78 research outputs found
Monitoring Changes of Tropical Extreme Rainfall Events Using Differential Absorption Barometric Radar (DiBAR)
This work studies the potential of monitoring changes in tropical extreme rainfall events such as tropical storms from space using a Differential-absorption BArometric Radar (DiBAR) operating at 50-55 gigahertz O2 absorption band to remotely measure sea surface air pressure. Air pressure is among the most important variables that affect atmospheric dynamics, and currently can only be measured by limited in-situ observations over oceans. Analyses show that with the proposed radar the errors in instantaneous (averaged) pressure estimates can be as low as approximately 5 millibars (approximately 1 millibar) under all weather conditions. With these sea level pressure measurements, the forecasts, analyses and understanding of these extreme events in both short and long time scales can be improved. Severe weathers, especially hurricanes, are listed as one of core areas that need improved observations and predictions in WCRP (World Climate Research Program) and NASA Decadal Survey (DS) and have major impacts on public safety and national security through disaster mitigation. Since the development of the DiBAR concept about a decade ago, our team has made substantial progress in advancing the concept. Our feasibility assessment clearly shows the potential of sea surface barometry using existing radar technologies. We have developed a DiBAR system design, fabricated a Prototype-DiBAR (P-DiBAR) for proof-of-concept, conducted lab, ground and airborne P-DiBAR tests. The flight test results are consistent with our instrumentation goals. Observational system simulation experiments for space DiBAR performance show substantial improvements in tropical storm predictions, not only for the hurricane track and position but also for the hurricane intensity. DiBAR measurements will lead us to an unprecedented level of the prediction and knowledge on tropical extreme rainfall weather and climate conditions
Cloud Radiative Forcing at the ARM Climate Research Facility
It has been hypothesized that continuous ground-based remote sensing measurements from active and passive remote sensors combined with regular soundings of the atmospheric thermodynamic structure can be combined to describe the effects of clouds on the clear sky radiation fluxes. We critically test that hypothesis in this paper and a companion paper (Part II). Using data collected at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, we explore an analysis methodology that results in the characterization of the physical state of the atmospheric profile at time resolutions of five minutes and vertical resolutions of 90 m. The description includes thermodynamics and water vapor profile information derived by merging radiosonde soundings with ground-based data, and continues through specification of the cloud layer occurrence and microphysical and radiative properties derived from retrieval algorithms and parameterizations. The description of the atmospheric physical state includes a calculation of the infrared and clear and cloudy sky solar flux profiles. Validation of the methodology is provided by comparing the calculated fluxes with top of atmosphere (TOA) and surface flux measurements and by comparing the total column optical depths to independently derived estimates. We find over a 1-year period of comparison in overcast uniform skies, that the calculations are strongly correlated to measurements with biases in the flux quantities at the surface and TOA of less than 10% and median fractional errors ranging from 20% to as low as 2%. In the optical depth comparison for uniform overcast skies during the year 2000 where the optical depth varies over 3 orders of magnitude we find a mean positive bias of 46% with a median bias of less than 10% and a 0.89 correlation coefficient. The slope of the linear regression line for the optical depth comparison is 0.86 with a normal deviation of 20% about this line. In addition to a case study where we examine the cloud radiative effects at the TOA, surface and atmosphere by a middle latitude synoptic-scale cyclone, we examine the cloud top pressure and optical depth retrievals of ISCCP and LBTM over a period of 1 year. Using overcast period from the year 2000, we find that the satellite algorithms tend to bias cloud tops into the middle troposphere and underestimate optical depth in high optical depth events (greater than 100) by as much as a factor of 2
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Clouds, aerosols, and precipitation in the marine boundary layer: an ARM Mobile Facility Deployment
The Clouds, Aerosol, and Precipitation in the Marine Boundary Layer (CAP-MBL) deployment at Graciosa Island in the Azores generated a 21-month (April 2009βDecember 2010) comprehensive dataset documenting clouds, aerosols, and precipitation using the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF). The scientific aim of the deployment is to gain improved understanding of the interactions of clouds, aerosols, and precipitation in the marine boundary layer.
