Impact of data assimilation of glider observations in the Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean)

Glider observations of temperature, salinity and vertically averaged velocity in the Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean Sea), made in the period October 2004 - December 2004, were assimilated into an operational forecasting model together with other in-situ and satellite observations. The study area has a high spatial and temporal variability of near-surface dynamics, characterized by the entrance of the Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS) into the Northern Ionian Sea. The impact of glider observations on the estimation of the circulation is studied, and it is found that their assimilation locally improves the prediction of temperature, salinity, velocity and surface elevation fields. However, only the assimilation of temperature and salinity together with the vertically averaged velocity improves the forecast of all observed parameters. It is also found that glider observations rapidly impact the analyses even remotely, and the remote impacts on the analyses remain several months after the presence of the glider. The study emphasizes the importance of assimilating as much as possible all available information from gliders, especially in dynamically complex areas

Ionian Sea circulation as clarified by assimilation of glider observations

Glider observations of temperature and salinity in the Ionian Sea (Eastern Mediterranean Sea), made in the period October 2004-December 2004, were assimilated into an operational forecasting model together with other in-situ and satellite observations. The impact of glider data on the estimation of the circulation is studied and it is found that the assimilation of glider data significantly improve the vertical structure of temperature and salinity fields and remove biases. The accurate representation of the dynamical structures due to the assimilation of glider data allowed a detailed analysis of the dynamics of the Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS). During autumn and in the Sicily Strait, the AIS is strengthened by the positive but weak wind stress curl near the southern Sicilian coast and by the temperature gradient between the warm surface mixed layer and the cold upwelled waters near Sicily. In winter the change of position of the wind stress curl zero line and the cooling of the surface mixed layer forces the AIS to shift southward in the Ionian Sea. The AIS is shown for the first time to pinch off an eddy in the Ionian Sea

The present and future system for measuring the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and heat transport

of the global combined atmosphere-ocean heat flux and so is important for the mean climate of the Atlantic sector of the Northern Hemisphere. This meridional heat flux is accomplished by both the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and by basin-wide horizontal gyre circulations. In the North Atlantic subtropical latitudes the AMOC dominates the meridional heat flux, while in subpolar latitudes and in the subtropical South Atlantic the gyre circulations are also important. Climate models suggest the AMOC will slow over the coming decades as the earth warms, causing widespread cooling in the Northern hemisphere and additional sea-level rise. Monitoring systems for selected components of the AMOC have been in place in some areas for decades, nevertheless the present observational network provides only a partial view of the AMOC, and does not unambiguously resolve the full variability of the circulation. Additional observations, building on existing measurements, are required to more completely quantify the Atlantic meridional heat transport. A basin-wide monitoring array along 26.5°N has been continuously measuring the strength and vertical structure of the AMOC and meridional heat transport since March 31, 2004. The array has demonstrated its ability to observe the AMOC variability at that latitude and also a variety of surprising variability that will require substantially longer time series to understand fully. Here we propose monitoring the Atlantic meridional heat transport throughout the Atlantic at selected critical latitudes that have already been identified as regions of interest for the study of deep water formation and the strength of the subpolar gyre, transport variability of the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) as well as the upper limb of the AMOC, and inter-ocean and intrabasin exchanges with the ultimate goal of determining regional and global controls for the AMOC in the North and South Atlantic Oceans. These new arrays will continuously measure the full depth, basin-wide or choke-point circulation and heat transport at a number of latitudes, to establish the dynamics and variability at each latitude and then their meridional connectivity. Modeling studies indicate that adaptations of the 26.5°N type of array may provide successful AMOC monitoring at other latitudes. However, further analysis and the development of new technologies will be needed to optimize cost effective systems for providing long term monitoring and data recovery at climate time scales. These arrays will provide benchmark observations of the AMOC that are fundamental for assimilation, initialization, and the verification of coupled hindcast/forecast climate models

The antibacterial & antibiofilm activity of Punica granatum peel aqueous extract against some oral pathogen

