Third National Aeronautics and Space Administration Weather and climate program science review

Research results of developing experimental and prototype operational systems, sensors, and space facilities for monitoring, and understanding the atmosphere are reported. Major aspects include: (1) detection, monitoring, and prediction of severe storms; (2) improvement of global forecasting; and (3) monitoring and prediction of climate change

Fourth National Aeronautics and Space Administration Weather and Climate Program Science Review

The NASA Weather and Climate Program has two major thrusts. The first involves the development of experimental and prototype operational satellite systems, sensors, and space facilities for monitoring and understanding the atmosphere. The second thrust involves basic scientific investigation aimed at studying the physical and chemical processes which control weather and climate. This fourth science review concentrated on the scientific research rather than the hardware development aspect of the program. These proceedings contain 65 papers covering the three general areas: severe storms and local weather research, global weather, and climate

Entwicklung eines Instrumentes für ein landesweites Nährstoffmanagement in Schleswig-Holstein

Im Arbeitsbericht werden Ergebnisse zur Berechnung und Analyse der Nährstoffbilanzierung der Jahre 2007 und 2010 auf Gemeindeebene für das Land Schleswig-Holstein vorgestellt und deren Datengrundlage, die Methodik und Unsicherheiten diskutiert. Es zeigt sich, dass die Nährstoffüberschüsse im Jahr 2010 im Vergleich zu 2007 leicht ansteigen. Dies ist überwiegend durch den vermehrten Anfall von Wirtschaftsdünger aus der Tierhaltung sowie Gärresten aus Biogasanlagen begründet. Es wird deutlich, dass die Höhe der Entzüge, die Ausbringung von Mineraldünger und der Anfall von Wirtschaftsdünger und Gärresten die Haupteinflussgrößen auf die Höhe der Nährstoffbilanzen haben. Im Durchschnitt führt dies zu einem Anstieg des durchschnittlichen landwirtschaftlichen Stickstoffüberschusses vom Jahr 2007 zum Jahr 2010 von über vier Kilogramm pro ha landwirt-schaftlich genutzte Fläche

Agricultural costs for reducing nitrogen surpluses in the Weser river basin

Agriculture is to a large part responsible for nitrate leaching into groundwater and rivers in Germany, especially in highly intensive agricultural regions. To evaluate the link between nitrogen surpluses from agriculture and nutrient leaching into ground- and surface waters, a model network to analyse current and future nitrogen surplus developments and water quality is set up by connecting hydrological and hydrogeological models with the German agricultural sector model RAUMIS. A set of different environmental measures and their costs is selected to fulfil surface and groundwater targets of the European water framework directive (WFD) for the case of the Weser River basin. Results show that with additional agri-environmental measures covering around 1 million hectares agriculturally used land with total costs of 100 million Euros the objectives of the WFD could be achieved until 2015. Sensitivity analysis allows a better valuation of the range of the costs. The costs and volumes are compared to regional farming characteristics and subsidies. Results show that costs of additional environmental measures would take up 5% of current direct payments to farmers. The work represents an interdisciplinary area wide modelling approach to evaluate agricultural input and measures together with an approach to quantify costs to achieve environmental objectives of the WFD.diffuse pollution / agricultural economic and hydrological modelling / cost of nutrient reduction measures / Weser river basin, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use, Production Economics,

Current and Future Therapeutic Approaches for Thymic Stromal Cell Defects

Inborn errors of thymic stromal cell development and function lead to impaired T-cell development resulting in a susceptibility to opportunistic infections and autoimmunity. In their most severe form, congenital athymia, these disorders are life-threatening if left untreated. Athymia is rare and is typically associated with complete DiGeorge syndrome, which has multiple genetic and environmental etiologies. It is also found in rare cases of T-cell lymphopenia due to Nude SCID and Otofaciocervical Syndrome type 2, or in the context of genetically undefined defects. This group of disorders cannot be corrected by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, but upon timely recognition as thymic defects, can successfully be treated by thymus transplantation using cultured postnatal thymic tissue with the generation of naïve T-cells showing a diverse repertoire. Mortality after this treatment usually occurs before immune reconstitution and is mainly associated with infections most often acquired pre-transplantation. In this review, we will discuss the current approaches to the diagnosis and management of thymic stromal cell defects, in particular those resulting in athymia. We will discuss the impact of the expanding implementation of newborn screening for T-cell lymphopenia, in combination with next generation sequencing, as well as the role of novel diagnostic tools distinguishing between hematopoietic and thymic stromal cell defects in facilitating the early consideration for thymus transplantation of an increasing number of patients and disorders. Immune reconstitution after the current treatment is usually incomplete with relatively common inflammatory and autoimmune complications, emphasizing the importance for improving strategies for thymus replacement therapy by optimizing the current use of postnatal thymus tissue and developing new approaches using engineered thymus tissue

Inborn errors of thymic stromal cell development and function

As the primary site for T cell development, the thymus is responsible for the production and selection of a functional, yet self-tolerant T cell repertoire. This critically depends on thymic stromal cells, derived from the pharyngeal apparatus during embryogenesis. Thymic epithelial cells, mesenchymal and vascular elements together form the unique and highly specialised microenvironment required to support all aspects of thymopoiesis and T cell central tolerance induction. Although rare, inborn errors of thymic stromal cells constitute a clinically important group of conditions because their immunological consequences, which include autoimmune disease and T cell immunodeficiency, can be life-threatening if unrecognised and untreated. In this review, we describe the molecular and environmental aetiologies of the thymic stromal cell defects known to cause disease in humans, placing particular emphasis on those with a propensity to cause thymic hypoplasia or aplasia and consequently severe congenital immunodeficiency. We discuss the principles underpinning their diagnosis and management, including the use of novel tools to aid in their identification and strategies for curative treatment, principally transplantation of allogeneic thymus tissue

Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Science, collected reprints 1978-1979, volume 1

A ready reference is presented to 61 papers by members of the Laboratory published between January 1, 1978 and December 31, 1979. To avoid unnecessary duplication, only abstracts or introductions of NASA reports and conference proceedings are included with reprints of articles from various journals

Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences, collected reprints 1978 - 1979, volume 2

Information about the Earth hydrosphere, obtained in the field and from aircraft and satellite imagery is reported. Particular emphasis is given to the use of microwave sensors in the study of soil moisture, sea ice, snow cover and atmospheric parameters associated with watersheds

Koppelung agrarökonomischer und hydrologischer Modelle

The objective of the paper is to show the potential of interdisciplinary model networks consisting of agricultural economic and natural science models performing integrated impact assessments of agri-environmental policies. The potentials are exemplified using a coupling of the agricultural sector model RAUMIS with the hydrological models GROWA98 and WEKU in the scope of diffuse agricultural nitrogen immission into waterbodies. A brief classification of applied indicators is given. A key element for policy impact analyses are the relationships between the environmental indicator categories Driving Force, State and Response. The major relationships within this environmental scope as well as the modeling are explained. The presented model network represents a first area wide, regionally differentiated, consistent link-up between the Driving Force indicator “nitrogen balance surplusâ€, the State indicator “nitrogen(nitrate)concentration†and the response indicators. The results show that due to the local characteristics quite different shares of the agricultural nitrogen surplus finally enters the ground and surface waters. Hence, assessing the trade-offs of agri-environmental water protection measures requires an inclusion of natural local characteristics. The integrated consideration of the complex relationships and a comprehensive implementation of local characteristics allows to develop more efficient water pollution control measures.model-based policy consulting, interdisciplinary model networks, agricultural sector model, diffuse agricultural nitrogen immissions, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy,