Transpiration during life cycle in controlled wheat growth

A previously developed model of wheat growth, designed for convenient incorporation into system level models of advanced space life support systems is described. The model is applied to data from an experiment that grew wheat under controlled conditions and measured fresh biomass and cumulated transpiration as a function of time. The adequacy of modeling the transpiration as proportional to the inedible biomass and an age factor that varies during the life cycle are discussed

Mass balances for a biological life support system simulation model

Design decisions to aid the development of future space based biological life support systems (BLSS) can be made with simulation models. The biochemistry stoichiometry was developed for: (1) protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber, and lignin production in the edible and inedible parts of plants; (2) food consumption and production of organic solids in urine, feces, and wash water by the humans; and (3) operation of the waste processor. Flux values for all components are derived for a steady state system with wheat as the sole food source. The large scale dynamics of a materially closed (BLSS) computer model is described in a companion paper. An extension of this methodology can explore multifood systems and more complex biochemical dynamics while maintaining whole system closure as a focus

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Water Quality in a Recently Urbanized Watershed in Central Ohio

Mathematical and Physical Sciences: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)Hellbranch Run drains land near Columbus, Ohio that was subject to rapid conversion from agricultural to urban land use during the 1990s. The stream is a tributary to Big Darby Creek, a national scenic river that is valued for its biological diversity and health. Headwater areas in the Hellbranch Run watershed have been channelized, and the stream’s water quality is threatened from nutrient enrichment caused by agricultural runoff. In recent decades, State and private organizations have funded and implemented stream remediation within the Hellbranch Run watershed. The objective of this study was to synthesize historically measured flow and solute concentrations to identify trends in loading of select water quality constituents to Big Darby Creek and also investigate spatial and seasonal variations of water quality within the Hellbranch Run watershed. Water samples were collected from four sites within the Hellbranch Run watershed, bimonthly for one year (Nov. 2009 to Nov. 2010) for n=84 samples. Sites represent headwater areas with differing land use. Sampling involved filtering, measuring temperature, pH, and conductivity in situ and laboratory analyses of water samples were for total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved major ions, and major nutrients: nitrate + nitrite-(N), ammonium-N, total dissolved N, phosphate and total dissolved P (TDP) concentrations. Results show N, TDP and Cl- having high concentrations: N median 1.4 mg/L (~0.0 – 4.3 mg/L), TDP median 398 ug/L (67 – 1,773 ug/L), and Cl- median 99.5 mg/L (40.3 – 873.7 mg/L). Geographic information systems were used to investigate changes in land cover within the watershed from 1992–2006. The watershed of Clover Groff Ditch one of two major tributaries to Hellbranch Run, underwent substantial conversion from agricultural land to urban and showed a corresponding decrease in major nutrient and ion concentrations relative to other headwater areas in the Hellbranch Run watershed. Hamilton Ditch, the other major tributary that largely drains agricultural land, had the highest concentrations of all nutrients and major ions. Seasonal shifts exhibited a strong control on N with highest concentrations in the winter and lowest in the summer. TSS concentrations were highest immediately downstream of the two ditches. Historical flow and measured dissolved N, TP (unfiltered), Cl-, and TSS were used to estimate daily loads using the USGS computer program LOADEST. The resulting time series showed a decreasing trend in N between water years 1993 and 2010, which could be related to urbanization and stream remediation efforts that occurred over the time period.The Ohio State University School of Earth ScienceByrd Polar Research CenterShell Exploration and Production companyAcademic Major: Geological Science

Lonergan on the Historical Causality of Christ: An Interpretation of \u27The Redemption: A Supplement to De Verbo Incarnato\u27

