Micrometeorological processes driving snow ablation in an Alpine catchment

Mountain snow covers typically become patchy over the course of a melting season. The snow pattern during melt is mainly governed by the end of winter snow depth distribution and the local energy balance. The objective of this study is to investigate micrometeorological processes driving snow ablation in an Alpine catchment. For this purpose we combine a meteorological model (ARPS) with a fully distributed energy balance model (Alpine3D). Turbulent fluxes above melting snow are further investigated by using data from eddy-correlation systems. We compare modelled snow ablation to measured ablation rates as obtained from a series of Terrestrial Laser Scanning campaigns covering a complete ablation season. The measured ablation rates indicate that the advection of sensible heat causes locally increased ablation rates at the upwind edges of the snow patches. The effect, however, appears to be active over rather short distances except for very strong wind conditions. Neglecting this effect, the model is able to capture the mean ablation rates for early ablation periods but strongly overestimates snow ablation once the fraction of snow coverage is below a critical value. While radiation dominates snow ablation early in the season, the turbulent flux contribution becomes important late in the season. Simulation results indicate that the air temperatures appear to overestimate the local air temperature above snow patches once the snow coverage is below a critical value. Measured turbulent fluxes support these findings by suggesting a stable internal boundary layer close to the snow surface causing a strong decrease of the sensible heat flux towards the snow cover. Thus, the existence of a stable internal boundary layer above a patchy snow cover exerts a dominant control on the timing and magnitude of snow ablation for patchy snow covers.<br/

Transpiration and water uptake of Senecio medley-woodii and Aloe jucunda under changing environmental conditions: measurements with a potometric water-budget-meter

Transpiration, water uptake by the roots and CO2 exchange of two leaf succulents, Senecio medleywoodii (Asteraceae) and Aloe jucunda (Asphodeliaceae), were monitored simultaneously and continuously with a gas exchange cuvette combined with an apparatus to quantify water uptake (= waterbudget- meter). Measurements, which are primarily valid for plants with a sufficient water supply, were made with the same plant for up to 29 consecutive days. Ambient air temperature varied between 17 and 35 °C with a constant dewpoint temperature of 13°C of the ambient air and a 12 h photoperiod at 400-500µmol m−2s−1 photon irradiance. The net water flux (Jw(net)=water uptake-transpiration) and the water balance (Jw(net) integrated for a timespan) were calculated. Various tests were made to determine the accuracy of the measurements made with this rather complex equipment. In most cases the errors for transpiration and uptake rates were much lower than 8% determined under the conditions of drastically (about 10 K per 30 min) increased or decreased ambient air temperatures. The experimental set-up proved to be a most valuable tool to determine and analyse interactions between transpiration and water uptake, changes in plant water status and the buffering of negative Jwnet). Increasing the temperature of ambient air resulted, for both species investigated, in a quick and considerably enhanced transpiration, but there was only a minor impact on water uptake. Water loss exceeding uptake was buffered by internal water reserves which were refilled within about 1 d after the plant was relieved of heat and drought stress caused by a period of high ambient air temperatures and high water vapour saturation deficits of the air. Repeated simulation of such stress periods showed that the absolute values of transpiration and the water uptake for 24 h can vary, but the diurnal course of the values showed the same pattern if the environmental conditions were identical. Such standardized diurnal transpiration and water uptake curves could be very useful for the validation of mathematical models used to describe plant water relation

Correlations between total cell concentration, total adenosine tri-phosphate concentration and heterotrophic plate counts during microbial monitoring of drinking water

The general microbial quality of drinking water is normally monitored by heterotrophic plate counts (HPC). This method has been used for more than 100 years and is recommended in drinking water guidelines. However, the HPC method is handicapped because it is time-consuming and restricted to culturable bacteria. Recently, rapid and accurate detection methods have emerged, such as adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) measurements to assess microbial activity in drinking water, and flow cytometry (FCM) to determine the total cell concentration (TCC). It is necessary and important for drinking water quality control to understand the relationships among the conventional and new methods. In the current study, all three methods were applied to 200 drinking water samples obtained from two local buildings connected to the same distribution system. Samples were taken both on normal working days and weekends, and the correlations between the different microbiological parameters were determined. TCC in the samples ranged from 0.37&amp;ndash;5.61&amp;times;10&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt; cells/ml, and two clusters, the so-called high (HNA) and low (LNA) nucleic acid bacterial groups, were clearly distinguished. The results showed that the rapid determination methods (i.e., FCM and ATP) correlated well (&lt;i&gt;R&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;=0.69), but only a weak correlation (&lt;i&gt;R&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;=0.31) was observed between the rapid methods and conventional HPC data. With respect to drinking water monitoring, both FCM and ATP measurements were confirmed to be useful and complimentary parameters for rapid assessing of drinking water microbial quality

Autoimmune hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis in a patient with FGF23 autoantibodies

