Differences in the Same OMI/MLS Aura Tropospheric Ozone Data Set Published Before and After January 2013

On the website "NASA Goddard Homepage for Tropospheric Ozone", global data of tropospheric ozone obtained from observations of OMI and MLS Aura satellite instruments, are reported. In mid-2013, the data was covering the period between October 2004 and January 2013. Subsequently, in early 2014, the time series was extended until December 2013. At present time, the published series has been extended to December 2014. Analysing this new series, we observed that the data already published to January 2013 had been replaced; not only the missing months of 2013 were added but all the values published since 2004 were recalculated. We present the detected differences in the comparison between common data to both time series (the original, before January 2013, and the new one, currently published on the website). These differences are important considering that they represent the result of the same satellite observation and should be considered when comparing results before/after January 2013, especially when adopting a certain confidence level in the spectral analysis of these data to intraseasonal scale. A warn of caution is suggested in the use of these observations and intercomparison with other values of these and other instruments, because of possible recurrent problems of instrumental calibration.Fil: Cionco, Rodolfo Gustavo. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Agosta Scarel, Eduardo Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Rubén L.. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Quaranta, Nancy Esther. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional; Argentin

Upper critical field study in the organic superconductor β′′\beta''-(ET)2_{2}SF5_{5}CH2_{2}CF2_{2}SO3_{3} : Possibility of Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state

We report upper critical field measurements in the metal-free-all-organic superconductor $\beta''$-(ET)$_{2}$SF$_{5}$CH$_{2}$CF$_{2}$SO$_{3}$ obtained from measuring the in-plane penetration depth using the tunnel diode oscillator technique. For magnetic field applied parallel to the conducting planes the low temperature upper critical fields are found to exceed the Pauli limiting field calculated by using a semi-empirical method. Furthermore, we found a signature that could be the phase transition between the superconducting vortex state and the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in the form of a kink just below the upper critical field and only at temperatures below 1.23 K.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

A bulk 2D Pauli Limited Superconductor

We present a nearly perfect Pauli-limited critical field phase diagram for the anisotropic organic superconductor \$\alpha$-(ET)$_2$NH$_4$(SCN)$_4$ when the applied magnetic field is oriented parallel to the conducting layers. The critical fields ({H_{c_2}) were found by use of penetration depth measurements. Because {H_{c_2} is Pauli-limited, the size of the superconducting energy gap can be calculated. The role of spin-orbit scattering and many-body effects play a role in explaining our measurements.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. V5, corrections were made to the text, present data was include

Water driven adsorption of amino acids on the (101) anatase TiO2 surface: an ab initio study

Arg, Lys and Asp amino acids are known to play a critical role in the adhesion of the RKLPDA engineered peptide on the (101) surface of the titania anatase phase. To understand their contribution to peptide adhesion, we have considered the relevant charge states due to protonation (Arg and Lys) or deprotonation (Asp) occurring in neutral water solution, and studied their adsorption on the (101) anatase TiO2 surface by ab initio total energy calculations based on density functional theory. The adsorption configurations on the hydrated surface are compared to those on the dry surface considering also the presence of the hydration shell around amino acid side-chains. This study explains how water molecules mediate the adsorption of charged amino acids showing that protonated amino acids are chemically adsorbed much more strongly than de-protonated Asp. Moreover it is shown that the polar screening of the hydration shell reduces the adsorption energy of the protonated amino acids to a small extent, thus evidencing that both Arg and Lys strongly adhere on the (101) anatase TiO2 surface in neutral water solution and that they play a major role in the adhesion of the RKLPDA peptide

Differences in the Same OMI/MLS Aura Tropospheric Ozone Data Set Published Before and After January 2013