In 1958, the Canadian Jesuit theologian Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984) completed a draft of a major text on redemption. He stated that the text was to be an addition to his book De Verbo Incarnato, with the purpose of explaining the historical causality of Christ. The Lonergan Research Institute, Toronto, has produced a preliminary English translation titled The Redemption: A Supplement to De Verbo Incarnato. To date, there has been no interpretation of this text. This dissertation aims at making a contribution towards the remedy of this lacuna in Lonergan studies. The dissertation interprets Lonergan\u27s understanding of the historical causality of Christ, through an interpretation of his text. The dissertation employs the methodology of what Lonergan named the \u27hermeneutical circle:\u27 the meaning of the whole is grasped through the parts, and the parts through the whole. In this dissertation, each chapter is interpreted in the wider context of the whole. Each chapter is also interpreted in the order presented in Lonergan\u27s text, since that text is organized according to what Lonergan, following Aquinas, calls the ordo disciplinae or ordo doctrinae, the order of learning and teaching, the ideal mode of explaining systematic understanding. Lonergan\u27s understanding of the historical causality of Christ follows from his understanding of history itself, where the fundamental unit is culture and the fundamental nature of human causality is social. Lonergan understands culture through a set of terms and relations he names the \u27human good of order.\u27 This order is an expression of cultural meanings and values, whether for good or evil. The historical causality of Christ involves a proper causal series in which God\u27s redemptive agency is mediated into human history, through Christ and his members, to transform cultural evil into good by transforming cultural meanings and values. The principal meaning and value is the \u27Law of the Cross.\u27 According to the divine plan, this law is the governing principle of salvation history. Since human causality is fundamentally social, the historical causality of Christ is mediated through others who understand this law and judge it as worthy to be chosen

Automatic classification of spectra from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)

A new classification of Infrared spectra collected by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) is presented. The spectral classes were discovered automatically by a program called Auto Class 2. This program is a method for discovering (inducing) classes from a data base, utilizing a Bayesian probability approach. These classes can be used to give insight into the patterns that occur in the particular domain, in this case, infrared astronomical spectroscopy. The classified spectra are the entire Low Resolution Spectra (LRS) Atlas of 5,425 sources. There are seventy-seven classes in this classification and these in turn were meta-classified to produce nine meta-classes. The classification is presented as spectral plots, IRAS color-color plots, galactic distribution plots and class commentaries. Cross-reference tables, listing the sources by IRAS name and by Auto Class class, are also given. These classes show some of the well known classes, such as the black-body class, and silicate emission classes, but many other classes were unsuspected, while others show important subtle differences within the well known classes

Improving the chances for developing coastal country success in adapting to climate change

There is an unequivocal scientific consensus that increases in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere drive warming temperatures of air and sea, and acidification of the world’s oceans from carbon dioxide absorbed by the oceans. These changes in turn can induce shifts in precipitation patterns, sea level rise, and more frequent and severe extreme weather events (e.g. storms and sea surge). All of these impacts are already being witnessed in the world’s coastal regions and are projected to intensify in years to come. Taken together, these impacts are likely to result in significant alteration of natural habitats and coastal ecosystems, and increased coastal hazards in low-lying areas. They can affect fishers, coastal communities and resource users, recreation and tourism, and coastal infrastructure. Approaches to planned adaptation to these impacts can be drawn from the lessons and good practices from global experience in Integrated Coastal Management (ICM). The recently published USAID Guidebook on Adapting to Coastal Climate Change (USAID 2009) is directed at practitioners, development planners, and coastal management professionals in developing countries. It offers approaches for assessing vulnerability to climate change and climate variability in communities and outlines how to develop and implement adaptation measures at the local and national levels. Six best practices for coastal adaptation are featured in the USAID Guidebook on Adapting to Coastal Climate Change and summarized in the following sections. (PDF contains 3 pages

Gamma Rays from Clusters and Groups of Galaxies: Cosmic Rays versus Dark Matter

Clusters of galaxies have not yet been detected at gamma-ray frequencies; however, the recently launched Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly known as GLAST, could provide the first detections in the near future. Clusters are expected to emit gamma rays as a result of (1) a population of high-energy primary and re-accelerated secondary cosmic rays (CR) fueled by structure formation and merger shocks, active galactic nuclei and supernovae, and (2) particle dark matter (DM) annihilation. In this paper, we ask the question of whether the Fermi telescope will be able to discriminate between the two emission processes. We present data-driven predictions for a large X-ray flux limited sample of galaxy clusters and groups. We point out that the gamma ray signals from CR and DM can be comparable. In particular, we find that poor clusters and groups are the systems predicted to have the highest DM to CR emission at gamma-ray energies. Based on detailed Fermi simulations, we study observational handles that might enable us to distinguish the two emission mechanisms, including the gamma-ray spectra, the spatial distribution of the signal and the associated multi-wavelength emissions. We also propose optimal hardness ratios, which will help to understand the nature of the gamma-ray emission. Our study indicates that gamma rays from DM annihilation with a high particle mass can be distinguished from a CR spectrum even for fairly faint sources. Discriminating a CR spectrum from a light DM particle will be instead much more difficult, and will require long observations and/or a bright source. While the gamma-ray emission from our simulated clusters is extended, determining the spatial distribution with Fermi will be a challenging task requiring an optimal control of the backgrounds.Comment: revised to match resubmitted version, 35 pages, 16 figures: results unchanged, some discussion added and unnecessary text and figures remove