Graciosa Island straddles the boundary between the subtropics and midlatitudes in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and consequently experiences a great diversity of meteorological and cloudiness conditions. Low clouds are the dominant cloud type, with stratocumulus and cumulus occurring regularly. Approximately half of all clouds contained precipitation detectable as radar echoes below the cloud base. Radar and satellite observations show that clouds with tops from 1 to 11 km contribute more or less equally to surface-measured precipitation at Graciosa. A wide range of aerosol conditions was sampled during the deployment consistent with the diversity of sources as indicated by back-trajectory analysis. Preliminary findings suggest important two-way interactions between aerosols and clouds at Graciosa, with aerosols affecting light precipitation and cloud radiative properties while being controlled in part by precipitation scavenging.
The data from Graciosa are being compared with short-range forecasts made with a variety of models. A pilot analysis with two climate and two weather forecast models shows that they reproduce the observed time-varying vertical structure of lower-tropospheric cloud fairly well but the cloud-nucleating aerosol concentrations less well. The Graciosa site has been chosen to be a permanent fixed ARM site that became operational in October 2013
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Cloud radiative forcing at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Climate Research Facility : 1. Technique, validation, and comparison to satellite-derived diagnositc quantities
It has been hypothesized that continuous ground-based remote sensing measurements
from collocated active and passive remote sensors combined with regular soundings of the
atmospheric thermodynamic structure can be combined to describe the effects of clouds on
the clear sky radiation fluxes. We critically test that hypothesis in this paper and a
companion paper (part 2). Using data collected at the Southern Great Plains (SGP)
Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Energy, we explore an analysis methodology that results in the characterization of the
physical state of the atmospheric profile at time resolutions of 5 min and vertical resolutions
of 90 m. The description includes thermodynamics and water vapor profile information
derived by merging radiosonde soundings with ground-based data and continues through
specification of the cloud layer occurrence and microphysical and radiative properties
derived from retrieval algorithms and parameterizations. The description of the
atmospheric physical state includes a calculation of the clear and cloudy sky solar and
infrared flux profiles. Validation of the methodology is provided by comparing the
calculated fluxes with top of atmosphere (TOA) and surface flux measurements and by
comparing the total column optical depths to independently derived estimates. We find over
a 1-year period of comparison in overcast uniform skies that the calculations are strongly
correlated to measurements with biases in the flux quantities at the surface and TOA of less
than 6% and median fractional errors ranging from 12% to as low as 2%. In the optical
depth comparison for uniform overcast skies during the year 2000 where the optical depth
varies over more than 3 orders of magnitude we find a mean positive bias of less than 1%
and a 0.6 correlation coefficient. In addition to a case study where we examine the cloud
radiative effects at the TOA, surface and atmosphere by a middle latitude cyclone, we
examine the cloud top pressure and optical depth retrievals of ISCCP and LBTM over a
period of 1 year. Using overcast periods from the year 2000, we find that the satellite
algorithms tend to compare well with data overall but there is a tendency to bias cloud tops
into the middle troposphere and underestimate optical depth in high optical depth events.Copyrighted by American Geophysical Union
Characterization of the Interaction between the Cohesin Subunits Rad21 and SA1/2
The cohesin complex is responsible for the fidelity of chromosomal segregation during mitosis. It consists of four core
subunits, namely Rad21/Mcd1/Scc1, Smc1, Smc3, and one of the yeast Scc3 orthologs SA1 or SA2. Sister chromatid cohesion
is generated during DNA replication and maintained until the onset of anaphase. Among the many proposed models of the
cohesin complex, the οΎcoreοΎ cohesin subunits Smc1, Smc3, and Rad21 are almost universally displayed as tripartite ring.
