fields than for the other fields following the FAO or farmers' method. Stem water potential data indicated that the CLM-DA fields were not suffering from water stress during most of the irrigation period. Even though the CLM-DA fields received the least irrigation water, the orange production was not suppressed either. Our results show the water saving potential of the CLM-DA method compared to other traditional irrigation methods.

A novel approach to Lagrangian sampling of marine boundary layer cloud and aerosol in the northeast Pacific: case studies from CSET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohrmann, J.; Albrecht, B. A.; Bretherton, C. S.; Ghate, V. P.; Zuidema, P.; Wood, R.

2015-12-01

The Cloud System Evolution in the Trades (CSET) field campaign took place during July/August 2015 with the purpose of characterizing the cloud, aerosol and thermodynamic properties of the northeast Pacific marine boundary layer. One major science goal of the campaign was to observe a Lagrangian transition from thin stratocumulus (Sc) upwind near California to trade cumulus (Cu) nearer to Hawaii. Cloud properties were observed from the NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V research plane (GV) using the HIAPER Cloud Radar (HCR) and the HIAPER Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL), among other instrumentation. Aircraft observations were complemented by a suite of satellite-derived products. To observe a the evolution of airmasses over the course of two days, upwind regions were sampled on an outbound flight to from Sacramento, CA, to Kona, HI. The sampled airmasses were then tracked using HYSPLIT trajectories based on GFS model forecasts, and the return flight to California was planned to intercept those airmasses, using satellite observation to track cloud evolution in the interim. This approach required that trajectories were reasonably stable up to 3 days prior to final sampling, and also that forecast trajectories were in agreement with post-flight analysis and visual cloud feature tracking. The extent to which this was realised, and hence the validity of this new approach to Lagrangian airmass observation, is assessed here. We also present results showing that a Sc-Cu airmass transition was consistently observed during the CSET study using measurements from research flights and satellite.

Cloud System Evolution in the Trades—CSET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albrecht, B. A.; Zuidema, P.; Bretherton, C. S.; Wood, R.; Ghate, V. P.

2015-12-01

The Cloud System Evolution in the Trades (CSET) study was designed to describe and explain the evolution of the boundary layer aerosol, cloud, and thermodynamic structures along trajectories within the north-Pacific trade-winds. The observational component of this study centered on 7 round-trips made by the NSF NCAR Gulfstream V (GV) between Sacramento, CA and Kona, Hawaii between 1 July and 15 August 2015. The CSET observing strategy used a Lagrangian approach to sample aerosol, cloud, and boundary layer properties upwind from the transition zone over the North Pacific and to resample these areas two days later. GFS forecast trajectories were used to plan the outbound flight to Hawaii and then updated forecast trajectories helped set the return flight plan two days later. Two key elements of the CSET observing system were the newly developed HIAPER Cloud Radar (HCR) and the HIAPER Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL). Together they provided unprecedented characterizations of aerosol, cloud and precipitation structures. A full suite of probes on the aircraft were used for in situ measurements of aerosol, cloud, precipitation, and turbulence properties during the low-level aircraft profiling portions of the flights. A wide range of boundary layer structures and aerosol, cloud, and precipitation conditions were observed during CSET. The cloud systems sampled included solid stratocumulus infused with smoke from Canadian wildfires, mesoscale (100-200 km) cloud-precipitation complexes, and patches of shallow cumuli in environments with accumulation mode aerosol concentrations of less than 50 cm-3. Ultra clean layers (UCLs with accumulation mode concentrations of less than 10 cm-3) were observed frequently near the top of the boundary layer and were often associated with shallow, gray (optically thin) layered clouds—features that are the subject of focused investigations by the CSET science team. The extent of aerosol, cloud, drizzle and boundary layer sampling that was made over open areas of the North Pacific along 2-day trajectories during CSET is unprecedented and will enable focused modeling studies of cloud system evolution and the role of aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions in that evolution.

Synoptic variability in the nudged version of LMDZ over the West African monsoon region during the AMMA campaign.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ly, M.; Roca, R.; Hourdin, F.

2009-04-01

The Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique General circulation Model (LMDz) is ran in a nudged mode using various sets of atmospheric analysis during the wet season of 2006. The zoom capability of the model is used and reaches a mesh size of around 80km over the whole West African region. Sensitivity experiments have been performed in order to highlight the behaviour of the nudged model under a wide range of conditions: spatial and vertical resolution, zoom intensity, surface scheme formulation as well as for the forcing and driving parameters: relaxation time, type of analysis (ECMWF, NCEP/GFS, Sea Surface Temperature (climatology vs. 2006) and the nudging variables (wind, temperature, and combination). A combination of satellite data (E.g., GPCP rain estimates, METEOSAT Free tropospheric humidity,…) and in-situ observations acquired during the AMMA campaign (temperature and humidity profiles from radiosondes, GPS precipitable water,…) are all used to evaluate the simulations. The analysis is focused on the representation of the synoptic variability by the model in terms of rainfall and water vapour variability. It is shown that the model captures the free troposphere water vapour variability reasonably well with highly significant correlations between the radiosondes and the simulated fields. In the lowest levels of the atmosphere and in the upper troposphere, the agreement is less good. When the fields are filtered using a pass-band filter between 3-10 days, the correlation overall increases. Detailed of the sensitivity of these results to the simulation configuration mentioned above will be further discussed at the conference.

Impact of the 2015 El Niño-Southern Oscillation on the Abundance and Foraging Habits of Guadalupe Fur Seals and California Sea Lions from the San Benito Archipelago, Mexico.

PubMed

Elorriaga-Verplancken, Fernando R; Sierra-Rodríguez, Gema E; Rosales-Nanduca, Hiram; Acevedo-Whitehouse, Karina; Sandoval-Sierra, Julieta

2016-01-01

The abundance of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) (CSLs) and Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus philippii townsendi) (GFSs) from the San Benito Archipelago (SBA) was determined through nine monthly surveys in 2014-2015. Assessment of their foraging habits was examined based on the isotopic analysis of pups (maternal indicators) (SIAR/SIBER-R). Environmental variability between 2014 and 2015 was also analyzed, in terms of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll (Chl-a) concentration. Both otariids reached their highest abundance in July of both years; however, relative to 2014, the 2015 survey showed a 59.7% decline in the total GFS abundance and a 42.9% decrease of GFS pups, while total CSL abundance decreased 52.0% and CSL pup presence decreased in 61.7%. All monthly surveys for both otariids showed a similar trend (>50% decrease in 2015). Compared to 2014, the 2015 GFSs isotopic niche was three times larger (2.0 in 2015, 0.6 in 2014) and the δ13C was significantly lower. CSLs also showed significantly lower δ13C and higher δ15N in 2015. Interannual segregation was greater for CSLs, and their pup body mass was also significantly lower during the 2015 breeding season (mean = 8.7 kg) than in the same season of 2014 (mean = 9.9 kg). The decrease in δ13C for both otariids reflected a more oceanic foraging; most likely associated with the decline in primary productivity in surrounding areas to the SBA, related to a higher SST caused by the 2015 ENSO, with a subsequent increase in foraging effort. These would explain the fewer observed individuals on land, especially pups, which showed diminished body condition (CSLs). This study highlights the importance of marine mammals as sentinel species that respond dynamically to changes in environment, providing valuable information on the effect of ENSO on pinnipeds in Mexican waters.

Identification of an AR Mutation-Negative Class of Androgen Insensitivity by Determining Endogenous AR Activity

PubMed Central

Ukat, M.; Schweikert, H. U.; Hiort, O.; Werner, R.; Drop, S. L. S.; Cools, M.; Hughes, I. A.; Audi, L.; Ahmed, S. F.; Demiri, J.; Rodens, P.; Worch, L.; Wehner, G.; Kulle, A. E.; Dunstheimer, D.; Müller-Roßberg, E.; Reinehr, T.; Hadidi, A. T.; Eckstein, A. K.; van der Horst, C.; Seif, C.; Siebert, R.; Ammerpohl, O.; Holterhus, P.-M.

2016-01-01

Context: Only approximately 85% of patients with a clinical diagnosis complete androgen insensitivity syndrome and less than 30% with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome can be explained by inactivating mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Objective: The objective of the study was to clarify this discrepancy by in vitro determination of AR transcriptional activity in individuals with disorders of sex development (DSD) and male controls. Design: Quantification of DHT-dependent transcriptional induction of the AR target gene apolipoprotein D (APOD) in cultured genital fibroblasts (GFs) (APOD assay) and next-generation sequencing of the complete coding and noncoding AR locus. Setting: The study was conducted at a university hospital endocrine research laboratory. Patients: GFs from 169 individuals were studied encompassing control males (n = 68), molecular defined DSD other than androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS; n = 18), AR mutation-positive AIS (n = 37), and previously undiagnosed DSD including patients with a clinical suspicion of AIS (n = 46). Intervention(s): There were no interventions. Main Outcome Measure(s): DHT-dependent APOD expression in cultured GF and AR mutation status in 169 individuals was measured. Results: The APOD assay clearly separated control individuals (healthy males and molecular defined DSD patients other than AIS) from genetically proven AIS (cutoff < 2.3-fold APOD-induction; 100% sensitivity, 93.3% specificity, P < .0001). Of 46 DSD individuals with no AR mutation, 17 (37%) fell below the cutoff, indicating disrupted androgen signaling. Conclusions: AR mutation-positive AIS can be reliably identified by the APOD assay. Its combination with next-generation sequencing of the AR locus uncovered an AR mutation-negative, new class of androgen resistance, which we propose to name AIS type II. Our data support the existence of cellular components outside the AR affecting androgen signaling during sexual differentiation with high clinical relevance. PMID:27583472

Impact of the 2015 El Niño-Southern Oscillation on the Abundance and Foraging Habits of Guadalupe Fur Seals and California Sea Lions from the San Benito Archipelago, Mexico

PubMed Central

Elorriaga-Verplancken, Fernando R.; Sierra-Rodríguez, Gema E.; Rosales-Nanduca, Hiram; Acevedo-Whitehouse, Karina; Sandoval-Sierra, Julieta

2016-01-01

The abundance of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) (CSLs) and Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus philippii townsendi) (GFSs) from the San Benito Archipelago (SBA) was determined through nine monthly surveys in 2014–2015. Assessment of their foraging habits was examined based on the isotopic analysis of pups (maternal indicators) (SIAR/SIBER-R). Environmental variability between 2014 and 2015 was also analyzed, in terms of sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll (Chl-a) concentration. Both otariids reached their highest abundance in July of both years; however, relative to 2014, the 2015 survey showed a 59.7% decline in the total GFS abundance and a 42.9% decrease of GFS pups, while total CSL abundance decreased 52.0% and CSL pup presence decreased in 61.7%. All monthly surveys for both otariids showed a similar trend (>50% decrease in 2015). Compared to 2014, the 2015 GFSs isotopic niche was three times larger (2.0 in 2015, 0.6 in 2014) and the δ13C was significantly lower. CSLs also showed significantly lower δ13C and higher δ15N in 2015. Interannual segregation was greater for CSLs, and their pup body mass was also significantly lower during the 2015 breeding season (mean = 8.7 kg) than in the same season of 2014 (mean = 9.9 kg). The decrease in δ13C for both otariids reflected a more oceanic foraging; most likely associated with the decline in primary productivity in surrounding areas to the SBA, related to a higher SST caused by the 2015 ENSO, with a subsequent increase in foraging effort. These would explain the fewer observed individuals on land, especially pups, which showed diminished body condition (CSLs). This study highlights the importance of marine mammals as sentinel species that respond dynamically to changes in environment, providing valuable information on the effect of ENSO on pinnipeds in Mexican waters. PMID:27171473

Cell Population Kinetics of Collagen Scaffolds in Ex Vivo Oral Wound Repair

PubMed Central

Agis, Hermann; Collins, Amy; Taut, Andrei D.; Jin, Qiming; Kruger, Laura; Görlach, Christoph; Giannobile, William V.

2014-01-01

Biodegradable collagen scaffolds are used clinically for oral soft tissue augmentation to support wound healing. This study sought to provide a novel ex vivo model for analyzing healing kinetics and gene expression of primary human gingival fibroblasts (hGF) within collagen scaffolds. Sponge type and gel type scaffolds with and without platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF) were assessed in an hGF containing matrix. Morphology was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy, and hGF metabolic activity using MTT. We quantitated the population kinetics within the scaffolds based on cell density and distance from the scaffold border of DiI-labled hGFs over a two-week observation period. Gene expression was evaluated with gene array and qPCR. The sponge type scaffolds showed a porous morphology. Absolute cell number and distance was higher in sponge type scaffolds when compared to gel type scaffolds, in particular during the first week of observation. PDGF incorporated scaffolds increased cell numbers, distance, and formazan formation in the MTT assay. Gene expression dynamics revealed the induction of key genes associated with the generation of oral tissue. DKK1, CYR61, CTGF, TGFBR1 levels were increased and integrin ITGA2 levels were decreased in the sponge type scaffolds compared to the gel type scaffold. The results suggest that this novel model of oral wound healing provides insights into population kinetics and gene expression dynamics of biodegradable scaffolds. PMID:25397671

Temporal self-organization of the cyclin/Cdk network driving the mammalian cell cycle

PubMed Central

Gérard, Claude; Goldbeter, Albert

2009-01-01

We propose an integrated computational model for the network of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) that controls the dynamics of the mammalian cell cycle. The model contains four Cdk modules regulated by reversible phosphorylation, Cdk inhibitors, and protein synthesis or degradation. Growth factors (GFs) trigger the transition from a quiescent, stable steady state to self-sustained oscillations in the Cdk network. These oscillations correspond to the repetitive, transient activation of cyclin D/Cdk4–6 in G1, cyclin E/Cdk2 at the G1/S transition, cyclin A/Cdk2 in S and at the S/G2 transition, and cyclin B/Cdk1 at the G2/M transition. The model accounts for the following major properties of the mammalian cell cycle: (i) repetitive cell cycling in the presence of suprathreshold amounts of GF; (ii) control of cell-cycle progression by the balance between antagonistic effects of the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein (pRB) and the transcription factor E2F; and (iii) existence of a restriction point in G1, beyond which completion of the cell cycle becomes independent of GF. The model also accounts for endoreplication. Incorporating the DNA replication checkpoint mediated by kinases ATR and Chk1 slows down the dynamics of the cell cycle without altering its oscillatory nature and leads to better separation of the S and M phases. The model for the mammalian cell cycle shows how the regulatory structure of the Cdk network results in its temporal self-organization, leading to the repetitive, sequential activation of the four Cdk modules that brings about the orderly progression along cell-cycle phases. PMID:20007375

Platelet-Rich Plasma Peptides: Key for Regeneration

PubMed Central

Sánchez-González, Dolores Javier; Méndez-Bolaina, Enrique; Trejo-Bahena, Nayeli Isabel

2012-01-01

Platelet-derived Growth Factors (GFs) are biologically active peptides that enhance tissue repair mechanisms such as angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling, and cellular effects as stem cells recruitment, chemotaxis, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is used in a variety of clinical applications, based on the premise that higher GF content should promote better healing. Platelet derivatives represent a promising therapeutic modality, offering opportunities for treatment of wounds, ulcers, soft-tissue injuries, and various other applications in cell therapy. PRP can be combined with cell-based therapies such as adipose-derived stem cells, regenerative cell therapy, and transfer factors therapy. This paper describes the biological background of the platelet-derived substances and their potential use in regenerative medicine. PMID:22518192

Bayesian inverse modeling and source location of an unintended 131I release in Europe in the fall of 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tichý, Ondřej; Šmídl, Václav; Hofman, Radek; Šindelářová, Kateřina; Hýža, Miroslav; Stohl, Andreas

2017-10-01

In the fall of 2011, iodine-131 (131I) was detected at several radionuclide monitoring stations in central Europe. After investigation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed by Hungarian authorities that 131I was released from the Institute of Isotopes Ltd. in Budapest, Hungary. It was reported that a total activity of 342 GBq of 131I was emitted between 8 September and 16 November 2011. In this study, we use the ambient concentration measurements of 131I to determine the location of the release as well as its magnitude and temporal variation. As the location of the release and an estimate of the source strength became eventually known, this accident represents a realistic test case for inversion models. For our source reconstruction, we use no prior knowledge. Instead, we estimate the source location and emission variation using only the available 131I measurements. Subsequently, we use the partial information about the source term available from the Hungarian authorities for validation of our results. For the source determination, we first perform backward runs of atmospheric transport models and obtain source-receptor sensitivity (SRS) matrices for each grid cell of our study domain. We use two dispersion models, FLEXPART and Hysplit, driven with meteorological analysis data from the global forecast system (GFS) and from European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) weather forecast models. Second, we use a recently developed inverse method, least-squares with adaptive prior covariance (LS-APC), to determine the 131I emissions and their temporal variation from the measurements and computed SRS matrices. For each grid cell of our simulation domain, we evaluate the probability that the release was generated in that cell using Bayesian model selection. The model selection procedure also provides information about the most suitable dispersion model for the source term reconstruction. Third, we select the most probable location of the release with its associated source term and perform a forward model simulation to study the consequences of the iodine release. Results of these procedures are compared with the known release location and reported information about its time variation. We find that our algorithm could successfully locate the actual release site. The estimated release period is also in agreement with the values reported by IAEA and the reported total released activity of 342 GBq is within the 99 % confidence interval of the posterior distribution of our most likely model.

Toward Improved Land Surface Initialization in Support of Regional WRF Forecasts at the Kenya Meteorological Service (KMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, Johnathan L.; Mungai, John; Sakwa, Vincent; Kabuchanga, Eric; Zavodsky, Bradley T.; Limaye, Ashutosh S.

2014-01-01

Flooding and drought are two key forecasting challenges for the Kenya Meteorological Service (KMS). Atmospheric processes leading to excessive precipitation and/or prolonged drought can be quite sensitive to the state of the land surface, which interacts with the planetary boundary layer (PBL) of the atmosphere providing a source of heat and moisture. The development and evolution of precipitation systems are affected by heat and moisture fluxes from the land surface, particularly within weakly-sheared environments such as in the tropics and sub-tropics. These heat and moisture fluxes during the day can be strongly influenced by land cover, vegetation, and soil moisture content. Therefore, it is important to represent the land surface state as accurately as possible in land surface and numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Enhanced regional modeling capabilities have the potential to improve forecast guidance in support of daily operations and high-impact weather over eastern Africa. KMS currently runs a configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) NWP model in real time to support its daily forecasting operations, making use of the NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS) Science and Training Resource Center's Environmental Modeling System (EMS) to manage and produce the KMS-WRF runs on a regional grid over eastern Africa. Two organizations at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, SERVIR and the Shortterm Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center, have established a working partnership with KMS for enhancing its regional modeling capabilities through new datasets and tools. To accomplish this goal, SPoRT and SERVIR is providing enhanced, experimental land surface initialization datasets and model verification capabilities to KMS as part of this collaboration. To produce a land-surface initialization more consistent with the resolution of the KMS-WRF runs, the NASA Land Information System (LIS) is run at a comparable resolution to provide real-time, daily soil initialization data in place of data interpolated from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) model soil moisture and temperature fields. Additionally, realtime green vegetation fraction (GVF) data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi- NPP) satellite will be incorporated into the KMS-WRF runs, once it becomes publicly available from the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS). Finally, model verification capabilities will be transitioned to KMS using the Model Evaluation Tools (MET; Brown et al. 2009) package in conjunction with a dynamic scripting package developed by SPoRT (Zavodsky et al. 2014), to help quantify possible improvements in simulated temperature, moisture and precipitation resulting from the experimental land surface initialization. Furthermore, the transition of these MET tools will enable KMS to monitor model forecast accuracy in near real time. This paper presents preliminary efforts to improve land surface model initialization over eastern Africa in support of operations at KMS. The remainder of this extended abstract is organized as follows: The collaborating organizations involved in the project are described in Section 2; background information on LIS and the configuration for eastern Africa is presented in Section 3; the WRF configuration used in this modeling experiment is described in Section 4; sample experimental WRF output with and without LIS initialization data are given in Section 5; a summary is given in Section 6 followed by acknowledgements and references.

Improving Satellite Observation Utilization for Model Initialization with Machine Learning: An Introduction and Tackling the "Labeled Dataset" Challenge for Cyclones Around the World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonfanti, C. E.; Stewart, J.; Lee, Y. J.; Govett, M.; Trailovic, L.; Etherton, B.

2017-12-01

One of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) goals is to provide timely and reliable weather forecasts to support important decisions when and where people need it for safety, emergencies, planning for day-to-day activities. Satellite data is essential for areas lacking in-situ observations for use as initial conditions in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) Models, such as spans of the ocean or remote areas of land. Currently only about 7% of total received satellite data is selected for use and from that, an even smaller percentage ever are assimilated into NWP models. With machine learning, the computational and time costs needed for satellite data selection can be greatly reduced. We study various machine learning approaches to process orders of magnitude more satellite data in significantly less time allowing for a greater quantity and more intelligent selection of data to be used for assimilation purposes. Given the future launches of satellites in the upcoming years, machine learning is capable of being applied for better selection of Regions of Interest (ROI) in the magnitudes more of satellite data that will be received. This paper discusses the background of machine learning methods as applied to weather forecasting and the challenges of creating a "labeled dataset" for training and testing purposes. In the training stage of supervised machine learning, labeled data are important to identify a ROI as either true or false so that the model knows what signatures in satellite data to identify. Authors have selected cyclones, including tropical cyclones and mid-latitude lows, as ROI for their machine learning purposes and created a labeled dataset of true or false for ROI from Global Forecast System (GFS) reanalysis data. A dataset like this does not yet exist and given the need for a high quantity of samples, is was decided this was best done with automation. This process was done by developing a program similar to the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) tropical cyclone tracker by Marchok that was used to identify cyclones based off its physical characteristics. We will discuss the methods and challenges to creating this dataset and the dataset's use for our current supervised machine learning model as well as use for future work on events such as convection initiation.

Lissencephaly-1 dependent axonal retrograde transport of L1-type CAM Neuroglian in the adult drosophila central nervous system

PubMed Central

Börner, Jana; Slipchuk, Olesya; Kakad, Priyanka; Lee, LaTasha H.; Qureshi, Aater; Pielage, Jan

2017-01-01

Here, we established the Drosophila Giant Fiber neurons (GF) as a novel model to study axonal trafficking of L1-type Cell Adhesion Molecules (CAM) Neuroglian (Nrg) in the adult CNS using live imaging. L1-type CAMs are well known for their importance in nervous system development and we previously demonstrated a role for Nrg in GF synapse formation. However, in the adult they have also been implicated in synaptic plasticity and regeneration. In addition, to its canonical role in organizing cytoskeletal elements at the plasma membrane, vertebrate L1CAM has also been shown to regulate transcription indirectly as well as directly via its import to the nucleus. Here, we intend to determine if the sole L1CAM homolog Nrg is retrogradley transported and thus has the potential to relay signals from the synapse to the soma. Live imaging of c-terminally tagged Nrg in the GF revealed that there are at least two populations of retrograde vesicles that differ in speed, and either move with consistent or varying velocity. To determine if endogenous Nrg is retrogradely transported, we inhibited two key regulators, Lissencephaly-1 (Lis1) and Dynactin, of the retrograde motor protein Dynein. Similar to previously described phenotypes for expression of poisonous subunits of Dynactin, we found that developmental knock down of Lis1 disrupted GF synaptic terminal growth and that Nrg vesicles accumulated inside the stunted terminals in both mutant backgrounds. Moreover, post mitotic Lis1 knock down in mature GFs by either RNAi or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) induced mutations, resulted in normal length terminals with fully functional GF synapses which also exhibited severe accumulation of endogenous Nrg vesicles. Thus, our data suggests that accumulation of Nrg vesicles is due to failure of retrograde transport rather than a failure of terminal development. Together with the finding that post mitotic knock down of Lis1 also disrupted retrograde transport of tagged Nrg vesicles in GF axons, it demonstrates that endogenous Nrg protein is transported from the synapse to the soma in the adult central nervous system in a Lis1-dependent manner. PMID:28837701

Lissencephaly-1 dependent axonal retrograde transport of L1-type CAM Neuroglian in the adult drosophila central nervous system.

PubMed

Kudumala, Sirisha R; Penserga, Tyrone; Börner, Jana; Slipchuk, Olesya; Kakad, Priyanka; Lee, LaTasha H; Qureshi, Aater; Pielage, Jan; Godenschwege, Tanja A

2017-01-01

Here, we established the Drosophila Giant Fiber neurons (GF) as a novel model to study axonal trafficking of L1-type Cell Adhesion Molecules (CAM) Neuroglian (Nrg) in the adult CNS using live imaging. L1-type CAMs are well known for their importance in nervous system development and we previously demonstrated a role for Nrg in GF synapse formation. However, in the adult they have also been implicated in synaptic plasticity and regeneration. In addition, to its canonical role in organizing cytoskeletal elements at the plasma membrane, vertebrate L1CAM has also been shown to regulate transcription indirectly as well as directly via its import to the nucleus. Here, we intend to determine if the sole L1CAM homolog Nrg is retrogradley transported and thus has the potential to relay signals from the synapse to the soma. Live imaging of c-terminally tagged Nrg in the GF revealed that there are at least two populations of retrograde vesicles that differ in speed, and either move with consistent or varying velocity. To determine if endogenous Nrg is retrogradely transported, we inhibited two key regulators, Lissencephaly-1 (Lis1) and Dynactin, of the retrograde motor protein Dynein. Similar to previously described phenotypes for expression of poisonous subunits of Dynactin, we found that developmental knock down of Lis1 disrupted GF synaptic terminal growth and that Nrg vesicles accumulated inside the stunted terminals in both mutant backgrounds. Moreover, post mitotic Lis1 knock down in mature GFs by either RNAi or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) induced mutations, resulted in normal length terminals with fully functional GF synapses which also exhibited severe accumulation of endogenous Nrg vesicles. Thus, our data suggests that accumulation of Nrg vesicles is due to failure of retrograde transport rather than a failure of terminal development. Together with the finding that post mitotic knock down of Lis1 also disrupted retrograde transport of tagged Nrg vesicles in GF axons, it demonstrates that endogenous Nrg protein is transported from the synapse to the soma in the adult central nervous system in a Lis1-dependent manner.

Sensitivity of physical parameterizations on prediction of tropical cyclone Nargis over the Bay of Bengal using WRF model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, P. V. S.; Potty, Jayaraman; Mohanty, U. C.

2011-09-01

Comprehensive sensitivity analyses on physical parameterization schemes of Weather Research Forecast (WRF-ARW core) model have been carried out for the prediction of track and intensity of tropical cyclones by taking the example of cyclone Nargis, which formed over the Bay of Bengal and hit Myanmar on 02 May 2008, causing widespread damages in terms of human and economic losses. The model performances are also evaluated with different initial conditions of 12 h intervals starting from the cyclogenesis to the near landfall time. The initial and boundary conditions for all the model simulations are drawn from the global operational analysis and forecast products of National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP-GFS) available for the public at 1° lon/lat resolution. The results of the sensitivity analyses indicate that a combination of non-local parabolic type exchange coefficient PBL scheme of Yonsei University (YSU), deep and shallow convection scheme with mass flux approach for cumulus parameterization (Kain-Fritsch), and NCEP operational cloud microphysics scheme with diagnostic mixed phase processes (Ferrier), predicts better track and intensity as compared against the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimates. Further, the final choice of the physical parameterization schemes selected from the above sensitivity experiments is used for model integration with different initial conditions. The results reveal that the cyclone track, intensity and time of landfall are well simulated by the model with an average intensity error of about 8 hPa, maximum wind error of 12 m s-1and track error of 77 km. The simulations also show that the landfall time error and intensity error are decreasing with delayed initial condition, suggesting that the model forecast is more dependable when the cyclone approaches the coast. The distribution and intensity of rainfall are also well simulated by the model and comparable with the TRMM estimates.

The Use of an Atmospheric Model for Study the Gas Dispersion at the Brazilian Space Launching Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisch, G.; Iriart, P. G.; Andrade Schuch, D.; Couto Milanez, V.