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Water Quality in Hellbranch Run: A Historical Perspective

The Big Darby Creek west of Columbus, Ohio is a National Scenic River and is highly protected by governmental and nongovernmental agencies. A watershed tributary, Hellbranch Run, drains land that has recently seen conversion from agricultural land to urban. Urbanization can degrade streams due to increased impervious surfaces in the watershed which create pulses of sediments and pollutants to flow to streams during storm events. Study objectives are to determine and interpret the temporal and spatial dynamics of major nutrient and total suspended solids concentrations from four sites along Hellbranch Run. Sites represent different land-use catchments and upstream/downstream on the mainstem of the stream. Land-use records from 1992, 2001 and 2006 were used to compare changes in nutrient loads overtime to land-use changes. Bimonthly sampling took place from Nov. 2009 to Nov. 2010. Sampling involves measuring temperature, pH and TDS in situ in the stream. Samples were analyzed for major nutrients, including nitrate+nitrite-N, ammonium, total nitrogen, phosphate and total phosphorus concentrations. Results show total phosphorus having very high concentrations: median 398 ug/L and range (66.8 to 1,773 ug/L), whereas ammonium is closer to an environmentally acceptable level: median 52.8 ug/L, range (11.7 to 1623 ug/L). Additionally, Hamilton Ditch, a headwater draining cultivated crop, tends to have the highest concentrations of all nutrients, whereas the larger urban headwater streamreach showed lower values. Seasonal shifts exhibited a strong control on nitrate with highest values in the winter and lowest in the summer, while phosphorus shows a weaker trend with highest values in the fall. Suspended solids ranges from 4.4-612 with mean 38.5 mg/L and has lower values upstream and highest just downstream of the confluence of the two headwaters. Historical flow, nutrients and TSS data was used to estimate daily loads using the program LOADEST and the resulting time series shows an estimated decrease in nitrate loads over the last 18 years. Knowing the current state of the water quality along Hellbranch Run is important in understanding the effects that local land-use has on it and will aid land management policy-makers.OSU college of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research ScholarshipByrd Polar McKenzie Undergraduate Scholarship FundShell Exploration and Production Company summer research experienceA one-year embargo was granted for this item

Cryopreservation of Populus Trichocarpa and Salix Dormant Buds with Recovery by Grafting or Direct Rooting

BACKGROUND: Methods are needed for the conservation of clonally maintained trees of Populus and Salix. In this work, Populus trichocarpa and Salix genetic resources were cryopreserved using dormant scions as the source explant. OBJECTIVE: We quantified the recovery of cryopreserved materials that originated from diverse field environments by using either direct sprouting or grafting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scions (either at their original moisture content of 48 to 60% or dried to 30%) were slowly cooled to -35°C, transferred to the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen (LNV, -160°C), and warmed before determining survival. RESULTS: Dormant buds from P. trichocarpa clones from Westport and Boardman, OR had regrowth levels between 42 and 100%. Direct rooting of cryopreserved P. trichocarpa was also possible. Ten of 11 cryopreserved Salix accessions, representing 10 different species, exhibited at least 40% bud growth and rooting after 6 weeks when a bottom-heated rooting system was implemented. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that dormant buds of P. trichocarpa and Salixaccessions can be cryopreserved and successfully regenerated without the use of tissue culture

Can Quality of Care for Patients with Cirrhosis Be Measured?

Abstract Introduction The ultimate purpose of measuring quality of care is to discriminate between healthcare providers in order to motivate improvement. Recently, a set of evidence-based indicators has been proposed for measurement of processes of care for patients with cirrhosis, for example early endoscopy for variceal bleeding. The objective of this study was to determine whether these indicators can be measured in a reliable and automated fashion in routine practice. Materials and methods We applied the top five indicators, based on agreement of a panel of experts, to hospitalized adults at our institution over a 3-year period. Results Only two of the indicators could be reliably measured on the basis of the published wording, and these two still required physician chart review. After applying some assumptions, the indicators were met in 46-100% of cases. None of the indicators was linked to a single physician or institution in all cases, and none occurred with sufficient frequency to discriminate quality between providers. Conclusion Measuring quality of care in cirrhosis is a laudable objective, but current indicators are not yet ready for administrative use