Wave power measurements in the Celtic Sea using HF radar

Abstract: It is well established that HF radar systems located on the coast can measure surface currents from close to the coast to more than 100km offshore. They can also be used to simultaneously measure the ocean wave directional spectrum. Thus current and wave power and other parameters relevant to the development of marine renewables can be measured. Wave measurements in the Celtic Sea using a Pisces HF radar system in 2003-2005 are presented. Good agreement with buoy data is demonstrated. The data are used to show that the wave power resource is variable in season, location and in direction with higher powers observed in Autumn but more directional variability in Winter

Directional spectra comparisons between HF radar and a wave model

Directional spectra measurements using HF radar are compared with model data to confirm limitations of the currently available theory that underpins these measurements. In high seas, waveheight is overestimated but it is demonstrated that there is no clear impact on the shape of the spectrum which is in reasonable agreement with the model. The need for increased averaging before inversion is discussed

Measuring the ocean wave directional spectrum`First Five' with HF radar

An ability to reliably measure the first five Fourier coefficients of the directional distribution of ocean wave energy is becoming an international requirement for any directional wave measurement device. HF radar systems are now commonly used for surface current measurement in the coastal ocean but robust wave measurements are more difficult to achieve. A number of HF radar deployments have demonstrated an ability to measure the directional spectrum and in this paper an evaluation of the Fourier coefficients derived from these spectra is presented. It is shown that, when data quality is good, good quality spectra and Fourier coefficients result. Recommendations for addressing some of the radar data quality issues that do arise are presented

Assessment of surface currents measured with high-frequency phased-array radars in two regions of complex circulation

Surface velocity data from two WERA high frequency (HF) ocean radar systems, deployed as part of the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), are compared with near surface currents obtained from drifters and ADCPs (acoustic Doppler current profiler). We evaluate data from two contrasting locations in the first detailed evaluation of the IMOS HF radar surface velocities. HF radar measurements are generally robust but demand quality-control procedures to eliminate obvious errors and outliers that appear temporarily or systematically in the data. A number of different quality control procedures and filters are applied and assessed including Taylor diagrams, Hampel and Savitzky-Golay filters. In addition the need for and effect of averaging are discussed. The radar measurements of surface current agreed better with the near-surface drifter currents than with the subsurface ADCP currents. Nonetheless the ADCP comparisons are consistent with those previously reported in other regions. The value of the Taylor Diagram for comparing different surface current data sets and processing approaches is demonstrated. Noise levels in the radar current spectra are used to estimate the error in the measurements and in some cases, these errors were found to approach the precision of the radar estimates. Our results give guidance on the most useful temporal sampling resolution. In particular we show that, at these sites and these operating frequencies, using 10-minute sampling without further averaging does not provide additional information because the higher frequencies are dominated by noise. Averaging the radials over 30-minutes may be sufficient for many applications

Assessment of surface currents measured with high-frequency phased-array radars in two regions of complex circulation

Surface velocity data from two WERA high frequency (HF) ocean radar systems, deployed as part of the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), are compared with near surface currents obtained from drifters and ADCPs (acoustic Doppler current profiler). We evaluate data from two contrasting locations in the first detailed evaluation of the IMOS HF radar surface velocities. HF radar measurements are generally robust but demand quality-control procedures to eliminate obvious errors and outliers that appear temporarily or systematically in the data. A number of different quality control procedures and filters are applied and assessed including Taylor diagrams, Hampel and Savitzky-Golay filters. In addition the need for and effect of averaging are discussed. The radar measurements of surface current agreed better with the near-surface drifter currents than with the subsurface ADCP currents. Nonetheless the ADCP comparisons are consistent with those previously reported in other regions. The value of the Taylor Diagram for comparing different surface current data sets and processing approaches is demonstrated. Noise levels in the radar current spectra are used to estimate the error in the measurements and in some cases, these errors were found to approach the precision of the radar estimates. Our results give guidance on the most useful temporal sampling resolution. In particular we show that, at these sites and these operating frequencies, using 10-minute sampling without further averaging does not provide additional information because the higher frequencies are dominated by noise. Averaging the radials over 30-minutes may be sufficient for many applications

Suitability of the Southern Australia Integrated Marine Observing System’s (SA-IMOS) HF-Radar for operational forecasting

The IMOS HF-Radar array in South Australia provides observations of the ocean waters south of Spencer Gulf. In addition to ocean surface currents, the data from this array can be processed to provide near-real time observations of wave statistics and wind direction. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology requires access to these observations for forecast modelling but currently only have a single Waverider buoy operating in South Australian waters at Cape du Couedic, south of Kangaroo Island, which provides no directional information. The HF-Radar array could potentially be used to augment the current operational observation systems used by the Bureau. In this paper we evaluate the performance of the HF-Radar system against observations from the Waverider buoy and an automatic weather station at Neptune Island and also compare the HF-Radar observations to a wave model based on the eSA-Marine forecast grid. The results suggest that upgrading the HF-Radar to provide near-real time wave and wind data would provide a new, independent source of environmental observations for the Bureau

