Realism in Bret Harte

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

Solar spectral irradiance variability from SCIAMACHY on daily to several decades timescales

The sun's radiative output is the primary energy input to the Earth, planets, and the entire heliosphere. It determines the thermal structure of the Earth s atmosphere, and overall it sustains life as we know it. The solar spectral irradiance (SSI) determines the general circulation, ozone photochemistry, and weather-climate system. Both SSI and the total solar irradiance (TSI or 'solar constant') vary in time. The 'solar constant' is obtained by integrating SSI over the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It is now established to vary about 0.2 0.4% during the 27-day solar rotation due to transit of active region across the solar disk and 0.1% over an 11-year solar cycle due to variations of magnetic surface activity of the sun related to the reversal of the solar magnetic field. While SSI variability in the UV is moderately well understood, little is known about variability in the optical and near IR (vis-IR) spectral range. This is because while the variations in UV are large, vis-IR variations are small, which are within the noise level of the instrument. The overall goal of this dissertation, therefore, is to improve our understanding of SSI variability especially at longer wavelengths beyond the UV. Regular monitoring of SSI from space covering the entire UV and vis-IR has become available at a moderately high spectral resolution with SCIAMACHY aboard ENVISAT since 2002. This cumulative dissertation presents in three published manuscripts the most recent progress in understanding SSI variability not only in the UV but also in the vis-IR spectral region using SCIAMACHY data. The first published manuscript ad- dresses the validation of radiometrically calibrated SSI from SCIAMACHY to existing SSI data (from ground and space) and to compare SCIAMACHY SSI variations with various other satellite data from SIM onboard SORCE, SUSIM onboard UARS, and SBUVs. The second published manuscript describes the parametrization of SCIAMACHY SSI time series in terms of solar proxies: Mg II core-to-wing (ctw) ratio for faculae brightening and photometric sunspot index (PSI) for sunspot darkening. This simple irradiance model is referred to as the SCIA proxy model. This model allows us to estimate past solar irradiance variations over several decades well beyond the observation period of the SCIAMACHY satellite. Most satellites observing in the optical spectral range suffer from hard radiation in space, particular in the UV, therefore these satellites optically degrade with time. The parametrization using the solar proxy model also enables the application of a simple degradation correction with the need for detailed re-calibration of solar irradiance measurements, which is not always possible or feasible. So far these two goals focus on short timescales (days to several months). The third published manuscript deals with the application of the model to reconstruct daily SSI variability from 1978 to present, covering several decades. The reconstructed SSI from SCIA proxy on daily to decadal timescales are compared to the solar atmosphere model SRPM and space observations from SIM/SORCE, SUSIM/UARS, the DeLand and Cebula/SSAI UV composite; and other proxy models such as NRLSSI, SIP (formerly Solar2000) and semi-empirical model SATIRE

Realism in Bret Harte

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

Calculation of Higher Mass-Dimensional Effective Lagrangians in Quantum Field Theory

A prescription for calculating low-energy one-loop higher-mass dimensional effective Lagrangians for non-Abelian field theories is constructed in the spirit of quasilocal background field method. Basis of Lorentz and gauge-invariant monomials of similar mass-dimensions acting as building blocks are matrix-multiplied in a specified order (usually dictated by a permutation of tensorial indices) generating the much needed invariants. The same set of building blocks is used to generate higher-order corrections for a specific mass-dimension. Though the gauge group, the spacetime dimensions, the order of corrections that can be included, and the mass-dimensions that can be formed are all kept arbitrary in the prescription, we constructed basis invariants from 3 up to 12 mass-dimensions to accommodate higher-order corrections up to fourth-order. With these basis, we pursued solving the zeroth-order corrections leading to invariants from 2 up to 16 mass-dimensions, for first-order from 4 up to 8 mass-dimensions, second and third order corrections from 6 up to 8 mass-dimensions. As a result, we have reproduced the zeroth-order corrections showing dependence on the covariant derivative of the background matrix potential. Previous calculation was done up to 12 mass-dimensions but this dependence was not shown in closed form. For higher-order corrections, the case for 4 up to 6 mass-dimensions are also reproduced. Finally, we calculated the case for 8 mass-dimensions which is reduced only by exploiting the antisymmetry of the fieldstrength tensor and the freedom to throw away total derivatives.Comment: 186 pages, MS Thesi

Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Joseph to James Meredith (Undated)

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/mercorr_pro/1617/thumbnail.jp

Effect of The Dry Aqueous Leaf Extract Of Cnidoscolus Aconitifolius On Blood Alcohol Clearance In Rabbits

Herbal therapy or plant based drugs might be useful in the management of alcohol-related complications, hence the influence of various substances on alcohol “affects” are being investigated in a search for a substance which could scavenge radicals produced during ethanol metabolism and accelerate ethanol clearance to reduce blood ethanol levels. Oral administration of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf extract increased blood ethanol clearance rate in a dose dependent manner. The ingestion of 0.55 g ethanol/kg body weight produced a peak blood alcohol level (BAL) of 0.121% and 0.156%. The administration of 0.5 g/kg of the extract produced a peak blood alcohol level (PBAL) of 0.112% as against 0.121% by ethanol alone. Also, the administration of 1 g/kg of the extract produced a peak blood alcohol level (PBAL) of 0.127% as against 0.156% by ethanol only. The 0.5 g/kg and 1 g/kg of the extract also reduced the intoxication time (i.e. time to zero BAL) from146min to 137min and 160min to 128min respectively. Results from this study revealed that Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf extract might have amethystic property as locally claimed but further investigations is required to show the mechanism on how the extract accelerates ethanol clearance. Keyword: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, alcohol, and Blood alcohol level (BAL

Alteration in antioxidant enzyme activities by nickel-induced hepatotoxicity in wistar rats: ameliorating effect of the aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (nutmeg)

The ameliorating effect of Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) on lipid peroxidation (LOP), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-s-transferaes (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Catalase (CAT), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as some liver marker enzymes were examined using a model of NiCl2–induced oxidative stress in rats. Thirty male Wistar rats were used in this study. They were randomized into 5 groups of six rats per group. Animals in group I received distilled water and normal rat feed only. Rats in groups II and III received only 0.75 mg/kg/day and 1.5 mg/kg/day of NiCl2 respectively. All rats in groups IV and V were pretreated with 200 mg/kg body weight and 300mg/kg body weight of the aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (AEMF) respectively. In addition to the doses of the extracts administered to the above groups, group IV rats received 0.75 mg/kg/day of NiCl2 while group V animals were treated with 1.5 mg/kg/day of NiCl2. All administration was carried out by gastric intubation for 30days. NiCl2 caused significant increase (p<0.05) in the level of MDA formation in the liver, suggesting pro-oxidant induced membrane damage. These were followed by a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the levels of GSH, GPx, GST, SOD and CAT. The aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (AEMF) in a dose related manner, significantly (p<0.05) reduce the level of MDA as well as the antioxidant markers to a near constant value when compared with the control. Pretreatment with AEMF also led to a significant decrease (p<0.05) in liver marker enzymes (ALT, ALP, AST, LDH, GGT and CK) when compared with the NiCl2 treated rats in a dose-dependent manner. Upon the administration of AEMF, histological examination did not reveal much pathophysiological changes when compared with the control.Keywords: Antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, liver marker enzymes, NiCl2 and Myristic fragrans (AEMF)Biokemistri 27(4): 144–15