High-resolution absorption measurements of NH3 at high temperatures: 2100 - 5500

High-resolution absorption spectra of \NH\ in the region 2100 - 5500 \cm\ at 1027 $^{\circ}$C and atmospheric pressure (1045 $\pm$ 3 mbar) are measured. An \NH\ concentration of 10\% in volume fraction is used in the measurements. Spectra are recorded in a high-temperature gas-flow cell using a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer at a nominal resolution of 0.09 \cm. The spectra are analysed by comparison to a variational line list, BYTe, and experimental energy levels determined using the MARVEL procedure. 2308 lines have been assigned to 45 different bands, of which 1755 and 15 have been assigned or observed for the first time in this work

Drawing out the melody: An approach to organizing and analyzing qualitative assessment data

Met with a voluminous stack of files filled with rich feedback, a librarian’s biggest barrier to utilizing qualitative assessment data is implementing a streamlined method for organization and analysis. This poster presentation will illustrate an analytical approach that grew out of working with over 4000 qualitative comments from 15 events. Librarians will benefit from learning how to preserve necessary relationships among data points that facilitate analysis and encourage a move away from static text files. This time-saving approach will empower librarians to use everyday tools to complete the assessment process and effect change on assessment results reporting and decision making.unpublishednot peer reviewe

Spectroscopy for Industrial Applications: High-Temperature Processes

<p>The continuous development of the spectroscopic databases brings new perspectives in the environmental and industrial on-line process control, monitoring and stimulates further optical sensor developments. This is because no calibration gases are needed and, in general, temperature-dependent spectral absorption features gases of interest for a specific instrument can in principle be calculated by knowing only the gas temperature and pressure in the process under investigation/monitoring. The latest HITRAN-2012 database contains IR/UV spectral data for 47 molecules and it is still growing. However use of HITRAN is limited to low-temperature processes (<em><</em><em> </em>400 K) and therefor can be used for absorption spectra calculations at limited temperature/pressure ranges. For higher temperatures, the HITEMP-2010 database is available. Only a few molecules CO₂, H₂O, CO and NO are those of interest for e.g. various combustion and astronomical applications are included. In the recent few years, several efforts towards a development of hot line lists have been made; those have been implemented in the latest HITRAN2012 database¹.</p> <p>High-resolution absorption measurements of NH₃ (IR, 0.1 cm^-1) and phenol (UV, 0.019 nm) on a flow gas cell² up to 800 K are presented. Molecules are of great interest in various high-temperature environments including exoplanets, combustion and gasification. Measured NH₃ hot lines have been assigned and spectra have been compared with that obtained by calculations based on the BYTe hot line list¹. High-temperature NH₃ absorption spectra have been used in the analysis of in situ high-resolution IR absorption measurements on the producer gas in low-temperature gasification process on a large scale. High-resolution UV temperature-dependent absorption cross-sections of phenol are reported for the first time. All UV data have been calibrated by relevant GC/MS measurements. Use of the data is demonstrated by the analysis of in situ UV absorption measurements on a small-scale low-temperature gasifier. A comparison between in situ, gas extraction and conventional gas sampling measurements is presented. Overall the presentation shows an example of successful industrial and academic partnerships within the framework of national and international ongoing projects.</p

Genome-Wide Association Study and Functional Characterization Identifies Candidate Genes for Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Uptake

Distinct tissue-specific mechanisms mediate insulin action in fasting and postprandial states. Previous genetic studies have largely focused on insulin resistance in the fasting state, where hepatic insulin action dominates. Here we studied genetic variants influencing insulin levels measured 2 h after a glucose challenge in \u3e55,000 participants from three ancestry groups. We identified ten new loci (P \u3c 5 × 10-8) not previously associated with postchallenge insulin resistance, eight of which were shown to share their genetic architecture with type 2 diabetes in colocalization analyses. We investigated candidate genes at a subset of associated loci in cultured cells and identified nine candidate genes newly implicated in the expression or trafficking of GLUT4, the key glucose transporter in postprandial glucose uptake in muscle and fat. By focusing on postprandial insulin resistance, we highlighted the mechanisms of action at type 2 diabetes loci that are not adequately captured by studies of fasting glycemic traits

The RESET project: constructing a European tephra lattice for refined synchronisation of environmental and archaeological events during the last c. 100 ka

