The Implementation and Evaluation of the Emergency Response Dose Assessment System (ERDAS) at Cape Canaveral Air Station/Kennedy Space Center

The Emergency Response Dose Assessment System (ERDAS) is a system which combines the mesoscale meteorological prediction model RAMS with the diffusion models REEDM and HYPACT. Operators use a graphical user interface to run the models for emergency response and toxic hazard planning at CCAS/KCS. The Applied Meteorology Unit has been evaluating the ERDAS meteorological and diffusion models and obtained the following results: (1) RAMS adequately predicts the occurrence of the daily sea breeze during non-cloudy conditions for several cases. (2) RAMS shows a tendency to predict the sea breeze to occur slightly earlier and to move it further inland than observed. The sea breeze predictions could most likely be improved by better parameterizing the soil moisture and/or sea surface temperatures. (3) The HYPACT/REEDM/RAMS models accurately predict launch plume locations when RAMS winds are accurate and when the correct plume layer is modeled. (4) HYPACT does not adequately handle plume buoyancy for heated plumes since all plumes are presently treated as passive tracers. Enhancements should be incorporated into the ERDAS as it moves toward being a fully operational system and as computer workstations continue to increase in power and decrease in cost. These enhancements include the following: activate RAMS moisture physics; use finer RAMS grid resolution; add RAMS input parameters (e.g. soil moisture, radar, and/or satellite data); automate data quality control; implement four-dimensional data assimilation; modify HYPACT plume rise and deposition physics; and add cumulative dosage calculations in HYPACT

Analysis of the first gigantic jet recorded over continental North America

[1] Two low-light cameras near Marfa, Texas, recorded a gigantic jet over northern Mexico on 13 May 2005 at approximately 0423:50 UTC. Assuming that the farthest of two candidate storm systems was its source, the bright lower channel ended in a fork at around 50–59 km height with the very dim upper branches extended to 69–80 km altitude. During the time window containing the jet, extremely low frequency magnetic field recordings show that there was no fast charge moment change larger than 50 coulomb times kilometers (C km) but there was a larger and slower charge moment change of 520 C km over 70 ms. The likely parent thunderstorm was a high-precipitation supercell cluster containing a persistent mesocyclone, with radar echo tops of at least 17 km. However, photogrammetric analysis suggests that the gigantic jet occurred over the forward flank downdraft region with echo tops of 14 km. This part of the supercell may have had an inverted-polarity charge configuration as evidenced by positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes (+CG) dominating over negative flashes (-CG), while -CGs occurred under the downwind anvil. Four minutes before the gigantic jet, -CG activity practically ceased in this area, while +CG rates increased, culminating during the 20 s leading up to the gigantic jet with four National Lightning Detection Network–detected +CGs. A relative lull in lightning activity of both polarities was observed for up to 1.5 min after the gigantic jet. The maturing storm subsequently produced 30 sprites between 0454 and 0820 UTC, some associated with extremely large impulse charge moment change values.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Evidence for continuing current in sprite-producing cloud-to-ground lightning

Includes bibliographical references (page 3642).Radio atmospherics launched by sprite producing positive cloud-to-ground lightning flashes and observed at Palmer Station, Antarctica, exhibit large ELF slow tails following the initial VLF portion, indicating the presence of continuing currents in the source lightning flashes. One-to-one correlation of sferics with NLDN lightning data in both time and arrival azimuth, measured with an accuracy of ±1° at ~12,000 km range, allows unambiguous identification of lightning flashes originating in the storm of interest. Slow-tail measurements at Palmer can potentially be used to measure continuing currents in lightning flashes over nearly half of the Earth's surface

Polarimetric and Multi-Doppler Radar Observations of Sprite-producing Storms

Sprites are caused by luminous electrical breakdown of the upper atmosphere, and frequently occur over large mesoscale precipitation systems. Two spriteproducing storms (on 8 and 25 June) were observed in Colorado during the summer of 2012. Unlike most past studies of sprites, these storms were observed by a polarimetric radar the CSUCHILL facility which provided both PPI and RHI scans of the cases. Also available were multipleDoppler syntheses from CSUCHILL, local NEXRAD radars, and the CSUPawnee radar; as well as data from the Colorado Lightning Mapping Array (COLMA), high speed cameras, and other lightningdetection instrumentation. This unique dataset provided an unprecedented look at the detailed kinematic and microphysical structures of the thunderstorms as they produced sprites, including electrical alignment signatures in the immediate location of the charge layers neutralized by spriteparent positive cloudtoground lightning strokes. One of the spriteproducing cases (25 June) featured an anomalous charge structure and may serve as a model for how sprites can be produced over convection rather than the more typical stratiform regions. Also to be presented will be evidence for advection of charge into a common stratiform precipitation region (on 8 June), which was then tapped by lightning originating from multiple different convective cores to produce sprites. Depending on the outcome of the 2013 convective season, polarimetric data from additional storms that produce sprites and other transient luminous events (TLEs) may be presented

High Speed Intensified Video Observations of TLEs in Support of PhOCAL

The third observing season of PhOCAL (Physical Origins of Coupling to the upper Atmosphere by Lightning) was conducted over the U.S. High Plains during the late spring and summer of 2013. The goal was to capture using an intensified high-speed camera, a transient luminous event (TLE), especially a sprite, as well as its parent cloud-to-ground (SP+CG) lightning discharge, preferably within the domain of a 3-D lightning mapping array (LMA). The co-capture of sprite and its SP+CG was achieved within useful range of an interferometer operating near Rapid City. Other high-speed sprite video sequences were captured above the West Texas LMA. On several occasions the large mesoscale convective complexes (MCSs) producing the TLE-class lightning were also generating vertically propagating convectively generated gravity waves (CGGWs) at the mesopause which were easily visible using NIR-sensitive color cameras. These were captured concurrent with sprites. These observations were follow-ons to a case on 15 April 2012 in which CGGWs were also imaged by the new Day/Night Band on the Suomi NPP satellite system. The relationship between the CGGW and sprite initiation are being investigated. The past year was notable for a large number of elve+halo+sprite sequences sequences generated by the same parent CG. And on several occasions there appear to be prominent banded modulations of the elves' luminosity imaged at >3000 ips. These stripes appear coincident with the banded CGGW structure, and presumably its density variations. Several elves and a sprite from negative CGs were also noted. New color imaging systems have been tested and found capable of capturing sprites. Two cases of sprites with an aurora as a backdrop were also recorded. High speed imaging was also provided in support of the UPLIGHTS program near Rapid City, SD and the USAFA SPRITES II airborne campaign over the Great Plains

Identification of tissue-specific and common methylation quantitative trait loci in healthy individuals using MAGAR

Background Understanding the influence of genetic variants on DNA methylation is fundamental for the interpretation of epigenomic data in the context of disease. There is a need for systematic approaches not only for determining methylation quantitative trait loci (methQTL), but also for discriminating general from cell type-specific effects. Results Here, we present a two-step computational framework MAGAR (https://bioconductor.org/packages/MAGAR), which fully supports the identification of methQTLs from matched genotyping and DNA methylation data, and additionally allows for illuminating cell type-specific methQTL effects. In a pilot analysis, we apply MAGAR on data in four tissues (ileum, rectum, T cells, B cells) from healthy individuals and demonstrate the discrimination of common from cell type-specific methQTLs. We experimentally validate both types of methQTLs in an independent data set comprising additional cell types and tissues. Finally, we validate selected methQTLs located in the PON1, ZNF155, and NRG2 genes by ultra-deep local sequencing. In line with previous reports, we find cell type-specific methQTLs to be preferentially located in enhancer elements. Conclusions Our analysis demonstrates that a systematic analysis of methQTLs provides important new insights on the influences of genetic variants to cell type-specific epigenomic variation

Identification of tissue-specific and common methylation quantitative trait loci in healthy individuals using MAGAR.

