First results of the OROMA experiment in the Lister Tief of the German Bight in the North Sea, EARSeL Proceedings

The objective of the project entitled “Operational Radar and Optical Mapping in monitoring hydrodynamic, morphodynamic and environmental parameters for coastal management (OROMA)” within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission (EC) is to improve the effectiveness of monitoring technologies in coastal waters. The Research Vessel (R.V.) Ludwig Prandtl of the GKSS research centre was equipped with special sensors and instruments to measure the position of the ship, the water depth, the salinity, the water temperature, the current speed and direction, the modulation characteristics of short-wave energies, and relevant air-sea interaction parameters due to the presence of submarine sand waves. The first experiment of the OROMA project on 5-16 August 2002 took place in the Lister Tief, a tidal inlet of the German Bight in the North Sea. The seabed morphology of the Lister Tief reveals a complex configuration of different bedforms which is four-dimensional in space and time. A significant upward orientated component uvert of the three-dimensional current velocity field was observed. Marked vertically so-called waterspouts of uvert above the crests of sand waves have been measured by the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) as straight lines. They cause water upwelling with turbulence patterns at the water surface affecting the Normalized Radar Cross Section (NRCS) modulation. A first impression of expected NRCS modulation signatures of sea bottom topography detected by the GKSS shipborne X-band radar are presented as an uncalibrated composite of five single sea clutter images acquired in the Lister Tief on 22 November 1990

Comparison of lunar rocks and meteorites: Implications to histories of the moon and parent meteorite bodies

A number of similarities between lunar and meteoritic rocks are reported and suggest that the comparison is essential for a clear understanding of meteorites as probes of the early history of the solar systems: (1) Monomict and polymict breccias occur in lunar rocks, as well as in achondritic and chondritic meteorites, having resulted from complex and repeated impact processes. (2) Chondrules are present in lunar, as well as in a few achondritic and most chondritic meteorites. It is pointed out that because chondrules may form in several different ways and in different environments, a distinction between the different modes of origin and an estimate of their relative abundance is important if their significance as sources of information on the early history of the solar system is to be clearly understood. (3) Lithic fragments are very useful in attempts to understand the pre- and post-impact history of lunar and meteoritic breccias. They vary from little modified (relative to the apparent original texture), to partly or completely melted and recrystallized lithic fragments

Representation of acoustic communication signals by insect auditory receptor neurons

Despite their simple auditory systems, some insect species recognize certain temporal aspects of acoustic stimuli with an acuity equal to that of vertebrates; however, the underlying neural mechanisms and coding schemes are only partially understood. In this study, we analyze the response characteristics of the peripheral auditory system of grasshoppers with special emphasis on the representation of species-specific communication signals. We use both natural calling songs and artificial random stimuli designed to focus on two low-order statistical properties of the songs: their typical time scales and the distribution of their modulation amplitudes. Based on stimulus reconstruction techniques and quantified within an information-theoretic framework, our data show that artificial stimuli with typical time scales of >40 msec can be read from single spike trains with high accuracy. Faster stimulus variations can be reconstructed only for behaviorally relevant amplitude distributions. The highest rates of information transmission (180 bits/sec) and the highest coding efficiencies (40%) are obtained for stimuli that capture both the time scales and amplitude distributions of natural songs. Use of multiple spike trains significantly improves the reconstruction of stimuli that vary on time scales <40 msec or feature amplitude distributions as occur when several grasshopper songs overlap. Signal-to-noise ratios obtained from the reconstructions of natural songs do not exceed those obtained from artificial stimuli with the same low-order statistical properties. We conclude that auditory receptor neurons are optimized to extract both the time scales and the amplitude distribution of natural songs. They are not optimized, however, to extract higher-order statistical properties of the song-specific rhythmic patterns

An extreme ultraviolet spectrometer experiment for the Shuttle Get Away Special Program

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrometer experiment operated successfully during the STS-7 mission in an experiment to measure the global and diurnal variation of the EUV airglow. The spectrometer is an F 3.5 Wadsworth mount with mechanical collimator, a 75 x 75 mm grating, and a bare microchannel plate detector providing a spectral resolution of 7 X FWHM. Read-out of the signal is through discrete channels or resistive anode techniques. The experiment includes a microcomputer, 20 Mbit tape recorder, and a 28V, 40 Ahr silver-zinc battery. It is the first GAS payload to use an opening door. The spectrometer's 0.1 x 4.2 deg field of view is pointed vertically out of the shuttle bay. During the STS-7 flight data were acquired continuously for a period of 5 hours and 37 minutes, providing spectra of the 570 A to 850 A wavelength region of the airglow. Five diurnal cycles of the 584 A emission of neutral helium and the 834 A emission of ionized atomic oxygen were recorded. The experiment also recorded ion events and pressure pulses associated with thruster firings. The experiment is to fly again on Mission 41-F

Effect of Sodium Sulfite, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate, and Urea on the Molecular Interactions and Properties of Whey Protein Isolate-Based Films