2015-09-01

The present work aims to use an atmospheric mesoscale model (Weather Research and Forecasting model - WRF) coupled with its chemical module (CHEM) in order to study the simulation of the dispersion of exhausted gas released from a typical rockets (in this case the Satellite Vehicle Launcher characteristics was used) from the Alcântara Launch Center (ALC). For the initialization of the coupled model, the preprocessor PREP-Chem was assigned to the Reanalysis of the TROpospheric chemical composition (RETRO). However, as this repository has no pollutants at the ALC area, a new method of insertion of chemical data assigned to the exact geographical position where the VLS is launched was used with all emissions null unless at the Launcher pad. Also, the model was initialized with meteorological data extracted from the Global Forecasting System (GFS). The simulations were made for different 4 cases representatives of the diurnal (daytime and nighttime) and seasonal (dry and wet seasons) scales. Observational data (radiosondes and wind tower data) was used to validate the wind field. There are 3 grids nested with 9, 3 and 1 km spatial resolution and the model has 45 levels in the vertical (15 levels up to 2000 m). All the simulations showed approximately the same patterns as the wind flow are very persistent (this is a characteristic of the trade winds). Typically, the simulations showed that the CO concentration (the variable used to represent the gases exhausted by the solid motors) at the launch pad is 2 order of magnitude higher than at the gate (1 km far) and 4 order of magnitude higher than Alcantara village (20 km far). It can reach 30000 ppm at the launching pad after Ho + 1 mm. Also, it was computed that the launch pad must stay isolated by 1 5 mm before any other action for the complete dispersion and, consequently, for safety reasons. As the turbulent intensity is higher at 12 UTC (daytime conditions), the total time for the complete dispersion of the plume is reduced (around 40-45 mm) related to the nighttime conditions (60-75 mm). This is an ongoing work that aims to improve this model configuration to include a vertical distribution of the exhausted gases due to the normal launching and to include small scale features at the scale of 100 m. In the near future, this model should be operational for the launchings at ALC.

High levels of the extracellular matrix proteoglycan decorin are associated with inhibition of testicular function

PubMed Central

Adam, Marion; Urbanski, Henryk F.; Garyfallou, Vasilios T.; Welsch, Ulrich; Köhn, Frank M.; Schwarzer, J. Ullrich; Strauss, Leena; Poutanen, Matti; Mayerhofer, Artur

2011-01-01

Decorin (DCN), a component of the extracellular matrix of the peritubular wall and the interstitial areas of the human testis, can interact with growth factor (GF) signaling, thereby blocking downstream actions of GFs. In the present study the expression and regulation of DCN using both human testes and two experimental animal models, namely the rhesus monkey and mouse, were examined. DCN protein was present in peritubular and interstitial areas of adult human and monkey testes, while it was almost undetectable in adult wild-type mice. Interestingly, the levels and sites of testicular DCN expression in the monkeys were inversely correlated with testicular maturation markers. A strong DCN expression associated with the abundant connective tissue of the interstitial areas in the postnatal through prepubertal phases was observed. In adult and old monkeys the DCN pattern was similar to the one in normal human testes, presenting strong expression at the peritubular region. In the testes of both infertile men and in a mouse model of inflammation associated infertility (aromatase-overexpressing transgenic mice), the fibrotic changes and increased numbers of Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-producing immune cells were shown to be associated with increased production of DCN. Furthermore, studies with human testicular peritubular cells isolated from fibrotic testis indicated that TNF-α significantly increased DCN production. The data, thus, show that an increased DCN level is associated with impaired testicular function, supporting our hypothesis that DCN interferes with paracrine signaling of the testis in health and disease. PMID:22413766

Word Frequency Analysis MOS: 17C. Skill Levels 1 & 2.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-01

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The hourly updated US High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) storm-scale forecast model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Curtis; Dowell, David; Benjamin, Stan; Weygandt, Stephen; Olson, Joseph; Kenyon, Jaymes; Grell, Georg; Smirnova, Tanya; Ladwig, Terra; Brown, John; James, Eric; Hu, Ming

2016-04-01

The 3-km convective-allowing High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) is a US NOAA hourly updating weather forecast model that use a specially configured version of the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) model and assimilate many novel and most conventional observation types on an hourly basis using Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI). Included in this assimilation is a procedure for initializing ongoing precipitation systems from observed radar reflectivity data (and proxy reflectivity from lightning and satellite data), a cloud analysis to initialize stable layer clouds from METAR and satellite observations, and special techniques to enhance retention of surface observation information. The HRRR is run hourly out to 15 forecast hours over a domain covering the entire conterminous United States using initial and boundary conditions from the hourly-cycled 13km Rapid Refresh (RAP, using similar physics and data assimilation) covering North America and a significant part of the Northern Hemisphere. The HRRR is continually developed and refined at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, and an initial version was implemented into the operational NOAA/NCEP production suite in September 2014. Ongoing experimental RAP and HRRR model development throughout 2014 and 2015 has culminated in a set of data assimilation and model enhancements that will be incorporated into the first simultaneous upgrade of both the operational RAP and HRRR that is scheduled for spring 2016 at NCEP. This presentation will discuss the operational RAP and HRRR changes contained in this upgrade. The RAP domain is being expanded to encompass the NAM domain and the forecast lengths of both the RAP and HRRR are being extended. RAP and HRRR assimilation enhancements have focused on (1) extending surface data assimilation to include mesonet observations and improved use of all surface observations through better background estimates of 2-m temperature and dewpoint including projection of 2-m temperature observations through the model boundary layer and (2) extending the use of radar observations to include both radial velocity and 3-D retrieval of rain hydrometeors from observed radar reflectivities in the warm-season. The RAP hybrid EnKF 3D-variational data assimilation will increase weighting of GFS ensemble-based background error covariance estimation and introduce this hybrid data assimilation configuration in the HRRR. Enhancement of RAP and HRRR model physics include improved land surface and boundary layer prediction using the updated Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino (MYNN) parameterization scheme, Grell-Freitas-Olson (GFO) shallow and deep convective parameterization, aerosol-aware Thompson microphysics and upgraded Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) land-surface model. The presentation will highlight improvements in the RAP and HRRR model physics to reduce certain systematic forecast biases including a warm and dry daytime bias over the central and eastern CONUS during the warm season along with improved convective forecasts in more weakly-forced diurnally-driven events. Examples of RAP and HRRR forecast improvements will be demonstrated through both retrospective and real-time verification statistics and case-study examples.

Sintering behavior and thermal conductivity of nickel-coated graphite flake/copper composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Hui; Chen, Jian-hao; Ren, Shu-bin; He, Xin-bo; Qu, Xuan-hui

2018-04-01

Nickel-coated graphite flakes/copper (GN/Cu) composites were fabricated by spark plasma sintering with the surface of graphite flakes (GFs) being modified by Ni-P electroless plating. The effects of the phase transition of the amorphous Ni-P plating and of Ni diffusion into the Cu matrix on the densification behavior, interfacial microstructure, and thermal conductivity (TC) of the GN/Cu composites were systematically investigated. The introduction of Ni-P electroless plating efficiently reduced the densification temperature of uncoated GF/Cu composites from 850 to 650°C and slightly increased the TC of the X-Y basal plane of the GF/Cu composites with 20vol%-30vol% graphite flakes. However, when the graphite flake content was greater than 30vol%, the TC of the GF/Cu composites decreased with the introduction of Ni-P plating as a result of the combined effect of the improved heat-transfer interface with the transition layer, P generated at the interface, and the diffusion of Ni into the matrix. Given the effect of the Ni content on the TC of the Cu matrix and on the interface thermal resistance, a modified effective medium approximation model was used to predict the TC of the prepared GF/Cu composites.

The Role of Three-Dimensional Scaffolds in Treating Long Bone Defects: Evidence from Preclinical and Clinical Literature-A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Roffi, Alice; Krishnakumar, Gopal Shankar; Gostynska, Natalia; Kon, Elizaveta; Candrian, Christian; Filardo, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

Long bone defects represent a clinical challenge. Bone tissue engineering (BTE) has been developed to overcome problems associated with conventional methods. The aim of this study was to assess the BTE strategies available in preclinical and clinical settings and the current evidence supporting this approach. A systematic literature screening was performed on PubMed database, searching for both preclinical (only on large animals) and clinical studies. The following string was used: "(Scaffold OR Implant) AND (Long bone defect OR segmental bone defect OR large bone defect OR bone loss defect)." The search retrieved a total of 1573 articles: 51 preclinical and 4 clinical studies were included. The great amount of preclinical papers published over the past few years showed promising findings in terms of radiological and histological evidence. Unfortunately, this in vivo situation is not reflected by a corresponding clinical impact, with few published papers, highly heterogeneous and with small patient populations. Several aspects should be further investigated to translate positive preclinical findings into clinical protocols: the identification of the best biomaterial, with both biological and biomechanical suitable properties, and the selection of the best choice between cells, GFs, or their combination through standardized models to be validated by randomized trials.

Development of an Experimental African Drought Monitoring and Seasonal Forecasting System: A First Step towards a Global Drought Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, E. F.; Chaney, N.; Sheffield, J.; Yuan, X.

2012-12-01

Extreme hydrologic events in the form of droughts are a significant source of social and economic damage. Internationally, organizations such as UNESCO, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) have recognized the need for drought monitoring, especially for the developing world where drought has had devastating impacts on local populations through food insecurity and famine. Having the capacity to monitor droughts in real-time, and to provide drought forecasts with sufficient warning will help developing countries and international programs move from the management of drought crises to the management of drought risk. While observation-based assessments, such as those produced by the US Drought Monitor, are effective for monitoring in countries with extensive observation networks (of precipitation in particular), their utility is lessened in areas (e.g., Africa) where observing networks are sparse. For countries with sparse networks and weak reporting systems, remote sensing observations can provide the real-time data for the monitoring of drought. More importantly, these datasets are now available for at least a decade, which allows for the construction of a climatology against which current conditions can be compared. In this presentation we discuss the development of our multi-lingual experimental African Drought Monitor (ADM) (see http://hydrology.princeton.edu/~nchaney/ADM_ML). At the request of UNESCO, the ADM system has been installed at AGRHYMET, a regional climate and agricultural center in Niamey, Niger and at the ICPAC climate center in Nairobi, Kenya. The ADM system leverages off our U.S. drought monitoring and forecasting system (http://hydrology.princeton.edu/forecasting) that uses the NLDAS data to force the VIC land surface model (LSM) at 1/8th degree spatial resolution for the estimation of our soil moisture drought index (Sheffield et al., 2004). For the seasonal forecast of drought, CFSv2 climate forecasts are bias corrected, downscaled and used as inputs to the VIC LSM as well as forecasts based on ESP and CPC official seasonal outlook. For Africa, data from a combination of remote sensing (TMPA-based precipitation, land cover characteristics) and GFS analysis fields (temperature and wind) are used to monitor drought using our soil moisture drought index as well as 1, 3 and and 6-month SPI. River discharge is also estimated at over 900 locations. Seasonal forecasts have been developed using CFSv2 climate forecasts following the approaches used over CONUS. We will discuss the performance of the system to evaluate the depiction of drought over various scales, from regional to the African continent, and over a number of years to capture multiple drought events. Furthermore, the hindcasts from the seasonal drought forecast system are analyzed to assess the ability of seasonal climate models to detect drought on-set and its recovery. Finally, we will discuss whether our ADM provides a pathway to a Global Drought Information System, a goal of the WCRP Drought Task Force.

Impact of a warm core eddy on near-surface wind at Brazil-Malvinas Confluence region in high resolution simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hackerott, J. A.; Mesquita, M. D. S.; Camargo, R. D.; Pezzi, L. P.

2014-12-01

Several studies show that near surface winds acquire anticyclonic (cyclonic) vorticity and accelerate (decelerate) when flow in the same direction as positive (negative) orientation of the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) gradient. Many of them were made over different oceanic thermal fronts in the world analyzing contrasts in SST gradients. However, still remains much uncertainty about how strong is this wind modulation, particularly on areas in need of studies and in-situ data, such as the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence Region (BMC) where intense SST gradients are found. This study brings results of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations, configured with nested grids, where it is compared the influence of distinct synoptic patterns observed at BMC where three different SST patterns are imposed to WRF. These patterns are: (1) with a typical smoothed SST field, named as Control; (2) Small Eddy, which is the same as Control but adding an eddy of 1° radius and a +2°C amplitude; and (3) Intense Eddy, which is also the same as Control, but where an eddy of 1° radius and +4°C amplitude is added. The artificial imposed eddy is analogous to the SST patterns observed at BMC, with different intensities. The simulations were integrated for 76 hours using initial and lateral boundary conditions from the Global Forecast System (GFS) model with 0.5° resolution. The results showed that the wind at 10m height is influenced by the diurnal cycle of turbulence in the Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer (MABL) modified by variations in SST. The wind magnitude changes up to 1m.s-1 over a 4/50°C.km-1 SST gradient and 0.6m.s-1 over a 2/50°C.km-1 SST gradient. This effect generates meso-scale disturbances that propagate to larger scales leading to disturbances in remote areas. Thus, the preliminary analyses are suggesting that there is an interaction between the meso and synoptic scale playing a role. Mechanisms such this one might not be captured by atmospheric global models used in low spatial resolution. Often, that is the case seen on operational models.

Dual Delivery of bFGF- and NGF-Binding Coacervate Confers Neuroprotection by Promoting Neuronal Proliferation.

PubMed

Wu, Yanqing; Wang, Zhouguang; Cai, Pingtao; Jiang, Ting; Li, Yiyang; Yuan, Yuan; Li, Rui; Khor, Sinan; Lu, Yingfeng; Wang, Jian; Chen, Daqing; Zeng, Qiqiang; Zhong, Ruisheng; Zhang, Hongyu; Lin, Yuan; Li, Xiaokun; Xiao, Jian

2018-06-12

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are essential for proper development, survival, growth, and maintenance of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, because bFGF and NGF have short half-life and rapid diffusion rate, they have limited clinical efficacy. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop an effective delivery system to protect bFGF and NGF from proteolysis while maintaining their normal bioactivities. To more efficiently deliver bFGF and NGF, we used a coacervate (synthesized with heparin and a biodegradable polycation at mass ratio of 500: 100). The maximal package loads of GFs in coacervate were determined by Western Blotting; release efficiency of bFGF and NGF was measured by ELISA. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of bFGF and NGF on the viability, survival, and proliferation of neurons by MTT assay, BrdU cell proliferation, and calcein staining. Our coacervate incorporated bFGF and NGF and continuously released them for at least three weeks. This enhanced the growth and proliferation of PC12 cells and SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, co-delivery of bFGF and NGF using coacervate was more neuroprotective than free application of both factors or coacervate delivery of each GF separately. Dual delivery of bFGF and NGF binding coacervate was neuroprotective via stimulating the growth and proliferation of neurons. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

A new slider turtle (Testudines: Emydidae: Deirochelyinae: Trachemys) from the late Hemphillian (late Miocene/early Pliocene) of eastern Tennessee and the evolution of the deirochelyines

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Trachemys (Testudines: Emydidae) represents one of the most well-known turtle genera today. The evolution of Trachemys, while being heavily documented with fossil representatives, is not well understood. Numerous fossils from the late Hemphillian Gray Fossil Site (GFS) in northeastern Tennessee help to elucidate its evolution. The fossil Trachemys at the GFS represent a new species. The new taxon, Trachemys haugrudi, is described, and currently represents the most thoroughly described fossil emydid species known. A phylogenetic analysis, including 31 species, focusing on the subfamily Deirochelyinae is performed that includes the new fossil species, along with numerous other modern and fossil deirochelyine species, representing the first phylogenetic analysis published that includes several fossil deirochelyines. The phylogenetic analysis, utilizing morphological evidence, provides monophyletic clades of all modern deirochelyines, including Chrysemys, Deirochelys, Pseudemys, Malaclemys, Graptemys, and Trachemys. A strict consensus tree finds the recently described fossil species Graptemys kerneri to be part of a clade of Graptemys + Malaclemys. Three fossil taxa, including one previously referred to Pseudemys (Pseudemys caelata) and two to Deirochelys (Deirochelys carri and Deirochelys floridana) are found to form a clade with modern Deirochelys reticularia reticularia, with D. floridana sister to the other members of the clade. Chrysemys is found to be part of a basal polytomy with Deirochelys in relation to other deirochelyine taxa. Two fossil taxa previously referred to Chrysemys (Chrysemys timida and Chrysemys williamsi) form a paraphyly with the modern Chrysemys picta picta and Deirochelys, and may be referable to distinct genera. Additionally, fossil taxa previously attributed to Trachemys (Trachemys hillii, Trachemys idahoensis, Trachemys inflata, and Trachemys platymarginata) and T. haugrudi are found to form a clade separate from clades of northern and southern Trachemys species, potentially suggesting a distinct lineage of Trachemys with no modern survivors. Hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships mostly agree between the present study and previous ones, although the inclusion of fossil taxa provides further clues to the evolution of parts of the Deirochelyinae. The inclusion of more fossil taxa and characters may help resolve the placement of some taxa, and further elucidate the evolution of these New World turtles. PMID:29456887

A Green's function approach for assessing the thermal disturbance caused by drilling deep boreholes in rock or ice

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clow, Gary D.

2015-01-01

A knowledge of subsurface temperatures in sedimentary basins, fault zones, volcanic environments and polar ice sheets is of interest for a wide variety of geophysical applications. However, the process of drilling deep boreholes in these environments to provide access for temperature and other measurements invariably disturbs the temperature field around a newly created borehole. Although this disturbance dissipates over time, most temperature measurements are made while the temperature field is still disturbed. Thus, the measurements must be ‘corrected’ for the drilling-disturbance effect if the undisturbed temperature field is to be determined. This paper provides compact analytical solutions for the thermal drilling disturbance based on 1-D (radial) and 2-D (radial and depth) Green's functions (GFs) in cylindrical coordinates. Solutions are developed for three types of boundary conditions (BCs) at the borehole wall: (1) prescribed temperature, (2) prescribed heat flux and (3) a prescribed convective condition. The BC at the borehole wall is allowed to vary both with depth and time. Inclusion of the depth dimension in the 2-D solution allows vertical heat-transfer effects to be quantified in situations where they are potentially important, that is, near the earth's surface, at the bottom of a well and when considering finite-drilling rates. The 2-D solution also includes a radial- and time-dependent BC at the earth's surface to assess the impact of drilling-related infrastructure (drilling pads, mud pits, permanent shelters) on the subsurface temperature field. Latent-heat effects due to the melting and subsequent refreezing of interstitial ice while drilling a borehole through ice-rich permafrost can be included in the GF solution as a moving-plane heat source (or sink) located at the solid–liquid interface. Synthetic examples are provided illustrating the 1-D and 2-D GF solutions. The flexibility of the approach allows the investigation of thermal drilling effects in rock or ice for a wide variety of drilling technologies. Numerical values for the required radial GFs GR are available through the Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service at doi:10.5065/D64F1NS6.

Enhanced angiogenesis and osteogenesis in critical bone defects by the controlled release of BMP-2 and VEGF: implantation of electron beam melting-fabricated porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds incorporating growth factor-doped fibrin glue.

PubMed

Lv, Jia; Xiu, Peng; Tan, Jie; Jia, Zhaojun; Cai, Hong; Liu, Zhongjun

2015-06-24

Electron beam melting (EBM)-fabricated porous titanium implants possessing low elastic moduli and tailored structures are promising biomaterials for orthopedic applications. However, the bio-inert nature of porous titanium makes reinforcement with growth factors (GFs) a promising method to enhance implant in vivo performance. Bone-morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are key factors of angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Therefore, the present study is aimed at evaluating EBM-fabricated porous titanium implants incorporating GF-doped fibrin glue (FG) as composite scaffolds providing GFs for improvement of angiogenesis and osteogenesis in rabbit femoral condyle defects. BMP-2 and VEGF were added into the constituent compounds of FG, and then this GF-doped FG was subsequently injected into the porous scaffolds. In five groups of implants, angiogenesis and osteogenesis were evaluated at 4 weeks post-implantation using Microfil perfusion and histological analysis: eTi (empty scaffolds), cTi (containing undoped FG), BMP/cTi (containing 50 μg rhBMP-2), VEGF/cTi (containing 0.5 μg VEGF) and Dual/cTi (containing 50 μg rhBMP-2 and 0.5 μg VEGF). The results demonstrate that these composite implants are biocompatible and provide the desired gradual release of the bioactive growth factors. Incorporation of GF delivery, whether a single factor or dual factors, significantly enhanced both angiogenesis and osteogenesis inside the porous scaffolds. However, the synergistic effect of the dual factors combination was observable on angiogenesis but absent on osteogenesis. In conclusion, fibrin glue is a biocompatible material that could be employed as a delivery vehicle in EBM-fabricated porous titanium for controlled release of BMP-2 and VEGF. Application of this method for loading a porous titanium scaffold to incorporate growth factors is a convenient and promising strategy for improving osteogenesis of critical-sized bone defects.

Aggregation of Environmental Model Data for Decision Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alpert, J. C.

2013-12-01

Weather forecasts and warnings must be prepared and then delivered so as to reach their intended audience in good time to enable effective decision-making. An effort to mitigate these difficulties was studied at a Workshop, 'Sustaining National Meteorological Services - Strengthening WMO Regional and Global Centers' convened, June , 2013, by the World Bank, WMO and the US National Weather Service (NWS). The skill and accuracy of atmospheric forecasts from deterministic models have increased and there are now ensembles of such models that improve decisions to protect life, property and commerce. The NWS production of numerical weather prediction products result in model output from global and high resolution regional ensemble forecasts. Ensembles are constructed by changing the initial conditions to make a 'cloud' of forecasts that attempt to span the space of possible atmospheric realizations which can quantify not only the most likely forecast, but also the uncertainty. This has led to an unprecedented increase in data production and information content from higher resolution, multi-model output and secondary calculations. One difficulty is to obtain the needed subset of data required to estimate the probability of events, and report the information. The calibration required to reliably estimate the probability of events, and honing of threshold adjustments to reduce false alarms for decision makers is also needed. To meet the future needs of the ever-broadening user community and address these issues on a national and international basis, the weather service implemented the NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS). NOMADS provides real-time and retrospective format independent access to climate, ocean and weather model data and delivers high availability content services as part of NOAA's official real time data dissemination at its new NCWCP web operations center. An important aspect of the server's abilities is to aggregate the matrix of model output offering access to probability and calibrating information for real time decision making. The aggregation content server reports over ensemble component and forecast time in addition to the other data dimensions of vertical layer and position for each variable. The unpacking, organization and reading of many binary packed files is accomplished most efficiently on the server while weather element event probability calculations, the thresholds for more accurate decision support, or display remain for the client. Our goal is to reduce uncertainty for variables of interest, e.g, agricultural importance. The weather service operational GFS model ensemble and short range ensemble forecasts can make skillful probability forecasts to alert users if and when their selected weather events will occur. A description of how this framework operates and how it can be implemented using existing NOMADS content services and applications is described.

Investigating NWP initialization sensitivities in heavy precipitation events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frediani, M. E. B.; Anagnostou, E. N.; Papadopoulos, A.

2010-09-01

This study aims to investigate the effect of different types of model initialization applied to extreme storms simulations. Storms with extreme precipitation can usually produce flash floods that cause several damages to the society. Lives and property are destroyed from the landslides when they could be speared if forecasted a few hours in advance. The forecasts depend on several factors; among them the initialization fields play an important role. These fields are the starting point for the simulation and therefore it controls the quality of the forecast. This study evaluates the sensitivities of WRF to the initialization from two perspectives, (1) resolution and (2) initial atmospheric fields. Two storms that lead to flash flood are simulated. The first one happened in Northeast Italy in 04/09/2009 (NI), and the second in Germany, in 02/06/2008 (GE). These storms present contrasting characteristics, NI was a maritime originated storm enhanced by local orography while GE was a typical summer convection. Three different sources of atmospheric fields defining the initial conditions are applied: (a) ECMWF operational analysis at resolution of 0.25 deg, (b) GFS operational analysis at 0.5deg and (c) LAPS analysis at ~15km, produced operationally at HCMR. The rainfall forecasted is compared against in situ ground radar and surface rain gauges observations through a set of quantitative precipitation forecast scores.

[A twin study on genetic and environmental factors of adolescents violence behaviors].

PubMed

Zhu, Wenfen; Fu, Yixiao; Hu, Xiaomei; Wang, Yingcheng; Deng, Wei; Li, Tao; Ma, Xingshun

2015-11-01

To explore the influence of genetic and environmental factors on adolescents violence behaviors. The violence behaviors of 111 twin pairs from Chongqing (aged from 11 to 18 years) were investigated with risk behavior questionnaire-adolescent (RBQ-A). The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) and Stressful Life Event (SLE) and the General Functioning Scale of the MacMaster Family Activity Device (FAD-GFS) were applied to assess their environment factors. Structural equation modeling was performed to evaluate the effects of the additive genetic factors (A), shared environment factors (C) and individual specific environmental factors (E) on the adolescents violence behaviors. The effects of A and E on adolescents violence behaviors were 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.58) and 0.59 (95% CI 0.42-0.81) respectively. There were significantly negative correlation between violence behaviors and authoritative-parenting-style (r = -0.140, P < 0.05), the score of adolescents violence behaviors was positively correlated with repressive-parenting-style score (r = 0.133, P < 0.05), the score of adolescents violence behaviors were not significantly correlated with the family functions, stress life events and the parenting education level and occupation. Adolescents violence behaviors were influenced by additive genetic factors and individual specific environmental factors. Environmental plays an important role. It should not been ignored that parental rearing pattern play a role in adolescents violence behaviors.

Cell-based Assay System for Predicting Bone Regeneration in Patient Affected by Aseptic Nonunion and Treated with Platelet Rich Fibrin.

PubMed

Perut, Francesca; Dallari, Dante; Rani, Nicola; Baldini, Nicola; Granchi, Donatella

Regenerative strategies based on the use of platelet concentrates as an autologous source of growth factors (GF) has been proposed to promote the healing of long bone nonunions. However, the relatively high failure rate stimulates interest in growing knowledge and developing solutions to obtain the best results from the regenerative approach. In this study we evaluated whether a cell-based assay system could be able to recognize patients who will benefit or not from the use of autologous platelet preparations. The autologous serum was used in culture medium to promote the osteogenic differentiation of normal bone-marrow stromal cells (BMSC). Blood samples were collected from 16 patients affected by aseptic long bone nonunion who were candidates to the treatment with autologous platelet-rich fibrin. The osteoinductive effect was detected by measuring the BMSC proliferation, the mineralization activity, and the expression of bone-related genes. Serum level of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was considered as a representative marker of the delivery of osteogenic GFs from platelets. Laboratory results were related to the characteristics of the disease before the treatment and to the outcome at 12 months. Serum samples from "good responders" showed significantly higher levels of bFGF and were able to induce a significantly higher proliferation of BMSC, while no significant differences were observed in terms of osteoblast differentiation. BMSC-based assay could be a useful tool to recognize patients who have a low probability to benefit from the use of autologous platelet concentrate to promote the healing of long bone nonunion.

The annual amount of lightning in just 20 minutes: the October 25th, 2015 super-cell thunderstorm over central Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yair, Y.; Ziv, B.; Lynn, B. H.; Evgeni, K.

2016-12-01

An exceptionally rare Eastern Mediterranean super-cell thunderstorm occurred during the morning hours of October 25th 2015. The storm developed within the northern tip of a Red-Sea trough (extending from Sudan to the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea) off the Egyptian coastline near Alexandria and moved north-west, crossing the Israeli coast just north of Tel-Aviv at 0900 local time. Deep convective cells developed rapidly over the sea, with thunderclouds exhibiting cloud top temperatures colder than -70°C (18 km) and radar reflectivity cores > 65 dBz at 10 km. The storms were accompanied by intensive lightning activity, severe hail, downbursts, and intense rain. The super-cell subsided upon reaching the Jordan rift in eastern Israel. The super-cell caused 1 fatality, extensive flooding and agricultural damages. It also impacted the national electrical network with power outages lasting for 3 days in central Israel. More than 17,000 cloud-to-ground lightning strokes were registered by the lightning detection system of the Israeli Electrical Corporation, exceeding the annual average for the entire country. The average cloud-to-ground flash rates between 0940-0950 and 0950-1000 (local time) were greater than 436 and 430 strokes per minute respectively, exceeding the global record flash rates found in the Argentina-Paraguay border (Zipser et al., 2006). This was the most powerful thunderstorm ever observed in Israel since lightning detection became operational in 1997. Medium-range forecast models such as ECMWF and the GFS missed the timing and severity of this unusual storm. We will present a mesoscale and microphysical analysis of this event to better understand the origins and severity of this rare super-cell. WRF high-resolution simulations with lightning assimilation (Fierro et al., 2012; Lynn et al., 2015) coupled with the Dynamic Lightning Scheme (Lynn et al., 2012) will be used in order to evaluate the performance of the WRF for accurately nowcasting such events.

