An In Situ Experimental Study of Effects on Submerged Vegetation After Activated Carbon Amendment of Legacy Contaminated Sediments

Activated carbon (AC) amendment has been shown to reduce bioavailability of hydrophobic contaminants in the bioactive layer of sediment. Unwanted secondary effects of AC amendment could be particularly undesirable for ecologically important seagrass meadows, but so far, only a few studies have been conducted on effects on submerged plants. The purpose of this study was to investigate effects on growth and cover of submerged macrophytes in situ after AC amendment. Test sites were established within a seagrass meadow in the severely contaminated Norwegian fjord Gunneklevfjorden. Here we show that AC amendment does not influence neither cover nor length of plants. Our study might indicate a positive effect on growth from AC in powdered form. Hence, our findings are in support of AC amendment as a low-impact sediment remediation technique within seagrass meadows. However, we recommend further studies in situ on the effects of AC on submerged vegetation and biota. Factors influencing seasonal and annual variation in plant species composition, growth and cover should be taken into consideration.An In Situ Experimental Study of Effects on Submerged Vegetation After Activated Carbon Amendment of Legacy Contaminated SedimentsacceptedVersio

Quantum key distribution with delayed privacy amplification and its application to security proof of a two-way deterministic protocol

Privacy amplification (PA) is an essential post-processing step in quantum key distribution (QKD) for removing any information an eavesdropper may have on the final secret key. In this paper, we consider delaying PA of the final key after its use in one-time pad encryption and prove its security. We prove that the security and the key generation rate are not affected by delaying PA. Delaying PA has two applications: it serves as a tool for significantly simplifying the security proof of QKD with a two-way quantum channel, and also it is useful in QKD networks with trusted relays. To illustrate the power of the delayed PA idea, we use it to prove the security of a qubit-based two-way deterministic QKD protocol which uses four states and four encoding operations.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Boundary layer convective-like activity at Dome Concordia, Antarctica

The paper presents the micro-meteorological field experiment carried out at the plateau station of Dome Concordia (3300 m a.s.l.) during the Antarctic summer of 1997. The experiment dealt with the study of the trends of boundary layer features and the characteristics of the surface energy and momentum exchanges. A monostatic Doppler sodar, fast-response sensors and radiometers were used for this study. The experiment was part of a program that aims to assess the role of the continental polar regions in shaping the surface circulation over Antarctica. In spite of the markedly stable conditions found throughout the investigated period, some convective-like activity was detected during the warmer hours of the day

Comparative Brain Morphology of the Greenland and Pacific Sleeper Sharks and its Functional Implications

In cartilaginous fishes, variability in the size of the brain and its major regions is often associated with primary habitat and/or specific behavior patterns, which may allow for predictions on the relative importance of different sensory modalities. The Greenland (Somniosus microcephalus) and Pacific sleeper (S. pacificus) sharks are the only non-lamnid shark species found in the Arctic and are among the longest living vertebrates ever described. Despite a presumed visual impairment caused by the regular presence of parasitic ocular lesions, coupled with the fact that locomotory muscle power is often depressed at cold temperatures, these sharks remain capable of capturing active prey, including pinnipeds. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), brain organization of S. microcephalus and S. pacificus was assessed in the context of up to 117 other cartilaginous fish species, using phylogenetic comparative techniques. Notably, the region of the brain responsible for motor control (cerebellum) is small and lacking foliation, a characteristic not yet described for any other large-bodied (\u3e3 m) shark. Further, the development of the optic tectum is relatively reduced, while olfactory brain regions are among the largest of any shark species described to date, suggestive of an olfactory-mediated rather than a visually-mediated lifestyle

Conclusive quantum steering with superconducting transition edge sensors

Quantum steering allows two parties to verify shared entanglement even if one measurement device is untrusted. A conclusive demonstration of steering through the violation of a steering inequality is of considerable fundamental interest and opens up applications in quantum communication. To date all experimental tests with single photon states have relied on post-selection, allowing untrusted devices to cheat by hiding unfavourable events in losses. Here we close this "detection loophole" by combining a highly efficient source of entangled photon pairs with superconducting transition edge sensors. We achieve an unprecedented ~62% conditional detection efficiency of entangled photons and violate a steering inequality with the minimal number of measurement settings by 48 standard deviations. Our results provide a clear path to practical applications of steering and to a photonic loophole-free Bell test.Comment: Preprint of 7 pages, 3 figures; the definitive version is published in Nature Communications, see below. Also, see related experimental work by A. J. Bennet et al., arXiv:1111.0739 and B. Wittmann et al., arXiv:1111.076

Ecosystem effects of thermal manipulation of a whole lake, Lake Breisjøen, southern Norway (THERMOS project)

International audienceWe conducted a 3-year artificial deepening of the thermocline in the dimictic Lake Breisjøen, southern Norway, by means of a large submerged propeller. An adjacent lake served as untreated reference. The manipulation increased thermocline depth from 6 to 20 m, caused a significant increase in the heat content, and delayed ice-on by about 20 days. There were only minor changes in water chemistry. Concentrations of sulphate declined, perhaps due to greater reduction of sulphate at the sediment-water interface. Concentrations of particulate carbon and nitrogen decreased, perhaps due to increased sedimentation velocity. Water transparency increased. There was no significant change in concentration of phosphorus, the growth-limiting nutrient. There were few significant changes in principal biological components. Phytoplankton biomass and productivity did not change, although the chlorophyll-a concentration showed a small decrease. Phytoplankton species richness increased, and the species composition shifted. Growth of periphyton increased. There was no change in the macrophyte community. The manipulation did not affect the zooplankton biodiversity, but caused a significant shift in the relative abundance (measured as biomass) in the two major copepod species. The manipulation did not affect the individual density, but appeared to have changed the vertical distribution of zoobenthos. Fish populations were not affected. The lake is oligotrophic and clearwater and the manipulation did not change the supply of phosphorus, and thus there were only minor changes in lake chemistry and biology. Effects might be larger in eutrophic and dystrophic lakes in which internal processes are stronger