Hyperphosphatemic familial tumoral calcinosis (HFTC)/hyperostosis-hyperphosphatemia syndrome (HHS) is an autosomal recessive disorder of ectopic calcification due to deficiency of or resistance to intact fibroblast growth factor 23 (iFGF23). Inactivating mutations in FGF23, N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 3 (GALNT3), or KLOTHO (KL) have been reported as causing HFTC/HHS. We present what we believe is the first identified case of autoimmune hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis in an 8-year-old boy. In addition to the classical clinical and biochemical features of hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis, the patient exhibited markedly elevated intact and C-terminal FGF23 levels, suggestive of FGF23 resistance. However, no mutations in FGF23, KL, or FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) were identified. He subsequently developed type 1 diabetes mellitus, which raised the possibility of an autoimmune cause for hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis. Luciferase immunoprecipitation systems revealed markedly elevated FGF23 autoantibodies without detectable FGFR1 or Klotho autoantibodies. Using an in vitro FGF23 functional assay, we found that the FGF23 autoantibodies in the patient's plasma blocked downstream signaling via the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, this report describes the first case, to our knowledge, of autoimmune hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis with pathogenic autoantibodies targeting FGF23. Identification of this pathophysiology extends the etiologic spectrum of hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis and suggests that immunomodulatory therapy may be an effective treatment

Inelastic production of J/ψ mesons in photoproduction and deep inelastic scattering at HERA

A measurement is presented of inelastic photo- and electroproduction of J/ψ mesons in ep scattering at HERA. The data were recorded with the H1 detector in the period from 2004 to 2007. Single and double differential cross sections are determined and the helicity distributions of the J/ψ mesons are analysed. The results are compared to theoretical predictions in the colour singlet model and in the framework of non-relativistic QCD. Calculations in the colour singlet model using a k T factorisation ansatz are able to give a good description of the data, while colour singlet model calculations to next-to-leading order in collinear factorisation underestimate the data

Magnetic unmixing of first-order reversal curve diagrams using principal component analysis

We describe a quantitative magnetic unmixing method based on principal component analysis (PCA) of first-order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams. For PCA we resample FORC distributions on grids that capture diagnostic signatures of single-domain (SD), pseudo-single-domain (PSD), and multidomain (MD) magnetite, as well as of minerals such as hematite. Individual FORC diagrams are recast as linear combinations of end-member (EM) FORC diagrams, located at user-defined positions in PCA space. The EM selection is guided by constraints derived from physical modeling and imposed by data scatter. We investigate temporal variations of two EMs in bulk North Atlantic sediment cores collected from the Rockall Trough and the Iberian Continental Margin. Sediments from each site contain a mixture of magnetosomes and granulometrically distinct detrital magnetite. We also quantify the spatial variation of three EM components (a coarse silt-sized MD component, a fine silt-sized PSD component, and a mixed clay-sized component containing both SD magnetite and hematite) in surficial sediments along the flow path of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). These samples were separated into granulometric fractions, which helped constrain EM definition. PCA-based unmixing reveals systematic variations in EM relative abundance as a function of distance along NADW flow. Finally, we apply PCA to the combined dataset of Rockall Trough and NADW sediments, which can be recast as a four-EM mixture, providing enhanced discrimination between components. Our method forms the foundation of a general solution to the problem of unmixing multi-component magnetic mixtures, a fundamental task of rock magnetic studies.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement 320750.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2015GC00590

Identification of prognostic factors for chronicity in patients with low back pain: a review of screening instruments

Low back pain (LBP) is currently the most prevalent and costly musculoskeletal problem in modern societies. Screening instruments for the identification of prognostic factors in LBP may help to identify patients with an unfavourable outcome. In this systematic review screening instruments published between 1970 and 2007 were identified by a literature search. Nine different instruments were analysed and their different items grouped into ten structures. Finally, the predictive effectiveness of these structures was examined for the dependent variables including "work status", "functional limitation”, and "pain". The strongest predictors for "work status” were psychosocial and occupational structures, whereas for "functional limitation” and "pain” psychological structures were dominating. Psychological and occupational factors show a high reliability for the prognosis of patients with LBP. Screening instruments for the identification of prognostic factors in patients with LBP should include these factors as a minimum core se

Project PathoPig—A practical approach to strengthen post mortem analyses and early detection of pig diseases and zoonoses

Post mortem examinations are important for early detection and diagnosis of animal diseases and zoonoses. Over the last ten years, the number of necropsies in livestock has decreased considerably in Switzerland. To counteract this decline, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) launched a project in 2014 called PathoPig. The aim is to evaluate the significance of pathologic-anatomical examinations for early detection of pig diseases and to investigate the impact of the findings on the improvement of pig health. Pig producers can participate if at least one of the following criteria is fulfilled: high morbidity and/or high mortality, unusual clinical signs, recurrent problems of unknown aetiology resistant to therapy or increased use of antimicrobials. Accordingly, the veterinarian examines the herd, fills in a standardised anamnesis protocol and submits one to three pigs representing the health problem to a designated pathology laboratory. After post mortem examination, the veterinarian offers specific recommendations to the farmer. Three to six months later, the Swiss Pig Health Service (SPHS) follows up the success of the veterinary recommendations. In 2014, 371 farms submitted pigs for PathoPig. In 84% of these cases, a conclusive diagnosis was obtained. In 56% of the cases, gastrointestinal problems were determined, most often (44%) caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli. In more than 80% of the cases, the animal health status could be improved considerably after the veterinary consultation. Increased post mortem examinations allowed more specific therapeutic treatments and management recommendations. Additionally, an improvement of collaboration between diagnostic laboratories, veterinarians and producers was achieved, thereby strengthening disease awareness and early detection of pig diseases and zoonoses in Switzerland