Preliminary signs of the initiation of deep convection by GNSS

This study reports on the exploitation of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and a new potential application for weather forecasts and nowcasting. We focus on GPS observations (post-processing with a time resolution of 5 and 15 min and fast calculations with a time resolution of 5 min) and try to establish typical configurations of the water vapour field which characterise convective systems and particularly which supply precursors of their initiation are associated with deep convection. We show the critical role of GNSS horizontal gradients of the water vapour content to detect small scale structures of the troposphere (i. e. convective cells), and then we present our strategy to obtain typical water vapour configurations by GNSS called "H2O alert". These alerts are based on a dry/wet contrast taking place during a 30 min time window before the initiation of a convective system. GNSS observations have been assessed for the rainfall event of 28-29 June 2005 using data from the Belgian dense network (baseline from 5 to 30 km). To validate our GNSS H2O alerts, we use the detection of precipitation by C-band weather radar and thermal infrared radiance (cloud top temperature) of the 10.8-micrometers channel [Ch09] of SEVIRI instrument on Meteosat Second Generation. Using post-processed measurements, our H2O alerts obtain a score of about 80 %. Final and ultra-rapid IGS (International GNSS Service) orbits have been tested and show equivalent results. Fast calculations (less than 10 min) have been processed for 29 June 2005 with a time resolution of 5 min. The mean bias (and standard deviation) between fast and reference post-processed ZTD (zenith total delay) and gradients are, respectively, 0.002 (+/- 0.008) m and 0.001 (+/- 0.004) m. The score obtained for the H2O alerts generated by fast calculations is 65 %

The Complete Spectrum of the WNW_N String

We obtain the complete physical spectrum of the $W_N$ string, for arbitrary $N$. The $W_N$ constraints freeze $N-2$ coordinates, while the remaining coordinates appear in the currents only {\it via} their energy-momentum tensor. The spectrum is then effectively described by a set of ordinary Virasoro-like string theories, but with a non-critical value for the central charge and a discrete set of non-standard values for the spin-2 intercepts. In particular, the physical spectrum of the $W_N$ string includes the usual massless states of the Virasoro string. By looking at the norms of low-lying states, we find strong indications that all the $W_N$ strings are unitary.Comment: 28 page

Atmospheric drivers of storage water use in Scots pine

International audienceIn this study we determined the microclimatic drivers of storage water use in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in a temperate climate. The storage water use was modeled using the ANAFORE model, integrating a dynamic water flow and ? storage model with a process-based transpiration model. The model was calibrated and validated with sap flow measurements for the growing season of 2000 (26 May?18 October). Because there was no severe soil drought during the study period, we were able to study atmospheric effects. Incoming radiation was the main driver of storage water use. The general trends of sap flow and storage water use are similar, and follow more or less the pattern of incoming radiation. Nevertheless, considerable differences in the day-to-day pattern of sap flow and storage water use were observed, mainly driven by vapour pressure deficit (VPD). During dry atmospheric conditions (high VPD) storage water use was reduced. This reduction was disproportionally higher than the reduction in measured sap flow. Our results suggest that the trees did not rely more on storage water during periods of atmospheric drought, without severe soil drought. A third important factor was the tree water deficit. When storage compartments were depleted beyond a threshold, storage water use was limited due to the low water potential in the storage compartments. The maximum relative contribution of storage water to daily transpiration was also constrained by an increasing tree water deficit

Медико-психологическая характеристика и дифференциальная диагностика дезадаптивных состояний у военнослужащих

Діагностична і експертна оцінка дезадаптивних станів є актуальною проблемою сучасної психіатрії. У цієї роботі розглядаються дезадаптивні стани з погляду девіантної поведінки у акцентуйованих осіб. Результати дослідження підтверджувалися психологічними, нейрофізіологічними методами.Diagnostics and expert estimation of deadaptation states is a topical problem of modern psychiatry. This article represents an examination of deadaptation states from the point of view of deviant behavior of accentuated personalities. The research results were confirmed by psychological and neurophysiological methods

KEYLINK: Towards a more integrative soil representation for inclusion in ecosystem scale models - II: Model description, implementation and testing

New knowledge on soil structure highlights its importance for hydrology and soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization, which however remains neglected in many wide used models. We present here a new model, KEYLINK, in which soil structure is integrated with the existing concepts on SOM pools, and elements from food web models, that is, those from direct trophic interactions among soil organisms. KEYLINK is, therefore, an attempt to integrate soil functional diversity and food webs in predictions of soil carbon (C) and soil water balances. We present a selection of equations that can be used for most models as well as basic parameter intervals, for example, key pools, functional groups' biomasses and growth rates. Parameter distributions can be determined with Bayesian calibration, and here an example is presented for food web growth rate parameters for a pine forest in Belgium. We show how these added equations can improve the functioning of the model in describing known phenomena. For this, five test cases are given as simulation examples: changing the input litter quality (recalcitrance and carbon to nitrogen ratio), excluding predators, increasing pH and changing initial soil porosity. These results overall show how KEYLINK is able to simulate the known effects of these parameters and can simulate the linked effects of biopore formation, hydrology and aggregation on soil functioning. Furthermore, the results show an important trophic cascade effect of predation on the complete C cycle with repercussions on the soil structure as ecosystem engineers are predated, and on SOM turnover when predation on fungivore and bacterivore populations are reduced. In summary, KEYLINK shows how soil functional diversity and trophic organization and their role in C and water cycling in soils should be considered in order to improve our predictions on C sequestration and C emissions from soils. © 2021 PeerJ Inc.. All rights reserved.The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology): FP1305 (BioLink) and ES1406 (KEYSOM). Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) programs. Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO): IBERYCA (CGL2017-84723-P). BC3 María de Maeztu Excellence Accreditation: MDM-2017-0714. Basque Government: BERC 2018-2021. This article is based upon work from COST Actions FP1305 (BioLink) and ES1406 (KEYSOM), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology), and their Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) programs. Omar Flores’ work was funded by FPU PhD grant program of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Jorge Curiel Yuste received funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) under projects IBERYCA (CGL2017-84723-P) and the BC3 María de Maeztu excellence accreditation (MDM-2017-0714). Jorge Curiel Yuste also received funding from the Basque Government through the BERC 2018-2021 program. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