On the website "NASA Goddard Homepage for Tropospheric Ozone", global data of tropospheric ozone obtained from observations of OMI and MLS Aura satellite instruments, are reported. In mid-2013, the data was covering the period between October 2004 and January 2013. Subsequently, in early 2014, the time series was extended until December 2013. At present time, the published series has been extended to December 2014. Analysing this new series, we observed that the data already published to January 2013 had been replaced; not only the missing months of 2013 were added but all the values published since 2004 were recalculated. We present the detected differences in the comparison between common data to both time series (the original, before January 2013, and the new one, currently published on the website). These differences are important considering that they represent the result of the same satellite observation and should be considered when comparing results before/after January 2013, especially when adopting a certain confidence level in the spectral analysis of these data to intraseasonal scale. A warn of caution is suggested in the use of these observations and intercomparison with other values of these and other instruments, because of possible recurrent problems of instrumental calibration.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

Faulting of a turbidite sandstone-siltstone successions: the case study of the Macigno Formation, Tuscany, Italy

Faults in siliciclastic rocks are characterized by a great variability of fault zone architecture and relative permeability properties. This is because siliciclastic rocks (i.e turbidites) are often represented by alternating beds of various thickness and grain size forming a succession of strata with contrasting mechanical properties. For example, the presence of sandstone and clay-rich layers is responsible for the simultaneous occurrence of brittle and ductile deformation, known as “clay smear structures”. Moreover, numerous studies have identified grain size as one of the main influencing factors for fault nucleation processes and fracture intensity in the damage zone. In this work, we present the results of field and laboratory analyses performed on the Macigno Formation cropping out along the coast of western Tuscany. Here, the Macigno Formation is represented by Late Oligocene foredeep siliciclastic succession dominated by turbiditic sandstones with minor siltstones, mudstones, marls and shales. Thin section and 3D analyses, performed by X-ray Synchrotron tomography, allowed us to characterize the grain size and grain and cement composition of studied rocks. Grain size varies from channelized fine-grained sandstones to granule-conglomerates beds (0.006 mm to 4 mm) alternating with heterolithic levee strata of siltstones to fine-grained sandstones (0.0035-0.008 mm). The lithic components consist of metamorphic rocks by 70-80%, magmatic rocks by 15-20% and sedimentary rocks by 5-15%. The turbidite beds are normally well-cemented (by quartz and calcite) and heavily faulted and fractured. Investigated faults show dip-, oblique- and and strike-slip motion and their displacement range from 10s of centimetres to 10s of metres. We documented how both the grain size and the mechanical properties of the alternating beds strongly control the fault zone architecture, in particular in terms of damage zone thickness and fracture frequency. The fault rock types (i.e. breccia vs. gauge) are strictly related to the amount of displacement as well as to the grain size and the cementation of the sandstone. Furthermore, the development of clay smear structures are enhanced by the presence of interbedded thin clay-rich layers

Cognitive Functions and White Matter Tract Damage in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Diffusion Tensor Tractography Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: ALS is predominantly a disease of the motor system, but cognitive and behavioral symptoms also are observed. DT MR imaging is sensitive to microstructural changes occurring in WM tracts of patients with ALS. In this study, we investigated the association between cognitive functions and extramotor WM tract abnormalities in ALS patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DT MR imaging was obtained from 16 nondemented patients with ALS and 15 healthy controls. Patients with ALS underwent a neuropsychologic and behavioral evaluation. DT tractography was used to asses the integrity of the CST, corpus callosum, and the major long-range association tracts. The relationship between DT MR imaging metrics and cognitive functions was tested by using linear model analyses, adjusting for age and clinical disability. RESULTS: Eleven patients (69%) scored below the fifth percentile in at least 1 cognitive test, and 2 of them had a mild executive impairment. Performances at tests assessing attention and executive functions correlated with DT MR imaging metrics of the corpus callosum, CST, and long association WM tracts bilaterally, including the cingulum, inferior longitudinal, inferior fronto-occipital, and uncinate fasciculi. Verbal learning and memory test scores were associated with fornix DT MR imaging values, whereas visual-spatial abilities correlated with left uncinate fractional anisotropy. CONCLUSIONS: WM tract degeneration is associated with neuropsychologic deficits in patients with ALS. DT tractography holds promise to gain insight into the role of the brain WM network abnormalities in the development of cognitive impairment in patients with ALS