The influence of the diurnal variation of stability on potential evaporation

A method of calculating surface evapotranspiration by separately including the effects of vegetation and atmospheric evaporative demand under the condition of nonlimiting soil moisture is presented. A literature survey is conducted to determine the effects of plants on evapotranspiration. To represent the atmospheric evaporative demand, the original potential evaporation equation of Penman (1948) is utilized and then modified to include the effect of atmospheric stability using turbulent exchange coefficients formulated by Louis et al. (1982). The original and modified Penman expressions are compared for different asymptotic cases. Using boundary layer data from the Wangara experiment (Clarke et al., 1971), the diurnal variations of the original and modified Penman equations are compared. The daily total potential evaporation using linearized and integrated forms of the original and modified expressions are also compared. Finally, the nonlinear effects of averaging both the original and modified expressions are examined. It is found that including the diurnal variations of stability in the modified expression causes large hourly differences with the original expression under non-neutral conditions, while daily averages of the two compared fairly well. The diurnal variation of the surface moisture flux appears to be much larger than predicted by the original Penman expression. However, the original Penman expression remains a reasonable estimate of the 24-hour total potential evaporation

Regional model simulations of the 2008 drought in southern South America using a consistent set of land surface properties

This work discusses the land surface-atmosphere interactions during the severe drought that took place in 2008 in southern South America. The drought was among the most severe in the last fifty years both in terms of intensity and extent. Once precipitation returned to normal values, it took about two months for the soil moisture content and vegetation to recover. The land surface effects were examined by contrasting long term simulations using a consistent set of satellite-derived annually varying land surface biophysical properties against simulations using the conventional land cover types in the coupled system Weather Research and Forecasting Model/Noah Land Surface Model (WRF/Noah). The new land cover data set is based on ecosystem functional properties that capture changes in vegetation status due to climate anomalies and land use changes.The results show that the use of realistic information of vegetation states enhances the model performance reducing the precipitation biases over the drought region as well as over areas of excessive precipitation. The precipitation bias reductions are traced back to the corresponding changes in greenness fraction, leaf area index, stomatal resistance and surface roughness. The simulation of temperature shows a larger bias over the domain´s central part, which is attributable to a doubling of the stomatal resistance that reduces the evapotranspiration rate and leads to a temperature increase. However, the temperature pattern using the novel data set shows improvements towards the eastern part of the domain. The overall results suggest that an improved representation of the surface processes contributes to the predictability of the system.Fil: Müller, Omar Vicente. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Berbery, Ernesto Hugo. University of Maryland; Estados UnidosFil: Alcaraz Segura, Domingo. Universidad de Granada; EspañaFil: Ek, Michael B.. National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration

Genomic deletions in OPA1 in Danish patients with autosomal dominant optic atrophy

BACKGROUND: Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA, Kjer disease, MIM #165500) is the most common form of hereditary optic neuropathy. Mutations in OPA1 located at chromosome 3q28 are the predominant cause for ADOA explaining between 32 and 89% of cases. Although deletions of OPA1 were recently reported in ADOA, the frequency of OPA1 genomic rearrangements in Denmark, where ADOA has a high prevalence, is unknown. The aim of the study was to identify copy number variations in OPA1 in Danish ADOA patients. METHODS: Forty unrelated ADOA patients, selected from a group of 100 ADOA patients as being negative for OPA1 point mutations, were tested for genomic rearrangements in OPA1 by multiplex ligation probe amplification (MLPA). When only one probe was abnormal results were confirmed by additional manually added probes. Segregation analysis was performed in families with detected mutations when possible. RESULTS: Ten families had OPA1 deletions, including two with deletions of the entire coding region and eight with intragenic deletions. Segregation analysis was possible in five families, and showed that the deletions segregated with the disease. CONCLUSION: Deletions in the OPA1 gene were found in 10 patients presenting with phenotypic autosomal dominant optic neuropathy. Genetic testing for deletions in OPA1 should be offered for patients with clinically diagnosed ADOA and no OPA1 mutations detected by DNA sequencing analysis

North American Land Data Assimilation System: A Framework for Merging Model and Satellite Data for Improved Drought Monitoring