Highly sensitive strain sensors based on fragmentized carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yang; Fang, Xiaoliang; Tan, Jianping; Lu, Ting; Pan, Likun; Xuan, Fuzhen

2018-06-01

Wearable strain sensors based on nanomaterial/elastomer composites have potential applications in flexible electronic skin, human motion detection, human–machine interfaces, etc. In this research, a type of high performance strain sensors has been developed using fragmentized carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (CNT/PDMS) composites. The CNT/PDMS composites were ground into fragments, and a liquid-induced densification method was used to fabricate the strain sensors. The strain sensors showed high sensitivity with gauge factors (GFs) larger than 200 and a broad strain detection range up to 80%, much higher than those strain sensors based on unfragmentized CNT/PDMS composites (GF < 1). The enhanced sensitivity of the strain sensors is ascribed to the sliding of individual fragmentized-CNT/PDMS-composite particles during mechanical deformation, which causes significant resistance change in the strain sensors. The strain sensors can differentiate mechanical stimuli and monitor various human body motions, such as bending of the fingers, human breathing, and blood pulsing.

Highly sensitive strain sensors based on fragmentized carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane composites.

PubMed

Gao, Yang; Fang, Xiaoliang; Tan, Jianping; Lu, Ting; Pan, Likun; Xuan, Fuzhen

2018-06-08

Wearable strain sensors based on nanomaterial/elastomer composites have potential applications in flexible electronic skin, human motion detection, human-machine interfaces, etc. In this research, a type of high performance strain sensors has been developed using fragmentized carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (CNT/PDMS) composites. The CNT/PDMS composites were ground into fragments, and a liquid-induced densification method was used to fabricate the strain sensors. The strain sensors showed high sensitivity with gauge factors (GFs) larger than 200 and a broad strain detection range up to 80%, much higher than those strain sensors based on unfragmentized CNT/PDMS composites (GF < 1). The enhanced sensitivity of the strain sensors is ascribed to the sliding of individual fragmentized-CNT/PDMS-composite particles during mechanical deformation, which causes significant resistance change in the strain sensors. The strain sensors can differentiate mechanical stimuli and monitor various human body motions, such as bending of the fingers, human breathing, and blood pulsing.

A similarity retrieval approach for weighted track and ambient field of tropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ying; Xu, Luan; Hu, Bo; Li, Yuejun

2018-03-01

Retrieving historical tropical cyclones (TC) which have similar position and hazard intensity to the objective TC is an important means in TC track forecast and TC disaster assessment. A new similarity retrieval scheme is put forward based on historical TC track data and ambient field data, including ERA-Interim reanalysis and GFS and EC-fine forecast. It takes account of both TC track similarity and ambient field similarity, and optimal weight combination is explored subsequently. Result shows that both the distance and direction errors of TC track forecast at 24-hour timescale follow an approximately U-shape distribution. They tend to be large when the weight assigned to track similarity is close to 0 or 1.0, while relatively small when track similarity weight is from 0.2˜0.7 for distance error and 0.3˜0.6 for direction error.

VIIRS Marine Isoprene Product and Initial Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, D.; Wang, M.; Wang, B.; Pan, L.; Lee, P.; Goldberg, M.

2017-12-01

Isoprene is a reactive biogenic hydrocarbon that affects atmospheric chemistry, aerosol loading, and cloud formation. We have developed a marine isoprene emission algorithm based on ocean color data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP). and global meteorology simulated by NOAA Global Forecasting System (GFS). This algorithm is implemented to generate a multi-year data record (2012-2015) of marine isoprene. The product was validated using historic ocean observations of marine isoprene, as well as in-situ data collected during two recent cruises (SPACES/OASIS in 2014 and ASTRA-OMZ in 2015). Result shows that the VIIRS product has captured the seasonal and spatial variability of global oceanic isoprene emission, which is controlled by a myriad of biological and environmental variables including chlorophyll-a concentration, phytoplankton functional types, seawater light attenuation rate, wind speed, and sea surface temperature. The VIIRS isoprene emission displays considerable seasonal and spatial variations, with peaks in spring over seawater abundant with nutrient inputs. Year to year variations are small, with the annual global emissions ranging from 0.20 to 0.25 Tg C/yr. This new dataset provides the first multi-year observations of global isoprene emissions that can be used to study a variety of environmental issues such as coastal air quality, global aerosol, and cloud formation. Some "early-adopter" applications of this product are briefly discussed.

Long-term results after Boston brace treatment in late-onset juvenile and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PubMed

Lange, Johan Emil; Steen, Harald; Gunderson, Ragnhild; Brox, Jens Ivar

2011-08-31

It is recommended that research in patients with idiopathic scoliosis should focus on short- and long-term patient-centred outcome. The aim of the present study was to evaluate outcome in patients with late-onset juvenile or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis 16 years or more after Boston brace treatment. 272 (78%) of 360 patients, 251 (92%) women, responded to follow-up examination at a mean of 24.7 (range 16 - 32) years after Boston brace treatment. Fifty-eight (21%) patients had late-onset juvenile and 214 had adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. All patients had clinical and radiological examination and answered a standardised questionnaire including work status, demographics, General Function Score (GFS) (100 - worst possible) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) (100 - worst possible), EuroQol (EQ-5D) (1 - best possible), EQ-VAS (100 - best possible), and Scoliosis Research Society - 22 (SRS - 22) (5 - best possible). The mean age at follow-up was 40.4 (31-48) years. The prebrace major curve was in average 33.2 (20 - 57)°. At weaning and at the last follow-up the corresponding values were 28.3 (1 - 58)° and 32.5 (7 - 80)°, respectively. Curve development was similar in patients with late-onset juvenile and adolescent start. The prebrace curve increased > 5° in 31% and decreased > 5° in 26%. Twenty-five patients had surgery. Those who did not attend follow-up (n = 88) had a lower mean curve at weaning: 25.4 (6-53)°. Work status was 76% full-time and 10% part-time. Eighty-seven percent had delivered a baby, 50% had pain in pregnancy. The mean (SD) GFS was 7.4 (10.8), ODI 9.3 (11.0), EQ-5D 0.82 (0.2), EQ-VAS 77.6 (17.8), SRS-22: pain 4.1 (0.8), mental health 4.1 (0.6), self-image 3.7 (0.7), function 4.0 (0.6), satisfaction with treatment 3.7 (1.0). Surgical patients had significantly reduced scores for SRS-physical function and self-image, and patients with curves ≥ 45° had reduced self-image. Long-term results were satisfactory in most braced patients and similar in late-onset juvenile and idiopathic adolescent scoliosis.

A Numerical Simulation (Study) of a Strong West Coast December 2014 Winter Storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smelser, I.; Xu, L.; Amerault, C. M.; Baker, N. L.; Satterfield, E.; Chua, B.

2016-12-01

From December 10 through December 13, 2014, a powerful winter storm swept across the western US coastal states bringing widespread power outages, numerous downed trees and power lines, heavy rains, flooding and even a tornado in the Los Angeles basin. This windstorm was the strongest since October 2009, and was similar to classic wind storms such as the 1962 Columbus Day Storm (Read, 2015).The storm started developing over the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii on Nov. 30, and formed an atmospheric river that eventually stretched from Hawaii to the west coast. The storm initially hit the Pacific Northwest on Dec. 9th and then split. The highest precipitation amounts started in British Colombia and moved south along the coast. By the Dec. 11th, the highest precipitation amounts were near San Francisco (CA). The peak wind gust (14.4 ms-1) for Monterey (CA) occurred at 1116Z on Dec. 11th while the heaviest 6-hr precipitation (42.9 mm) occurred between 18Z on Dec. 11th to 00Z on Dec. 12th. By Dec. 12th, the storm was centered over Southern California.This storm was poorly forecast by many operational NWP models even 2-3 days in advance (Mass, 2014). The NCEP Global Forecast System (GFS) showed considerably variability between successive model runs, and significant differences existed between Environment Canada, UK Met Office and ECMWF model forecasts. To study this extreme weather event, we used the Navy global (NAVGEM) and mesoscale (COAMPS®) NWP models, and compared the resulting forecasts to observations, satellite imagery and ECMWF (TIGGE) forecasts. NAVGEM, with Hybrid 4DVar, was run with a resolution of 31 km, and generated the boundary conditions for COAMPS® 4DVar and forecasts, that were run with triple-nested grids of 27, 9, and 3 km. The MesoWest data from the University of Utah were used for forecast verification, and to locate the times of highest precipitation and wind speed for different points along the coast. Both the online API and the python module were used to access and pull information from the data base. Overall, both NAVGEM and COAMPS® predicted the storm well. NAVGEM predicted the storm to be slower and more powerful than the analyses. The NAVGEM analysis and corresponding 5-day forecast accumulated 6-hr precipitation (Fig. 1) for Dec. 12th at 00Z agree well with the observed precipitation (4.29 cm) for Monterey (KMRY).

It Takes Two: NASA and NOAA's Shared Path of Hurricane Science Flights with the Global Hawk. Time for the Research To Operations (R2O) Transition?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emory, A. E.; Wick, G. A.; Dunion, J. P.; McLinden, M.; Schreier, M. M.; Black, P.; Hood, R. E.; Sippel, J.; Tallapragada, V.

2017-12-01

The impacts of Harvey, Irma, and Maria during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season re-emphasized the critical need for accurate operational forecasts. The combined NASA East Pacific Origins and Characteristics of Hurricanes (EPOCH) and NOAA UAS field campaign during August 2017 was the fourth campaign in a series of dual agency partnerships between NASA and NOAA to improve forecasting accuracy in tropical cyclogenesis and rapid intensification. A brief history of Global Hawk (GH) hurricane field campaigns, including GRIP (2010), HS3 (2012-2014), NOAA-SHOUT (2015-2016) and EPOCH (2017), will show the incremental steps taken over the last eight years to bring the GH from a research platform to a candidate for operational hurricane reconnaissance. GH dropsondes were assimilated into the ECMWF and HWRF forecast models during the 2015-2016 NOAA SHOUT campaigns. EPOCH marked the first time that GH dropsondes were assimilated in real-time into NOAA's GFS forecast model. Early results show that assimilating dropsonde data significantly increases skill in predicting intensity change, which is game changing since the National Hurricane Center intensity error trend has remained virtually unchanged, particularly at 24 hours, over the last 25 years. The results from the past few years suggest that a paradigm shift of sampling the environment with a high-altitude, long-duration UAS like the GH that is capable of deploying up to 90 dropsondes ahead of and over the top of a developing or strengthening tropical cyclone could produce the best return on hurricane forecast predictions in subsequent years. Recommendations for the future, including lessons learned and the potential for R2O transition will be discussed.

Sensitivity analysis of a FMC model for improving forecasting forest fires: Comparison with real fires in Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

San Jose, Roberto; Perez, Juan Luis; Gonzalez-Barras, Rosa M.; Pecci, Julia; Palacios, Marino

2014-05-01

Forest fires continue to be a very dangerous and extreme violent episode jeopardizing the human lives and owns. Spain is plagued by forest and brush fires every summer, when extremely dry weather sets in along with high temperatures. The use of fire behavior models requires the availability of high resolution environmental and fuel data; in absence of realistic data, errors on the simulated fire spread con be compounded to produce o decrease of the spatial and temporal accuracy of predicted data. In this work we have carried out a sensitivity analysis of different components of the fire model and particularly the fuel moisture content (FMC) such as microphysics and solar radiation model. Three different real fire models have been used: Murcia (September, 7, 2010 19h09 and 9 hours duration), Gabiel (March, 7, 2007, 22h15 and 38 hours duration) and Culla (Marzo, 7, 2007, 23h36 and 37 hours duration). We use the 100 m European Corine Land Cover map. We use the WRF-Fire model developed by NCAR (USA). The WRF mode is run using the GFS global data and over the Iberian Peninsula with 15 km spatial resolution. We apply the nesting approach over the fires areas (located in the South East of the Iberian Peninsula) with 3 km, 1 km and 200 m spatial resolution. The Fire module included into WRF is run with 20 m spatial resolution and the landuse is interpolated from the Corine 100 m land use map. The results show that the Thompson et al. microphysics scheme and the RRTM solar radiation scheme are those with the best combination using a specific counting score to classify the goodness of the results compare with the real burned area. Those pixels not burned by the simulations but burned by the observational data sets are penalized double compare with the vice versa process. The NDVI obtained by satellite on the day of starting the fire is included in the simulations and a substantial improving in the final score is obtained.

Global system for hydrological monitoring and forecasting in real time at high resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, Enrique; De Michele, Carlo; Todini, Ezio; Cifres, Enrique

2016-04-01

This project presented at the EGU 2016 born of solidarity and the need to dignify the most disadvantaged people living in the poorest countries (Africa, South America and Asia, which are continually exposed to changes in the hydrologic cycle suffering events of large floods and/or long periods of droughts. It is also a special year this 2016, Year of Mercy, in which we must engage with the most disadvantaged of our Planet (Gaia) making available to them what we do professionally and scientifically. The project called "Global system for hydrological monitoring and forecasting in real time at high resolution" is Non-Profit and aims to provide at global high resolution (1km2) hydrological monitoring and forecasting in real time and continuously coupling Weather Forecast of Global Circulation Models, such us GFS-0.25° (Deterministic and Ensembles Run) forcing a physically based distributed hydrological model computationally efficient, such as the latest version extended of TOPKAPI model, named TOPKAPI-eXtended. Finally using the MCP approach for the proper use of ensembles for Predictive Uncertainty assessment essentially based on a multiple regression in the Normal space, can be easily extended to use ensembles to represent the local (in time) smaller or larger conditional predictive uncertainty, as a function of the ensemble spread. In this way, each prediction in time accounts for both the predictive uncertainty of the ensemble mean and that of the ensemble spread. To perform a continuous hydrological modeling with TOPKAPI-X model and have hot start of hydrological status of watersheds, the system assimilated products of rainfall and temperature derived from remote sensing, such as product 3B42RT of TRMM NASA and others.The system will be integrated into a Decision Support System (DSS) platform, based on geographical data. The DSS is a web application (For Pc, Tablet/Mobile phone): It does not need installation (all you need is a web browser and an internet connection) and not need update (all upgrade are deployed on the remote server)and DSS is a classical client-server application. The client side will be an HTML 5-CSS 3 application, it runs in one of the most common browser. The server side consist in: A web server (Apache web server); a map server (Geoserver); a Geographical q3456Relational Database Management Sytem (Postgresql+Postgis); Tools based on GDAL Lybraries. A customized web page will be implemented to publish all hydrometeorological information and forecast runs (free) for all users in the world. In this first presentation of the project are invited to attend all those scientific / technical people, Universities, Research Centers (public or private) who want to collaborate in it, opening a brainstorming to improve the System. References: • Liu Z. and Todini E., (2002). Towards a comprehensive physically based rainfall-runoff model. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS), 6(5):859-881, 2002. • Thielen, J., Bartholmes, J., Ramos, M.-H., and de Roo, A., (2009): The European Flood Alert System - Part 1: Concept and development, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 125-140, 2009. • Coccia C., Mazzetti C., Ortiz E., Todini E., (2010) - A different soil conceptualization for the TOPKAPI model application within the DMIP 2. American Geophysical Union. Fall Meeting, San Francisco H21H-07, 2010. • Pappenberger, F., Cloke, H. L., Balsamo, G., Ngo-Duc, T., and Oki,T., (2010) Global runoff routing with the hydrological component of the ECMWF NWP system, Int. J. Climatol., 30, 2155-2174, 2010. • Coccia, G. and Todini, E., (2011). Recent developments in predictive uncertainty assessment based on the Model Conditional Processor approach. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 15, 3253-3274, 2011. • Wu, H., Adler, R. F., Hong, Y., Tian, Y., and Policelli, F.,(2012): Evaluation of Global Flood Detection Using Satellite-Based Rainfall and a Hydrologic Model, J. Hydrometeorol., 13, 1268-1284, 2012. • Simth M. et al., (2013). The Distributed Model Intercomparison Project - Phase 2: Experiment Design and Summary Results of the Western Basin Experiments, Journal of Hydrology 507, 300-329, 2013. • Pontificiae Academiae Scientiarvm (2014). Proceedings of the Joint Workshop on 2-6 May 2014: Sustainable Humanity Sustainable Nature Our Responsibility. Pontificiae Academiae Scientiarvm Extra Series 41. Vatican City. 2014 • Encyclical letter CARITAS IN VERITATE of the supreme pontiff Benedict XVI to the bishops, priests and deacons, men and women religious the lay faithful and all people of good will on integral human development in charity and truth. Vatican City . 2009. • Encyclical letter LAUDATO SI' of the holy father Francis on care for our common home. Vatican City. 2015

A simple nudging scheme to assimilate ASCAT soil moisture data in the WRF model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capecchi, V.; Gozzini, B.

2012-04-01

The present work shows results obtained in a numerical experiment using the WRF (Weather and Research Forecasting, www.wrf-model.org) model. A control run where soil moisture is constrained by GFS global analysis is compared with a test run where soil moisture analysis is obtained via a simple nudging scheme using ASCAT data. The basic idea of the assimilation scheme is to "nudge" the first level (0-10 cm below ground in NOAH model) of volumetric soil moisture of the first-guess (say θ(b,1) derived from global model) towards the ASCAT derived value (say ^θ A). The soil moisture analysis θ(a,1) is given by: { θ + K (^θA - θ ) l = 1 θ(a,1) = θ(b,l) (b,l) l > 1 (b,l) (1) where l is the model soil level. K is a constant scalar value that is user specified and in this study it is equal to 0.2 (same value as in similar studies). Soil moisture is critical for estimating latent and sensible heat fluxes as well as boundary layer structure. This parameter is, however, poorly assimilated in current global and regional numerical models since no extensive soil moisture observation network exists. Remote sensing technologies offer a synoptic view of the dynamics and spatial distribution of soil moisture with a frequent temporal coverage and with a horizontal resolution similar to mesoscale NWP model. Several studies have shown that measurements of normalized backscatter (surface soil wetness) from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) operating at microwave frequencies and boarded on the meteorological operational (Metop) satellite, offer quality information about surface soil moisture. Recently several studies deal with the implementation of simple assimilation procedures (nudging, Extended Kalman Filter, etc...) to integrate ASCAT data in NWP models. They found improvements in screen temperature predictions, particularly in areas such as North-America and in the Tropics, where it is strong the land-atmosphere coupling. The ECMWF (Newsletter No. 127) is currently implementing and testing an EKF for combining conventional observations and remote sensed soil moisture data in order to produce a more accurate analysis. In the present work verification skills (RMSE, BIAS, correlation) of both control and test run are presented using observed data collected by International Soil Moisture Network. Moreover improvements in temperature predictions are evaluated.

Design and characterization of fibrin-based acoustically responsive scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

PubMed Central

Moncion, Alexander; Arlotta, Keith J.; Kripfgans, Oliver D.; Fowlkes, J. Brian; Carson, Paul L.; Putnam, Andrew J.; Franceschi, Renny T.; Fabiilli, Mario L.

2015-01-01

Hydrogel scaffolds are used in tissue engineering as a delivery vehicle for regenerative growth factors (GFs). Spatiotemporal patterns of GF signaling are critical for tissue regeneration, yet most scaffolds afford limited control of GF release, especially after implantation. We previously demonstrated that acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) can control GF release from a fibrin scaffold doped with a perfluorocarbon emulsion. This study investigates properties of the acoustically responsive scaffold (ARS) critical for further translation. At 2.5 MHz, ADV and inertial cavitation thresholds ranged from 1.5 – 3.0 MPa and 2.0 – 7.0 MPa peak rarefactional pressure, respectively, for ARSs of varying compositions. Viability of C3H10T1/2 cells, encapsulated in the ARS, did not decrease significantly for pressures below 4 MPa. ARSs with perfluorohexane emulsions displayed higher stability versus perfluoropentane emulsions, while surrogate payload release was minimal without ultrasound. These results enable the selection of ARS compositions and acoustic parameters needed for optimized spatiotemporal control. PMID:26526782

Ultrahigh Thermal Conductive yet Superflexible Graphene Films.

PubMed

Peng, Li; Xu, Zhen; Liu, Zheng; Guo, Yan; Li, Peng; Gao, Chao

2017-07-01

Electrical devices generate heat at work. The heat should be transferred away immediately by a thermal manager to keep proper functions, especially for high-frequency apparatuses. Besides high thermal conductivity (K), the thermal manager material requires good foldability for the next generation flexible electronics. Unfortunately, metals have satisfactory ductility but inferior K (≤429 W m -1 K -1 ), and highly thermal-conductive nonmetallic materials are generally brittle. Therefore, fabricating a foldable macroscopic material with a prominent K is still under challenge. This study solves the problem by folding atomic thin graphene into microfolds. The debris-free giant graphene sheets endow graphene film (GF) with a high K of 1940 ± 113 W m -1 K -1 . Simultaneously, the microfolds render GF superflexible with a high fracture elongation up to 16%, enabling it more than 6000 cycles of ultimate folding. The large-area multifunctional GFs can be easily integrated into high-power flexible devices for highly efficient thermal management. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Comparison of the Performance of Advanced Statistical Techniques for the Refinement of Day-ahead and Longer NWP-based Wind Power Forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zack, J. W.

2015-12-01

Predictions from Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models are the foundation for wind power forecasts for day-ahead and longer forecast horizons. The NWP models directly produce three-dimensional wind forecasts on their respective computational grids. These can be interpolated to the location and time of interest. However, these direct predictions typically contain significant systematic errors ("biases"). This is due to a variety of factors including the limited space-time resolution of the NWP models and shortcomings in the model's representation of physical processes. It has become common practice to attempt to improve the raw NWP forecasts by statistically adjusting them through a procedure that is widely known as Model Output Statistics (MOS). The challenge is to identify complex patterns of systematic errors and then use this knowledge to adjust the NWP predictions. The MOS-based improvements are the basis for much of the value added by commercial wind power forecast providers. There are an enormous number of statistical approaches that can be used to generate the MOS adjustments to the raw NWP forecasts. In order to obtain insight into the potential value of some of the newer and more sophisticated statistical techniques often referred to as "machine learning methods" a MOS-method comparison experiment has been performed for wind power generation facilities in 6 wind resource areas of California. The underlying NWP models that provided the raw forecasts were the two primary operational models of the US National Weather Service: the GFS and NAM models. The focus was on 1- and 2-day ahead forecasts of the hourly wind-based generation. The statistical methods evaluated included: (1) screening multiple linear regression, which served as a baseline method, (2) artificial neural networks, (3) a decision-tree approach called random forests, (4) gradient boosted regression based upon an decision-tree algorithm, (5) support vector regression and (6) analog ensemble, which is a case-matching scheme. The presentation will provide (1) an overview of each method and the experimental design, (2) performance comparisons based on standard metrics such as bias, MAE and RMSE, (3) a summary of the performance characteristics of each approach and (4) a preview of further experiments to be conducted.

Applications of the PUFF model to forecasts of volcanic clouds dispersal from Etna and Vesuvio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniele, P.; Lirer, L.; Petrosino, P.; Spinelli, N.; Peterson, R.

2009-05-01

PUFF is a numerical volcanic ash tracking model developed to simulate the behaviour of ash clouds in the atmosphere. The model uses wind field data provided by meteorological models and adds dispersion and sedimentation physics to predict the evolution of the cloud once it reaches thermodynamic equilibrium with the atmosphere. The software is intended for use in emergency response situations during an eruption to quickly forecast the position and trajectory of the ash cloud in the near (˜1-72 h) future. In this paper, we describe the first application of the PUFF model in forecasting volcanic ash dispersion from the Etna and Vesuvio volcanoes. We simulated the daily occurrence of an eruptive event of Etna utilizing ash cloud parameters describing the paroxysm of 22nd July 1998 and wind field data for the 1st September 2005-31st December 2005 time span from the Global Forecast System (GFS) model at the approximate location of the Etna volcano (38N 15E). The results show that volcanic ash particles are dispersed in a range of directions in response to changing wind field at various altitudes and that the ash clouds are mainly dispersed toward the east and southeast, although the exact trajectory is highly variable, and can change within a few hours. We tested the sensitivity of the model to the mean particle grain size and found that an increased concentration of ash particles in the atmosphere results when the mean grain size is decreased. Similarly, a dramatic variation in dispersion results when the logarithmic standard deviation of the particle-size distribution is changed. Additionally, we simulated the occurrence of an eruptive event at both Etna and Vesuvio, using the same parameters describing the initial volcanic plume, and wind field data recorded for 1st September 2005, at approximately 38N 15E for Etna and 41N 14E for Vesuvio. The comparison of the two simulations indicates that identical eruptions occurring at the same time at the two volcanic centres display significantly different dispersal axes as a consequence of the different local wind field acting at the respective eruptive vents. At the Vesuvio the volcano, a plinian eruptive event with the dynamical parameters of the 79 A.D. eruption was simulated daily for one year, from 1st July 2005 to 30th June 2006. The statistical processing of results points out that, although in most cases the ash cloud dispersal encompasses many different areas, generally the easterly southeasterly direction is preferred. Our results highlight the significant role of wind field trends in influencing the distribution of ash particles from eruptive columns and prove that the dynamical parameters that most influence the variability of plume dispersal are the duration of the eruption and the maximum column height. Finally, the possible use of cloud simulations for refining hazard maps of areas exposed to volcanic ash dispersal is proposed.

Operational hydrological forecasting in Bavaria. Part II: Ensemble forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehret, U.; Vogelbacher, A.; Moritz, K.; Laurent, S.; Meyer, I.; Haag, I.

2009-04-01

In part I of this study, the operational flood forecasting system in Bavaria and an approach to identify and quantify forecast uncertainty was introduced. The approach is split into the calculation of an empirical 'overall error' from archived forecasts and the calculation of an empirical 'model error' based on hydrometeorological forecast tests, where rainfall observations were used instead of forecasts. The 'model error' can especially in upstream catchments where forecast uncertainty is strongly dependent on the current predictability of the atrmosphere be superimposed on the spread of a hydrometeorological ensemble forecast. In Bavaria, two meteorological ensemble prediction systems are currently tested for operational use: the 16-member COSMO-LEPS forecast and a poor man's ensemble composed of DWD GME, DWD Cosmo-EU, NCEP GFS, Aladin-Austria, MeteoSwiss Cosmo-7. The determination of the overall forecast uncertainty is dependent on the catchment characteristics: 1. Upstream catchment with high influence of weather forecast a) A hydrological ensemble forecast is calculated using each of the meteorological forecast members as forcing. b) Corresponding to the characteristics of the meteorological ensemble forecast, each resulting forecast hydrograph can be regarded as equally likely. c) The 'model error' distribution, with parameters dependent on hydrological case and lead time, is added to each forecast timestep of each ensemble member d) For each forecast timestep, the overall (i.e. over all 'model error' distribution of each ensemble member) error distribution is calculated e) From this distribution, the uncertainty range on a desired level (here: the 10% and 90% percentile) is extracted and drawn as forecast envelope. f) As the mean or median of an ensemble forecast does not necessarily exhibit meteorologically sound temporal evolution, a single hydrological forecast termed 'lead forecast' is chosen and shown in addition to the uncertainty bounds. This can be either an intermediate forecast between the extremes of the ensemble spread or a manually selected forecast based on a meteorologists advice. 2. Downstream catchments with low influence of weather forecast In downstream catchments with strong human impact on discharge (e.g. by reservoir operation) and large influence of upstream gauge observation quality on forecast quality, the 'overall error' may in most cases be larger than the combination of the 'model error' and an ensemble spread. Therefore, the overall forecast uncertainty bounds are calculated differently: a) A hydrological ensemble forecast is calculated using each of the meteorological forecast members as forcing. Here, additionally the corresponding inflow hydrograph from all upstream catchments must be used. b) As for an upstream catchment, the uncertainty range is determined by combination of 'model error' and the ensemble member forecasts c) In addition, the 'overall error' is superimposed on the 'lead forecast'. For reasons of consistency, the lead forecast must be based on the same meteorological forecast in the downstream and all upstream catchments. d) From the resulting two uncertainty ranges (one from the ensemble forecast and 'model error', one from the 'lead forecast' and 'overall error'), the envelope is taken as the most prudent uncertainty range. In sum, the uncertainty associated with each forecast run is calculated and communicated to the public in the form of 10% and 90% percentiles. As in part I of this study, the methodology as well as the useful- or uselessness of the resulting uncertainty ranges will be presented and discussed by typical examples.

Thermal wave propagation in blood perfused tissues under hyperthermia treatment for unique oscillatory heat flux at skin surface and appropriate initial condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Jaideep; Kundu, Balaram

2018-05-01

This paper aims to develop an analytical study of heat propagation in biological tissues for constant and variable heat flux at the skin surface correlated with Hyperthermia treatment. In the present research work we have attempted to impose two unique kind of oscillating boundary condition relevant to practical aspect of the biomedical engineering while the initial condition is constructed as spatially dependent according to a real life situation. We have implemented Laplace's Transform method (LTM) and Green Function (GFs) method to solve single phase lag (SPL) thermal wave model of bioheat equation (TWMBHE). This research work strongly focuses upon the non-invasive therapy by employing oscillating heat flux. The heat flux at the skin surface is considered as constant, sinusoidal, and cosine forms. A comparative study of the impact of different kinds of heat flux on the temperature field in living tissue explored that sinusoidal heat flux will be more effective if the time of therapeutic heating is high. Cosine heating is also applicable in Hyperthermia treatment due to its precision in thermal waveform. The result also emphasizes that accurate observation must be required for the selection of phase angle and frequency of oscillating heat flux. By possible comparison with the published experimental research work and published mathematical study we have experienced a difference in temperature distribution as 5.33% and 4.73%, respectively. A parametric analysis has been devoted to suggest an appropriate procedure of the selection of important design variables in viewpoint of an effective heating in hyperthermia treatment.

Added value of non-calibrated and BMA calibrated AEMET-SREPS probabilistic forecasts: the 24 January 2009 extreme wind event over Catalonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Escriba, P. A.; Callado, A.; Santos, D.; Santos, C.; Simarro, J.; García-Moya, J. A.

2009-09-01

At 00 UTC 24 January 2009 an explosive ciclogenesis originated over the Atlantic Ocean reached its maximum intensity with observed surface pressures lower than 970 hPa on its center and placed at Gulf of Vizcaya. During its path through southern France this low caused strong westerly and north-westerly winds over the Iberian Peninsula higher than 150 km/h at some places. These extreme winds leaved 10 casualties in Spain, 8 of them in Catalonia. The aim of this work is to show whether exists an added value in the short range prediction of the 24 January 2009 strong winds when using the Short Range Ensemble Prediction System (SREPS) of the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET), with respect to the operational forecasting tools. This study emphasizes two aspects of probabilistic forecasting: the ability of a 3-day forecast of warn an extreme windy event and the ability of quantifying the predictability of the event so that giving value to deterministic forecast. Two type of probabilistic forecasts of wind are carried out, a non-calibrated and a calibrated one using Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). AEMET runs daily experimentally SREPS twice a day (00 and 12 UTC). This system consists of 20 members that are constructed by integrating 5 local area models, COSMO (COSMO), HIRLAM (HIRLAM Consortium), HRM (DWD), MM5 (NOAA) and UM (UKMO), at 25 km of horizontal resolution. Each model uses 4 different initial and boundary conditions, the global models GFS (NCEP), GME (DWD), IFS (ECMWF) and UM. By this way it is obtained a probabilistic forecast that takes into account the initial, the contour and the model errors. BMA is a statistical tool for combining predictive probability functions from different sources. The BMA predictive probability density function (PDF) is a weighted average of PDFs centered on the individual bias-corrected forecasts. The weights are equal to posterior probabilities of the models generating the forecasts and reflect the skill of the ensemble members. Here BMA is applied to provide probabilistic forecasts of wind speed. In this work several forecasts for different time ranges (H+72, H+48 and H+24) of 10 meters wind speed over Catalonia are verified subjectively at one of the instants of maximum intensity, 12 UTC 24 January 2009. On one hand, three probabilistic forecasts are compared, ECMWF EPS, non-calibrated SREPS and calibrated SREPS. On the other hand, the relationship between predictability and skill of deterministic forecast is studied by looking at HIRLAM 0.16 deterministic forecasts of the event. Verification is focused on location and intensity of 10 meters wind speed and 10-minutal measures from AEMET automatic ground stations are used as observations. The results indicate that SREPS is able to forecast three days ahead mean winds higher than 36 km/h and that correctly localizes them with a significant probability of ocurrence in the affected area. The probability is higher after BMA calibration of the ensemble. The fact that probability of strong winds is high allows us to state that the predictability of the event is also high and, as a consequence, deterministic forecasts are more reliable. This is confirmed when verifying HIRLAM deterministic forecasts against observed values.

Investigating the rupture direction of induced earthquakes in the Central US using empirical Green's functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lui, S. K. Y.; Huang, Y.

2017-12-01

A clear understanding of the source physics of induced seismicity is the key to effective seismic hazard mitigation. In particular, resolving their rupture processes can shed lights on the stress state prior to the main shock, as well as ground motion response. Recent numerical models suggest that, compared to their tectonic counterpart, induced earthquake rupture is more prone to propagate unilaterally toward the injection well where fluid pressure is high. However, this is also dependent on the location of the injection relative to the fault and yet to be compared with field data. In this study, we utilize the rich pool of seismic data in the central US to constrain the rupture processes of major induced earthquakes. By implementing a forward-modeling method, we take smaller earthquake recordings as empirical Green's functions (eGf) to simulate the rupture direction of the beginning motion generated by large events. One advantage of the empirical approach is to bypass the fundamental difficulty in resolving path and site effects. We selected eGf events that are close to the target events both in space and time. For example, we use a Mw 3.6 aftershock approximately 3 km from the 2011 Mw 5.7 earthquake in Prague, OK as its eGf event. Preliminary results indicate a southwest rupture for the Prague main shock, which possibly implies a higher fluid pressure concentration on the northeast end of the fault prior to the rupture. We will present further results on other Mw > 4.5 earthquakes in the States of Oklahoma and Kansas. With additional seismic stations installed in the past few years, events such as the 2014 Mw 4.9 Milan earthquake and the 2016 Mw 5.8 Pawnee earthquake are potential candidates with useful eGfs, as they both have good data coverage and a substantial number of aftershocks nearby. We will discuss the implication of our findings for the causative relationships between the injection operations and the induced rupture process.

Predicting and attributing recent East African Spring droughts with dynamical-statistical climate model ensembles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funk, C. C.; Shukla, S.; Hoerling, M. P.; Robertson, F. R.; Hoell, A.; Liebmann, B.

2013-12-01

During boreal spring, eastern portions of Kenya and Somalia have experienced more frequent droughts since 1999. Given the region's high levels of food insecurity, better predictions of these droughts could provide substantial humanitarian benefits. We show that dynamical-statistical seasonal climate forecasts, based on the latest generation of coupled atmosphere-ocean and uncoupled atmospheric models, effectively predict boreal spring rainfall in this area. Skill sources are assessed by comparing ensembles driven with full-ocean forcing with ensembles driven with ENSO-only sea surface temperatures (SSTs). Our analysis suggests that both ENSO and non-ENSO Indo-Pacific SST forcing have played an important role in the increase in drought frequencies. Over the past 30 years, La Niña drought teleconnections have strengthened, while non-ENSO Indo-Pacific convection patterns have also supported increased (decreased) Western Pacific (East African) rainfall. To further examine the relative contribution of ENSO, low frequency warming and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, we present decompositions of ECHAM5, GFS, CAM4 and GMAO AMIP simulations. These decompositions suggest that rapid warming in the western Pacific and steeper western-to-central Pacific SST gradients have likely played an important role in the recent intensification of the Walker circulation, and the associated increase in East African aridity. A linear combination of time series describing the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the strength of Indo-Pacific warming are shown to track East African rainfall reasonably well. The talk concludes with a few thoughts linking the potentially important interplay of attribution and prediction. At least for recent East African droughts, it appears that a characteristic Indo-Pacific SST and precipitation anomaly pattern can be linked statistically to support forecasts and attribution analyses. The combination of traditional AGCM attribution analyses with simple yet physically plausible statistical estimation procedures may help us better untangle some climate mysteries.

Effect of polymerization technique and glass fiber addition on the surface roughness and hardness of PMMA denture base material.

PubMed

Gad, Mohammed M; Rahoma, Ahmed; Al-Thobity, Ahmad M

2018-06-20

The current study evaluated the effects of autoclave polymerization both with and without glass fiber (GF) reinforcement on the surface roughness and hardness of acrylic denture base material. Ninety disc specimens (30×2.5 mm) were prepared from Vertex resin and divided according to polymerization techniques into a water bath, short and long autoclave polymerization groups. Tested groups were divided into three subgroups according to the GF concentration (0, 2.5, and 5 wt%). Profilometer and Vickers hardness tests were performed to measure surface roughness and hardness. ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison tests analyzed the results, and p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Autoclave polymerization significantly decreased the surface roughness and increased the hardness of acrylic resin without GF reinforcement (p<0.05). However, 5 wt% GF addition significantly increased surface roughness and decreased hardness of the autoclave polymerized denture base resin (p<0.05). Surface properties of Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture base material improved with autoclave polymerization and negatively affected with GFs addition.

Application of the WRF-Chem model for the simulation of air quality over Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushta, Jonilda; Proestos, Yiannis; Georgiou, George; Christoudias, Theodoros; Lelieveld, Jos

2017-04-01

The fully coupled WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry) model is used to simulate air quality over Cyprus. Cyprus is an island country with complex topography, located in the eastern corner of East Mediterranean region, affected year-long by local, regional and long range transported pollution. An extensive sensitivity analysis of the model performance has been performed over the area of interest with three domains of respective grid spacing of 40, 8 and 2 km. Different configurations have been deployed regarding horizontal resolution, simulation timestep, boundary conditions, NOx emissions and speciation method of emitted NMVOCs (Non Methane Volatile Organic Compounds). The WRF-Chem model simulated hourly concentrations of air pollutants for a month-long period (July 2014) during which measurements are available over 13 stations (4 of which background stations, 1 industrial and 8 urban/traffic stations). The model was initialized with meteorological initial and boundary conditions (ICBC) using NCAR-NCEP's F Global Forecast System output (GFS) at a 1o x1o spatial resolution. The ICBC for the chemical species are derived from the MOZART global model results (2.5o x 2.5o). Both ICBCs datasets are updated every 6 hours. The emission inventory used in the study is the EDGAR-HTAP v2 dataset with a horizontal grid resolution of 0.1o × 0.1o, while an additional dataset with speciated NMVOCs (instead of summed volatile species) is also tested. The diurnal cycle of the atmospheric concentrations of ozone averaged over the island, exhibits a maximum of 114 μg/m3 when the boundary conditions are derived from MOZART and 94 μg/m3 when the boundary conditions are not included (local background and production), suggesting a constant inflow of ozone from long range transport of about 20 μg/m3. The contribution of pollution from regional sources is more pronounced at the western border due to the characteristic summer time north-northeasterly etesian flow that brings southward the pollution produced or accumulated over Eastern Europe, the Black sea and major upwind megacities (Istanbul, Athens etc). Ozone concentrations are overestimated in all stations indicating a possible overestimation of ozone from the global model (MOZART) that has also been discussed in other studies over neighbouring countries, or an excess of ozone production in the parent domain that includes all Eastern Mediterranean. Model results are influenced by the speciation of NMVOCs with the pre-speciated emission dataset resulting in lower ozone values by an average of 5 μg/m3. Lowering NOx emission brings ozone levels closer to observations; however this does not account for the overestimation of ozone since the respective comparison of NOx levels reveals strong underestimation of NOx (both NO and NO2) even before reducing them. Horizontal, vertical and temporal resolutions show smaller impact on changing the modelled patterns of ozone concentrations. The discrepancies between modelled and observed ozone over the main Cypriot urban areas point at the need for more detailed emission inventories, either in terms of spatial resolution and/or validation of absolute emitted values, and adjustments in the use of boundary conditions from global models.

Distribution and transport of water vapor in the UTLS over the Tibetan Plateau as inferred from the MLS satellite data and WRF model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, S.; Kar, S. C.

2016-12-01

Water vapor is an important minor constituent in the lower stratosphere as it influences the stratospheric chemistry and total radiation budget. The spatial distribution of water vapor mixing ratio (WVMR) obtained from Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) satellite at 100 hPa level shows prominent maxima over the Tibetan Plateau during August 2015. The Asian monsoon upper level anticyclone is also known to occur over this region during this period. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Centre of Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) observed daily gridded rainfall data shows moderate to heavy rainfall over the Tibetan Plateau, suggesting active convection from 26 July to 10 August 2015. The atmospheric conditions are simulated over the Asian region for the 15-day period using the Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) model. The simulations are carried out using two nested domains with resolution of 12 km and 4 km. The initial and boundary conditions are taken from the NGFS (up-graded version of the NCEP GFS) data. The WRF WVMR profiles are observed to be comparatively moist than the MLS profiles in the UTLS region over the Tibetan Plateau. This may be due to the relatively higher temperatures (1-2 K) simulated in the WRF model near 100 hPa level. It is noted that the WRF model has a drying tendency at all the levels. The UTLS WVMR and temperatures show poor sensitivity to the convective schemes. The parent domain and the explicit convective scheme simulate almost same moisture over time in the inner domain. The cloud micro-physics is observed to play a rather important role in controlling the UTLS water vapor content. The WSM-6 convective scheme is observed to simulate the UTLS moisture comparatively well and therefore the processes associated with the formation of ice, snow and graupel formation may be of much more importance in controlling the UTLS WVMR in the WRF model. The 24 hr, 48 hr and 72 hr forecast averaged for the 15-day period shows that over the Tibetan Plateau, high WVMR in the UTLS is not centered within the anticyclone, contrary to what has been shown by earlier studies. Similar simulations are also being carried out using the Era-interim initial and boundary conditions to confirm the above findings.

Forecast simulation of rapidly-intensified typhoon in the Eddy-Rich Northwest Pacific region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyeong Ok; Yuk, Jin-Hee; Jung, Kyung Tae; Kuh Kang, Suk

2017-04-01

The real-time typhoon predictions in the Northwest Pacific (NWP) are being distributed by various agencies (for example, KMA, JMA, JTWC, NMC, CWB, HKO and PAGASA). Currently the movement of the typhoon can be predicted with an error of less than 100 km in 48 hours, however it is difficult to the predict of the intensity of the typhoon especially the Rapidly Intensified (RI) Typhoons. The mean occurrence of RI typhoon amounts to 5.4 times a year during 39 years (1977-2015), occupying 21% of typhoons in NWP. Especially the RI typhoon in the Eddy-Rich Northwest Pacific (ER-NWP) occurred 1.8 times a year, covering 29% of typhoons in ER-NWP. A RI typhoon, NEPARTAK (T201601), occurred in July 2016. It was formed in Caroline Islands and moved northwest, straightly heading for Taiwan. However, at the beginning stage many forecasting agencies predicts as move to the Yellow Sea. The accuracy of prediction data of the Typhoon NEPARTAK (T201601) from KMA, JMA and JTWC was compared with the adjusted best-track data from Digital-Typhoon (JMA-RSMC). The sequential prediction data are summarized with 6-hour interval from 3th to 10th July 2016.The JMA prediction of the typhoon track and the JTWC predictions of the maximum wind speed were found to be best. The numerical simulations using WRF model forced with NCEP GFS prediction data and microwave SST is compared. The simulations using one domain (D1), two domains (D2) using a moving nest scheme, and with or without the spectral nudging (-SN) are compared. Comparison of the errors on the track shows the differences of 100 km in 48-hour prediction and200 km in 72-hour prediction on average. The best results on the track prediction are shown in the D2 case of WRF model. However, underestimation of the maximum wind speed of WRF prediction still exists, obviously requiring better understanding of RI-related processes to improve the model prediction.

Haplotype analysis of the polymorphic 40 Y-STR markers in Chinese populations.

PubMed

Ou, Xueling; Wang, Ying; Liu, Chao; Yang, Donggui; Zhang, Chuchu; Deng, Shujiao; Sun, Hongyu

2015-11-01

Forty Y-STR loci were analyzed in 1128 males from the following six Chinese ethnic populations: Han (n=300), Hui (n=244), Korean (n=100), Mongolian (n=100), Uighur (n=284) and Tibetan (n=100), utilizing two new generation multiplex Y-STR systems, AGCU Y24 STR and GFS Y24 STR genotyping kits, which allow for the genotyping of 24 loci from a single amplification reaction in each system. The lowest estimates of genetic diversity (below 0.5) correspond to markers DYS391 (0.441658) and DYS437 (0.496977), and the greatest diversity corresponds to markers DYS385a/b (0.969919) and DYS527a/b (0.94676). A considerable number of duplicate and off-ladder alleles were also revealed. Additionally, there were 1111 different haplotypes identified from the total 1128 samples, of which 1095 were unique. Notably, no shared haplotypes between populations were observed. The estimated overall haplotype diversity (HD) was 0.999085, and its discrimination capacity (DC) was 0.970745. An MDS plot based on the genetic distances between populations showed the genetic similarity of the southern Han population to the Northern populations of Hui, Korean, Mongolian and Uighur and a clear genetic departure of the Tibetan population from other populations. For the Y STR markers, population substructure correction was considered when calculating the rarity of the Y STR profile. However, because the haplotype based Fst values are extremely small within the present data (0.000153 with 40 Y-STRs), no substructure correction is required to estimate the rarity of a haplotype comprising 40 markers. In summary, the results of our study indicate that the 40 Y-STRs have a high level of polymorphism in Chinese ethnic groups and could therefore be a powerful tool for forensic applications and population genetic studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flashflood in the South of Brazil: a Tragedy not Detected by the Meteorological Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, P.

2012-12-01

A heavy rain hit the southern Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) between the afternoon of the 9th and the morning of March 10, 2011. On March 10, the city of São Lourenço do Sul was hit by a tragic flood that left a trail of destruction, death, mud and losses, both in urban and rural areas. Hundreds of families had to leave their homes. This flood damaged two bridges of the highway BR-116, that connects Pelotas to Porto Alegre. The rain has affected about 60% of the territory of the city, located on the shores of the Lagoa dos Patos, just after the levels from the São Lourenço's River rose by up to three meters in a few hours. We recorded eight deaths due to flooding. According to the report of the Civil Defense, the damage caused by flooding left a balance of eight deaths, and counting the damage to private property, it is estimated that the value reaches $ 400 million, equivalent to a gross domestic product in the city. About 20,000 people were directly affected by the flooding of which 2.5 thousand were left homeless. São Lourenço do Sul came to be isolated due to a crater on the highway BR-116 by the floods. According to farmers measurements made at gauges in their properties, it rained between 300 and 500 mm in eight hours. This is an absurd amount, if the measurements are correct, after all there is no weather station in the area. This situation is extremely absurd and escapes the logic of a prediction, even though she is pessimistic. Any meteorologist, with a minimum of common sense or responsibility, would make a prognostic of 500 millimeters of rain without at least one supporting forecast. I it has never been seen indicating 500 mm of rain in only eight hours in Brazil. Never. For the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, the U.S. GFS model indicated no more than 30 mm for that area. The day before, the model run by the European Centre had suggested rain, but within the common parameters from 50 to 75 millimeters. Another thesis that ran the media is that there were models of higher resolution (the new model from Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos - CPTEC/INPE) and could predict the heavy rainfall of São Lourenço. But the model of high resolution (7km) from the Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET) did not even indicate heavy rain to the area. The event that led to the tragedy of São Lourenço, moreover, was incredibly isolated. In the urban area of the town, it only came to rain heavily when everything was already flooded on the morning of the Thursday. The flood took place within the municipality. It was thus a microscale occurrence. The analysis of satellite images and meteorological models results indicate that the flood was caused by a low pressure system, characterized by clockwise winds in the layers between 1500 and 5000 feet from the surface. This meteorological phenomenon occurred due to the heat associated with the surface moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. In the early afternoon of March 9, the system began to form over the region and progressed rapidly. Around 15:30 hours, the rain began on São Lourenço`s river basin, intensifying in the night toward the city. The analysis shows that in the absence of a flow strong enough to move the clouds toward the ocean, the system remained active on the municipalities of São Lourenço do Sul and Turuçu. As a consequence, the rain over the region was very intense within a few hours.

Tool for Forecasting Cool-Season Peak Winds Across Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrett, Joe H., III; Roeder, William P.

2010-01-01

The expected peak wind speed for the day is an important element in the daily morning forecast for ground and space launch operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). The 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) must issue forecast advisories for KSC/CCAFS when they expect peak gusts for >= 25, >= 35, and >= 50 kt thresholds at any level from the surface to 300 ft. In Phase I of this task, the 45 WS tasked the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) to develop a cool-season (October - April) tool to help forecast the non-convective peak wind from the surface to 300 ft at KSC/CCAFS. During the warm season, these wind speeds are rarely exceeded except during convective winds or under the influence of tropical cyclones, for which other techniques are already in use. The tool used single and multiple linear regression equations to predict the peak wind from the morning sounding. The forecaster manually entered several observed sounding parameters into a Microsoft Excel graphical user interface (GUI), and then the tool displayed the forecast peak wind speed, average wind speed at the time of the peak wind, the timing of the peak wind and the probability the peak wind will meet or exceed 35, 50 and 60 kt. The 45 WS customers later dropped the requirement for >= 60 kt wind warnings. During Phase II of this task, the AMU expanded the period of record (POR) by six years to increase the number of observations used to create the forecast equations. A large number of possible predictors were evaluated from archived soundings, including inversion depth and strength, low-level wind shear, mixing height, temperature lapse rate and winds from the surface to 3000 ft. Each day in the POR was stratified in a number of ways, such as by low-level wind direction, synoptic weather pattern, precipitation and Bulk Richardson number. The most accurate Phase II equations were then selected for an independent verification. The Phase I and II forecast methods were compared using an independent verification data set. The two methods were compared to climatology, wind warnings and advisories issued by the 45 WS, and North American Mesoscale (NAM) model (MesoNAM) forecast winds. The performance of the Phase I and II methods were similar with respect to mean absolute error. Since the Phase I data were not stratified by precipitation, this method's peak wind forecasts had a large negative bias on days with precipitation and a small positive bias on days with no precipitation. Overall, the climatology methods performed the worst while the MesoNAM performed the best. Since the MesoNAM winds were the most accurate in the comparison, the final version of the tool was based on the MesoNAM winds. The probability the peak wind will meet or exceed the warning thresholds were based on the one standard deviation error bars from the linear regression. For example, the linear regression might forecast the most likely peak speed to be 35 kt and the error bars used to calculate that the probability of >= 25 kt = 76%, the probability of >= 35 kt = 50%, and the probability of >= 50 kt = 19%. The authors have not seen this application of linear regression error bars in any other meteorological applications. Although probability forecast tools should usually be developed with logistic regression, this technique could be easily generalized to any linear regression forecast tool to estimate the probability of exceeding any desired threshold . This could be useful for previously developed linear regression forecast tools or new forecast applications where statistical analysis software to perform logistic regression is not available. The tool was delivered in two formats - a Microsoft Excel GUI and a Tool Command Language/Tool Kit (Tcl/Tk) GUI in the Meteorological Interactive Data Display System (MIDDS). The Microsoft Excel GUI reads a MesoNAM text file containing hourly forecasts from 0 to 84 hours, from one model run (00 or 12 UTC). The GUI then displays e peak wind speed, average wind speed, and the probability the peak wind will meet or exceed the 25-, 35- and 50-kt thresholds. The user can display the Day-1 through Day-3 peak wind forecasts, and separate forecasts are made for precipitation and non-precipitation days. The MIDDS GUI uses data from the NAM and Global Forecast System (GFS), instead of the MesoNAM. It can display Day-1 and Day-2 forecasts using NAM data, and Day-1 through Day-5 forecasts using GFS data. The timing of the peak wind is not displayed, since the independent verification showed that none of the forecast methods performed significantly better than climatology. The forecaster should use the climatological timing of the peak wind (2248 UTC) as a first guess and then adjust it based on the movement of weather features.

An isolated tornadic supercell of 14 July 2012 in Poland - A prediction technique within the use of coarse-grid WRF simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taszarek, Mateusz; Czernecki, Bartosz; Walczakiewicz, Szymon; Mazur, Andrzej; Kolendowicz, Leszek

2016-09-01

On 14 July 2012 a shortwave trough with a cold front passed through Poland. A few tornadoes were reported in the north central part of the country within an isolated cyclic supercell. The cell moved along the thermal and moisture horizontal gradients and the support of a synoptic scale lift. An analysis allowed for setting up four tornado damage tracks in a distance of 100 km and with a total length of 60 km. Tornadoes damaged 105 buildings with predominant intensity of F1-F2/T3-T4 (maximum F3/T6) in Fujita/TORRO scale, caused 1 fatality, 10 injures and felled 500 hectares of Bory Tucholskie forest. The main aim of this article was to analyze this event and assess the possibilities of its short-term prediction. In order to achieve this, a model forecast data derived from WRF-ARW simulation with a spatial resolution of 15 km and initial conditions extracted from 0000 UTC GFS was used. An analysis yielded that the cell moved in the environment of a low lifting condensation level, rich boundary layer's moisture content and a steepening vertical lapse rates that provided the presence of a thermodynamic instability. A wind vectors tilting with height and an increased vertical wind shear occurred as well. A forecasting method that combined a Universal Tornadic Index composite parameter with a convective precipitation filter showed that convective cells at 1500 UTC in the north central Poland had a potential to become tornadic. Within the use of a proposed methodology, it was possible to issue a tornado forecast for the areas where an index pointed the risk.

Extreme precipitation forecasting in the Chilean Andean region with complex topography using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gironás, J.; Yáñez Morroni, G.; Caneo, M.; Delgado, R.

2017-12-01

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is broadly used for weather forecasting, hindcasting and researching due to its good performance. However, the atmospheric conditions for simulating are not always optimal when it includes complex topographies: affecting WRF mathematical stability and convergence, therefore, its performance. As Chile is a country strongly characterized by a complex topography and high gradients of elevation, WRF is ineffective resolving Chilean mountainous terrain and foothills. The need to own an effective weather forecasting tool relies on that Chile's main cities are located in these regions. Furthermore, the most intense rainfall events take place here, commonly caused by the presence of cutoff lows. This work analyzes a microphysics scheme ensemble to enhance initial forecasts made by the Chilean Weather Agency (DMC). These forecasts were made over the Santiago piedmont, in Quebrada de Ramón watershed, located upstream an urban area highly populated. In this region a non-existing planning increases the potential damage of a flash flood. An initial testing was made over different vertical levels resolution (39 and 50 levels), and subsequently testing with land use and surface models, and finally with the initial and boundary condition data (GFS/FNL). Our task made emphasis in analyzing microphysics and lead time (3 to 5 days before the storm peak) in the computational simulations over three extreme rainfall events between 2015 and 2017. WRF shortcoming are also related to the complex configuration of the synoptic events, even when the steep topography difficult the rainfall event peak amount, and to a lesser degree, the exact rainfall event beginning prediction. No evident trend was found in the lead time, but as expected, better results in rainfall and zero isotherm height are obtained with smaller anticipation. We found that WRF do predict properly the N-hours with the biggest amount of rainfall (5 hours corresponding to Quebrada de Ramón's time of concentration) and the temperatures during the event. This is a fundamental input to a hydrological model that could forecast flash floods. Finally, WSM-6Class microphysics was chosen as the one with best performance, but a geostatistical approach to countervail WRF forecasts' shortcomings over Andean piedmont is required.

Aerosol optical hygroscopicity measurements during the 2010 CARES campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, D. B.; Radney, J. G.; Lum, J.; Kolesar, K. R.; Cziczo, D. J.; Pekour, M. S.; Zhang, Q.; Setyan, A.; Zelenyuk, A.; Cappa, C. D.

2015-04-01

Measurements of the effect of water uptake on particulate light extinction or scattering made at two locations during the 2010 Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) study around Sacramento, CA are reported. The observed influence of water uptake, characterized through the dimensionless optical hygroscopicity parameter γ, is compared with calculations constrained by observed particle size distributions and size-dependent particle composition. A closure assessment has been carried out that allowed for determination of the average hygroscopic growth factors (GFs) at 85% relative humidity and the dimensionless hygroscopicity parameter κ for oxygenated organic aerosol (OA) and for supermicron particles (defined here as particles with aerodynamic diameters between 1 and 2.5 microns), yielding κ = 0.1-0.15 and 0.9-1.0, respectively. The derived range of oxygenated OA κ values are in line with previous observations. The relatively large values for supermicron particles is consistent with substantial contributions of sea-salt-containing particles in this size range. Analysis of time-dependent variations in the supermicron particle hygroscopicity suggest that atmospheric processing, specifically chloride displacement by nitrate and the accumulation of secondary organics on supermicron particles, can lead to substantial depression of the observed GF.

Aerosol optical hygroscopicity measurements during the 2010 CARES campaign

DOE PAGES

Atkinson, D. B.; Radney, J. G.; Lum, J.; ...