On the Lagrangian Realization of Non-Critical W{\cal W}-Strings

A large class of non-critical string theories with extended worldsheet gauge symmetry are described by two coupled, gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten Models. We give a detailed analysis of the gauge invariant action and in particular the gauge fixing procedure and the resulting BRST symmetries. The results are applied to the example of ${\cal W}_3$ strings.Comment: 19 pages, LaTeX (REVTEX macro's

Artificial MiRNA Knockdown of Platelet Glycoprotein lbα: A Tool for Platelet Gene Silencing.

In recent years, candidate genes and proteins implicated in platelet function have been identified by various genomic approaches. To elucidate their exact role, we aimed to develop a method to apply miRNA interference in platelet progenitor cells by using GPIbα as a proof-of-concept target protein. After in silico and in vitro screening of siRNAs targeting GPIbα (siGPIBAs), we developed artificial miRNAs (miGPIBAs), which were tested in CHO cells stably expressing GPIb-IX complex and megakaryoblastic DAMI cells. Introduction of siGPIBAs in CHO GPIb-IX cells resulted in 44 to 75% and up to 80% knockdown of GPIbα expression using single or combined siRNAs, respectively. Conversion of siGPIBAs to miGPIBAs resulted in reduced silencing efficiency, which could however be circumvented by tandem integration of two hairpins targeting different regions of GPIBA mRNA where 72% GPIbα knockdown was achieved. CHO GPIb-IX cells transfected with the miGPIBA construct displayed a significant decrease in their ability to aggregate characterized by lower aggregate numbers and size compared to control CHO GPIb-IX cells. More importantly, we successfully silenced GPIbα in differentiating megakaryoblastic DAMI cells that exhibited morphological changes associated with actin organization. In conclusion, we here report the successful use of miRNA technology to silence a platelet protein in megakaryoblastic cells and demonstrate its usefulness in functional assays. Hence, we believe that artificial miRNAs are suitable tools to unravel the role of a protein of interest in stem cells, megakaryocytes and platelets, thereby expanding their application to novel fields of basic and translational research

Extensions of the matrix Gelfand-Dickey hierarchy from generalized Drinfeld-Sokolov reduction

The $p\times p$ matrix version of the $r$-KdV hierarchy has been recently treated as the reduced system arising in a Drinfeld-Sokolov type Hamiltonian symmetry reduction applied to a Poisson submanifold in the dual of the Lie algebra $\widehat{gl}_{pr}\otimes {\Complex}[\lambda, \lambda^{-1}]$. Here a series of extensions of this matrix Gelfand-Dickey system is derived by means of a generalized Drinfeld-Sokolov reduction defined for the Lie algebra $\widehat{gl}_{pr+s}\otimes {\Complex}[\lambda,\lambda^{-1}]$ using the natural embedding $gl_{pr}\subset gl_{pr+s}$ for $s$ any positive integer. The hierarchies obtained admit a description in terms of a $p\times p$ matrix pseudo-differential operator comprising an $r$-KdV type positive part and a non-trivial negative part. This system has been investigated previously in the $p=1$ case as a constrained KP system. In this paper the previous results are considerably extended and a systematic study is presented on the basis of the Drinfeld-Sokolov approach that has the advantage that it leads to local Poisson brackets and makes clear the conformal ($\cal W$-algebra) structures related to the KdV type hierarchies. Discrete reductions and modified versions of the extended $r$-KdV hierarchies are also discussed.Comment: 60 pages, plain TE

Antibodies that conformationally activate ADAMTS13 allosterically enhance metalloprotease domain function

Plasma ADAMTS13 circulates in a folded conformation that is stabilized by an interaction between the central Spacer domain and the C-terminal CUB (complement components C1r and C1s, sea urchin protein Uegf, and bone morphogenetic protein-1) domains. Binding of ADAMTS13 to the VWF D4(-CK) domains or to certain activating murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) induces a structural change that extends ADAMTS13 into an open conformation that enhances its function. The objective was to characterize the mechanism by which conformational activation enhances ADAMTS13-mediated proteolysis of VWF. The activating effects of a novel anti-Spacer (3E4) and the anti-CUB1 (17G2) mAbs on the kinetics of proteolysis of VWF A2 domain fragments by ADAMTS13 were analyzed. mAb-induced conformational changes in ADAMTS13 were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Both mAbs enhanced ADAMTS13 catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) by ∼twofold (3E4: 2.0-fold; 17G2: 1.8-fold). Contrary to previous hypotheses, ADAMTS13 activation was not mediated through exposure of the Spacer or cysteine-rich domain exosites. Kinetic analyses revealed that mAb-induced conformational extension of ADAMTS13 enhances the proteolytic function of the metalloprotease domain (kcat), rather than augmenting substrate binding (Km). A conformational effect on the metalloprotease domain was further corroborated by the finding that incubation of ADAMTS13 with either mAb exposed a cryptic epitope in the metalloprotease domain that is normally concealed when ADAMTS13 is in a closed conformation. We show for the first time that the primary mechanism of mAb-induced conformational activation of ADAMTS13 is not a consequence of functional exosite exposure. Rather, our data are consistent with an allosteric activation mechanism on the metalloprotease domain that augments active site function