This paper introduces the aims and scope of the RESET project (. RESponse of humans to abrupt Environmental Transitions), a programme of research funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (UK) between 2008 and 2013; it also provides the context and rationale for papers included in a special volume of Quaternary Science Reviews that report some of the project's findings. RESET examined the chronological and correlation methods employed to establish causal links between the timing of abrupt environmental transitions (AETs) on the one hand, and of human dispersal and development on the other, with a focus on the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic periods. The period of interest is the Last Glacial cycle and the early Holocene (c. 100-8 ka), during which time a number of pronounced AETs occurred. A long-running topic of debate is the degree to which human history in Europe and the Mediterranean region during the Palaeolithic was shaped by these AETs, but this has proved difficult to assess because of poor dating control. In an attempt to move the science forward, RESET examined the potential that tephra isochrons, and in particular non-visible ash layers (cryptotephras), might offer for synchronising palaeo-records with a greater degree of finesse. New tephrostratigraphical data generated by the project augment previously-established tephra frameworks for the region, and underpin a more evolved tephra 'lattice' that links palaeo-records between Greenland, the European mainland, sub-marine sequences in the Mediterranean and North Africa. The paper also outlines the significance of other contributions to this special volume: collectively, these illustrate how the lattice was constructed, how it links with cognate tephra research in Europe and elsewhere, and how the evidence of tephra isochrons is beginning to challenge long-held views about the impacts of environmental change on humans during the Palaeolithic. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.RESET was funded through Consortium Grants awarded by the Natural Environment Research Council, UK, to a collaborating team drawn from four institutions: Royal Holloway University of London (grant reference NE/E015905/1), the Natural History Museum, London (NE/E015913/1), Oxford University (NE/E015670/1) and the University of Southampton, including the National Oceanography Centre (NE/01531X/1). The authors also wish to record their deep gratitude to four members of the scientific community who formed a consultative advisory panel during the lifetime of the RESET project: Professor Barbara Wohlfarth (Stockholm University), Professor Jørgen Peder Steffensen (Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen), Dr. Martin Street (Romisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Neuwied) and Professor Clive Oppenheimer (Cambridge University). They provided excellent advice at key stages of the work, which we greatly valued. We also thank Jenny Kynaston (Geography Department, Royal Holloway) for construction of several of the figures in this paper, and Debbie Barrett (Elsevier) and Colin Murray Wallace (Editor-in-Chief, QSR) for their considerable assistance in the production of this special volume.Peer Reviewe

Lessons learned from practical approaches to reconcile mismatches between biological population structure and stock units of marine fish

Recent advances in the application of stock identification methods have revealed inconsistencies between the spatial structure of biological populations and the definition of stock units used in assessment and management. From a fisheries management perspective, stocks are typically assumed to be discrete units with homogeneous vital rates that can be exploited independently of each other. However, the unit stock assumption is often violated leading to spatial mismatches that can bias stock assessment and impede sustainable fisheries management. The primary ecological concern is the potential for overexploitation of unique spawning components, which can lead to loss of productivity and reduced biodiversity along with destabilization of local and regional stock dynamics. Furthermore, ignoring complex population structure and stock connectivity can lead to misperception of the magnitude of fish productivity, which can translate to suboptimal utilization of the resource. We describe approaches that are currently being applied to improve the assessment and management process for marine fish in situations where complex spatial structure has led to an observed mismatch between the scale of biological populations and spatially-defined stock units. The approaches include: (i) status quo management, (ii) "weakest link" management, (iii) spatial and temporal closures, (iv) stock composition analysis, and (v) alteration of stock boundaries. We highlight case studies in the North Atlantic that illustrate each approach and synthesize the lessons learned from these real-world applications. Alignment of biological and management units requires continual monitoring through the application of stock identification methods in conjunction with responsive management to preserve biocomplexity and the natural stability and resilience of fish species.</p

LibQUAL+ as an Information Literacy Assessment Tool

Given the popularity of the LibQUAL+ survey as an assessment tool, there is the potential for institutions to share results and strategies to inform and improve the impact of instruction programs and information literacy (IL) initiatives. This poster presentation will illustrate how institutions have used LibQUAL+ for strategic planning and the allocation of resources with regards to IL, as well as how to best use core survey items and customization options to mine IL data. With the high cost of implementation of most large-scale survey efforts, institutions will benefit from using LibQUAL+ to its fullest potential. The number of libraries participating in the LibQUAL+ survey, which assesses various dimensions of service and resources, continues to grow each year. Given its popularity as an assessment tool, there are many opportunities for institutions to share results and strategies that would inform and improve instruction programs and information literacy (IL) initiatives throughout the field. In preparation for the Spring 2012 implementation of the LibQUAL+ survey at our library, we have planned various ways to make use of the core survey items, customization options, and qualitative comments of the LibQUAL survey and its results to assess the effectiveness of our instruction program and IL services on our campus. There are countless papers, presentations, and scholarship efforts devoted to the utility of the LibQUAL+ survey; a review of the published literature and an extensive web search concerning institutions that have utilized LibQUAL+ results with regard to IL, however, yielded very few examples. This discovery brought to light a rich opportunity for investigation into the utility of this widely used and available survey. Of the institutions that have shared an account of their IL efforts after participating in the survey, actions taken have included allocating resources for the creation of tutorials, guides, pathfinders, and IL-specific positions, and creating opportunities to partner with faculty to bolster IL outcomes. In the current iteration of the survey, there are five questions that specifically address IL outcomes. There is also some overlap of IL outcomes in the other dimensions of the survey: Affect of Service, Information Control, and Library as Place. Additionally, the survey allows for institutions to choose five local questions from a repository of over 100 items. With over twenty local questions identified as directly relating to IL outcomes, the customization option of choosing local questions is one of the richest sources of IL outcome measurement offered by the survey. Furthermore, future implementations of the survey allow institutions to assess their IL efforts and possibly see marked differences in the mean scores between years. With the high cost of implementation of most large-scale survey efforts, institutions will benefit from using the data-rich results in the most dynamic ways possible with regard to IL.unpublishednot peer reviewe