2015-04-17

Measurements of the effect of water uptake on particulate light extinction or scattering made at two locations during the 2010 Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) study around Sacramento, CA are reported. The observed influence of water uptake, characterized through the dimensionless optical hygroscopicity parameter γ, is compared with calculations constrained by observed particle size distributions and size-dependent particle composition. A closure assessment has been carried out that allowed for determination of the average hygroscopic growth factors (GFs) at 85% relative humidity and the dimensionless hygroscopicity parameter κ for oxygenated organic aerosol (OA) and for supermicron particles (defined heremore » as particles with aerodynamic diameters between 1 and 2.5 microns), yielding κ = 0.1–0.15 and 0.9–1.0, respectively. The derived range of oxygenated OA κ values are in line with previous observations. The relatively large values for supermicron particles is consistent with substantial contributions of sea-salt-containing particles in this size range. Furthermore, analysis of time-dependent variations in the supermicron particle hygroscopicity suggest that atmospheric processing, specifically chloride displacement by nitrate and the accumulation of secondary organics on supermicron particles, can lead to substantial depression of the observed GF.« less

Multi-layer thin-film electrolytes for metal supported solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haydn, Markus; Ortner, Kai; Franco, Thomas; Uhlenbruck, Sven; Menzler, Norbert H.; Stöver, Detlev; Bräuer, Günter; Venskutonis, Andreas; Sigl, Lorenz S.; Buchkremer, Hans-Peter; Vaßen, Robert

2014-06-01

A key to the development of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (MSCs) is the manufacturing of gas-tight thin-film electrolytes, which separate the cathode from the anode. This paper focuses the electrolyte manufacturing on the basis of 8YSZ (8 mol.-% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2). The electrolyte layers are applied by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) gas flow sputtering (GFS) process. The gas-tightness of the electrolyte is significantly improved when sequential oxidic and metallic thin-film multi-layers are deposited, which interrupt the columnar grain structure of single-layer electrolytes. Such electrolytes with two or eight oxide/metal layers and a total thickness of about 4 μm obtain leakage rates of less than 3 × 10-4 hPa dm3 s-1 cm-2 (Δp: 100 hPa) at room temperature and therefore fulfill the gas tightness requirements. They are also highly tolerant with respect to surface flaws and particulate impurities which can be present on the graded anode underground. MSC cell tests with double-layer and multilayer electrolytes feature high power densities more than 1.4 W cm-2 at 850 °C and underline the high potential of MSC cells.

Microwave-assisted preparation of carbon nanofiber-functionalized graphite felts as electrodes for polymer-based redox-flow batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwenke, A. M.; Janoschka, T.; Stolze, C.; Martin, N.; Hoeppener, S.; Schubert, U. S.

2016-12-01

A simple and fast microwave-assisted protocol to functionalize commercially available graphite felts (GFs) with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) for the application as electrode materials in redox-flow batteries (RFB) is demonstrated. As catalyst for the CNF synthesis nickel acetate is applied and ethanol serves as the carbon source. By the in-situ growth of CNFs, the active surface of the electrodes is increased by a factor of 50, which is determined by the electrochemical double layer capacities of the obtained materials. Furthermore, the morphology of the CNF-coating is investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the functionalized electrodes are applied in a polymer-based redox-flow battery (pRFB) using a TEMPO- and a viologen polymer as active materials. Due to the increased surface area as compared to an untreated graphite felt electrode, the current rating is improved by about 45% at 80 mA cm-2 and, furthermore, a decrease in overpotentials is observed. Thus, using this microwave-assisted synthesis approach, CNF-functionalized composite electrodes are prepared with a very simple protocol suitable for real life applications and an improvement of the overall performance of the polymer-based redox-flow battery is demonstrated.

Aerosol optical hygroscopicity measurements during the 2010 CARES campaign

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

Atkinson, D. B.; Radney, J. G.; Lum, J.

Measurements of the effect of water uptake on particulate light extinction or scattering made at two locations during the 2010 Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) study around Sacramento, CA are reported. The observed influence of water uptake, characterized through the dimensionless optical hygroscopicity parameter γ, is compared with calculations constrained by observed particle size distributions and size-dependent particle composition. A closure assessment has been carried out that allowed for determination of the average hygroscopic growth factors (GFs) at 85% relative humidity and the dimensionless hygroscopicity parameter κ for oxygenated organic aerosol (OA) and for supermicron particles (defined heremore » as particles with aerodynamic diameters between 1 and 2.5 microns), yielding κ = 0.1–0.15 and 0.9–1.0, respectively. The derived range of oxygenated OA κ values are in line with previous observations. The relatively large values for supermicron particles is consistent with substantial contributions of sea-salt-containing particles in this size range. Furthermore, analysis of time-dependent variations in the supermicron particle hygroscopicity suggest that atmospheric processing, specifically chloride displacement by nitrate and the accumulation of secondary organics on supermicron particles, can lead to substantial depression of the observed GF.« less

Performance of the multi-model SREPS precipitation probabilistic forecast over Mediterranean area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callado, A.; Escribà, P.; Santos, C.; Santos-Muñoz, D.; Simarro, J.; García-Moya, J. A.

2009-09-01

The performance of the Short-Range Ensemble Prediction system (SREPS) probabilistic precipitation forecast over the Mediterranean area has been evaluated comparing with both, an Atlantic-European area excluding the first one, and a more general area including the two previous ones. The main aim is to assess whether the performance of the system due to its meso-alpha horizontal resolution of 25 kilometres is affected over the Mediterranean area, where the meteorological mesoscale events play a more important role than in an Atlantic-European area, more related to synoptic scale with an Atlantic influence. Furthermore, two different verification methods have been applied and compared for the three areas in order to assess its performance. The SREPS is a daily experimental LAM EPS focused on the short range (up to 72 hours) which has been developed at the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET). To take into account implicitly the model errors, five purely independent different limited area models are used (COSMO (COSMO), HIRLAM (HIRLAM Consortium), HRM (DWD), MM5 (NOAA) and UM-NAE (UKMO)), and in order to sample the initial and boundary condition uncertainties each model is integrated using data from four different global deterministic models (GFS (NCEP), GME (DWD), IFS (ECMWF) and UM (UKMO)). As a result, crossing models and initial conditions the EPS is composed by 20 members. The underlying idea is that the ensemble performance has to improve as far as each member has itself the better possible performance, i.e. the better operational configuration limited area models are combined with the better global deterministic model configurations initialized with the best analysis. Because of this neither global EPS as initial conditions nor different model settings as multi-parameterizations or multi-parameters are used to generate SREPS. The performance over the three areas has been assessed focusing on 24 hour accumulation precipitation with four different usual forecasting thresholds: 1, 5 , 10 and 20 mm. A standard probabilistic verification exercise (following ECMWF recommendations) has been carried out, assessing quality with well known properties like reliability, resolution and discrimination, using usual performance measures: Reliability (Attributes) Diagram, Brier and Brier Skill Score Decomposition, Relative Operating Characteristic (ROC) and ROC area. The value of the forecasts w.r.t. sample climatology is shown with Relative value envelopes. This exercise has been carried out for a one year period (May 2007 to May 2008). Observed precipitation data from High Resolution (HR) networks over Europe have been used as reference. To avoid the potential lack of statistical significance due to spatial dependence between close observations, up-scaling processed observations have been used, provided by ECMWF, who collects the raw data from different member and cooperating states over Europe. This advanced up-scaling methodology has the feature to be more independent of the density of precipitation observations than the more classical simple methodology of interpolate the model outputs to the observation station points. In particular, the observations have been up-scaled to a 0.25ºx0.25º box taking each box as representative only when more than five observations are available in it. In the first one verifying method the box-average is taken, and for the second one a set of quantiles is considered, specifically 10, 25, 50 , 75 and 90 quantiles. The difference between both methods is that the first one takes over each box a single value as representative of precipitation. Whereas the second one takes a probability density function as representation of precipitation over the box, thus introducing uncertainty (related with spatial distribution) in the observations. The results are consistent, and show that in general SREPS is a reliable probabilistic forecasting system for the three selected areas. Concerning performance over different regions, the SREPS probabilistic precipitation forecasts over the selected Mediterranean area have a little less reliability and resolution than over the North Europe area, specially with the higher thresholds 10 and 20 mm. The latter results suggests that in SREPS the representation of the mesoscale meteorological events around the Mediterranean basin has to be improved, and probably also the orographic-related processes as the orographic enhancement of the precipitation. So it is suggested that the predictability skill of SREPS system around the Mediterranean could be expected to improve if the horizontal and vertical resolution of each limited area model of the system is increased in order to take into account the meso-beta scale. When comparing the two verification methods, one using up-scaled box average and the other using an up-scaled set of quantiles (i.e. a box PDF), it is shown that the validation of the probabilistic forecast is quite more consistent in the latter method when uncertainties in the observations are introduced and probably gives a more realistic idea of performance.

On the origin and destination of atmospheric moisture and air mass over the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Bin; Xu, Xiang-De; Yang, Shuai; Zhang, Wei

2012-12-01

The Tibet Plateau (TP) is a key region that imposes profound impacts on the atmospheric water cycle and energy budget of Asia, even the global climate. In this work, we develop a climatology of origin (destination) of air mass and moisture transported to (from) the TP using a Lagrangian moisture diagnosis combined with the forward and backward atmospheric tracking schemes. The climatology is derived from 6-h particle positions based on 5-year (2005-2009) seasonal summer trajectory dataset from the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART using NCEP/GFS data as input, where the regional model atmosphere was globally filled with particles. The results show that (1) the dominant origin of the moisture supplied to the TP is a narrow tropical-subtropical band in the extended Arabian Sea covering a long distance from the Indian subcontinent to the Southern Hemisphere. Two additional moisture sources are located in the northwestern part of TP and the Bay of Bengal and play a secondary role. This result indicates that the moisture transporting to the TP more depends on the Indian summer monsoon controlled by large-scale circulation. (2) The moisture departing from the TP can be transported rapidly to East Asia, including East China, Korea, Japan, and even East Pacific. The qualitative similarity between the regions of diagnosed moisture loss and the pattern of the observed precipitation highlights the robustness of the role of the TP on precipitation over East Asia. (3) In contrast to the moisture origin confined in the low level, the origin and fate of whole column air mass over the TP is largely controlled by a strong high-level Asian anticyclone. The results show that the TP is a crossroad of air mass where air enters mainly from the northwest and northeast and continues in two separate streams: one goes southwestwards over the Indian Ocean and the other southeastwards through western North Pacific. Both of them partly enter the trade wind zone, which manifests the influence of the air mass transport over the TP on the budget of global atmosphere compositions.

Controlled release of GAG-binding enhanced transduction (GET) peptides for sustained and highly efficient intracellular delivery.

PubMed

Abu-Awwad, Hosam Al-Deen M; Thiagarajan, Lalitha; Dixon, James E

2017-07-15

Controlled release systems for therapeutic molecules are vital to allow the sustained local delivery of their activities which direct cell behaviour and enable novel regenerative strategies. Direct programming of cells using exogenously delivered transcription factors can by-pass growth factor signalling but there is still a requirement to deliver such activity spatio-temporally. We previously developed a technology termed GAG-binding enhanced transduction (GET) to efficiently deliver a variety of cargoes intracellularly, using GAG-binding domains which promote cell targeting, and cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) which allow cell entry. Herein we demonstrate that GET system can be used in controlled release systems to mediate sustained intracellular transduction over one week. We assessed the stability and activity of GET peptides in poly(dl-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs) prepared using a S/O/W double emulsion method. Efficient encapsulation (∼65%) and tailored protein release profiles could be achieved, however intracellular transduction was significantly inhibited post-release. To retain GET peptide activity we optimized a strategy of co-encapsulation of l-Histidine, which may form a complex with the PLGA degradation products under acidic conditions. Simulations of the polymer microclimate showed that hydrolytic acidic PLGA degradation products directly inhibited GET peptide transduction activity, and use of l-Histidine significantly enhanced released protein delivery. The ability to control the intracellular transduction of functional proteins into cells will facilitate new localized delivery methods and allow approaches to direct cellular behaviour for many regenerative medicine applications. The goal for regenerative medicine is to restore functional biological tissue by controlling and augmenting cellular behaviour. Either Transcription (TFs) or growth factors (GFs) can be presented to cells in spatio-temporal gradients for programming cell fate and gene expression. Here, we have created a sustained and controlled release system for GET (Glycosaminoglycan-enhanced transducing)-tagged proteins using S/O/W PLGA microparticle fabrication. We demonstrated that PLGA and its acidic degradants inhibit GET-mediated transduction, which can be overcome by using pH-activated l-Histidine. l-Histidine inhibits the electrostatic interaction of GET/PLGA and allows enhanced intracellular transduction. GET could provide a powerful tool to program cell behaviour either in gradients or with sustained delivery. We believe that our controlled release systems will allow application of GET for tissue regeneration directly by TF cellular programming. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Registration Method Based on Contour Point Cloud for 3D Whole-Body PET and CT Images

PubMed Central

Yang, Qiyao; Wang, Zhiguo; Zhang, Guoxu

2017-01-01

The PET and CT fusion image, combining the anatomical and functional information, has important clinical meaning. An effective registration of PET and CT images is the basis of image fusion. This paper presents a multithread registration method based on contour point cloud for 3D whole-body PET and CT images. Firstly, a geometric feature-based segmentation (GFS) method and a dynamic threshold denoising (DTD) method are creatively proposed to preprocess CT and PET images, respectively. Next, a new automated trunk slices extraction method is presented for extracting feature point clouds. Finally, the multithread Iterative Closet Point is adopted to drive an affine transform. We compare our method with a multiresolution registration method based on Mattes Mutual Information on 13 pairs (246~286 slices per pair) of 3D whole-body PET and CT data. Experimental results demonstrate the registration effectiveness of our method with lower negative normalization correlation (NC = −0.933) on feature images and less Euclidean distance error (ED = 2.826) on landmark points, outperforming the source data (NC = −0.496, ED = 25.847) and the compared method (NC = −0.614, ED = 16.085). Moreover, our method is about ten times faster than the compared one. PMID:28316979

EPHA2 MUTATIONS CONTRIBUTE TO CONGENITAL CATARACT THROUGH DIVERSE MECHANISMS.

PubMed

Dave, Alpana; Martin, Sarah; Kumar, Raman; Craig, Jamie E; Burdon, Kathryn P; Sharma, Shiwani

2016-01-01

Congenital cataract is a leading cause of childhood blindness. Mutations in the EPHA2 gene are one of the causes of inherited congenital cataract. The EPHA2 gene encodes a membrane-bound tyrosine kinase receptor and is highly expressed in epithelial cells, including in the ocular lens. Signaling through the EPHA2 receptor plays a pivotal role in epithelial cell homeostasis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of congenital cataract causing mutations in the EPHA2 gene on the encoded protein in epithelial cells. The effect of five disease-causing mutations, p.P584L (c.1751C>T), p.T940I (c.2819C>T), p.D942fsXC71 (c.2826-9G>A), p.A959T (c.2875G>A), and p.V972GfsX39 (c.2915_2916delTG), on localization of the protein was examined in two in vitro epithelial cell culture systems: Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) and human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) epithelial cells. Myc-tagged mutant constructs were generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based mutagenesis. The Myc-tagged wild-type construct was used as a control. The Myc-tagged wild-type and mutant proteins were ectopically expressed and detected by immunofluorescence labeling. Two of the mutations, p.T940I and p.D942fsXC71, located within the cytoplasmic sterile-α-motif (SAM) domain of EPHA2, led to mis-localization of the protein to the perinuclear space and co-localization with the cis-golgi apparatus, indicating sub-organellar/cellular retention of the mutant proteins. The mutant proteins carrying the remaining three mutations, similar to the wild-type EPHA2, localized to the cell membrane. Mis-localization of two of the mutant proteins in epithelial cells suggests that some disease-causing mutations in EPHA2 likely affect lens epithelial cell homeostasis and contribute to cataract. This study suggests that mutations in EPHA2 contribute to congenital cataract through diverse mechanisms.

Acoustic Green's function extraction in the ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, Xiaoqin

The acoustic Green's function (GF) is the key to understanding the acoustic properties of ocean environments. With knowledge of the acoustic GF, the physics of sound propagation, such as dispersion, can be analyzed; underwater communication over thousands of miles can be understood; physical properties of the ocean, including ocean temperature, ocean current speed, as well as seafloor bathymetry, can be investigated. Experimental methods of acoustic GF extraction can be categorized as active methods and passive methods. Active methods are based on employment of man-made sound sources. These active methods require less computational complexity and time, but may cause harm to marine mammals. Passive methods cost much less and do not harm marine mammals, but require more theoretical and computational work. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages that should be carefully tailored to fit the need of each specific environment and application. In this dissertation, we study one passive method, the noise interferometry method, and one active method, the inverse filter processing method, to achieve acoustic GF extraction in the ocean. The passive method of noise interferometry makes use of ambient noise to extract an approximation to the acoustic GF. In an environment with a diffusive distribution of sound sources, sound waves that pass through two hydrophones at two locations carry the information of the acoustic GF between these two locations; by listening to the long-term ambient noise signals and cross-correlating the noise data recorded at two locations, the acoustic GF emerges from the noise cross-correlation function (NCF); a coherent stack of many realizations of NCFs yields a good approximation to the acoustic GF between these two locations, with all the deterministic structures clearly exhibited in the waveform. To test the performance of noise interferometry in different types of ocean environments, two field experiments were performed and ambient noise data were collected in a 100-meter deep coastal ocean environment and a 600-meter deep ocean environment. In the coastal ocean environment, the collected noise data were processed by coherently stacking five days of cross-correlation functions between pairs of hydrophones separated by 5 km, 10 km and 15 km, respectively. NCF waveforms were modeled using the KRAKEN normal mode model, with the difference between the NCFs and the acoustic GFs quantified by a weighting function. Through waveform inversion of NCFs, an optimal geoacoustic model was obtained by minimizing the two-norm misfit between the simulation and the measurement. Using a simulated time-reversal mirror, the extracted GF was back propagated from the receiver location to the virtual source, and a strong focus was found in the vicinity of the source, which provides additional support for the optimality of the aforementioned geoacoustic model. With the extracted GF, dispersion in experimental shallow water environment was visualized in the time-frequency representation. Normal modes of GFs were separated using the time-warping transformation. By separating the modes in the frequency domain of the time-warped signal, we isolated modal arrivals and reconstructed the NCF by summing up the isolated modes, thereby significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio of NCFs. Finally, these reconstructed NCFs were employed to estimate the depth-averaged current speed in the Florida Straits, based on an effective sound speed approximation. In the mid-deep ocean environment, the noise data were processed using the same noise interferometry method, but the obtained NCFs were not as good as those in the coastal ocean environment. Several highly possible reasons of the difference in the noise interferometry performance were investigated and discussed. The first one is the noise source composition, which is different in the spectrograms of noise records in two environments. The second is strong ocean current variability that can result in coherence loss and undermine the utility of coherent stacking. The third one is the downward refracting sound speed profile, which impedes strong coupling between near surface noise sources and the near-bottom instruments. The active method of inverse filter processing was tested in a long-range deep-ocean environment. The high-power sound source, which was located near the sound channel axis, transmitted a pre-designed signal that was composed of a precursor signal and a communication signal. After traveling 1428.5 km distance in the north Pacific Ocean, the transmitted signal was detected by the receiver and was processed using the inverse filter. The probe signal, which was composed of M sequences and was known at the receiver, was utilized for the GF extraction in the inverse filter; the communication signal was then interpreted with the extracted GF. With a glitch in the length of communication signal, the inverse filter processing method was shown to be effective for long-range low-frequency deep ocean acoustic communication. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Big Animal Cloning Using Transgenic Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: A Case Study of Goat Transgenic Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

PubMed

Song, Hui; Li, Hui; Huang, Mingrui; Xu, Dan; Wang, Ziyu; Wang, Feng

2016-02-01

Using of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) could improve production traits and disease resistance by improving the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology. However, robust ESCs have not been established from domestic ungulates. In the present study, we generated goat induced pluripotent stem cells (giPSCs) and transgenic cloned dairy goat induced pluripotent stem cells (tgiPSCs) from dairy goat fibroblasts (gFs) and transgenic cloned dairy goat fibroblasts (tgFs), respectively, using lentiviruses that contained hOCT4, hSOX2, hMYC, and hKLF4 without chemical compounds. The giPSCs and tgiPSCs expressed endogenous pluripotent markers, including OCT4, SOX2, MYC, KLF4, and NANOG. Moreover, they were able to maintain a normal karyotype and differentiate into derivatives from all three germ layers in vitro and in vivo. Using SCNT, tgFs and tgiPSCs were used as donor cells to produce embryos, which were named tgF-Embryos and tgiPSC-Embryos. The fusion rates and cleavage rates had no significant differences between tgF-Embryos and tgiPSC-Embryos. However, the expression of IGF-2, which is an important gene associated with embryonic development, was significantly lower in tgiPSC-Embryos than in tgF-Embryos and was not significantly different from vivo-Embryos.

Nanorod niobium oxide as powerful catalysts for an all vanadium redox flow battery.

PubMed

Li, Bin; Gu, Meng; Nie, Zimin; Wei, Xiaoliang; Wang, Chongmin; Sprenkle, Vincent; Wang, Wei

2014-01-08

A powerful low-cost electrocatalyst, nanorod Nb2O5, is synthesized using the hydrothermal method with monoclinic phases and simultaneously deposited on the surface of a graphite felt (GF) electrode in an all vanadium flow battery (VRB). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) study confirmed that Nb2O5 has catalytic effects toward redox couples of V(II)/V(III) at the negative side and V(IV)/V(V) at the positive side to facilitate the electrochemical kinetics of the vanadium redox reactions. Because of poor conductivity of Nb2O5, the performance of the Nb2O5 loaded electrodes is strongly dependent on the nanosize and uniform distribution of catalysts on GF surfaces. Accordingly, an optimal amount of W-doped Nb2O5 nanorods with minimum agglomeration and improved distribution on GF surfaces are established by adding water-soluble compounds containing tungsten (W) into the precursor solutions. The corresponding energy efficiency is enhanced by ∼10.7% at high current density (150 mA·cm(-2)) as compared with one without catalysts. Flow battery cyclic performance also demonstrates the excellent stability of the as prepared Nb2O5 catalyst enhanced electrode. These results suggest that Nb2O5-based nanorods, replacing expensive noble metals, uniformly decorating GFs holds great promise as high-performance electrodes for VRB applications.

Expression of genes involved in early cell fate decisions in human embryos and their regulation by growth factors.

PubMed

Kimber, S J; Sneddon, S F; Bloor, D J; El-Bareg, A M; Hawkhead, J A; Metcalfe, A D; Houghton, F D; Leese, H J; Rutherford, A; Lieberman, B A; Brison, D R

2008-05-01

Little is understood about the regulation of gene expression in human preimplantation embryos. We set out to examine the expression in human preimplantation embryos of a number of genes known to be critical for early development of the murine embryo. The expression profile of these genes was analysed throughout preimplantation development and in response to growth factor (GF) stimulation. Developmental expression of a number of genes was similar to that seen in murine embryos (OCT3B/4, CDX2, NANOG). However, GATA6 is expressed throughout preimplantation development in the human. Embryos were cultured in IGF-I, leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) or heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HBEGF), all of which are known to stimulate the development of human embryos. Our data show that culture in HBEGF and LIF appears to facilitate human embryo expression of a number of genes: ERBB4 (LIF) and LIFR and DSC2 (HBEGF) while in the presence of HBEGF no blastocysts expressed EOMES and when cultured with LIF only two out of nine blastocysts expressed TBN. These data improve our knowledge of the similarities between human and murine embryos and the influence of GFs on human embryo gene expression. Results from this study will improve the understanding of cell fate decisions in early human embryos, which has important implications for both IVF treatment and the derivation of human embryonic stem cells.

Novel Methanotrophs of the Family Methylococcaceae from Different Geographical Regions and Habitats

PubMed Central

Islam, Tajul; Larsen, Øivind; Torsvik, Vigdis; Øvreås, Lise; Panosyan, Hovik; Murrell, J. Colin; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre; Bodrossy, Levente

2015-01-01

Terrestrial methane seeps and rice paddy fields are important ecosystems in the methane cycle. Methanotrophic bacteria in these ecosystems play a key role in reducing methane emission into the atmosphere. Here, we describe three novel methanotrophs, designated BRS-K6, GFS-K6 and AK-K6, which were recovered from three different habitats in contrasting geographic regions and ecosystems: waterlogged rice-field soil and methane seep pond sediments from Bangladesh; and warm spring sediments from Armenia. All isolates had a temperature range for growth of 8–35 °C (optimal 25–28 °C) and a pH range of 5.0–7.5 (optimal 6.4–7.0). 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that they were new gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs, which form a separate clade in the family Methylococcaceae. They fell into a cluster with thermotolerant and mesophilic growth tendency, comprising the genera Methylocaldum-Methylococcus-Methyloparacoccus-Methylogaea. So far, growth below 15 °C of methanotrophs from this cluster has not been reported. The strains possessed type I intracytoplasmic membranes. The genes pmoA, mxaF, cbbL, nifH were detected, but no mmoX gene was found. Each strain probably represents a novel species either belonging to the same novel genus or each may even represent separate genera. These isolates extend our knowledge of methanotrophic Gammaproteobacteria and their physiology and adaptation to different ecosystems. PMID:27682101

The occurrence of an abdominal fauna in an articulated tapir (Tapirus polkensis) from the Late Miocene Gray Fossil Site, Northeastern Tennessee.

PubMed

McCONNELL, Shannon M; Zavada, Michael S

2013-03-01

The analysis of samples recovered from the abdominal area of an articulated tapir (Tapirus polkensis) from the Late Miocene (4.5-7 million BP) Gray Fossil Site (GFS) revealed a rich palyno-fauna comprised of about 94% egg/oocyst-like structures and 6% pollen and other palynomorphs. In addition, a group of 6 hickory nuts (Carya) was recovered from the same area suggesting that the samples represent the abdominal contents. The analysis of a sample from immediately outside the tapir produced a sample with 98% pollen and less than 0.5% egg/oocyst-like structures. The size, shape, and general morphology of egg/oocyst-like structures were analyzed with light and scanning electron microscopy and were compared to a variety of intestinal parasites found in extant ungulates, and the Perissodactyla in particular. We also compared fossil structures to the numbers and kind of intestinal parasites recovered from fecal samples from the Baird's tapir (T. bairdii) in Costa Rica and from samples collected from the lowland tapir (T. terrestris) from Ecuador to assess their similarity to our fossil sample. Based on these data, we discuss what role parasites may have played in the biology of T. polkensis during the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, ISZS and IOZ/CAS.

Capacity Building on the Use of Earth Observation for Bridging the Gaps between Science and Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thapa, R. B.; Bajracharya, B.

2017-12-01

Although the geospatial technologies and Earth observation (EO) data are getting more accessible, lack of skilled human resources and institutional capacities are the major hurdles in the effective applications in Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. Designing efficient and cost effective capacity building (CB) programs fitting needs by different users on the use of EO information for decision making will provide options in bridging the gaps in the region. This paper presents the strategies adopted by SERVIR-HKH as an attempt to strengthen the capacity of governments and development stakeholders in the region. SERVIR-HKH hub plays vital role in CB on EO applications by bringing together the leading scientists from the Globe and the key national institutions and stakeholders in the region. We conducted country consultation workshops in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal to identify national priorities, requirements and the capacity of the institutions to utilize EO information in decision making. The need assessments were focused on four thematic areas of SERVIR where capacity gaps in utilization of EO data in policy decisions were identified in thirteen key service areas. Geospatial capacities in GIT infrastructure, data, and human resources were varied. Linking EO information to policy decision is mostly lacking. Geospatial data sharing provision among the institutions in the region is poor. We developed a capacity building strategy for HKH region which bridges the gaps in a coordinated manner through customized training programs, institutional strengthening, coordination and regional cooperation. Using the strategy, we conducted training on FEWS NET remote sensing products for agro-climatological analysis, which focused on technical interpretation and analysis of the remote sensing and modeled products, eg, CHIRPS, RFE2, CHIRTS, GFS, NDVI, GeoCLIM and GeoGLAM. Scientists from USGS FEWS NET program delivered the training to mid-level managers and decision makers. We also carried out on-the-job trainings on wheat mapping using multi-sensor EO data for co-development of methodologies and implementation on sustainable basis. In this presentation, we will also present the lesson learned from capacity building efforts at SERVIR-HKH and how we envision the best practices for other SERVIR hubs.

Probing Subsurface and Stream Particle Composition Through Optical Analysis at the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nghiem, A.; Thurnhoffer, B. M.; Bishop, J. K. B.; Kim, H.