This study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial & antibiofilm activity of Punica granatum peel aqueous  extract against  oral pathogens from patients suffering from gingivitis and dental carrier. These isolates were 58.8% gram positive (Lactobacillus  spp.  ,Streptococcus  spp. and  Staphylococcus aurus) and 41.2% gram  negative (Klebseilla pneumonia  and pseudomonas aeruginosa). The  susceptibility of  these  different  bacterial  species  toward  the  aqueous extract  of this plant was applied  by  using well diffusion agar method.  The results  were compared with each other and with selected antibiotic ciprofloxacin  as positive control. Results showed that aqueous  extract  of Punica granatum had antibacterial activity against all isolates, on which the diameter of inhibition zone at concentration 200 mg/ml of this extract was 24mm for Lactobacillus  spp and 23 mm for Staph aureus and P.aeruginosa, while the Streptococcus spp. was only 18 mm

CODE-2 : moored array and large-scale data report

The Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (CODE) was undertaken to identify and study the important dynamical processes which govern the wind-driven motion of coastal water over the continental shelf. The initial effort in this multi-year, multi-institutional research program was to obtain high-quality data sets of all the relevant physical variables needed to construct accurate kinematic and dynamic descriptions of the response of shelf water to strong wind forcing in the 2 to 10 day band. A series of two small-scale, densely- instrumented field experiments of approximately four months duration (called CODE-1 and CODE-2) were designed to explore and to determine the kinematics and momentum and heat balances of the local wind-driven flow over a region of the northern California shelf which is characterized by both relatively simple bottom topography and large wind stress events in both winter and summer. A more lightly instrumented, long -term, large-scale component was designed to help separate the local wind-driven response in the region of the small-scale experiments from motions generated either offshore by the California Current system or in some distant region along the coast, and also to help determine the seasonal cycles of the atmospheric forcing, water structure, and coastal currents over the northern California shelf. The first small-scale experiment (CODE-1) was conducted between April and August, 1981 as a pilot study in "which primary emphasis was placed on characterizing the wind-driven "signal" and the "noise" from which this signal must be extracted. In particular, CODE-1 was designed to identify the key features of the circulation and its variability over the northern California shelf and to determine the important time and length scales of the wind-driven response. The second small-scale experiment (CODE-2) was conducted between April and August, 1982 and was designed to sample more carefully the mesoscale horizonta1 variability observed in CODE-1. This report presents a basic description of the moored array data and some other Eulerian data collected during CODE-2. A brief description of the CODE-2 field program is presented first, followed by a description of the common data analysis procedures used to produce the various data sets presented here. Then basic descriptions of the following data sets are presented: (a) the coastal and moored meteorological measurements, (b) the moored current measurements, (c) array plots of the surface wind stress and near-surface current measurements, (d) the moored temperature and conductivity observations, (e) the bottom pressure measurements, and (f) the wind and adjusted coastal sea level observations obtained as part of the CODE-2 large-scale component.This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation

Is motor activity during cognitive assessment an indicator for feigned attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults?

Objectives: Several approaches, ranging from self-ratings of symptoms and impairments to objective neuropsychological testing, have been utilized during clinical evaluation in order to assess symptom and performance validity of individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood. Motor activity has not been considered yet in this context, which is surprising given that hyperactivity is a prominent characteristic of ADHD. Hence, the goal of the present study was to explore the incremental value of motor activity when assessing the credibility of individuals with adult ADHD at clinical evaluation.Method: Forty-six patients diagnosed with ADHD took part in the study. A simulation design was performed, in which 152 healthy individuals were allocated to either a control condition (n=36) or one of three simulation conditions (n=116), the latter requesting participants to feign ADHD. All participants completed a self-rating scale of cognitive functioning and performed a computerized test for vigilance. Body movements were recorded during vigilance testing via a motion tracker attached to the back of the participant's chair.Results: Patients with ADHD reported significantly more pronounced cognitive complaints and performed significantly poorer on the vigilance test than control participants. Simulators of ADHD, as compared to genuine patients, showed excessively low performance on the vigilance test. However, neither self-ratings of cognitive functioning nor measures of motor activity were suitable to distinguish genuine from feigned ADHD. A hierarchical logistic regression model showed that motor activity had no incremental value in detecting feigned ADHD when vigilance test performance has already been considered.Conclusions: Standard neuropsychological tests of vigilance may be useful to measure both performance and credibility of individuals with adult ADHD at clinical evaluation. In contrast, self-reports of symptoms and impairments, as well as measures of body movements, may not support the assessment of credibility in this context