Drought is a pervasive natural climate hazard that has widespread impacts on human activity and the environment. In the United States, droughts are billion-dollar disasters, comparable to hurricanes and tropical storms and with greater economic impacts than extratropical storms, wildfires, blizzards, and ice storms combined (NCDC, 2009). Reduction of the impacts and increased preparedness for drought requires the use and improvement of monitoring and prediction tools. These tools are reliant on the availability of spatially extensive and accurate data for representing the occurrence and characteristics (such as duration and severity) of drought and their related forcing mechanisms. It is increasingly recognized that the utility of drought data is highly dependent on the application (e.g., agricultural monitoring versus water resource management) and time (e.g., short- versus long-term dryness) and space (e.g., local versus national) scales involved. A comprehensive set of drought indices that considers all components of the hydrological–ecological–human system is necessary. Because of the dearth of near-real-time in situ hydrologic data collected over large regions, modeled data are often useful surrogates, especially when combined with observations from remote sensing and in situ sources. This chapter provides an overview of drought-related activities associated with the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS), which purports to provide an incremental step toward improved drought monitoring and forecasting. The NLDAS was originally conceived to improve short-term weather forecasting by providing better land surface initial conditions for operational weather forecast models. This reflects increased recognition of the role of land surface water and energy states, such as surface temperature, soil moisture, and snowpack, to atmospheric processes via feedbacks through the coupling of the water and energy cycles. Phase I of the NLDAS (NLDAS-1; Mitchell et al., 2004) made tremendous progress toward developing an operational system that gave high-resolution land hydrologic products in near real time. The system consists of multiple land surface models (LSMs) that are driven by an observation-based meteorological data set both in real time and retrospectively. This work resulted in a series of scientific papers that evaluated the retrospective data (meteorology and model output) in terms of their ability to reflect observations of the water and energy cycles and the uncertainties in the simulations as measured by the spread among individual models (Pan et al., 2003; Robock et al., 2003; Sheffield et al., 2003; Lohmann et al., 2004; Mitchell et al., 2004; Schaake et al., 2004). These evaluations led to the implementation of significant improvements to the LSMs in the form of new model physics and adjustments to parameter values and to the methods and input meteorological data (Xia et al., 2012). The system has since expanded in scope to include model intercomparison studies, real-time monitoring, and hydrologic prediction and has inspired other activities such as high-resolution land surface modeling and global land data assimilation systems (e.g., the Global Land Data Assimilation System [GLDAS], Rodell et al., 2004; the Land Information System [LIS], Kumar et al., 2006)

North American Land Data Assimilation System: A Framework for Merging Model and Satellite Data for Improved Drought Monitoring

Drought is a pervasive natural climate hazard that has widespread impacts on human activity and the environment. In the United States, droughts are billion-dollar disasters, comparable to hurricanes and tropical storms and with greater economic impacts than extratropical storms, wildfires, blizzards, and ice storms combined (NCDC, 2009). Reduction of the impacts and increased preparedness for drought requires the use and improvement of monitoring and prediction tools. These tools are reliant on the availability of spatially extensive and accurate data for representing the occurrence and characteristics (such as duration and severity) of drought and their related forcing mechanisms. It is increasingly recognized that the utility of drought data is highly dependent on the application (e.g., agricultural monitoring versus water resource management) and time (e.g., short- versus long-term dryness) and space (e.g., local versus national) scales involved. A comprehensive set of drought indices that considers all components of the hydrological–ecological–human system is necessary. Because of the dearth of near-real-time in situ hydrologic data collected over large regions, modeled data are often useful surrogates, especially when combined with observations from remote sensing and in situ sources. This chapter provides an overview of drought-related activities associated with the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS), which purports to provide an incremental step toward improved drought monitoring and forecasting. The NLDAS was originally conceived to improve short-term weather forecasting by providing better land surface initial conditions for operational weather forecast models. This reflects increased recognition of the role of land surface water and energy states, such as surface temperature, soil moisture, and snowpack, to atmospheric processes via feedbacks through the coupling of the water and energy cycles. Phase I of the NLDAS (NLDAS-1; Mitchell et al., 2004) made tremendous progress toward developing an operational system that gave high-resolution land hydrologic products in near real time. The system consists of multiple land surface models (LSMs) that are driven by an observation-based meteorological data set both in real time and retrospectively. This work resulted in a series of scientific papers that evaluated the retrospective data (meteorology and model output) in terms of their ability to reflect observations of the water and energy cycles and the uncertainties in the simulations as measured by the spread among individual models (Pan et al., 2003; Robock et al., 2003; Sheffield et al., 2003; Lohmann et al., 2004; Mitchell et al., 2004; Schaake et al., 2004). These evaluations led to the implementation of significant improvements to the LSMs in the form of new model physics and adjustments to parameter values and to the methods and input meteorological data (Xia et al., 2012). The system has since expanded in scope to include model intercomparison studies, real-time monitoring, and hydrologic prediction and has inspired other activities such as high-resolution land surface modeling and global land data assimilation systems (e.g., the Global Land Data Assimilation System [GLDAS], Rodell et al., 2004; the Land Information System [LIS], Kumar et al., 2006)