2014-12-01

Particles constitute a significant portion of the flux weathered material from continents to ocean basins but little is understood about their seasonal dynamics particularly in subsurface and headwater stream environments. At the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory, located near the headwaters of the South Fork Eel River in the Angelo Coast Range Reserve (Northern California), groundwater from weathered bedrock and stream waters are sampled at a frequency of one to three days from three wells (Well 1 down-slope, Well 3 mid-slope, Well 10 upper-slope) and Elder Creek. Approximately one thousand samples collected by automated ISCO Gravity Filtration System (GFS; Kim et al. 2012, EST) since 2011 have been filtered through 0.45 μm 25 mm diameter Supor filters. Filters imaged under controlled lighting are analyzed for red, green, and blue optical density (OD) to enable rapid assessment of sample loading and color as a prelude to and selection aid for more labor-intensive ICP-MS and Scanning Electron Microscopic analysis. For example, samples with lower red OD relative to green and blue may correspond to samples high in Mn/Fe oxides. Optical imaging of the loaded filters provides a time-series over three years and color anomalies in these filters along with chemical analysis of dissolved and particulate filtrate is used to establish a method for calibrating optical data to interpret chemical composition of water and particles. Results are interpreted within a framework of environmental data such as rainfall, stream discharge and turbidity, and water table depth measured at the heavily monitored forested hillslope. Data from the four locations range up to 0.6 OD units with a typical detection limit of better than 0.01 OD units. At Well 10, wet season filter samples exhibit highest particle loading (OD ~ 0.3) with values rapidly decreasing during the dry season (OD < D.L.) water table recession. At Well 1, particle loads instantaneously reflect intense rain events. Applied at a larger scale, this method - if proven - may be used to estimate basin level particulate flux with an estimation of chemical composition in a highly efficient manner.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Stream Water Chemistry in the Elder Creek Catchment at the Eel River Critical Zone Observatory.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurnhoffer, B. M.; Lovill, S. M.; Nghiem, A.; Kim, H.; Bishop, J. K. B.

2014-12-01

How does stream chemistry vary with respect to discharge, flow distance, elevation, hill slope orientation, lithology, and vegetation on catchment scale? Is it possible to discern fast flowing seasonally recharged subsurface waters from long residence time waters contributing to base flow? To answer these questions, water samples were collected at ~80 locations distributed over the channel network of the (17 km2) Elder Creek catchment during surveys in May and August/September 2014. The site, located at the Angelo Coast Range Reserve near the headwaters of the South Fork of the Eel River in northern California, experiences a Mediterranean climate with warm dry summers and cold wet winters; this year (2014), our area has received less than 50% of expected precipitation and is experiencing an extreme drought. Our survey times correspond to the beginning of the dry season and late dry season, respectively. The subsurface lithology of the region almost uniform, being largely composed of argillite mudstone with intermittent areas underlain with sandstone. It is forested with Douglas fir, live and tan oaks, madrone and California bay laurel, which vary in abundance with hill-slope orientation. Due to drought, the Elder Catchment has recently experienced the effects of the nearby Lodge Lightening Complex Fire (first detection July 31 2014) and its effects may be differentiated through the continuous 1 - 3 day frequency sampling of Elder Creek water using the ISCO Gravity Filtration System (GFS; Kim et al. 2012, EST). All water samples are analyzed for dissolved major, minor, and trace solutes by Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry and this report focuses on major solutes such as Na, K, Ca, Mg and Si; redox sensitive metals Fe and Mn; and Ba and Sr. Preliminary analysis of May 2014 data shows interesting patterns between tributaries, particularly differences between streams on north vs. south facing slopes. Concentrations of Ca, Mg, and Na decrease down slope in south facing tributaries, while they slightly increase downslope in north facing tributaries. Concentrations are relatively invariant in the Elder channel but Elder chemistry differs with respect to Na, Ca and Fe to the South Fork Eel River.

Characterizing the Hygroscopicity of Nascent Sea Spray Aerosol from Synthetic Blooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forestieri, S.; Cappa, C. D.; Sultana, C. M.; Lee, C.; Wang, X.; Helgestad, T.; Moore, K.; Prather, K. A.; Cornwell, G.; Novak, G.; Bertram, T. H.

2015-12-01

Marine sea spray aerosol (SSA) particles make up a significant portion of natural aerosols and are therefore important in establishing the baseline for anthropogenic aerosol climate impacts. Scattering of solar radiation by aerosols affects Earth's radiative budget and the degree of scattering is size-dependent. Thus, aerosols scatter more light at elevated relative humidities when they grow larger via water uptake. This growth depends critically on chemical composition. SSA can become enriched in organics during phytoplankton blooms, becoming less salty and therefore less hygroscopic. Subsaturated hygroscopic growth factors at 85% relative humidity (GF(85%)) of SSA particles were quantified during two mesocosm experiments in enclosed marine aerosol reference tanks (MARTs). The two experiments were conducted with filtered seawater collected at separate times from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography Pier in La Jolla, CA. Phytoplankton blooms in each tank were induced via the addition of nutrients and photosynthetically active radiation. The "indoor" MART was illuminated with fluorescent light and the other "outdoor" MART was illuminated with sunlight. The peak chlorophyll-a concentrations were 59 micrograms/L and 341 micrograms /L for the indoor and outdoor MARTs, respectively. GF(85%) values for SSA particles were quantified using a humidified cavity ringdown spectrometer and particle size distributions. Particle composition was monitored with a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) and an Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). Relationships between the observed particle GFs and the particle composition markers will be discussed.

Enhancement of osteogenic differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells by the controlled release of platelet lysates from hybrid scaffolds produced by supercritical fluid foaming.

PubMed

Santo, Vítor E; Duarte, Ana Rita C; Popa, Elena G; Gomes, Manuela E; Mano, João F; Reis, Rui L

2012-08-20

A new generation of scaffolds capable of acting not only as support for cells but also as a source of biological cues to promote tissue regeneration is currently a hot topic of in bone Tissue Engineering (TE) research. The inclusion of growth factor (GF) controlled release functionalities in the scaffolds is a possible strategy to achieve such goal. Platelet Lysate (PL) is an autologous source of GFs, providing several bioactive agents known to act on bone regeneration. In this study, chitosan-chondroitin sulfate nanoparticles loaded with PL were included in a poly(D,L-lactic acid) foam produced by supercritical fluid foaming. The tridimensional (3D) structures were then seeded with human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) and cultured in vitro under osteogenic stimulus. The osteogenic differentiation of the seeded hASCs was observed earlier for the PL-loaded constructs, as shown by the earlier alkaline phosphatase peak and calcium detection and stronger Runx2 expression at day 7 of culture, in comparison with the control scaffolds. Osteocalcin gene expression was upregulated in presence of PL during all culture period, which indicates an enhanced osteogenic induction. These results suggest the synergistic effect of PL and hASCs in combinatory TE strategies and support the potential of PL to increase the multifunctionality of the 3D hybrid construct for bone TE applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human adipose tissue-derived tenomodulin positive subpopulation of stem cells: A promising source of tendon progenitor cells.

PubMed

Gonçalves, A I; Gershovich, P M; Rodrigues, M T; Reis, R L; Gomes, M E

2018-03-01

Cell-based therapies are of particular interest for tendon and ligament regeneration given the low regenerative potential of these tissues. Adipose tissue is an abundant source of stem cells, which may be employed for the healing of tendon lesions. However, human adult multipotent adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) isolated from the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue originate highly heterogeneous cell populations that hinder their use in specific tissue-oriented applications. In this study, distinct subpopulations of hASCs were immunomagnetic separated and their tenogenic differentiation capacity evaluated in the presence of several growth factors (GFs), namely endothelial GF, basic-fibroblast GF, transforming GF-β1 and platelet-derived GF-BB, which are well-known regulators of tendon development, growth and healing. Among the screened hASCs subpopulations, tenomodulin-positive cells were shown to be more promising for tenogenic applications and therefore this subpopulation was further studied, assessing tendon-related markers (scleraxis, tenomodulin, tenascin C and decorin) both at gene and protein level. Additionally, the ability for depositing collagen type I and III forming extracellular matrix structures were weekly assessed up to 28 days. The results obtained indicated that tenomodulin-positive cells exhibit phenotypical features of tendon progenitor cells and can be biochemically induced towards tenogenic lineage, demonstrating that this subset of hASCs can provide a reliable source of progenitor cells for therapies targeting tendon regeneration. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparative Analysis of Cellular and Growth Factor Composition in Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate and Platelet-Rich Plasma.

PubMed

Sugaya, Hisashi; Yoshioka, Tomokazu; Kato, Toshiki; Taniguchi, Yu; Kumagai, Hiroshi; Hyodo, Kojiro; Ohneda, Osamu; Yamazaki, Masashi; Mishima, Hajime

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify the stem cell and growth factor (GF) contents in the bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) prepared from whole blood using a protocol established in our laboratory. We examined 10 patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head who were treated by autologous BMAC transplantation at our hospital between January 2015 and June 2015. We quantified CD34+ and CD31-CD45-CD90+CD105+ cells in BMAC and PRP by flow cytometry. Additionally, we measured various GFs, that is, basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor- β 1 (TGF- β 1), and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in BMAC and PRP using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and statistical analyses. CD34+ and CD31-45-90+105+ cells accounted for approximately 1.9% and 0.03% of cells in BMAC and no cells in PRP. The concentration of b-FGF was higher in BMAC than in PRP ( P < 0.001), whereas no significant differences in the levels of PDGF-BB, VEGF, TGF- β 1, and BMP-2 were observed between the two types of sample. BMAC had an average of 1.9% CD34+ and 0.03% CD31-45-90+105+ cells and higher levels of b-FGF than those of PRP.

Hereditary fructose intolerance: frequency and spectrum mutations of the aldolase B gene in a large patients cohort from France--identification of eight new mutations.

PubMed

Davit-Spraul, Anne; Costa, Catherine; Zater, Mokhtar; Habes, Dalila; Berthelot, Jacques; Broué, Pierre; Feillet, François; Bernard, Olivier; Labrune, Philippe; Baussan, Christiane

2008-08-01

We investigated the molecular basis of hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) in 160 patients from 92 families by means of a PCR-based mutation screening strategy, consisting of restriction enzyme digestion and direct sequencing. Sixteen different mutations of the aldolase B (ALDOB) gene were identified in HFI patients. As in previous studies, p.A150P (64%), p.A175D (16%) and p.N335K (5%) were the most common mutated alleles, followed by p.R60X, p.A338V, c.360_363delCAAA (p.N120KfsX30), c.324G>A (p.K108K) and c.625-1G>A. Eight novel mutations were also identified in 10 families with HFI: a one-base deletion (c.146delT (p.V49GfsX27)), a small deletion (c.953del42bp), a small insertion (c.689ins TGCTAA (p.K230MfsX136)), one splice site mutation (c.112+1G>A), one nonsense mutation (c.444G>A (p.W148X)), and three missense mutations (c.170G>C (p.R57P), c.839C>A (p.A280P) and c.932T>C (p.L311P)). Our strategy allows to diagnose 75% of HFI patients using restriction enzymatic analysis and to enlarge the diagnosis to 97% of HFI patients when associated with direct sequencing.

Estimation of background CO2 concentrations at the high alpine station Schneefernerhaus by atmospheric observations and inverse modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giemsa, Esther; Jacobeit, Jucundus; Ries, Ludwig; Frank, Gabriele; Hachinger, Stephan; Meyer-Arnek, Julian

2016-04-01

In order to estimate the influence of Central European CO2 emissions, a new method to retrieve background concentrations based on statistics of radon-222 and backward trajectories is developed and applied to the CO2 observations at the alpine high-altitude research station Schneefernerhaus (2670 m a.s.l.). The reliable identification of baseline conditions is important for perceiving changes in time as well as in the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases and thereby assessing the efficiency of existing mitigation strategies. In the particular case of Central Europe, the analysis of background concentrations could add further insights on the question why background CO2 concentrations increased in the last few decades, despite a significant decrease in the reported emissions. Ongoing effort to define the baseline conditions has led to a variety of data selection techniques. In this diversity of data filtering concepts, a relatively recent data selection method effectively appropriates observations of radon-222 to reliably and unambiguously identify baseline air masses. Owing to its relatively constant emission rate from the ice-free land surface and its half-life of 3.8 days that is solely achieved through radioactive decay, the tropospheric background concentration of the inert radioactive gas is low and temporal variations caused by changes in atmospheric transport are precisely detectable. For defining the baseline air masses reaching the high alpine research station Schneefernerhaus, an objective analysis approach is applied to the two-hourly radon records. The CO2 values of days by the radon method associated with prevailing atmospheric background conditions result in the CO2 concentrations representing the least land influenced air masses. Additionally, three-dimensional back-trajectories were retrieved using the Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model (LPDM) FLEXPART driven by analysis fields of the Global Forecast System (GFS) produced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). For the past five years, every two hours a total of 10.000 particles was released and followed backward in time for ten days. The trajectory position was stored with a time step of two hours. Based on the thereby calculated residence time each trajectory spent in the European planetary boundary layer (PBL), a validation of the baseline values derived from the radon statistics is received. Only terms where back trajectories and radon agree in the baseline detection are selected as unpolluted. The ability to eliminate air masses contaminated by European pollution via combining these two filtering techniques permits to analyze the influence of different large-scale source regions to the receptor point Schneefernerhaus. In order to identify the different source regions, cluster analysis with the COST733 classification software is applied to the normalized position coordinates of each selected trajectory. This accounts for the variations in transport speed and direction in both horizontal and vertical directions simultaneously, yielding clusters of trajectories as homogeneous and as distinctly different from each other as possible. This methodology relates the variability in trace gas measurements to variations in synoptic-scale circulation facing a challenging task in the currently changing atmosphere.

Clinical and Molecular Heterogeneity in Brazilian Patients with Sotos Syndrome

PubMed Central

Vieira, Gustavo H.; Cook, Melissa M.; Ferreira De Lima, Renata L.; Frigério Domingues, Carlos E.; de Carvalho, Daniel R.; Soares de Paiva, Isaias; Moretti-Ferreira, Danilo; Srivastava, Anand K.

2015-01-01

Sotos syndrome (SoS) is a multiple anomaly, congenital disorder characterized by overgrowth, macrocephaly, distinctive facial features and variable degree of intellectual disability. Haploinsufficiency of the NSD1 gene at 5q35.3, arising from 5q35 microdeletions, point mutations, and partial gene deletions, accounts for a majority of patients with SoS. Recently, mutations and possible pathogenetic rare CNVs, both affecting a few candidate genes for overgrowth, have been reported in patients with Sotos-like overgrowth features. To estimate the frequency of NSD1 defects in the Brazilian SoS population and possibly reveal other genes implicated in the etiopathogenesis of this syndrome, we collected a cohort of 21 Brazilian patients, who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for SoS, and analyzed the NSD1 and PTEN genes by means of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and mutational screening analyses. We identified a classical NSD1 microdeletion, a novel missense mutation (p.C1593W), and 2 previously reported truncating mutations: p.R1984X and p.V1760Gfs*2. In addition, we identified a novel de novo PTEN gene mutation (p.D312Rfs*2) in a patient with a less severe presentation of SoS phenotype, which did not include pre- and postnatal overgrowth. For the first time, our study implies PTEN in the pathogenesis of SoS and further emphasizes the existence of ethno-geographical differences in NSD1 molecular alterations between patients with SoS from Europe/North America (70-93%) and those from South America (10-19%). PMID:25852445

A deletion in the VLDLR gene in Eurasier dogs with cerebellar hypoplasia resembling a Dandy-Walker-like malformation (DWLM).

PubMed

Gerber, Martina; Fischer, Andrea; Jagannathan, Vidhya; Drögemüller, Michaela; Drögemüller, Cord; Schmidt, Martin J; Bernardino, Filipa; Manz, Eberhard; Matiasek, Kaspar; Rentmeister, Kai; Leeb, Tosso

2015-01-01

Dandy-Walker-like malformation (DWLM) is the result of aberrant brain development and mainly characterized by cerebellar hypoplasia. DWLM affected dogs display a non-progressive cerebellar ataxia. Several DWLM cases were recently observed in the Eurasier dog breed, which strongly suggested a monogenic autosomal recessive inheritance in this breed. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 9 cases and 11 controls and found the best association of DWLM with markers on chromosome 1. Subsequent homozygosity mapping confirmed that all 9 cases were homozygous for a shared haplotype in this region, which delineated a critical interval of 3.35 Mb. We sequenced the genome of an affected Eurasier and compared it with the Boxer reference genome and 47 control genomes of dogs from other breeds. This analysis revealed 4 private non-synonymous variants in the critical interval of the affected Eurasier. We genotyped these variants in additional dogs and found perfect association for only one of these variants, a single base deletion in the VLDLR gene encoding the very low density lipoprotein receptor. This variant, VLDLR:c.1713delC is predicted to cause a frameshift and premature stop codon (p.W572Gfs*10). Variants in the VLDLR gene have been shown to cause congenital cerebellar ataxia and mental retardation in human patients and Vldlr knockout mice also display an ataxia phenotype. Our combined genetic data together with the functional knowledge on the VLDLR gene from other species thus strongly suggest that VLDLR:c.1713delC is indeed causing DWLM in Eurasier dogs.

Novel mutations of RPGR in Chinese retinitis pigmentosa patients and the genotype-phenotype correlation.

PubMed

Yang, Liping; Yin, Xiaobei; Feng, Lina; You, Debo; Wu, Lemeng; Chen, Ningning; Li, Aijun; Li, Genlin; Ma, Zhizhong

2014-01-01

X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP) accounts for 10-20% of all RP cases, and represents the most severe subtype of this disease. Mutations in the Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase Regulator (RPGR) gene are the most common causes of XLRP, accounting for over 70-75% of all XLRP cases. In this work, we analyzed all the exons of RPGR gene with Sanger sequencing in seven Chinese XLRP families, two of these with a provisional diagnosis of adRP but without male-to-male transmission. Three novel deletions (c.2233_34delAG; c.2236_37delGA and c.2403_04delAG) and two known nonsense mutations (c.851C→G and c.2260G→T) were identified in five families. Two novel deletions (c.2233_34delAG and c.2236_37delGA) resulted in the same frame shift (p.E746RfsX22), created similar phenotype in Family 3 and 4. The novel deletion (c.2403_04delAG; p.E802GfsX31) resulted in both XLRP and x-linked cone-rod dystrophy within the male patients of family 5, which suggested the presence of either genetic or environmental modifiers, or both, play a substantial role in disease expression. Genotype-phenotype correlation analysis suggested that (1) both patients and female carriers with mutation in Exon 8 (Family 1) manifest more severe disease than did those with ORF15 mutations (Family 2&3&4); (2) mutation close to downstream of ORF15 (Family 5) demonstrate the early preferential loss of cone function with moderate loss of rod function.

Towards graphane field emitters

PubMed Central

Ding, Shuyi; Li, Chi; Zhou, Yanhuai; Collins, Clare M.; Kang, Moon H.; Parmee, Richard J.; Zhang, Xiaobing; Milne, William I.; Wang, Baoping

2015-01-01

We report on the improved field emission performance of graphene foam (GF) following transient exposure to hydrogen plasma. The enhanced field emission mechanism associated with hydrogenation has been investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, plasma spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The observed enhanced electron emissionhas been attributed to an increase in the areal density of lattice defects and the formation of a partially hydrogenated, graphane-like material. The treated GF emitter demonstrated a much reduced macroscopic turn-on field (2.5 V μm–1), with an increased maximum current density from 0.21 mA cm–2 (pristine) to 8.27 mA cm–2 (treated). The treated GFs vertically orientated protrusions, after plasma etching, effectively increased the local electric field resulting in a 2.2-fold reduction in the turn-on electric field. The observed enhancement is further attributed to hydrogenation and the subsequent formation of a partially hydrogenated structured 2D material, which advantageously shifts the emitter work function. Alongside augmentation of the nominal crystallite size of the graphitic superstructure, surface bound species are believed to play a key role in the enhanced emission. The hydrogen plasma treatment was also noted to increase the emission spatial uniformity, with an approximate four times reduction in the per unit area variation in emission current density. Our findings suggest that plasma treatments, and particularly hydrogen and hydrogen-containing precursors, may provide an efficient, simple, and low cost means of realizing enhanced nanocarbon-based field emission devices via the engineered degradation of the nascent lattice, and adjustment of the surface work function. PMID:28066543

Regenerative Therapy by Suprachoroidal Cell Autograft in Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration: Preliminary In Vivo Report.

PubMed

Limoli, Paolo Giuseppe; Vingolo, Enzo Maria; Limoli, Celeste; Scalinci, Sergio Zaccaria; Nebbioso, Marcella

2018-02-12

This study is aimed at examining whether a suprachoroidal graft of autologous cells can improve best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and responses to microperimetry (MY) in eyes affected by dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) over time through the production and secretion of growth factors (GFs) on surrounding tissue. Patients were randomly assigned to each study group. All patients were diagnosed with dry AMD and with BCVA equal to or greater than 1 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). A suprachoroidal autologous graft by Limoli Retinal Restoration Technique (LRRT) was carried out on group A, which included 11 eyes from 11 patients. The technique was performed by implanting adipocytes, adipose-derived stem cells obtained from the stromal vascular fraction, and platelets from platelet-rich plasma in the suprachoroidal space. Conversely, group B, including 14 eyes of 14 patients, was used as a control group. For each patient, diagnosis was verified by confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope and spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). In group A, BCVA improved by 0.581 to 0.504 at 90 days and to 0.376 logMAR at 180 days (+32.20%) postoperatively. Furthermore, MY test increased by 11.44 dB to 12.59 dB at 180 days. The different cell types grafted behind the choroid were able to ensure constant GF secretion in the choroidal flow. Consequently, the results indicate that visual acuity (VA) in the grafted group can increase more than in the control group after six months.

EDC Cross-linking of Decellularized Tissue: A Promising Approach?

PubMed

Lehmann, Nadine; Christ, Torsten; Daugs, Aila; Bloch, Oliver; Holinski, Sebastian

2017-07-01

Decellularization of xenogenous cardiovascular structures is a promising approach to create scaffolds for tissue engineering. Unfortunately, handling and pliability of the unfixed tissue is challenging. N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N9-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) is an alternative cross-linking agent to glutaraldehyde (GA). Applied in native tissue, it provides biocompatibility and shows no potential for calcification. In addition, EDC can be used to link growth factors (GFs) to tissue scaffolds after decellularization. EDC cross-linking could thereby help to improve decellularized tissue without the toxicity of GA. Porcine aortic wall tissue specimens (TS) were decellularized, treated with EDC, and coated with fibroblast growth factor (FGF) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Afterward, TS were subcutaneously implanted in 36 Lewis rats along with one decellularized TS without EDC treatment. After 2, 4, and 6 weeks TS were explanted from 12 rats, respectively. Vital cells were evaluated by RNA quantification, general cellular infiltration by hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E), macrophage infiltration by CD68 staining, calcification by Von-Kossa staining, and tissue degradation by measurement of TS thickness. Quantification of vital cells showed reduced reseeding of EDC-treated TS compared to noncross-linked TS after 2 (p < 0.05) and 4 weeks (p < 0.05), while after 6 weeks only EDC+VEGF showed fewer viable cells (p < 0.01). Histological evaluation confirmed a reduced infiltration of EDC-treated TS. Macrophage infiltration decreased in all groups from 2 to 6 weeks, with the smallest population in EDC+VEGF-treated TS (p > 0.05). In EDC+FGF-treated TS, macrophages were reduced after 2 weeks compared to noncross-linked TS (p < 0.05), while after 4 and 6 weeks no significant difference was found (p > 0.05). Von-Kossa staining revealed no calcification in any of the specimens. Thickness of noncross-linked and EDC+FGF-treated TS was not different at the respective times of explantation, but decreased in both groups toward 6 weeks. EDC cross-linking combined with GF coating of decellularized aortic wall tissue showed encouraging results. The treatment did not impair the advantages of decellularized tissue such as long-term recellularization, absence of calcification, and tissue integrity. Based on the low macrophage infiltration and minimal tissue degradation, treatment with EDC and VEGF could be useful after decellularization. However, further research is necessary to verify these findings in models, including mechanical stress.

Highly efficient intracellular transduction in three-dimensional gradients for programming cell fate.

PubMed

Eltaher, Hoda M; Yang, Jing; Shakesheff, Kevin M; Dixon, James E

2016-09-01

Fundamental behaviour such as cell fate, growth and death are mediated through the control of key genetic transcriptional regulators. These regulators are activated or repressed by the integration of multiple signalling molecules in spatio-temporal gradients. Engineering these gradients is complex but considered key in controlling tissue formation in regenerative medicine approaches. Direct programming of cells using exogenously delivered transcription factors can by-pass growth factor complexity but there is still a requirement to deliver such activity spatio-temporally. We previously developed a technology termed GAG-binding enhanced transduction (GET) to efficiently deliver a variety of cargoes intracellularly using GAG-binding domains to promote cell targeting, and cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) to allow cell entry. Herein we demonstrate that GET can be used in a three dimensional (3D) hydrogel matrix to produce gradients of intracellular transduction of mammalian cells. Using a compartmentalised diffusion model with a source-gel-sink (So-G-Si) assembly, we created gradients of reporter proteins (mRFP1-tagged) and a transcription factor (TF, myogenic master regulator MyoD) and showed that GET can be used to deliver molecules into cells spatio-temporally by monitoring intracellular transduction and gene expression programming as a function of location and time. The ability to spatio-temporally control the intracellular delivery of functional proteins will allow the establishment of gradients of cell programming in hydrogels and approaches to direct cellular behaviour for many regenerative medicine applications. Regenerative medicine aims to reform functional biological tissues by controlling cell behaviour. Growth factors (GFs) are soluble cues presented to cells in spatio-temporal gradients and play important roles programming cell fate and gene expression. The efficient transduction of cells by GET (Glycosaminoglycan-enhanced transducing)-tagged transcription factors (TFs) can be used to by-pass GF-stimulation and directly program cells. For the first time we demonstrate diffusion of GET proteins generate stable protein transduction gradients. We demonstrated the feasibility of creating spatio-temporal gradients of GET-MyoD and show differential programing of myogenic differentiation. We believe that GET could provide a powerful tool to program cell behaviour using gradients of recombinant proteins that allow tissue generation directly by programming gene expression with TFs. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time-Lapse Monitoring of an Engineering Scaled Excavation at Federal District, Brazil by Passive Ambient NoiseInterferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cárdenas-Soto, M., Sr.; Hussain, Y.; Martinez-Carvajal, H., Sr.; Martino, S., Sr.; Rocha, M., Sr.

2016-12-01

Understanding the dynamics of stress relief mechanisms that lead to complete material collapse of unstable slopes is challenging. This research is focused on the novel use of Passive Ambient Noise Interferometry (PANI), a new technique that has revolutionized the seismology. In this technique the impulse response or Green function between two sensors is calculated by cross-correlation of the noise rescored at these stations. We applied PANI to monitor the deformational behavior of a prototype field experiment under semi controlled conditions for their use in landsliding early warning systems.The experimental setup consists of a 2 m engineering-scaled excavation,where induced failure was monitored by ambient vibrations propagating in tropical clayey deposits. The experimental setup consisted of dense network of 20 three components short period seismometers (Sercel L4C-3D) installed in three circular arrays with their distances from face of normal slope as 10, 20 and 30 meters, respectively.The frequency response of these seismometers is in range of 2-100 Hz. Recording was done in continuous mode at sampling rate of 1000 Hz with datalogger (RefTek DAS-130/3). Sensors were time synchronized by twenty 130 GPS/01. In this stage, the stress was applied on the one flank of this normal slope dug in the experimental field of University of Brasilia, by a hydraulic jack through a metallic plate. This incremental loading was kept on rising until the slope failure took place. This loading mechanism provided an opportunity to monitoring the changes in Rayleigh wave velocity before, during and after the complete failure. After initial processing, the green function (GF) or impulse response was calculated between each pair of sensors by cross correlation at time step of 4 second. All individual GFs, for entire monitoring period (30 minutes) were stacked to obtained a single reference GF. Stretching (dt/t) in waveform is calculated by subtracting individual GF from average GF, that gave Rayleigh wave velocity changes (dv/v=-dt/t). These changes correlated well with initiation and propagation of fracture at the face of this normal slope. It is concluded that cost effective technique, PANI has a good potential for the monitoring of time lapse changes of evolving fractures.

Comprehensive neural networks for guilty feelings in young adults.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Seishu; Takeuchi, Hikaru; Taki, Yasuyuki; Nouchi, Rui; Sekiguchi, Atsushi; Kotozaki, Yuka; Miyauchi, Carlos Makoto; Iizuka, Kunio; Yokoyama, Ryoichi; Shinada, Takamitsu; Yamamoto, Yuki; Hanawa, Sugiko; Araki, Tsuyoshi; Hashizume, Hiroshi; Kunitoki, Keiko; Sassa, Yuko; Kawashima, Ryuta

2015-01-15

Feelings of guilt are associated with widespread self and social cognitions, e.g., empathy, moral reasoning, and punishment. Neural correlates directly related to the degree of feelings of guilt have not been detected, probably due to the small numbers of subjects, whereas there are growing numbers of neuroimaging studies of feelings of guilt. We hypothesized that the neural networks for guilty feelings are widespread and include the insula, inferior parietal lobule (IPL), amygdala, subgenual cingulate cortex (SCC), and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which are essential for cognitions of guilt. We investigated the association between regional gray matter density (rGMD) and feelings of guilt in 764 healthy young students (422 males, 342 females; 20.7 ± 1.8 years) using magnetic resonance imaging and the guilty feeling scale (GFS) for the younger generation which comprises interpersonal situation (IPS) and rule-breaking situation (RBS) scores. Both the IPS and RBS were negatively related to the rGMD in the right posterior insula (PI). The IPS scores were negatively correlated with rGMD in the left anterior insula (AI), right IPL, and vmPFC using small volume correction. A post hoc analysis performed on the significant clusters identified through these analyses revealed that rGMD activity in the right IPL showed a significant negative association with the empathy quotient. These findings at the whole-brain level are the widespread comprehensive neural network regions for guilty feelings. Interestingly, the novel finding in this study is that the PI was implicated as a common region for feelings of guilt with interaction between the IPS and RBS. Additionally, the neural networks including the IPL were associated with empathy and with regions implicated in moral reasoning (AI and vmPFC), and punishment (AI). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Odontogenic Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells on Hydrogel Scaffolds Derived from Decellularized Bone Extracellular Matrix and Collagen Type I.