However, other than its supportive role in the cohesin ring, little is known about the fourth core subunit SA1/SA2. To gain
deeper insight into the function of SA1/SA2 in the cohesin complex, we have mapped the interactive regions of SA2 and
Rad21 in vitro and ex vivo. Whereas SA2 interacts with Rad21 through a broad region (301οΎ750 aa), Rad21 binds to SA
proteins through two SA-binding motifs on Rad21, namely N-terminal (NT) and middle part (MP) SA-binding motif, located
At 60-81 aa of the N-terminus and 383οΎ392 aa of the MP of Rad21, respectively. The MP SA-binding motif is a 10 amino acid,
a-helical motif. Deletion of these 10 amino acids or mutation of three conserved amino acids (L385, F389, and T390) in this ahelical
motif significantly hinders Rad21 from physically interacting with SA1/2. Besides the MP SA-binding motif, the NT SAbinding
motif is also important for SA1/2 interaction. Although mutations on both SA-binding motifs disrupt Rad21-SA1/2
interaction, they had no apparent effect on the Smc1-Smc3-Rad21 interaction. However, the Rad21-Rad21 dimerization was
reduced by the mutations, indicating potential involvement of the two SA-binding motifs in the formation of the two-ring
handcuff for chromosomal cohesion. Furthermore, mutant Rad21 proteins failed to significantly rescue precocious
chromosome separation caused by depletion of endogenous Rad21 in mitotic cells, further indicating the physiological
significance of the two SA-binding motifs of Rad21
Redox Regulation of the AMP-Activated Protein Kinase
Redox state is a critical determinant of cell function, and any major imbalances can cause severe damage or death
2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Treatment of Endothelial Cells Induces Autophagy by Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Activation of the AMP-Activated Protein Kinase
Autophagy is a cellular self-digestion process activated in response to stresses such as energy deprivation and oxidative stress. However, the mechanisms by which energy deprivation and oxidative stress trigger autophagy remain undefined. Here, we report that activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) by mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) is required for autophagy in cultured endothelial cells. AMPK activity, ROS levels, and the markers of autophagy were monitored in confluent bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) treated with the glycolysis blocker 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). Treatment of BAEC with 2-DG (5 mM) for 24 hours or with low concentrations of H2O2 (100 Β΅M) induced autophagy, including increased conversion of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-I to LC3-II, accumulation of GFP-tagged LC3 positive intracellular vacuoles, and increased fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes. 2-DG-treatment also induced AMPK phosphorylation, which was blocked by either co-administration of two potent anti-oxidants (Tempol and N-Acetyl-L-cysteine) or overexpression of superoxide dismutase 1 or catalase in BAEC. Further, 2-DG-induced autophagy in BAEC was blocked by overexpressing catalase or siRNA-mediated knockdown of AMPK. Finally, pretreatment of BAEC with 2-DG increased endothelial cell viability after exposure to hypoxic stress. Thus, AMPK is required for ROS-triggered autophagy in endothelial cells, which increases endothelial cell survival in response to cell stress
Associations of HLA-DP Variants with Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Southern and Northern Han Chinese Populations: A Multicenter Case-Control Study
) locus has been reported to be associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in populations of Japan and Thailand. We aimed to examine whether the association can be replicated in Han Chinese populations.β=β0.097βΌ0.697 and 0.198βΌ0.615 in northern Chinese population, respectively). loci were strongly associated with HBV infection in southern and northern Han Chinese populations, but not with HBV progression
Tyrosine Nitration of PA700 Links Proteasome Activation to Endothelial Dysfunction in Mouse Models with Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Oxidative stress is believed to cause endothelial dysfunction, an early event and a hallmark in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) including hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. However, the targets for oxidative stress-mediated endothelial dysfunction in CVD have not been completely elucidated. Here we report that 26S proteasome activation by peroxynitrite (ONOOβ) is a common pathway for endothelial dysfunction in mouse models of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Endothelial function, assayed by acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation, was impaired in parallel with significantly increased 26S proteasome activity in aortic homogenates from streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type I diabetic mice, angiotensin-infused hypertensive mice, and high fat-diets -fed LDL receptor knockout (LDLrβ/β) mice. The elevated 26S proteasome activities were accompanied by ONOOβ-mediated PA700/S10B nitration and increased 26S proteasome assembly and caused accelerated degradation of molecules (such as GTPCH I and thioredoxin) essential to endothelial homeostasis. Pharmacological (administration of MG132) or genetic inhibition (siRNA knockdown of PA700/S10B) of the 26S proteasome blocked the degradation of the vascular protective molecules and ablated endothelial dysfunction induced by diabetes, hypertension, and western diet feeding. Taken together, these results suggest that 26S proteasome activation by ONOOβ-induced PA700/S10B tyrosine nitration is a common route for endothelial dysfunction seen in mouse models of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia
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