Report and preliminary results of R/V POSEIDON cruise POS500, LISA, Ligurian Slope AUV mapping, gravity coring and seismic reflection, Catania (Italy) – Malaga (Spain), 25.05.2016 – 09.06.2016

Cruise POS500 “LISA” with R/V Poseidon studied the western Ligurian Margin off Southern France, an area in the northeastern part of the western Mediterranean Sea characterized by its active tectonism and frequent mass wasting. The region near the Var estuary close to the city of Nice is particularly suited for landslide research because it represents a natural laboratority where it is possible to study a series of trigger processes of geological and anthropogenic origin. The aim of this MARUM expedition was to: i. Study fresh water seepage in the marine Nice airport landslide and adjacent stable plateau in 15-50 m water depth using water sampling, CTD and geochemistry; ii. Recover and deploy a number of observatories that monitor, pressure, temperature, tilt and seismicity; iii. Run an AUV micro-bathymetric survey with MARUM AUV SEAL5000 to complement existing multibeam maps; and iv. Acquire additional high-resolution seismic reflection profiles to unravel the complex architecture of the Nice slope and Var delta. In a period of approximately two weeks, we acquired valuable geophysical information that helps to understand the evolution of this portion of the Ligurian Margin and further to support an active Amphibious Drilling proposal submitted to ICDP and IODP. We could also show that heavy spring rainfall plus melt water from the French Maritime Alps supplied sufficient hydraulic forcing to push Var aquifer groundwaters to seep into the marine deposits and water column. Freshening was strongest in the 1979 Nice landslide scar, but was also found at the outer edge of the shelf. Recovery and redeployment of various observatory prototypes worked well, both for the MARUM MeBo seafloor drillstring tolos and independent piezometers. Observatory data have yet to be evaluated. In addition, geochemical analyses of bottom waters and pore waters was deferred to shore-based laboratorios except for salinity estimates using a refractometer. Seismic processing was started onboard, but is largely taking place post-cruise at University Bremen

The CRESST Dark Matter Search

We present first competitive results on WIMP dark matter using the phonon-light-detection technique. A particularly strong limit for WIMPs with coherent scattering results from selecting a region of the phonon-light plane corresponding to tungsten recoils. The observed count rate in the neutron band is compatible with the rate expected from neutron background. CRESST is presently being upgraded with a 66 channel SQUID readout system, a neutron shield and a muon veto system. This results in a significant improvement in sensitivity.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on the Identification and Detection of Dark Matter IDM 2004, Edinburgh, Sept. 2004, World Scientifi

Non-linear electrical response in a charge/orbital ordered Pr⁡0.63\Pr_{0.63}Ca0.37_{0.37}MnO3_3 crystal : the charge density wave analogy

Non-linear conduction in a charge-ordered manganese oxide Pr$_{0.63}$Ca$_{0.37}$MnO$_3$ is reported. To interpret such a feature, it is usually proposed that a breakdown of the charge or orbitally ordered state is induced by the current. The system behaves in such a way that the bias current may generate metallic paths giving rise to resistivity drop. One can describe this feature by considering the coexistence of localized and delocalized electron states with independent paths of conduction. This situation is reminiscent of what occurs in charge density wave systems where a similar non-linear conduction is also observed. In the light of recent experimental results suggesting the development of charge density waves in charge and orbitally ordered manganese oxides, a phenomenological model for charge density waves motion is used to describe the non-linear conduction in Pr$_{0.63}$Ca$_{0.37}$MnO$_3$. In such a framework, the non-linear conduction arises from the motion of the charge density waves condensate which carries a net electrical current.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Non-linear electrical response in a non-charge-ordered manganite: Pr0.8Ca0.2MnO3

Up to now, electric field induced non-linear conduction in the Pr(1-x)CaxMnO3 system has been ascribed to a current-induced destabilization of the charge ordered phase. However, for x<0.25, a ferromagnetic insulator state is observed and charge-ordering is absent whatever the temperature. A systematic investigation of the non-linear transport in the ferromagnetic insulator Pr0.8Ca0.2MnO3 shows rather similar results to those obtained in charge ordered systems. However, the experimental features observed in Pr0.8Ca0.2MnO3 are distinct in that the collapse of the CO energy gap can not be invoked as usually done in the other members of the PCMO system. We propose interpretations in which the effectiveness of the DE is restored upon application of electric field.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

High (but Not Low) Urinary Iodine Excretion Is Predicted by Iodine Excretion Levels from Five Years Ago