PubMed

Paduano, Francesco; Marrelli, Massimo; White, Lisa J; Shakesheff, Kevin M; Tatullo, Marco

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) on hydrogel scaffolds derived from bone extracellular matrix (bECM) in comparison to those seeded on collagen I (Col-I), one of the main components of dental pulp ECM. DPSCs isolated from human third molars were characterized for surface marker expression and odontogenic potential prior to seeding into bECM or Col-I hydrogel scaffolds. The cells were then seeded onto bECM and Col-I hydrogel scaffolds and cultured under basal conditions or with odontogenic and growth factor (GF) supplements. DPSCs cultivated on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) with and without supplements were used as controls. Gene expression of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP-1) and matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE) was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and mineral deposition was observed by Von Kossa staining. When DPSCs were cultured on bECM hydrogels, the mRNA expression levels of DSPP, DMP-1 and MEPE genes were significantly upregulated with respect to those cultured on Col-I scaffolds or TCPS in the absence of extra odontogenic inducers. In addition, more mineral deposition was observed on bECM hydrogel scaffolds as demonstrated by Von Kossa staining. Moreover, DSPP, DMP-1 and MEPE mRNA expressions of DPSCs cultured on bECM hydrogels were further upregulated by the addition of GFs or osteo/odontogenic medium compared to Col-I treated cells in the same culture conditions. These results demonstrate the potential of the bECM hydrogel scaffolds to stimulate odontogenic differentiation of DPSCs.

Long-term cytokine and growth factor release from equine platelet-rich fibrin clots obtained with two different centrifugation protocols.

PubMed

Jiménez-Aristizabal, Román F; López, Catalina; Álvarez, María E; Giraldo, Carlos; Prades, Marta; Carmona, Jorge U

2017-09-01

To compare the temporal release (over three weeks) of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) and transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β 1 ) from two platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) preparations from equine blood obtained at either 240g/8min or 416g/10min. Whole blood from 10 horses was used to obtain PRF clots by two different centrifugation protocols. After 1h of rest, PRF clots were deposited in wells with culture medium, which was changed at 6h, 24h and then every 48h to 21days. Cytokines and GFs were measured by ELISA at 1h (serum supernatants from PRF clots) and all time points of culture medium change. A negative control (plasma) and a positive control (blood lysate) were also included. There were no relevant differences between the two protocols for the temporal release of proteins. However, a significant (p=0.01) effect of time was noted. All cytokines were detected after 6h of PRF clot culture until day 21. GF were detected at 1h until day 21. The concentrations for these proteins diminished gradually over time. A highly significant (p=0.01) correlation was noticed between all the proteins evaluated. Leukocytes enmeshed in PRF clots were able to produce cytokines, TGF-β 1 and PDGF-BB. These findings demonstrate a paramount role of leukocytes in wound healing induced or modified by PRF clots in mammals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential involvement of cortical and cerebellar areas using dominant and nondominant hands: An FMRI study

PubMed Central

Pardini, Matteo; Samson, Rebecca S.; D'Angelo, Egidio; Friston, Karl J.; Toosy, Ahmed T.; Gandini Wheeler‐Kingshott, Claudia A.M.

2015-01-01

Abstract Motor fMRI studies, comparing dominant (DH) and nondominant (NDH) hand activations have reported mixed findings, especially for the extent of ipsilateral (IL) activations and their relationship with task complexity. To date, no study has directly compared DH and NDH activations using an event‐related visually guided dynamic power‐grip paradigm with parametric (three) forces (GF) in healthy right‐handed subjects. We implemented a hierarchical statistical approach aimed to: (i) identify the main effect networks engaged when using either hand; (ii) characterise DH/NDH responses at different GFs; (iii) assess contralateral (CL)/IL‐specific and hemisphere‐specific activations. Beyond confirming previously reported results, this study demonstrated that increasing GF has an effect on motor response that is contextualised also by the use of DH or NDH. Linear analysis revealed increased activations in sensorimotor areas, with additional increased recruitments of subcortical and cerebellar areas when using the NDH. When looking at CL/IL‐specific activations, CL sensorimotor areas and IL cerebellum were activated with both hands. When performing the task with the NDH, several areas were also recruited including the CL cerebellum. Finally, there were hand‐side‐independent activations of nonmotor‐specific areas in the right and left hemispheres, with the right hemisphere being involved more extensively in sensori‐motor integration through associative areas while the left hemisphere showing greater activation at higher GF. This study shows that the functional networks subtending DH/NDH power‐grip visuomotor functions are qualitatively and quantitatively distinct and this should be taken into consideration when performing fMRI studies, particularly when planning interventions in patients with specific impairments. Hum Brain Mapp 36:5079–5100, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:26415818

Graduated Frequencies alcohol measures for monitoring consumption patterns: Results from an Australian national survey and a US diary validity study

PubMed Central

Greenfield, Thomas K.; Kerr, William C.; Bond, Jason; Ye, Yu; Stockwell, Tim

2009-01-01

We investigate several types of graduated frequency (GF) instruments for monitoring drinking patterns. Two studies with 12-month GF measures and daily data were used: (i) the Australian 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (n = 24,109 aged 12+; 22,546 with GF and over 8000 with yesterday data) and (ii) a US methodological study involving a 28-day daily diary plus GF summary measures drawn from the National Alcohol Survey (n = 3,025 screened, 119 eligible study completers). The NDSHS involved (i) “drop and collect” self-completed forms with random sampling methods; the Measurement study (ii) screened 3+ drinkers by telephone and collected 28-day drinking diaries and pre- and post-diary 28-day GFs. We compared mean values for the GF quantity ranges from yesterday’s drinks (study i) and 28-day diaries (study ii), also examining volume influence. Using Yesterday’s drinking, Australian results showed GF quantity range means close to arithmetic midpoints and volume effects only for the lowest two levels (1–2, and 3–4 drinks; p < .001). U.S. calibration results on the GF using 28-day diaries were similar, with a volume effect only at these low quantity levels (p < .001). Means for the highest quantity thresholds were 23.5 drinks for the 20+ (10 gram) drink level (Australia) and 15.5 drinks for the 12+ (14 g) drink level (US). In the US study, summary GF frequency and volume were highly consistent with diary-based counterparts. A conclusion is that algorithms for computing volume may be refined using validation data. We suggest measurement methods may be improved by taking better account of empirical drink ethanol content. PMID:21197381

Control of dental-derived induced pluripotent stem cells through modified surfaces for dental application.

PubMed

Choi, Hyunmin; Park, Kyu-Hyung; Lee, Ah-Reum; Mun, Chin Hee; Shin, Yong Dae; Park, Yong-Beom; Park, Young-Bum

2017-07-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the behaviour of iPSc derived from dental stem cells in terms of initial adhesion, differentiation potential on differently surface-treated titanium disc. iPSc derived from human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) were established using 4-reprogramming factors transduction with Sendai virus. The hGF-iPSc established in this study exhibited the morphology and growth properties similar to human embryonic stem (ES) cells and expressed pluripotency makers. Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) staining, Embryoid Body (EB) formation and in vitro differentiation and karyotyping further confirmed pluripotency of hGF-iPSc. Then, hGF-iPSc were cultured on machined- and Sandblasted and acid etched (SLA)-treated titanium discs with osteogenic induction medium and their morphological as well as quantitative changes according to different surface types were investigated using Alizrin Red S staining, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Flow cytometry and RT-PCR. Time-dependent and surface-dependent morphological changes as well as quantitative change in osteogenic differentiation of hGF-iPSc were identified and osteogenic gene expression of hGF-iPSc cultured on SLA-treated titanium disc found to be greater than machined titanium disc, suggesting the fate of hGF-iPSc may be determined by the characteristics of surface to which hGF-iPSc first adhere. iPSc derived from dental stem cell can be one of the most promising and practical cell sources for personalized regenerative dentistry and their morphological change as well as quantitative change in osteogenic differentiation according to different surface types may be further utilized for future clinical application incorporated with dental implant.

Expression of polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecules on adult stem cells after neuronal differentiation of inner ear spiral ganglion neurons

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

Park, Kyoung Ho; Yeo, Sang Won, E-mail: swyeo@catholic.ac.kr; Troy, Frederic A., E-mail: fatroy@ucdavis.edu

Highlights: • PolySia expressed on neurons primarily during early stages of neuronal development. • PolySia–NCAM is expressed on neural stem cells from adult guinea pig spiral ganglion. • PolySia is a biomarker that modulates neuronal differentiation in inner ear stem cells. - Abstract: During brain development, polysialylated (polySia) neural cell adhesion molecules (polySia–NCAMs) modulate cell–cell adhesive interactions involved in synaptogenesis, neural plasticity, myelination, and neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and differentiation. Our findings show that polySia–NCAM is expressed on NSC isolated from adult guinea pig spiral ganglion (GPSG), and in neurons and Schwann cells after differentiation of the NSC withmore » epidermal, glia, fibroblast growth factors (GFs) and neurotrophins. These differentiated cells were immunoreactive with mAb’s to polySia, NCAM, β-III tubulin, nestin, S-100 and stained with BrdU. NSC could regenerate and be differentiated into neurons and Schwann cells. We conclude: (1) polySia is expressed on NSC isolated from adult GPSG and on neurons and Schwann cells differentiated from these NSC; (2) polySia is expressed on neurons primarily during the early stage of neuronal development and is expressed on Schwann cells at points of cell–cell contact; (3) polySia is a functional biomarker that modulates neuronal differentiation in inner ear stem cells. These new findings suggest that replacement of defective cells in the inner ear of hearing impaired patients using adult spiral ganglion neurons may offer potential hope to improve the quality of life for patients with auditory dysfunction and impaired hearing disorders.« less

Line - organised convection putting fire to forest area of Halkidiki, Northern Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlachou, M.; Brikas, D.; Pytharoulis, I.

2010-09-01

The organisation of convection in a line often coincides with the end of heat waves in the Southern Balkans. This was indeed the case on the 21st of August 2006, when the tail of an eastward moving cold front put an end to the preceding heat wave and, at the same time, triggered thunderstorms and windstorms in Southern Bulgaria and Northern Greece. The associated electric activity initiated a fire in Kassandra, Halkidiki, Greece. Due to the prolonged drought and the strong winds, the fire spread quickly. It lasted for three days, costing two human lives, burning an extended forest area, as well as destroying hotels and resort facilities. Availabla data are: i) European Centre for Medium - range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses, ii) RADAR reflectivity data from the Weather Modification Dept. of the Hellenic Agricultural Insurance Organisation and iii) surface and upper air data from the airport ‘Makedonia’ of Thessaloniki, Greece. The heat wave, that affected Greece during the 5 - day period prior to the line convection, was associated with the establishment of a hot, but very stable at low levels, boundary layer, probably modified part of the Saharan air layer, advected to the area of interest. Destabilisation occurred due to surface heating, as well as upper level cold air advection. From the synoptic point of view, upward motion prevails under the inflection point of the subtropical and polar jet streams, indicating once more how important are, for upper level divergence, the curvature changes along the flow. In the meso-α scale, the line convection formed along and just ahead of a shallow, frontogenetically active cold frontal zone. Hence, the line under study may be called a squall line. It is suggested that such zones play a key role in triggering severe weather in the same area, as well as cyclogenesis in the Mediterranean area. Previous studies have shown numerous severe weather events to occur along such zones. In the meso-β scale, the line under study fits the 2-D model of squall lines, as transverse vertical cross sections show. On the isentropic level, as the system moves eastward, warm low level air flows in from the east - southeast, whereas cold upper level air is ingested from the north. The hourly sea level pressure field exhibits pre - squall and wake lows and a meso - high, the classic features observed before, after and during the passage of a squall line, respectively. More interestingly, the succession of clouds and associated weather was typical of a squall line. Convective activity peaked suddenly to the cumulonimbus level, with no cumulus clouds observed prior to the squall line. The lack of a dense observing network, as far as upper air and even surface observations are concerned, limits the study of the meso-β features of the squall line (movement etc.). The lack of Doppler RADAR data precludes the representation of the transverse circulation across the line. However, it is hoped that the present study adds to the research on severe weather in the Mediterranean, as it highlights the crucial role of synoptic - meso-α scale features. In view of the failure of the operational global NWP models (ECMWF, NCEP GFS) to predict squall line associated precipitation, which fell even in the form of hail, forecasters’ attention is drawn upon convergence zones, especially low level frontogenetically active ones. It is suggested that summertime convection is rather dynamically than thermodynamically driven, this general rule applying even to non-frontal convection. Equivalently, convection is more likely to occur when the dynamics promote boundary layer convergence and upward motion, rather than when the thermodynamics favor air parcel ascent and saturation.

Comparison of Tropical and Extratropical Gust Factors Using Observed and Simulated Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, R. P.; Schroeder, J. L.

2011-12-01

Questions of whether differences exist between tropical cyclone (TC) and extratropical (ET) wind have been the subject of considerable debate. This study will focus on the behavior of the gust factor (GF), the ratio of a peak wind speed of a certain duration and a mean wind speed of a certain duration, for three types of data: TC, ET, and simulated. For this project, the Universal Spectrum, a normalized, averaged spectrum for wind, was un-normalized and used to create simulated wind speed time series at a variety of wind speeds. Additional time series were created after modifying the spectrum to simulate the additional low-frequency energy observed in the TC wind spectrum as well as the reduction of high-frequency energy caused by a mechanical anemometer. The T and ET data used for this study were collected by Texas Tech University's mobile towers as part of various field efforts since 1998. Before comparisons were made, the database was divided into four roughness regimes based on the roughness length to ensure that differences observed in the turbulence statistics are not caused by differences in upstream terrain. The mean GF for the TC data set (open roughness regime), 1.49, was slightly higher than the ET value of 1.44 (Table 1). The distributions of GFs from each data type show similarities in shape between the base-simulated and ET data sets and between the TC and modified-simulated data set (Figure 1). These similarities are expected given the spectral similarities between the TC and modified-simulated data sets, namely additional low-frequency energy relative to the ET and base-simulated data. These findings suggest that the higher amount of low-frequency energy present in the tropical wind spectrum is partially responsible for the resulting higher GF for the tropical cyclone data. However, the modest increase in GF from the base to the modified simulated data suggest that there are more factors at work.

Pathogenic mutations in TULP1 responsible for retinitis pigmentosa identified in consanguineous familial cases

PubMed Central

Ullah, Inayat; Kabir, Firoz; Iqbal, Muhammad; Gottsch, Clare Brooks S.; Naeem, Muhammad Asif; Assir, Muhammad Zaman; Khan, Shaheen N.; Akram, Javed; Riazuddin, Sheikh; Ayyagari, Radha; Hejtmancik, J. Fielding

2016-01-01

Purpose To identify pathogenic mutations responsible for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) in consanguineous familial cases. Methods Seven large familial cases with multiple individuals diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa were included in the study. Affected individuals in these families underwent ophthalmic examinations to document the symptoms and confirm the initial diagnosis. Blood samples were collected from all participating members, and genomic DNA was extracted. An exclusion analysis with microsatellite markers spanning the TULP1 locus on chromosome 6p was performed, and two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) scores were calculated. All coding exons along with the exon–intron boundaries of TULP1 were sequenced bidirectionally. We constructed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotype for the four familial cases harboring the K489R allele and estimated the likelihood of a founder effect. Results The ophthalmic examinations of the affected individuals in these familial cases were suggestive of RP. Exclusion analyses confirmed linkage to chromosome 6p harboring TULP1 with positive two-point LOD scores. Subsequent Sanger sequencing identified the single base pair substitution in exon14, c.1466A>G (p.K489R), in four families. Additionally, we identified a two-base deletion in exon 4, c.286_287delGA (p.E96Gfs77*); a homozygous splice site variant in intron 14, c.1495+4A>C; and a novel missense variation in exon 15, c.1561C>T (p.P521S). All mutations segregated with the disease phenotype in the respective families and were absent in ethnically matched control chromosomes. Haplotype analysis suggested (p<10−6) that affected individuals inherited the causal mutation from a common ancestor. Conclusions Pathogenic mutations in TULP1 are responsible for the RP phenotype in seven familial cases with a common ancestral mutation responsible for the disease phenotype in four of the seven families. PMID:27440997

The Implications of Strike-Slip Earthquake Source Properties on the Transform Boundary Development Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neely, J. S.; Huang, Y.; Furlong, K.

2017-12-01

Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator (STEP) faults, produced by the tearing of a subducting plate, allow us to study the development of a transform plate boundary and improve our understanding of both long-term geologic processes and short-term seismic hazards. The 280 km long San Cristobal Trough (SCT), formed by the tearing of the Australia plate as it subducts under the Pacific plate near the Solomon and Vanuatu subduction zones, shows along-strike variations in earthquake behaviors. The segment of the SCT closest to the tear rarely hosts earthquakes > Mw 6, whereas the SCT sections more than 80 - 100 km from the tear experience Mw7 earthquakes with repeated rupture along the same segments. To understand the effect of cumulative displacement on SCT seismicity, we analyze b-values, centroid-time delays and corner frequencies of the SCT earthquakes. We use the spectral ratio method based on Empirical Green's Functions (eGfs) to isolate source effects from propagation and site effects. We find high b-values along the SCT closest to the tear with values decreasing with distance before finally increasing again towards the far end of the SCT. Centroid time-delays for the Mw 7 strike-slip earthquakes increase with distance from the tear, but corner frequency estimates for a recent sequence of Mw 7 earthquakes are approximately equal, indicating a growing complexity in earthquake behavior with distance from the tear due to a displacement-driven transform boundary development process (see figure). The increasing complexity possibly stems from the earthquakes along the eastern SCT rupturing through multiple asperities resulting in multiple moment pulses. If not for the bounding Vanuatu subduction zone at the far end of the SCT, the eastern SCT section, which has experienced the most displacement, might be capable of hosting larger earthquakes. When assessing the seismic hazard of other STEP faults, cumulative fault displacement should be considered a key input in determining potential earthquake size.

An In Vitro Investigation of Platelet-Rich Plasma-Gel as a Cell and Growth Factor Delivery Vehicle for Tissue Engineering

PubMed Central

Jalowiec, Jagoda M.; D'Este, Matteo; Bara, Jennifer Jane; Denom, Jessica; Menzel, Ursula; Alini, Mauro; Herrmann, Marietta

2016-01-01

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used for different applications in human and veterinary medicine. Many studies have shown promising therapeutic effects of PRP; however, there are still many controversies regarding its composition, properties, and clinical efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different platelet concentrations on the rheological properties and growth factor (GF) release profile of PRP-gels. In addition, the viability of incorporated bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was investigated. PRP (containing 1000 × 103, 2000 × 103, and 10,000 × 103 platelets/μL) was prepared from human platelet concentrates. Platelet activation and gelification were achieved by addition of human thrombin. Viscoelastic properties of PRP-gels were evaluated by rheological studies. The release of GFs and inflammatory proteins was measured using a membrane-based protein array and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MSC viability and proliferation in PRP-gels were assessed over 7 days by cell viability staining. Cell proliferation was examined using DNA quantification. Regardless of the platelet content, all tested PRP-gels showed effective cross-linking. A positive correlation between protein release and the platelet concentration was observed at all time points. Among the detected proteins, the chemokine CCL5 was the most abundant. The greatest release appeared within the first 4 h after gelification. MSCs could be successfully cultured in PRP-gels over 7 days, with the highest cell viability and DNA content found in PRP-gels with 1000 × 103 platelets/μL. The results of this study suggest that PRP-gels represent a suitable carrier for both cell and GF delivery for tissue engineering. Notably, a platelet concentration of 1000 × 103 platelets/μL appeared to provide the most favorable environment for MSCs. Thus, the platelet concentration is an important consideration for the clinical application of PRP-gels. PMID:26467221

Case study: An isolated severe storm with giant hail hit Slovenian capital city Ljubljana on May 25th 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korosec, M.

2009-09-01

Introduction A quite unusual weather pattern for month of May with first and early season heat wave of year 2009 resulted in several days of active severe storms across central Europe and Alpine region. Synoptic situation On May 25th 2009, an omega block pattern with strong upper-level subtropical ridge extending over Mediterranean and Balkan Peninsula brought stable and warm conditions into Southern Europe. Elsewhere, two large-scale troughs were located over Western and Eastern Europe with very unstable environment. On the nose of the Mediterranean ridge a jet streak with moderate shear was placed while over the Southern Alpine region only weak shear was placed over Slovenia. Rich boundary layer moisture and steep lapse rates within an elevated mixed layer favored extreme amounts of CAPE. After strong diurnal heating and surface wind convergence along the local topography a few convective cells were triggered in the mountainous terrain while deep moist convection over the rest of Slovenia was trapped by the strong capping inversion. In late afternoon several cells from the mountainous terrain interfered with each other and explosive convective cell was initiated along their outflow boundaries. Increasing near surface southeasterly wind flow supported enhanced low-level shear and storm relative helicity which caused this cell to very rapidly grown into an organized supercell storm on the flat terrain in northern Slovenia. This supercell then started racing southeastwards towards Ljubljana, a capital city of Slovenia. It caused extensive hail damage with very large to giant hailstones up to 7cm in diameter falling over parts of Ljubljana and areas north and southeast of the city. Presentation of research This case study will go through a research of this very damaging hailstorm, throughout a detailed analysis of the synoptic situation including analysis of satellite, radar and surface observations. At first, forecasting models did not suggest organized convection and severe storms to occur given the only weak wind shear forecasted, while there was extreme amount of instability with CAPE exceeding 2500 J/kg expected. But then, according to the closest modified 12 UTC skew-t diagrams from Udine and unfolding evolution, better instability with CAPE values over 3000 J/kg and moderate near 20m/s 0-6km bulk shear were favorable enough for rapid organization of this isolated storm into such a dangerous severe hailstorm. This paper will also present a visual analysis of this storm as classic textbook supercell structure with accompanied features was documented by many storm chasers from nearby. References - EARS/ARSO radar, satellite and surface observation data (www.arso.gov.si) - GFS/ALADIN forecasting model maps (wetterzentrale.de, www.arso.gov.si) - ESTOFEX convective outlook for May 25th 2009 (www.estofex.org) - EUMETSAT satellite images (www.eumetsat.int) - Administration of Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (www.sos112.si) - EARS/ARSO article: "Porocilo o neurjih 25. maja 2009" (www.arso.gov.si) - Skywarn Slovenia article: "Analiza supercelične nevihte z debelo točo nad Ljubljano 25. maja, 2009" (www.skywarn.si) - ESSL/ESWD database storm reports

Scalable fabrication of nanomaterials based piezoresistivity sensors with enhanced performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoang, Phong Tran

Nanomaterials are small structures that have at least one dimension less than 100 nanometers. Depending on the number of dimensions that are not confined to the nanoscale range, nanomaterials can be classified into 0D, 1D and 2D types. Due to their small sizes, nanoparticles possess exceptional physical and chemical properties which opens a unique possibility for the next generation of strain sensors that are cheap, multifunctional, high sensitivity and reliability. Over the years, thanks to the development of new nanomaterials and the printing technologies, a number of printing techniques have been developed to fabricate a wide range of electronic devices on diverse substrates. Nanomaterials based thin film devices can be readily patterned and fabricated in a variety of ways, including printing, spraying and laser direct writing. In this work, we review the piezoresistivity of nanomaterials of different categories and study various printing approaches to utilize their excellent properties in the fabrication of scalable and printable thin film strain gauges. CNT-AgNP composite thin films were fabricated using a solution based screen printing process. By controlling the concentration ratio of CNTs to AgNPs in the nanocomposites and the supporting substrates, we were able to engineer the crack formation to achieve stable and high sensitivity sensors. The crack formation in the composite films lead to piezoresistive sensors with high GFs up to 221.2. Also, with a simple, low cost, and easy to scale up fabrication process they may find use as an alternative to traditional strain sensors. By using computer controlled spray coating system, we can achieve uniform and high quality CNTs thin films for the fabrication of strain sensors and transparent / flexible electrodes. A simple diazonium salt treatment of the pristine SWCNT thin film has been identified to be efficient in greatly enhancing the piezoresistive sensitivity of SWCNT thin film based piezoresistive sensors. The coupled mechanical stretching and Raman band shift characterization provides strong evidence to support this point of view. The same approach should be applicable to other types of carbon based strain sensors for improving their sensitivity. The direct laser writing (DLW) method has been used for producing flexible piezoresistive sensor and sensor arrays on polyimide film substrates. The effect of CO2 laser irradiation conditions on the morphology, chemical composition and piezoresistivity of the formed graphitic line features were systematically studied to establish the related processing-structure-property relationship. The DLW generated sensors have been demonstrated for their use as strain gauges for structural health monitoring of polymeric composites, and as flexible and wearable sensors of gesture recognition for human-machine interactions. The versatility of the DLW technique demonstrated in this work can be highly valuable in different industrial sectors for developing customized flexible electronics.

STAR splicing mutations cause the severe phenotype of lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia: insights from a novel splice mutation and review of reported cases.

PubMed

Camats, Núria; Pandey, Amit V; Fernández-Cancio, Mónica; Fernández, Juan M; Ortega, Ana M; Udhane, Sameer; Andaluz, Pilar; Audí, Laura; Flück, Christa E

2014-02-01

The steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) transports cholesterol to the mitochondria for steroidogenesis. Loss of StAR function causes lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LCAH) which is characterized by impaired synthesis of adrenal and gonadal steroids causing adrenal insufficiency, 46,XY disorder of sex development (DSD) and failure of pubertal development. Partial loss of StAR activity may cause adrenal insufficiency only. A newborn girl was admitted for mild dehydration, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia and hypoglycaemia and had normal external female genitalia without hyperpigmentation. Plasma cortisol, 17OH-progesterone, DHEA-S, androstendione and aldosterone were low, while ACTH and plasma renin activity were elevated, consistent with the diagnosis of primary adrenal insufficiency. Imaging showed normal adrenals, and cytogenetics revealed a 46,XX karyotype. She was treated with fluids, hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone. Genetic studies revealed a novel homozygous STAR mutation in the 3' acceptor splice site of intron 4, c.466-1G>A (IVS4-1G>A). To test whether this mutation would affect splicing, we performed a minigene experiment with a plasmid construct containing wild-type or mutant StAR gDNA of exons-introns 4-6 in COS-1 cells. The splicing was assessed on total RNA using RT-PCR for STAR cDNAs. The mutant STAR minigene skipped exon 5 completely and changed the reading frame. Thus, it is predicted to produce an aberrant and shorter protein (p.V156GfsX19). Computational analysis revealed that this mutant protein lacks wild-type exons 5-7 which are essential for StAR-cholesterol interaction. STAR c.466-1A skips exon 5 and causes a dramatic change in the C-terminal sequence of the protein, which is essential for StAR-cholesterol interaction. This splicing mutation is a loss-of-function mutation explaining the severe phenotype of our patient. Thus far, all reported splicing mutations of STAR cause a severe impairment of protein function and phenotype. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Potency backprojection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okuwaki, R.; Kasahara, A.; Yagi, Y.