Drought Monitoring for 3 North American Case Studies Based on the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS)

Both NLDAS Phase 1 (1996-2007) and Phase 2 (1979-present) datasets have been evaluated against in situ observational datasets, and NLDAS forcings and outputs are used by a wide variety of users. Drought indices and drought monitoring from NLDAS were recently examined by Mo et al. (2010) and Sheffield et al. (2010). In this poster, we will present results analyzing NLDAS Phase 2 forcings and outputs for 3 North American Case studies being analyzed as part of the NOAA MAPP Drought Task Force: (1) Western US drought (1998- 2004); (2) plains/southeast US drought (2006-2007); and (3) Current Texas-Mexico drought (2011-). We will examine percentiles of soil moisture consistent with the NLDAS drought monitor

SOX11 expression correlates to promoter methylation and regulates tumor growth in hematopoietic malignancies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The transcription factor SOX11 plays an important role in embryonic development of the central nervous system (CNS) and is expressed in the adult immature neuron but is normally not expressed in any other adult tissue. It has recently been reported to be implicated in various malignant neoplasms, including several lymphoproliferative diseases, by its specific expression and in some cases correlation to prognosis. SOX11 has been shown to prevent gliomagenesis <it>in vivo </it>but the causes and consequences of aberrant expression of <it>SOX11 </it>outside the CNS remain unexplained.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We now show the first function of <it>SOX11 </it>in lymphoproliferative diseases, by demonstrating <it>in vitro </it>its direct involvement in growth regulation, as assessed by siRNA-mediated silencing and ectopic overexpression in hematopoietic malignancies. Gene Chip analysis identified cell cycle regulatory pathways, including Rb-E2F, to be associated with SOX11-induced growth reduction. Furthermore, promoter analysis revealed that <it>SOX11 </it>is silenced through DNA methylation in B cell lymphomas, suggesting that its regulation is epigenetically controlled.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The data show that SOX11 is not a bystander but an active and central regulator of cellular growth, as both siRNA-mediated knock-down and ectopic overexpression of <it>SOX11 </it>resulted in altered proliferation. Thus, these data demonstrate a tumor suppressor function for <it>SOX11 </it>in hematopoietic malignancies and revealed a potential epigenetic regulation of this developmentally involved gene.</p

Käytösoireisen muistisairaan lääkkeettömät hoitotyön keinot : Opas sairaanhoitajille