Whey protein coatings and cast films are promising for use as food packaging materials. Ongoing research is endeavoring to reduce their permeability. The intention of this study was to evaluate the effect of the reactive additives sodium sulfite, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and urea on the oxygen barrier, water vapor barrier, and protein solubility of whey protein cast films. The concentration of the reactive additives was 1 to 20 wt.-%. Dried whey protein cast films were used as substrate materials. The water vapor transmission rate, the oxygen permeability, and the protein solubility were measured. Effective diffusion coefficients and effective sorption coefficients were calculated from the results of the water vapor sorption experiments. The presence of sodium sulfite resulted in an increased number of hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds and a slightly decreased number of disulfide bonds. The oxygen permeability decreased from 68 to 46 cm3 (STP/standard temperature and pressure) 100 μm (m2 d bar)−1 for 1 wt.-% SDS in the whey protein cast film. The water vapor transmission rate decreased from 165 to 44 g 100 μm (m2 d)−1 measured at 50 to 0% r. h. for 20 wt.-% SDS in the whey protein cast film. The reduction in the water vapor transmission rate correlated with the lower effective diffusion coefficient

Kinetic stabilization of Fe film on (4 by 2)-GaAs(100)

We grow Fe film on (4 by 2)-GaAs(100) at low temperature, (~ 130 K) and study their chemical structure by photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. We observe the effective suppression of As segregation and remarkable reduction of alloy formation near the interface between Fe and substrate. Hence, this should be a way to grow virtually pristine Fe film on GaAs(100). Further, the Fe film is found stable against As segregation even after warmed up to room temperature. There only forms very thin, ~ 8 angstrom thick interface alloy. It is speculated that the interface alloy forms via surface diffusion mediated by interface defects formed during the low temperature growth of the Fe film. Further out-diffusion of both Ga and As are suppressed because it should then proceed via inefficient bulk diffusion.Comment: 4 figure

Comparison of lunar rocks and meteorites: Implications to histories of the moon and parent meteorite bodies

There are many similarities between lunar samples and stone meteorites. Lunar samples, especially from the highlands, indicate that they have been affected by complex and repeated impact processes. Similar complex and repeated impact processes have also been operative on the achondritic and chondritic meteorites. Similarities between lunar and meteoritic rocks are discussed as follows: (1) Monomict and polymict breccias occur in lunar rocks, as well as in achondritic and chondritic meteorites, having resulted from complex and repeated impact processes; (2) Chondrules are present in lunar meteorites, as well as in a few achondritic and most chondritic meteorites. They apparently crystallized spontaneously from molten highly supercooled droplets which may have formed from impact melts or, perhaps, volcanic processes (as well as from the solar nebula, in the case of meteoritic chondrites); (3) Lithic fragments vary from little modified (relative to the apparent original texture) to partly or completely melted and recrystallized lithic fragments. Their detailed study allows conclusions to be drawn about their parent rock types and their origin, thereby gaining insight into preimpact histories of lunar and meteoritic breccias. There is evidence that cumulate rocks were involved in the early history of both moon and parent meteorite bodies

Apollo 15 rake sample microbreccias and non-mare rocks: Bulk rock, mineral and glass electron microprobe analyses

Quantitative electron microprobe data of Apollo 15 nonmare rake samples are presented. Bulk analyses of lithic fragments in the nomare rocks (expressed in oxide weight-percent) and the corresponding CIPW molecular norms are given. The mineralogy of the rocks and lithic fragments are also given; structural formulae for complete analyses and molecular end-members for all mineral analyses are included. The mineral analyses include pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase, barian K-feldspar, spinel and ilmenite, cobaltian metallic nickel-iron as well as SiO2-K2O-rich residual glass. Electron micropobe analyses (oxide weight percent) of glasses in loose fines and microbreccia samples and their CIPW molecular norms are presented along with electron microprobe data on bulk, mineral, and matrix glass from chondrules

Musical feedback system Jymmin leads to enhanced physical endurance in the elderly: A feasibility study

Background and objectives: Active music-making in combination with physical exercise has evoked several positive effects in users of different age groups. These include enhanced mood, muscular effectivity, pain threshold, and decreased perceived exertion. The present study tested the applicability of this musical feedback system, called Jymmin®, in combination with strength-endurance exercises in a population of healthy older adults. Research design and methods: Sixteen healthy, physically inactive older adults (5 males, 11 females) at the mean age of 70 years performed physical exercise in two conditions: A conventional work-out while listening passively music and a Jymmin® work-out, where musical sounds were created with one's work-out movements. According to the hypothesis that strength-endurance is increased during musical feedback exercise, parameters relating to strength-endurance were assessed, including exercise duration, number of repetitions, perceived exertion (RPE), and participants' mental state (Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire; MDMQ). Results: Results show that participants exercised significantly longer while doing Jymmin® (Mdn = 248.75 s) as compared to the conventional work-out (Mdn = 182.73 s), (Z = 3.408, p = 0.001). The RPE did not differ between conventional work-out and the Jymmin® condition, even though participants worked out significantly longer during the Jymmin® condition (Mdn = 14.50; Z = −0.905; p = 0.366). The results of the MDMQ showed no significant differences between both conditions (Z = −1.037; p = 0.300). Discussion and implications: Results show that participants could work out longer while showing the same perceived exertion, relating to increased physical endurance. Music feedback work-out encouraged a greater degree of isometric contractions (muscle actively held at fixed length) and, therefore, less repetitions in this condition. In addition to the previously described effect on muscle effectivity, this non-stereotypic contraction pattern during music feedback training may have enhanced endurance in participants supporting them to better proportion energetic reserves during training (pacing)