2017-12-01

The backprojection (BP) method has been one of the powerful tools of tracking seismic-wave sources of the large/mega earthquakes. The BP method projects waveforms onto a possible source point by stacking them with the theoretical-travel-time shifts between the source point and the stations. Following the BP method, the hybrid backprojection (HBP) method was developed to enhance depth-resolution of projected images and mitigate the dummy imaging of the depth phases, which are shortcomings of the BP method, by stacking cross-correlation functions of the observed waveforms and theoretically calculated Green's functions (GFs). The signal-intensity of the BP/HBP image at a source point is related to how much of observed waveforms was radiated from that point. Since the amplitude of the GF associated with the slip-rate increases with depth as the rigidity increases with depth, the intensity of the BP/HBP image inherently has depth dependence. To make a direct comparison of the BP/HBP image with the corresponding slip distribution inferred from a waveform inversion, and discuss the rupture properties along the fault drawn from the waveforms in high- and low-frequencies with the BP/HBP methods and the waveform inversion, respectively, it is desirable to have the variants of BP/HBP methods that directly image the potency-rate-density distribution. Here we propose new formulations of the BP/HBP methods, which image the distribution of the potency-rate density by introducing alternative normalizing factors in the conventional formulations. For the BP method, the observed waveform is normalized with the maximum amplitude of P-phase of the corresponding GF. For the HBP method, we normalize the cross-correlation function with the squared-sum of the GF. The normalized waveforms or the cross-correlation functions are then stacked for all the stations to enhance the signal to noise ratio. We will present performance-tests of the new formulations by using synthetic waveforms and the real data of the Mw 8.3 2015 Illapel Chile earthquake, and further discuss the limitations of the new BP/HBP methods proposed in this study when they are used for exploring the rupture properties of the earthquakes.

Seismic Interferometry at a Large, Dense Array: Capturing the Wavefield at the Source Physics Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matzel, E.; Mellors, R. J.; Magana-Zook, S. A.

2016-12-01

Seismic interferometry is based on the observation that the Earth's background wavefield includes coherent energy, which can be recovered by observing over long time periods, allowing the incoherent energy to cancel out. The cross correlation of the energy recorded at a pair of stations results in an estimate of the Green's Function (GF) and is equivalent to the record of a simple source located at one of the stations as recorded by the other. This allows high resolution imagery beneath dense seismic networks even in areas of low seismicity. The power of these inter-station techniques increases rapidly as the number of seismometers in a network increases. For large networks the number of correlations computed can run into the millions and this becomes a "big-data" problem where data-management dominates the efficiency of the computations. In this study, we use several methods of seismic interferometry to obtain highly detailed images at the site of the Source Physics Experiment (SPE). The objective of SPE is to obtain a physics-based understanding of how seismic waves are created at and scattered near the source. In 2015, a temporary deployment of 1,000 closely spaced geophones was added to the main network of instruments at the site. We focus on three interferometric techniques: Shot interferometry (SI) uses the SPE shots as rich sources of high frequency, high signal energy. Coda interferometry (CI) isolates the energy from the scattered wavefield of distant earthquakes. Ambient noise correlation (ANC) uses the energy of the ambient background field. In each case, the data recorded at one seismometer are correlated with the data recorded at another to obtain an estimate of the GF between the two. The large network of mixed geophone and broadband instruments at the SPE allows us to calculate over 500,000 GFs, which we use to characterize the site and measure the localized wavefield. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344

Complement mutations in diacylglycerol kinase-ε-associated atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

PubMed

Sánchez Chinchilla, Daniel; Pinto, Sheila; Hoppe, Bernd; Adragna, Marta; Lopez, Laura; Justa Roldan, Maria Luisa; Peña, Antonia; Lopez Trascasa, Margarita; Sánchez-Corral, Pilar; Rodríguez de Córdoba, Santiago

2014-09-05

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is characterized by vascular endothelial damage caused by complement dysregulation. Consistently, complement inhibition therapies are highly effective in most patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Recently, it was shown that a significant percentage of patients with early-onset atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome carry mutations in diacylglycerol kinase-ε, an intracellular protein with no obvious role in complement. These data support an alternative, complement-independent mechanism leading to thrombotic microangiopathy that has implications for treatment of early-onset atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. To get additional insights into this new form of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, the diacylglycerol kinase-ε gene in a cohort with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome was analyzed. Eighty-three patients with early-onset atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (<2 years) enrolled in the Spanish atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome registry between 1999 and 2013 were screened for mutations in diacylglycerol kinase-ε. These patients were also fully characterized for mutations in the genes encoding factor H, membrane cofactor protein, factor I, C3, factor B, and thrombomodulin CFHRs copy number variations and rearrangements, and antifactor H antibodies. Four patients carried mutations in diacylglycerol kinase-ε, one p.H536Qfs*16 homozygote and three compound heterozygotes (p.W322*/p.P498R, two patients; p.Q248H/p.G484Gfs*10, one patient). Three patients also carried heterozygous mutations in thrombomodulin or C3. Extensive plasma infusions controlled atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome recurrences and prevented renal failure in the two patients with diacylglycerol kinase-ε and thrombomodulin mutations. A positive response to plasma infusions and complement inhibition treatment was also observed in the patient with concurrent diacylglycerol kinase-ε and C3 mutations. Data suggest that complement dysregulation influences the onset and disease severity in carriers of diacylglycerol kinase-ε mutations and that treatments on the basis of plasma infusions and complement inhibition are potentially useful in patients with combined diacylglycerol kinase-ε and complement mutations. A comprehensive understanding of the genetic component predisposing to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is, therefore, critical to guide an effective treatment. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Complement Mutations in Diacylglycerol Kinase-ε–Associated Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

PubMed Central

Sánchez Chinchilla, Daniel; Pinto, Sheila; Hoppe, Bernd; Adragna, Marta; Lopez, Laura; Justa Roldan, Maria Luisa; Peña, Antonia; Lopez Trascasa, Margarita; Sánchez-Corral, Pilar; Rodríguez de Córdoba, Santiago

2014-01-01

Background and objectives Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is characterized by vascular endothelial damage caused by complement dysregulation. Consistently, complement inhibition therapies are highly effective in most patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. Recently, it was shown that a significant percentage of patients with early-onset atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome carry mutations in diacylglycerol kinase-ε, an intracellular protein with no obvious role in complement. These data support an alternative, complement-independent mechanism leading to thrombotic microangiopathy that has implications for treatment of early-onset atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. To get additional insights into this new form of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, the diacylglycerol kinase-ε gene in a cohort with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome was analyzed. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Eighty-three patients with early-onset atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (<2 years) enrolled in the Spanish atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome registry between 1999 and 2013 were screened for mutations in diacylglycerol kinase-ε. These patients were also fully characterized for mutations in the genes encoding factor H, membrane cofactor protein, factor I, C3, factor B, and thrombomodulin CFHRs copy number variations and rearrangements, and antifactor H antibodies. Results Four patients carried mutations in diacylglycerol kinase-ε, one p.H536Qfs*16 homozygote and three compound heterozygotes (p.W322*/p.P498R, two patients; p.Q248H/p.G484Gfs*10, one patient). Three patients also carried heterozygous mutations in thrombomodulin or C3. Extensive plasma infusions controlled atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome recurrences and prevented renal failure in the two patients with diacylglycerol kinase-ε and thrombomodulin mutations. A positive response to plasma infusions and complement inhibition treatment was also observed in the patient with concurrent diacylglycerol kinase-ε and C3 mutations. Conclusions Data suggest that complement dysregulation influences the onset and disease severity in carriers of diacylglycerol kinase-ε mutations and that treatments on the basis of plasma infusions and complement inhibition are potentially useful in patients with combined diacylglycerol kinase-ε and complement mutations. A comprehensive understanding of the genetic component predisposing to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is, therefore, critical to guide an effective treatment. PMID:25135762

Continuous system modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cellier, Francois E.

1991-01-01

A comprehensive and systematic introduction is presented for the concepts associated with 'modeling', involving the transition from a physical system down to an abstract description of that system in the form of a set of differential and/or difference equations, and basing its treatment of modeling on the mathematics of dynamical systems. Attention is given to the principles of passive electrical circuit modeling, planar mechanical systems modeling, hierarchical modular modeling of continuous systems, and bond-graph modeling. Also discussed are modeling in equilibrium thermodynamics, population dynamics, and system dynamics, inductive reasoning, artificial neural networks, and automated model synthesis.

Feature-based component model for design of embedded systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zha, Xuan Fang; Sriram, Ram D.

2004-11-01

An embedded system is a hybrid of hardware and software, which combines software's flexibility and hardware real-time performance. Embedded systems can be considered as assemblies of hardware and software components. An Open Embedded System Model (OESM) is currently being developed at NIST to provide a standard representation and exchange protocol for embedded systems and system-level design, simulation, and testing information. This paper proposes an approach to representing an embedded system feature-based model in OESM, i.e., Open Embedded System Feature Model (OESFM), addressing models of embedded system artifacts, embedded system components, embedded system features, and embedded system configuration/assembly. The approach provides an object-oriented UML (Unified Modeling Language) representation for the embedded system feature model and defines an extension to the NIST Core Product Model. The model provides a feature-based component framework allowing the designer to develop a virtual embedded system prototype through assembling virtual components. The framework not only provides a formal precise model of the embedded system prototype but also offers the possibility of designing variation of prototypes whose members are derived by changing certain virtual components with different features. A case study example is discussed to illustrate the embedded system model.

The Value of SysML Modeling During System Operations: A Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dutenhoffer, Chelsea; Tirona, Joseph

2013-01-01

System models are often touted as engineering tools that promote better understanding of systems, but these models are typically created during system design. The Ground Data System (GDS) team for the Dawn spacecraft took on a case study to see if benefits could be achieved by starting a model of a system already in operations. This paper focuses on the four steps the team undertook in modeling the Dawn GDS: defining a model structure, populating model elements, verifying that the model represented reality, and using the model to answer system-level questions and simplify day-to-day tasks. Throughout this paper the team outlines our thought processes and the system insights the model provided.

The value of SysML modeling during system operations: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutenhoffer, C.; Tirona, J.

System models are often touted as engineering tools that promote better understanding of systems, but these models are typically created during system design. The Ground Data System (GDS) team for the Dawn spacecraft took on a case study to see if benefits could be achieved by starting a model of a system already in operations. This paper focuses on the four steps the team undertook in modeling the Dawn GDS: defining a model structure, populating model elements, verifying that the model represented reality, and using the model to answer system-level questions and simplify day-to-day tasks. Throughout this paper the team outlines our thought processes and the system insights the model provided.

A Model-Driven Visualization Tool for Use with Model-Based Systems Engineering Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trase, Kathryn; Fink, Eric

2014-01-01

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) promotes increased consistency between a system's design and its design documentation through the use of an object-oriented system model. The creation of this system model facilitates data presentation by providing a mechanism from which information can be extracted by automated manipulation of model content. Existing MBSE tools enable model creation, but are often too complex for the unfamiliar model viewer to easily use. These tools do not yet provide many opportunities for easing into the development and use of a system model when system design documentation already exists. This study creates a Systems Modeling Language (SysML) Document Traceability Framework (SDTF) for integrating design documentation with a system model, and develops an Interactive Visualization Engine for SysML Tools (InVEST), that exports consistent, clear, and concise views of SysML model data. These exported views are each meaningful to a variety of project stakeholders with differing subjects of concern and depth of technical involvement. InVEST allows a model user to generate multiple views and reports from a MBSE model, including wiki pages and interactive visualizations of data. System data can also be filtered to present only the information relevant to the particular stakeholder, resulting in a view that is both consistent with the larger system model and other model views. Viewing the relationships between system artifacts and documentation, and filtering through data to see specialized views improves the value of the system as a whole, as data becomes information

Communication system modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, L. D.; Walsh, J. R., Jr.; Wetherington, R. D.

1971-01-01

This report presents the results of work on communications systems modeling and covers three different areas of modeling. The first of these deals with the modeling of signals in communication systems in the frequency domain and the calculation of spectra for various modulations. These techniques are applied in determining the frequency spectra produced by a unified carrier system, the down-link portion of the Command and Communications System (CCS). The second modeling area covers the modeling of portions of a communication system on a block basis. A detailed analysis and modeling effort based on control theory is presented along with its application to modeling of the automatic frequency control system of an FM transmitter. A third topic discussed is a method for approximate modeling of stiff systems using state variable techniques.

Adaptive System Modeling for Spacecraft Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Justin

2011-01-01

This invention introduces a methodology and associated software tools for automatically learning spacecraft system models without any assumptions regarding system behavior. Data stream mining techniques were used to learn models for critical portions of the International Space Station (ISS) Electrical Power System (EPS). Evaluation on historical ISS telemetry data shows that adaptive system modeling reduces simulation error anywhere from 50 to 90 percent over existing approaches. The purpose of the methodology is to outline how someone can create accurate system models from sensor (telemetry) data. The purpose of the software is to support the methodology. The software provides analysis tools to design the adaptive models. The software also provides the algorithms to initially build system models and continuously update them from the latest streaming sensor data. The main strengths are as follows: Creates accurate spacecraft system models without in-depth system knowledge or any assumptions about system behavior. Automatically updates/calibrates system models using the latest streaming sensor data. Creates device specific models that capture the exact behavior of devices of the same type. Adapts to evolving systems. Can reduce computational complexity (faster simulations).

Moving alcohol prevention research forward-Part II: new directions grounded in community-based system dynamics modeling.

PubMed

Apostolopoulos, Yorghos; Lemke, Michael K; Barry, Adam E; Lich, Kristen Hassmiller

2018-02-01

Given the complexity of factors contributing to alcohol misuse, appropriate epistemologies and methodologies are needed to understand and intervene meaningfully. We aimed to (1) provide an overview of computational modeling methodologies, with an emphasis on system dynamics modeling; (2) explain how community-based system dynamics modeling can forge new directions in alcohol prevention research; and (3) present a primer on how to build alcohol misuse simulation models using system dynamics modeling, with an emphasis on stakeholder involvement, data sources and model validation. Throughout, we use alcohol misuse among college students in the United States as a heuristic example for demonstrating these methodologies. System dynamics modeling employs a top-down aggregate approach to understanding dynamically complex problems. Its three foundational properties-stocks, flows and feedbacks-capture non-linearity, time-delayed effects and other system characteristics. As a methodological choice, system dynamics modeling is amenable to participatory approaches; in particular, community-based system dynamics modeling has been used to build impactful models for addressing dynamically complex problems. The process of community-based system dynamics modeling consists of numerous stages: (1) creating model boundary charts, behavior-over-time-graphs and preliminary system dynamics models using group model-building techniques; (2) model formulation; (3) model calibration; (4) model testing and validation; and (5) model simulation using learning-laboratory techniques. Community-based system dynamics modeling can provide powerful tools for policy and intervention decisions that can result ultimately in sustainable changes in research and action in alcohol misuse prevention. © 2017 Society for the Study of Addiction.

A novel simulation theory and model system for multi-field coupling pipe-flow system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yang; Jiang, Fan; Cai, Guobiao; Xu, Xu

2017-09-01

Due to the lack of a theoretical basis for multi-field coupling in many system-level models, a novel set of system-level basic equations for flow/heat transfer/combustion coupling is put forward. Then a finite volume model of quasi-1D transient flow field for multi-species compressible variable-cross-section pipe flow is established by discretising the basic equations on spatially staggered grids. Combining with the 2D axisymmetric model for pipe-wall temperature field and specific chemical reaction mechanisms, a finite volume model system is established; a set of specific calculation methods suitable for multi-field coupling system-level research is structured for various parameters in this model; specific modularisation simulation models can be further derived in accordance with specific structures of various typical components in a liquid propulsion system. This novel system can also be used to derive two sub-systems: a flow/heat transfer two-field coupling pipe-flow model system without chemical reaction and species diffusion; and a chemical equilibrium thermodynamic calculation-based multi-field coupling system. The applicability and accuracy of two sub-systems have been verified through a series of dynamic modelling and simulations in earlier studies. The validity of this system is verified in an air-hydrogen combustion sample system. The basic equations and the model system provide a unified universal theory and numerical system for modelling and simulation and even virtual testing of various pipeline systems.

Rule-based simulation models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nieten, Joseph L.; Seraphine, Kathleen M.

1991-01-01

Procedural modeling systems, rule based modeling systems, and a method for converting a procedural model to a rule based model are described. Simulation models are used to represent real time engineering systems. A real time system can be represented by a set of equations or functions connected so that they perform in the same manner as the actual system. Most modeling system languages are based on FORTRAN or some other procedural language. Therefore, they must be enhanced with a reaction capability. Rule based systems are reactive by definition. Once the engineering system has been decomposed into a set of calculations using only basic algebraic unary operations, a knowledge network of calculations and functions can be constructed. The knowledge network required by a rule based system can be generated by a knowledge acquisition tool or a source level compiler. The compiler would take an existing model source file, a syntax template, and a symbol table and generate the knowledge network. Thus, existing procedural models can be translated and executed by a rule based system. Neural models can be provide the high capacity data manipulation required by the most complex real time models.

What can formal methods offer to digital flight control systems design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Good, Donald I.

1990-01-01

Formal methods research begins to produce methods which will enable mathematic modeling of the physical behavior of digital hardware and software systems. The development of these methods directly supports the NASA mission of increasing the scope and effectiveness of flight system modeling capabilities. The conventional, continuous mathematics that is used extensively in modeling flight systems is not adequate for accurate modeling of digital systems. Therefore, the current practice of digital flight control system design has not had the benefits of extensive mathematical modeling which are common in other parts of flight system engineering. Formal methods research shows that by using discrete mathematics, very accurate modeling of digital systems is possible. These discrete modeling methods will bring the traditional benefits of modeling to digital hardware and hardware design. Sound reasoning about accurate mathematical models of flight control systems can be an important part of reducing risk of unsafe flight control.

Component model reduction via the projection and assembly method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernard, Douglas E.

1989-01-01

The problem of acquiring a simple but sufficiently accurate model of a dynamic system is made more difficult when the dynamic system of interest is a multibody system comprised of several components. A low order system model may be created by reducing the order of the component models and making use of various available multibody dynamics programs to assemble them into a system model. The difficulty is in choosing the reduced order component models to meet system level requirements. The projection and assembly method, proposed originally by Eke, solves this difficulty by forming the full order system model, performing model reduction at the the system level using system level requirements, and then projecting the desired modes onto the components for component level model reduction. The projection and assembly method is analyzed to show the conditions under which the desired modes are captured exactly; to the numerical precision of the algorithm.

The System of Systems Architecture Feasibility Assessment Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

OF SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT MODEL by Stephen E. Gillespie June 2016 Dissertation Supervisor Eugene Paulo THIS PAGE...Dissertation 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE THE SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT MODEL 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Stephen E...SoS architecture feasibility assessment model (SoS-AFAM). Together, these extend current model- based systems engineering (MBSE) and SoS engineering

Using the Model Coupling Toolkit to couple earth system models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, J.C.; Perlin, N.; Skyllingstad, E.D.

2008-01-01

Continued advances in computational resources are providing the opportunity to operate more sophisticated numerical models. Additionally, there is an increasing demand for multidisciplinary studies that include interactions between different physical processes. Therefore there is a strong desire to develop coupled modeling systems that utilize existing models and allow efficient data exchange and model control. The basic system would entail model "1" running on "M" processors and model "2" running on "N" processors, with efficient exchange of model fields at predetermined synchronization intervals. Here we demonstrate two coupled systems: the coupling of the ocean circulation model Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to the surface wave model Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN), and the coupling of ROMS to the atmospheric model Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Prediction System (COAMPS). Both coupled systems use the Model Coupling Toolkit (MCT) as a mechanism for operation control and inter-model distributed memory transfer of model variables. In this paper we describe requirements and other options for model coupling, explain the MCT library, ROMS, SWAN and COAMPS models, methods for grid decomposition and sparse matrix interpolation, and provide an example from each coupled system. Methods presented in this paper are clearly applicable for coupling of other types of models. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual Observation System for Earth System Model: An Application to ACME Land Model Simulations

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

Wang, Dali; Yuan, Fengming; Hernandez, Benjamin

Investigating and evaluating physical-chemical-biological processes within an Earth system model (EMS) can be very challenging due to the complexity of both model design and software implementation. A virtual observation system (VOS) is presented to enable interactive observation of these processes during system simulation. Based on advance computing technologies, such as compiler-based software analysis, automatic code instrumentation, and high-performance data transport, the VOS provides run-time observation capability, in-situ data analytics for Earth system model simulation, model behavior adjustment opportunities through simulation steering. A VOS for a terrestrial land model simulation within the Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy model is also presentedmore » to demonstrate the implementation details and system innovations.« less

Virtual Observation System for Earth System Model: An Application to ACME Land Model Simulations

DOE PAGES

Wang, Dali; Yuan, Fengming; Hernandez, Benjamin; ...

2017-01-01

Investigating and evaluating physical-chemical-biological processes within an Earth system model (EMS) can be very challenging due to the complexity of both model design and software implementation. A virtual observation system (VOS) is presented to enable interactive observation of these processes during system simulation. Based on advance computing technologies, such as compiler-based software analysis, automatic code instrumentation, and high-performance data transport, the VOS provides run-time observation capability, in-situ data analytics for Earth system model simulation, model behavior adjustment opportunities through simulation steering. A VOS for a terrestrial land model simulation within the Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy model is also presentedmore » to demonstrate the implementation details and system innovations.« less

Microphysics in Multi-scale Modeling System with Unified Physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tao, Wei-Kuo

2012-01-01

Recently, a multi-scale modeling system with unified physics was developed at NASA Goddard. It consists of (1) a cloud-resolving model (Goddard Cumulus Ensemble model, GCE model), (2) a regional scale model (a NASA unified weather research and forecast, WRF), (3) a coupled CRM and global model (Goddard Multi-scale Modeling Framework, MMF), and (4) a land modeling system. The same microphysical processes, long and short wave radiative transfer and land processes and the explicit cloud-radiation, and cloud-land surface interactive processes are applied in this multi-scale modeling system. This modeling system has been coupled with a multi-satellite simulator to use NASA high-resolution satellite data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of cloud and precipitation processes simulated by the model. In this talk, a review of developments and applications of the multi-scale modeling system will be presented. In particular, the microphysics development and its performance for the multi-scale modeling system will be presented.

Model-Based Prognostics of Hybrid Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew; Roychoudhury, Indranil; Bregon, Anibal

2015-01-01

Model-based prognostics has become a popular approach to solving the prognostics problem. However, almost all work has focused on prognostics of systems with continuous dynamics. In this paper, we extend the model-based prognostics framework to hybrid systems models that combine both continuous and discrete dynamics. In general, most systems are hybrid in nature, including those that combine physical processes with software. We generalize the model-based prognostics formulation to hybrid systems, and describe the challenges involved. We present a general approach for modeling hybrid systems, and overview methods for solving estimation and prediction in hybrid systems. As a case study, we consider the problem of conflict (i.e., loss of separation) prediction in the National Airspace System, in which the aircraft models are hybrid dynamical systems.

World Energy Projection System Plus Model Documentation: Commercial Module

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

The Commercial Model of the World Energy Projection System Plus (WEPS ) is an energy demand modeling system of the world commercial end?use sector at a regional level. This report describes the version of the Commercial Model that was used to produce the commercial sector projections published in the International Energy Outlook 2016 (IEO2016). The Commercial Model is one of 13 components of the WEPS system. The WEPS is a modular system, consisting of a number of separate energy models that are communicate and work with each other through an integrated system model. The model components are each developed independently, but are designed with well?defined protocols for system communication and interactivity. The WEPS modeling system uses a shared database (the “restart” file) that allows all the models to communicate with each other when they are run in sequence over a number of iterations. The overall WEPS system uses an iterative solution technique that forces convergence of consumption and supply pressures to solve for an equilibrium price.

[Model-based biofuels system analysis: a review].

PubMed

Chang, Shiyan; Zhang, Xiliang; Zhao, Lili; Ou, Xunmin

2011-03-01

Model-based system analysis is an important tool for evaluating the potential and impacts of biofuels, and for drafting biofuels technology roadmaps and targets. The broad reach of the biofuels supply chain requires that biofuels system analyses span a range of disciplines, including agriculture/forestry, energy, economics, and the environment. Here we reviewed various models developed for or applied to modeling biofuels, and presented a critical analysis of Agriculture/Forestry System Models, Energy System Models, Integrated Assessment Models, Micro-level Cost, Energy and Emission Calculation Models, and Specific Macro-level Biofuel Models. We focused on the models' strengths, weaknesses, and applicability, facilitating the selection of a suitable type of model for specific issues. Such an analysis was a prerequisite for future biofuels system modeling, and represented a valuable resource for researchers and policy makers.

The Earth System Prediction Suite: Toward a Coordinated U.S. Modeling Capability

DOE PAGES

Theurich, Gerhard; DeLuca, C.; Campbell, T.; ...

2016-08-22

The Earth System Prediction Suite (ESPS) is a collection of flagship U.S. weather and climate models and model components that are being instrumented to conform to interoperability conventions, documented to follow metadata standards, and made available either under open-source terms or to credentialed users. Furthermore, the ESPS represents a culmination of efforts to create a common Earth system model architecture, and the advent of increasingly coordinated model development activities in the United States. ESPS component interfaces are based on the Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF), community-developed software for building and coupling models, and the National Unified Operational Prediction Capability (NUOPC)more » Layer, a set of ESMF-based component templates and interoperability conventions. Our shared infrastructure simplifies the process of model coupling by guaranteeing that components conform to a set of technical and semantic behaviors. The ESPS encourages distributed, multiagency development of coupled modeling systems; controlled experimentation and testing; and exploration of novel model configurations, such as those motivated by research involving managed and interactive ensembles. ESPS codes include the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM), the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM), and the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS); the NOAA Environmental Modeling System (NEMS) and the Modular Ocean Model (MOM); the Community Earth System Model (CESM); and the NASA ModelE climate model and the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5 (GEOS-5), atmospheric general circulation model.« less

The Earth System Prediction Suite: Toward a Coordinated U.S. Modeling Capability

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

Theurich, Gerhard; DeLuca, C.; Campbell, T.

The Earth System Prediction Suite (ESPS) is a collection of flagship U.S. weather and climate models and model components that are being instrumented to conform to interoperability conventions, documented to follow metadata standards, and made available either under open-source terms or to credentialed users. Furthermore, the ESPS represents a culmination of efforts to create a common Earth system model architecture, and the advent of increasingly coordinated model development activities in the United States. ESPS component interfaces are based on the Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF), community-developed software for building and coupling models, and the National Unified Operational Prediction Capability (NUOPC)more » Layer, a set of ESMF-based component templates and interoperability conventions. Our shared infrastructure simplifies the process of model coupling by guaranteeing that components conform to a set of technical and semantic behaviors. The ESPS encourages distributed, multiagency development of coupled modeling systems; controlled experimentation and testing; and exploration of novel model configurations, such as those motivated by research involving managed and interactive ensembles. ESPS codes include the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM), the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM), and the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS); the NOAA Environmental Modeling System (NEMS) and the Modular Ocean Model (MOM); the Community Earth System Model (CESM); and the NASA ModelE climate model and the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5 (GEOS-5), atmospheric general circulation model.« less

Computer-aided operations engineering with integrated models of systems and operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, Jane T.; Ryan, Dan; Fleming, Land

1994-01-01

CONFIG 3 is a prototype software tool that supports integrated conceptual design evaluation from early in the product life cycle, by supporting isolated or integrated modeling, simulation, and analysis of the function, structure, behavior, failures and operation of system designs. Integration and reuse of models is supported in an object-oriented environment providing capabilities for graph analysis and discrete event simulation. Integration is supported among diverse modeling approaches (component view, configuration or flow path view, and procedure view) and diverse simulation and analysis approaches. Support is provided for integrated engineering in diverse design domains, including mechanical and electro-mechanical systems, distributed computer systems, and chemical processing and transport systems. CONFIG supports abstracted qualitative and symbolic modeling, for early conceptual design. System models are component structure models with operating modes, with embedded time-related behavior models. CONFIG supports failure modeling and modeling of state or configuration changes that result in dynamic changes in dependencies among components. Operations and procedure models are activity structure models that interact with system models. CONFIG is designed to support evaluation of system operability, diagnosability and fault tolerance, and analysis of the development of system effects of problems over time, including faults, failures, and procedural or environmental difficulties.

Research on complex 3D tree modeling based on L-system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gang, Chen; Bin, Chen; Yuming, Liu; Hui, Li

2018-03-01

L-system as a fractal iterative system could simulate complex geometric patterns. Based on the field observation data of trees and knowledge of forestry experts, this paper extracted modeling constraint rules and obtained an L-system rules set. Using the self-developed L-system modeling software the L-system rule set was parsed to generate complex tree 3d models.The results showed that the geometrical modeling method based on l-system could be used to describe the morphological structure of complex trees and generate 3D tree models.

Cyber Physical System Modelling of Distribution Power Systems for Dynamic Demand Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Xiaodong; Zhang, Rongxiang; Tang, Maosen; Huang, Haoyi; Zhang, Lei

2018-01-01

Dynamic demand response (DDR) is a package of control methods to enhance power system security. A CPS modelling and simulation platform for DDR in distribution power systems is presented in this paper. CPS modelling requirements of distribution power systems are analyzed. A coupled CPS modelling platform is built for assessing DDR in the distribution power system, which combines seamlessly modelling tools of physical power networks and cyber communication networks. Simulations results of IEEE 13-node test system demonstrate the effectiveness of the modelling and simulation platform.