Occurrence, distribution and abundance of cetaceans in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, USA

In this paper the occurrence, distribution and abundance of cetaceans in offshore waters of Onslow Bay, North Carolina, USA is described. Between June 2007 and June 2010 monthly aerial and shipboard line-transect surveys were conducted along ten 74km transects placed perpendicular to the shelf break. In total 42,676km of aerial trackline (218 sightings) and 5,209km of vessel trackline (100 sightings) were observed. Seven species of cetaceans were observed, but the fauna was dominated strongly by common bottlenose and Atlantic spotted dolphins. Both species were present year-round in the study area. Using photo-identification techniques, five bottlenose dolphins and one spotted dolphin were resighted during the three-year period. In general, the abundance of cetaceans in Onslow Bay was low and too few sightings were made to estimate monthly abundances for species other than bottlenose and spotted dolphins. Maximum monthly abundances of bottlenose and spotted dolphins were 4,100 (95% CI: 1,300–9,400) in May 2010 and 6,000 (95% CI: 2,500–17,400) in March 2009, respectively. Bottlenose dolphins were found throughout the study area, although they were encountered most frequently just off the shelf break. In contrast, spotted dolphins exhibited a strong preference for waters over the continental shelf and were not encountered beyond the shelf break.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Large Observatory for x-ray Timing (LOFT-P): a Probe-class mission concept study

LOFT-P is a mission concept for a NASA Astrophysics Probe-Class (6 m2, > 10x that of the highly successful Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). A sky monitor (2-50 keV) acts as a trigger for pointed observations, providing high duty cycle, high time resolution monitoring of the X-ray sky with ~20 times the sensitivity of the RXTE All-Sky Monitor, enabling multi-wavelength and multimessenger studies. A probe-class mission concept would employ lightweight collimator technology and large-area solid-state detectors, segmented into pixels or strips, technologies which have been recently greatly advanced during the ESA M3 Phase A study of LOFT. Given the large community interested in LOFT (>800 supporters*, the scientific productivity of this mission is expected to be very high, similar to or greater than RXTE (~ 2000 refereed publications). We describe the results of a study, recently completed by the MSFC Advanced Concepts Office, that demonstrates that such a mission is feasible within a NASA probe-class mission budget

Barriers and opportunities for the deployment of CO₂ electrolysis in net-zero emissions energy systems

As energy systems across the globe transition toward net-zero emissions, the decarbonization of hard-to-decarbonize sectors, e.g., industry and transportation, is becoming more crucial. Renewable power-driven carbon dioxide (CO2) electrolysis has the potential to facilitate this transition by (1) substituting carbon-intensive petrochemical and fuel production and (2) using CO2 otherwise emitted from industrial processes or CO2 from the atmosphere; however, because of existing technical and economic challenges, the industrial deployment of this technology is not yet imminent. Here, we present an overview of CO2 electrolysis technologies to identify key hurdles in view of the industrial deployment of this technology in net-zero emissions energy systems. From the technology standpoint, catalysts should be developed with enhanced activity, selectivity, and stability/durability as well as membranes and reactors that prevent carbonate formation or crossover, achieve higher reaction rates, e.g., >1 A/cm2, and demonstrate long-term stability, e.g., >5 years. Conversely, from the system integration standpoint, impurity-tolerant CO2 electrolysis systems need to be developed and tested under relevant conditions, e.g., CO2 streams with traces of impurities (NOx, SOx, O2, N2, H2S, etc.). Additionally, the quantification of pros and cons of different integration pathways for CO2 capture and CO2 electrolysis requires further research. Moreover, the integration with variable renewable power sources—e.g., wind and solar photovoltaic power—and electricity markets requires a better understanding. For instance, the value of CO2 electrolysis flexibility in view of variable renewable power supply or dynamic electricity prices is not well understood.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.ChemE/Materials for Energy Conversion and StorageChemE/Product and Process Engineerin

Hydrostatic Pressure in Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering: From Chondrocytes to Tissue Regeneration

Cartilage has a poor intrinsic healing response, and neither the innate healing response nor current clinical treatments can restore its function. Therefore, articular cartilage tissue engineering is a promising approach for the regeneration of damaged tissue. Because cartilage is exposed to mechanical forces during joint loading, many tissue engineering strategies use exogenous stimuli to enhance the biochemical or biomechanical properties of the engineered tissue. Hydrostatic pressure (HP) is emerging as arguably one of the most important mechanical stimuli for cartilage, although no optimal treatment has been established across all culture systems. Therefore, this review evaluates prior studies on articular cartilage involving the use of HP, with a particular emphasis on the treatments that appear promising for use in future studies. Additionally, this review addresses HP bioreactor design, chondroprotective effects of HP, the use of HP for chondrogenic differentiation, the effects of high pressures, and HP mechanotransduction