Aiheena opinnäytetyölle oli Käytösoireisen muistisairaan lääkkeettömät hoitotyön keinot – opas sairaanhoitajille. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli tuottaa tietoa muistisairaan käytöshäiriöiden syistä ja lisäksi lisätä ymmärrystä sairaanhoitajille muistisairaan haasteellisen käytöksen lisääntymisestä. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli tuottaa yhteistyökumppanille opas, joka sisältää yleisimmät muistisairaudet ja niihin liittyvien käytöshäiriöiden ilmenemismuodot aiheuttajineen ja vaikuttavine tekijöineen. Tämän lisäksi opas sisältää hoitotyön keinoja, joiden avulla sairaanhoitaja pystyy havainnoimaan ja lieventämään muistisairaan käytösoireita. Opinnäytetyö on tehty yhteistyössä Suupohjan peruspalveluliikelaitoskuntayhtymän hoidon ja hoivan alueen kanssa. Etenevien muistisairauksien diagnostiikkaan kuuluu käytösoireiden lisääntyminen. Käytösoireita on muistisairauksien kaikissa vaiheissa ja niiden ilmaantuminen voi johtaa liialliseen ja turhaan rauhoittavien lääkkeiden määräämiseen ja käyttöön, on kuitenkin hyvä huomioida kokonaisvaltainen hoito, joka on potilaan yksilöllisen tilanteen huomioon ottava. Muistisairaiden määrä kasvaa nopeasti, varhaisen diagnosoinnin avulla pystytään ylläpitämään sairastuneen toimintakykyä ja huomioimaan sairastuneen oman elämänlaadun pysyminen hyvänä, unohtamatta hänen läheisiään. Käytösoireisen potilaan hoitolinja tulisi valita arvioimalla oireita ja selvittämällä niiden syy. Lääkkeettömän hoidon tarkoitus on, että muistisairaasta huolehditaan kokonaisvaltaisesti ja mahdollisimman hyvin hänen tarpeensa huomioon ottaen. Sairastuneen toimintakyvyn tukeminen on tärkeää, silloin hän tuntee olonsa turvatuksi ja arvostetuksi. Hyvien elämäntapojen huomioiminen, riittävän unen ja aktiviteetin turvaaminen tukevat sairastuneen tasapainon tunnetta. Käytöshäiriöiden syntyyn vaikuttaa myös ympäristössä tapahtuvat muutokset. Sairaanhoitajan on tärkeä luoda sairastuneelle tässä tilanteessa rauhallinen ja turvattu ympäristö.The subject for the thesis is non-drug nursing methods of a patient with memory disease and behavioural disorder. The aim of the thesis was to provide information on the causes of behavioural disorders of a patient with memory disease, and in addition, to increase nurses’ understanding about the negative behaviour of memory patients. The purpose of the thesis was to produce a guide containing the most common memory disorders and related manifestations of behavioural disorders, with their causes and contributing factors. In addition, the guide includes nursing tools that help the nurse to observe and mitigate the behavioural disorders of a patient with a memory disease. The thesis has been carried out in cooperation with the treatment and care area of The Suupohja Area Health and Social Services Joint Municipal Board. The diagnostics for progressive memory diseases include an increase in behavioural disorders. There are behavioural disorders at all stages of memory disorders, and their appearance may lead to the prescription and use of excessive and unnecessary medication. However, it is good to take into account the holistic treatment that is appropriate to the patient's individual condition. The number of patients with memory disease is increasing rapidly. With early diagnosis, it is pos-sible to maintain patients’ functional ability and take account of their quality of life, not forgetting their close relatives. The treatment line for the patient with behavioural disorder should be selected by evaluating the symptoms and finding out their cause. The purpose of non-drug nursing is that the patient with memory disorder is taken care of comprehensively, and his or her needs are taken into account as well as possible. Supporting the functional ability of the patient is important, and he or she feels secure and appreciated. Paying attention to a good lifestyle, ensuring adequate sleep and activity support the balance feeling of the patient. Changes in the environment also affect the appearance of behavioural disorders. It is important for the nurse to create a calm and secure environment for the patient in this situation

Inorganic nitrate, hypoxia, and the regulation of cardiac mitochondrial respiration-probing the role of PPARα.

Dietary inorganic nitrate prevents aspects of cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction induced by hypoxia, although the mechanism is not completely understood. In both heart and skeletal muscle, nitrate increases fatty acid oxidation capacity, and in the latter case, this involves up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α expression. Here, we investigated whether dietary nitrate modifies mitochondrial function in the hypoxic heart in a PPARα-dependent manner. Wild-type (WT) mice and mice without PPARα (Ppara-/-) were given water containing 0.7 mM NaCl (control) or 0.7 mM NaNO3 for 35 d. After 7 d, mice were exposed to normoxia or hypoxia (10% O2) for the remainder of the study. Mitochondrial respiratory function and metabolism were assessed in saponin-permeabilized cardiac muscle fibers. Environmental hypoxia suppressed mass-specific mitochondrial respiration and additionally lowered the proportion of respiration supported by fatty acid oxidation by 18% (P < 0.001). This switch away from fatty acid oxidation was reversed by nitrate treatment in hypoxic WT but not Ppara-/- mice, indicating a PPARα-dependent effect. Hypoxia increased hexokinase activity by 33% in all mice, whereas lactate dehydrogenase activity increased by 71% in hypoxic WT but not Ppara-/- mice. Our findings indicate that PPARα plays a key role in mediating cardiac metabolic remodeling in response to both hypoxia and dietary nitrate supplementation.-Horscroft, J. A., O'Brien, K. A., Clark, A. D., Lindsay, R. T., Steel, A. S., Procter, N. E. K., Devaux, J., Frenneaux, M., Harridge, S. D. R., Murray, A. J. Inorganic nitrate, hypoxia, and the regulation of cardiac mitochondrial respiration-probing the role of PPARα