Background: It has not been investigated whether there are associations between urinary iodine (UI) excretion measurements some years apart, nor whether such an association remains after adjustment for nutritional habits. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between iodine-creatinine ratio (ICR) at two measuring points 5 years apart. Methods: Data from 2,659 individuals from the Study of Health in Pomerania were analyzed. Analysis of covariance and Poisson regressions were used to associate baseline with follow-up ICR. Results: Baseline ICR was associated with follow-up ICR. Particularly, baseline ICR >300 mu g/g was related to an ICR >300 mu g/g at follow-up (relative risk, RR: 2.20; p < 0.001). The association was stronger in males (RR: 2.64; p < 0.001) than in females (RR: 1.64; p = 0.007). In contrast, baseline ICR <100 mu g/g was only associated with an ICR <100 mu g/g at follow-up in males when considering unadjusted ICR. Conclusions: We detected only a weak correlation with respect to low ICR. Studies assessing iodine status in a population should take into account that an individual with a low UI excretion in one measurement is not necessarily permanently iodine deficient. On the other hand, current high ICR could have been predicted by high ICR 5 years ago. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

Immunization programs to support primary health care and achieve universal health coverage

Gains in immunization coverage and delivery of primary health care service have stagnated in recent years. Remaining gaps in service coverage reflect multiple underlying reasons that may be amenable to improved health system design. Immunization systems and other primary health care services can be mutually supportive, for improved service delivery and for strengthening of Universal Health Coverage. Improvements require that dynamic and multi-faceted barriers and risks be addressed. These include workforce availability, quality data systems and use, leadership and management that is innovative, flexible, data driven and responsive to local needs. Concurrently, improvements in procurement, supply chain, logistics and delivery systems, and integrated monitoring of vaccine coverage and epidemiological disease surveillance with laboratory systems, and vaccine safety will be needed to support community engagement and drive prioritized actions and communication. Finally, political will and sustained resource commitment with transparent accountability mechanisms are required. The experience of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on essential PHC services and the challenges of vaccine roll-out affords an opportunity to apply lessons learned in order to enhance vaccine services integrated with strong primary health care services and universal health coverage across the life course

Stability studies of Hg implanted YBa2_{2}Cu3_{3}O6+x_{6+x}

High quality YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6+x}$ (YBCO) superconducting thin films were implanted with the radioactive $^{197m}$Hg (T$_{1/2}$ = 24 h) isotope to low fluences of 10$^{13}$ atoms/cm$^{2}$ and 60 keV energy. The lattice location and stability of the implanted Hg were studied combining the Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) and Emission Channeling (EC) techniques. We show that Hg can be introduced into the YBCO lattice by ion implantation into unique regular sites. The EC data show that Hg is located on a highly symmetric site on the YBCO lattice, while the PAC data suggests that Hg occupies the Cu(1) site. Annealing studies were performed under vacuum and O$_{2}$ atmosphere and show that Hg starts to diffuse only above 653 K

Stability and diffusion of Hg implanted YBa2_{2}Cu3_{3}O6+x_{6+x}

The radioactive isotope $^{197m}$Hg was implanted at 60 keV with low fluences (10$^{13}$ ions/cm$^{2}$ ) into YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6+x}$ (YBCO) superconducting thin films at ISOLDE/CERN. We report on the Hg dynamics and stability inside the YBCO lattice as a function of annealing temperature up to 890 K in vacuum or O$_{2}$ atmosphere. The perturbed angular correlation (PAC) technique was used for probing the Hg behavior at the atomic scale, while by monitoring the sample's activity in situ the Hg outdiffusion was studied. We found that Hg ions occupy unique lattice sites and that Hg should be bound to two apical oxygens. Hg diffusion occurs only for annealing temperatures above 653 K, in vacuum. The Hg migration energy was estimated to be EM = 1.58 $\pm$ 0.15 eV

Equatorial Atlantic interannual variability: the role of heat content

The dynamics of the Equatorial Atlantic zonal mode are studied using observed sea surface height (SSH), sea surface temperature (SST), and heat flux and reanalysis wind stress and upper ocean temperature. Principal oscillation pattern (POP) analysis shows that the zonal mode is an oscillatory normal-mode of the observed coupled system, obeying the delayed-action/recharge oscillator paradigm for ENSO. Variations in equatorial averaged SSH, a proxy for upper ocean heat content, precede SST anomalies in the cold tongue by 4-5 months, about a quarter of the POP period. Positive subsurface temperature anomalies appear in the west, as a delayed response to the preceding cold event. These propagate eastward, where due to the shallow thermocline they can influence SST, leading to the next warm event. Although SST variations exhibit weak westward propagation during some zonal mode events, POP analysis indicates that to first order there is no zonal propagation in SST. Net surface heat flux anomalies generally act to damp SST anomalies. The zonal mode explains a large amount (70%) of SST variability in the east and a significant fraction (19%) of equatorial variability. Thus, the predictability potential in the Equatorial Atlantic on seasonal time scales may be considerably higher than currently thought