Bovine oocytes in secondary follicles grow and acquire meiotic competence in severe combined immunodeficient mice

A rigorous methodology is developed that addresses numerical and statistical issues when developing group contribution (GC) based property models such as regression methods, optimization algorithms, performance statistics, outlier treatment, parameter identifiability, and uncertainty of the prediction. The methodology is evaluated through development of a GC method for the prediction of the heat of combustion (Δ<i>H</i>_c^o) for pure components. The results showed that robust regression lead to best performance statistics for parameter estimation. The bootstrap method is found to be a valid alternative to calculate parameter estimation errors when underlying distribution of residuals is unknown. Many parameters (first, second, third order group contributions) are found unidentifiable from the typically available data, with large estimation error bounds and significant correlation. Due to this poor parameter identifiability issues, reporting of the 95% confidence intervals of the predicted property values should be mandatory as opposed to reporting only single value prediction, currently the norm in literature. Moreover, inclusion of higher order groups (additional parameters) does not always lead to improved prediction accuracy for the GC-models; in some cases, it may even increase the prediction error (hence worse prediction accuracy). However, additional parameters do not affect calculated 95% confidence interval. Last but not least, the newly developed GC model of the heat of combustion (Δ<i>H</i>_c^o) shows predictions of great accuracy and quality (the most data falling within the 95% confidence intervals) and provides additional information on the uncertainty of each prediction compared to other Δ<i>H</i>_c^o models reported in literature

Regionfelt Østlandet. Konsekvensutredning for temaet: Vann og grunn, inklusive dyreliv i vann

Årsliste 2001Rapporten omhandler en statusbeskrivelse for vannkvalitet og vannlevende dyr i Regionfelt Østlandet. Dette inkluderer generell vannkjemi, tungmetaller i vann, moser, løsmasser, tålegrenser for surt vann, bunndyr, krepsdyrplankton og fisk. Det er utført en konsekvensanalyse på bakgrunn av foreslåtte lokaliseringer av målområder, standplasser, kjøretraseer, baneanlegg, ingeniørøvningsfelt, broskole og oversettningsområde samt bruken av disse, inklusive ammunisjons-regnskap. Tiltak for å begrense skadeeffekter er diskutert og konklusjonen er at de mest effektive tiltakene ligger i en god plan for lokaliseringer av målområdene og de ulike manøvrerings-områdene. Vi har foreslått en basisundersøkelse for områdene som berøres av Ingeniørvåpenets aktiviteter. Årsaken til dette er at de foreslåtte områdene ikke ble nevneverdig berørt i den opprinnelige planen og derfor ikke er nødvendig undersøkt. På bakgrunn av befaringer er det imidlertid gjennomført konsekvensvurderinger til bruk i planarbeidet. Overvåkningsundersøkelsene som allerede er startet opp foreslås videreført og modifisert etter at Ingeniørvåpenets bruksområder er fastlagt. Hensikten er å avdekke endringer i forurensningsituasjonen i vannforekomstene inklusive effekter på vannlevende organismer tidligst mulig slik at tiltak kan iverksettes.Forsvarets bygningstjeneste (FBT

Temporal changes in personal activity intelligence and the risk of incident dementia and dementia related mortality: A prospective cohort study (HUNT)

Background: The Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) translates heart rate during daily activity into a weekly score. Obtaining a weekly PAI score ≥100 is associated with reduced risk of premature morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Here, we determined whether changes in PAI score are associated with changes in risk of incident dementia and dementia-related mortality. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 29,826 healthy individuals. Using data from the Trøndelag Health-Study (HUNT), PAI was estimated 10 years apart (HUNT1 1984-86 and HUNT2 1995-97). Adjusted hazard-ratios (aHR) and 95%-confidence intervals (CI) for incidence of and death from dementia were related to changes in PAI using Cox regression analyses. Findings: During a median follow-up time of 24.5 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 24.1-25.0) for dementia incidence and 23.6 years (IQR: 20.8-24.2) for dementia-related mortality, there were 1998 incident cases and 1033 dementia-related deaths. Individuals who increased their PAI score over time or maintained a high PAI score at both assessments had reduced risk of dementia incidence and dementia-related mortality. Compared with persistently inactive individuals (0 weekly PAI) at both time points, the aHRs for those with a PAI score ≥100 at both occasions were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.58-0.97) for incident dementia, and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.43-0.91) for dementia-related mortality. Using PAI score <100 at both assessments as the reference cohort, those who increased from <100 at HUNT1 to ≥100 at HUNT2 had aHR of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72-0.96) for incident dementia, and gained 2.8 (95% CI: 1.3-4.2, P<0.0001) dementia-free years. For dementia-related mortality, the corresponding aHR was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.59-0.92) and years of life gained were 2.4 (95% CI: 1.0-3.8, P=0.001). Interpretation: Maintaining a high weekly PAI score and increases in PAI scores over time were associated with a reduced risk of incident dementia and dementia-related mortality. Our findings extend the scientific evidence regarding the protective role of PA for dementia prevention, and suggest that PAI may be a valuable tool in guiding research-based PA recommendations. Funding: The Norwegian Research Council, the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.The Norwegian Research Council, the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.publishedVersio