BackgroundUnderstanding the influence of genetic variants on DNA methylation is fundamental for the interpretation of epigenomic data in the context of disease. There is a need for systematic approaches not only for determining methylation quantitative trait loci (methQTL), but also for discriminating general from cell type-specific effects.ResultsHere, we present a two-step computational framework MAGAR ( https://bioconductor.org/packages/MAGAR ), which fully supports the identification of methQTLs from matched genotyping and DNA methylation data, and additionally allows for illuminating cell type-specific methQTL effects. In a pilot analysis, we apply MAGAR on data in four tissues (ileum, rectum, T cells, B cells) from healthy individuals and demonstrate the discrimination of common from cell type-specific methQTLs. We experimentally validate both types of methQTLs in an independent data set comprising additional cell types and tissues. Finally, we validate selected methQTLs located in the PON1, ZNF155, and NRG2 genes by ultra-deep local sequencing. In line with previous reports, we find cell type-specific methQTLs to be preferentially located in enhancer elements.ConclusionsOur analysis demonstrates that a systematic analysis of methQTLs provides important new insights on the influences of genetic variants to cell type-specific epigenomic variation

An Archean Biosphere Initiative

The search for life on extrasolar planets will necessarily focus on the imprints of biolgy on the composition of planetary atmospheres. The most notable biological imprint on the modern terrestrial atmosphere is the presence of 21 % O2, However, during most of the past 4 billion years, life and the surface environments on Earth were profoundly different than they are today. It is therefore a major goal of the astrobiology community to ascertain how the O2 content of the atmosphere has varied with time. and to understand the causes of these variations. The NAI and NASA Exobiology program have played critical roles in developing our current understanding of the ancient Earth's atmosphere, supporting diverse observational, analytical, and computational research in geoscience, life science, and related fields. In the present incarnation of the NAI, ongoing work is investigating (i) variations in atmospheric O2 in the Archean to the Cambrian, (ii) characterization of the redox state of the oceans shortly before, during and after the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), and (iii) unraveling the complex connections between environmental oxygenation, global climate, and the evolution of life

‘The object is to change the heart and soul’: Financial incentives, planning and opposition to new housebuilding in England

© The Author(s) 2020. In 2014 the UK government announced plans to reduce opposition to housing development by making a direct payment to households in England. 1 This was part of a wider experiment with behavioural economics and financial inducements in planning policy. In this paper, we explore this proposal, named ‘Development Benefits’, arguing it offers important insights into how the governing rationality of neoliberalism attempts to govern both planning and opposition to development by replacing political debate with a depoliticised economic rationality. Drawing on householder and key player responses to the Development Benefits proposal we highlight significant levels of principled objection to the replacement of traditional forms of planning reason with financial logics. The paper therefore contributes to understandings of planning as a site of ongoing resistance to neoliberal rationalities. We conclude by questioning whether Development Benefits represent a particular strand of ‘late neoliberal’ governmentality, exploring the potential for an alternative planning rationality to contest the narrow marketisation of planning ideas and practices

Evidence for the exclusive decay Bc+- to J/psi pi+- and measurement of the mass of the Bc meson

We report first evidence for a fully reconstructed decay mode of the B_c^{\pm} meson in the channel B_c^{\pm} \to J/psi \pi^{\pm}, with J/psi \to mu^+mu^-. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of 360 pb$^{-1} in p\bar{p} collisions at 1.96 TeV center of mass energy collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We observe 14.6 \pm 4.6 signal events with a background of 7.1 \pm 0.9 events, and a fit to the J/psi pi^{\pm} mass spectrum yields a B_c^{\pm} mass of 6285.7 \pm 5.3(stat) \pm 1.2(syst) MeV/c^2. The probability of a peak of this magnitude occurring by random fluctuation in the search region is estimated as 0.012%.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Version 3, accepted by PR