Effectiveness of existing casuarinas equisetifolia forests in mitigating tsunami damage

Field surveys were conducted on the eastern coastline of Sri Lanka to investigate which vegetation species are effective against a tsunami and to evaluate the effectiveness of existing Casuarina equisetifolia forests in tsunami mitigation. Open gaps in C. equisetifolia forests were identified as a disadvantage, and introduction of a new vegetation belt in front of the existing C. equisetifolia forest is proposed to reduce the disadvantages of the open gap. A numerical model based on two-dimensional nonlinear long-wave equations was applied to explain the present situation of open gaps in C. equisetifolia forests, and to evaluate the effectiveness of combined vegetation system. The results of the numerical simulation for existing conditions of C. equisetifolia forests revealed that the tsunami force ratio (R = tsunami force with vegetation/tsunami force without vegetation) was 1.4 at the gap exit. The species selected for the front vegetation layers were Pandanus odoratissimus. A numerical simulation of the modified system revealed that R was reduced to 0.7 in the combined P. odoratissimus and C. equisetifolia system. The optimal width of P. odoratissimus (W1) calculated from the numerical simulation was W1=10 m. Establishment of a new front vegetation layer except for open gaps that are essential, such as access roads to the beach, is proposed

Drake Antarctic Agile Meteor Radar (DrAAMER) First Results: Configuration and Comparison of Mean and Tidal Wind and Gravity Wave Momentum Flux Measurements with SAAMER

A new-generation meteor radar was installed at the Brazilian Antarctic Comandante Ferraz Base (62.1degS) in March 2010. This paper describes the motivations for the radar location, its measurement capabilities, and comparisons of measured mean winds, tides, and gravity wave momentum fluxes from April to June of 2010 and 2011 with those by a similar radar on Tierra del Fuego (53.8degS). Motivations for the radars include the "hotspot" of small-scale gravity wave activity extending from the troposphere into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) centered over the Drake Passage, the maximum of the semidiurnal tide at these latitudes, and the lack of other MLT wind measurements in this latitude band. Mean winds are seen to be strongly modulated at planetary wave and longer periods and to exhibit strong coherence over the two radars at shorter time scales as well as systematic seasonal variations. The semidiurnal tide contribute most to the large-scale winds over both radars, with maximum tidal amplitudes during May and maxima at the highest altitudes varying from approx.20 to >70 m/s. In contrast, the diurnal tide and various planetary waves achieve maximum winds of approx.10 to 20 m/s. Monthly-mean gravity wave momentum fluxes appear to reflect the occurrence of significant sources at lower altitudes, with relatively small zonal fluxes over both radars, but with significant, and opposite, meridional momentum fluxes below approx.85 km. These suggest gravity waves propagating away from the Drake Passage at both sites, and may indicate an important source region accounting in part for this "hotspot"

Southern Argentina Agile Meteor Radar: System design and initial measurements of large-scale winds and tides

The Southern Argentina Agile Meteor Radar (SAAMER) was installed at Rio Grande on Tierra del Fuego (53.8°S, 67.8°W) in May 2008 and has been operational for ∼24 months. This paper describes the motivations for the radar design and its placement at the southern tip of South America, its operating modes and capabilities, and observations of the mean winds, planetary waves, and tides during its first ∼20 months of operation. SAAMER was specifically designed to provide very high resolution of large-scale motions and hopefully enable direct measurements of the vertical momentum flux by gravity waves, which have only been possible previously with dual- or multiple-beam radars and lidars or in situ measurements. SAAMER was placed on Tierra del Fuego because it was a region devoid of similar measurements, the latitude was anticipated to provide high sensitivity to an expected large semidiurnal tide, and the region is now recognized to be a "hot spot" of small-scale gravity wave activity extending from the troposphere into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, perhaps the most dynamically active location on Earth. SAAMER was also intended to permit simultaneous enhanced meteor studies, including "head echo" and "nonspecular" measurements, which were previously possible only with high-power large-aperture radars. Initial measurements have defined the mean circulation and structure, exhibited planetary waves at various periods, and revealed large semidiurnal tide amplitudes and variability, with maximum amplitudes at higher altitudes often exceeding 60 m s-1 and amplitude modulations at periods from a few to ∼30 days.Universidad Nacional De La Plat

Southern Argentina Agile Meteor Radar: System design and initial measurements of large-scale winds and tides

The Southern Argentina Agile Meteor Radar (SAAMER) was installed at Rio Grande on Tierra del Fuego (53.8°S, 67.8°W) in May 2008 and has been operational for ∼24 months. This paper describes the motivations for the radar design and its placement at the southern tip of South America, its operating modes and capabilities, and observations of the mean winds, planetary waves, and tides during its first ∼20 months of operation. SAAMER was specifically designed to provide very high resolution of large-scale motions and hopefully enable direct measurements of the vertical momentum flux by gravity waves, which have only been possible previously with dual- or multiple-beam radars and lidars or in situ measurements. SAAMER was placed on Tierra del Fuego because it was a region devoid of similar measurements, the latitude was anticipated to provide high sensitivity to an expected large semidiurnal tide, and the region is now recognized to be a "hot spot" of small-scale gravity wave activity extending from the troposphere into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, perhaps the most dynamically active location on Earth. SAAMER was also intended to permit simultaneous enhanced meteor studies, including "head echo" and "nonspecular" measurements, which were previously possible only with high-power large-aperture radars. Initial measurements have defined the mean circulation and structure, exhibited planetary waves at various periods, and revealed large semidiurnal tide amplitudes and variability, with maximum amplitudes at higher altitudes often exceeding 60 m s-1 and amplitude modulations at periods from a few to ∼30 days.Universidad Nacional De La Plat

Seizure localization using pre ictal phase-amplitude coupling in intracranial electroencephalography

Understanding changes in brain rhythms provides useful information to predict the onset of a seizure and to localize its onset zone in epileptic patients. Brain rhythms dynamics in general, and phaseamplitude coupling in particular, are known to be drastically altered during epileptic seizures. However, the neural processes that take place before a seizure are not well understood. We analysed the phaseamplitude coupling dynamics of stereoelectroencephalography recordings (30 seizures, 5 patients) before and after seizure onset. Electrodes near the seizure onset zone showed higher phase-amplitude coupling. Immediately before the beginning of the seizure, phase-amplitude coupling dropped to values similar to the observed in electrodes far from the seizure onset zone. Thus, our results bring accurate information to detect epileptic events during pre-ictal periods and to delimit the zone of seizure onset in patients undergoing epilepsy surgeryFil: Cámpora, Nuria Elide. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Ingeniería Biomédica; ArgentinaFil: Mininni, Camilo Juan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Kochen, Sara Silvia. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Alta Complejidad en Red El Cruce Dr. Néstor Carlos Kirchner Samic. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos; ArgentinaFil: Lew, Sergio Eduardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Ingeniería Biomédica; Argentin

Differential Cathelicidin Expression in Duodenal and Gastric Biopsies from Tanzanian and German Patients

Epithelial surfaces such as the gastrointestinal mucosa depend on expression of antimicrobial peptides like cathelicidin for immune defence against pathogens. The mechanisms behind mucosal cathelicidin regulation are incompletely understood. Cathelicidin expression was analysed in duodenal, antral and corpus/fundic mucosal biopsies from African and German patients. Additionally, cathelicidin expression was correlated with Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and the inflammatory status of the mucosa. High cathelicidin transcript abundance was detected in duodenal biopsies from African subjects. On the contrary, cathelicidin mRNA expression was either undetectable or very low in tissue specimens from German patients. Also, in the antrum and corpus/fundus regions of the stomach significantly higher cathelicidin transcript levels were measured in Tanzanian compared to German patients. In gastric biopsies from African patients cathelicidin expression was increased in HP positive compared to HP negative subjects. Additionally, the inflammatory status measured by IL-8 expression correlated well with the HP infection status. A higher duodenal and gastric cathelicidin expression in African (compared with European) individuals may be due to upregulation by antigenic stimulation and may confer a higher resistance against enteric infections