Lagrangian and Eulerian characterization of two counter-rotating submesoscale eddies in a western boundary current

In recent decades, high-spatial resolution ocean radar and satellite imagery measurements have revealed a complex tangle of submesoscale filaments and eddies, in the surface velocity, temperature, and chlorophyll a fields. We use a suite of high-resolution data to characterize two counter-rotating, short-lived eddies formed at the front between the warm East Australian Current (EAC) and temperate coastal waters (30°S, Eastern Australia). In this region, submesoscale filaments and short-lived eddies are dynamically generated and decay at time scales of hours to days. Dominant cyclonic filaments of O(1) Rossby number formed along frontal jets and eddy boundaries, generating localized ageostrophic circulations at the submesoscale. Measurements of over-ocean wind direction and surface currents from high-frequency radars reveal the influence of the short-term, small-scale wind forcing on the surface circulation, enhancement of the horizontal shear, frontal jet destabilization, and the generation and decay of the cyclonic eddy. By contrast, the anticyclonic eddy formation was most likely associated with EAC mesoscale instability and anticyclonic vorticity. Lagrangian tracks show that surface particles can be temporarily trapped in the eddies and frontal convergent zones, limiting their transport. Mixing between EAC-derived and coastal waters was increased along the frontal regions, and particles starting at the divergent regions around the eddies experienced significant dispersion at submesoscales. The cyclonic cold-core eddy entrained high chlorophyll a shelf waters on its convergent side, suggesting spiral eddy cyclogenesis

Distribution of COL8A2 and COL8A1 gene variants in Caucasian primary open angle glaucoma patients with thin central corneal thickness

Purpose: One approach to identify genes that contribute to common complex ocular disorders such as primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is to study the genetic determinates of endophenotypes that are defined by underlying pre-disposing heritable quantitative traits such as central corneal thickness (CCT). Collagen VIII is a major component of Descemet’s membrane and studies in mice have indicated that targeted inactivation of the genes encoding the collagen type 8 alpha1 (Col8a1) and collagen type 8 alpha2 (Col8a2) subunits (COL8A1 and COL8A2) results in thinning of the corneal stroma and of Descemet’s membrane. The purpose of this study is to evaluate COL8A1 and COL8A2 as candidate genes for thin CCT in human POAG patients. Methods: 100 Caucasian POAG patients were enrolled in this study. The entire COL8A1 and COL8A2 coding sequence was determined in 8 patients with CCT586 µm (one standard deviation above the mean). Selected COL8A2 exons containing variants of interest were sequenced in the full POAG cohort. Association and quantitative trait analyses were performed. Results: Three patients with CCT less than 513 µm and advanced POAG were found to have missense changes in COL8A2; two patients had a previously identified mutation, R155Q and one had a novel change, P678L (p=0.0035, Fisher’s exact test). Missense changes were not found in any of the patients with CCT>513 µm and missense changes in the COL8A1 gene were not found in any patient. One common COL8A2 SNP, rs274754 was also statistically associated with CCT (p=0.018). Conclusions: In this study we have identified COL8A2 missense changes in a group of Caucasian patients with very thin CCT and advanced POAG. These results suggest that DNA sequence variants in the COL8A2 gene may be associated with thin corneas in some glaucoma patients. Further study of COL8A2 variants in other patient populations, especially those with thinner CCT such as African-Americans would provide further support for a role of COL8A2 in corneal thickness and in glaucoma

Clinically relevant enhancement of human sperm motility using compounds with reported phosphodiesterase inhibitor activity

STUDY QUESTION: Can we identify compound(s) with reported phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDEI) activity that could be added to human spermatozoa in vitro to enhance their motility without compromising other sperm functions? SUMMARY ANSWER: We have identified several compounds that produce robust and effective stimulation of sperm motility and, importantly, have a positive response on patient samples. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: For >20 years, the use of non-selective PDEIs, such as pentoxifylline, has been known to influence the motility of human spermatozoa; however, conflicting results have been obtained. It is now clear that human sperm express several different phosphodiesterases and these are compartmentalized at different regions of the cells. By using type-specific PDEIs, differential modulation of sperm motility may be achieved without adversely affecting other functions such as the acrosome reaction (AR). STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This was a basic medical research study examining sperm samples from normozoospermic donors and subfertile patients attending the Assisted Conception Unit (ACU), Ninewells Hospital Dundee for diagnostic semen analysis, IVF and ICSI. Phase 1 screened 43 commercially available compounds with reported PDEI activity to identify lead compounds that stimulate sperm motility. Samples were exposed (20 min) to three concentrations (1, 10 and 100 µM) of compound, and selected candidates (n = 6) progressed to Phase 2, which provided a more comprehensive assessment using a battery of in vitro sperm function tests.  PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: All healthy donors and subfertile patients were recruited at the Medical Research Institute, University of Dundee and ACU, Ninewells Hospital Dundee (ethical approval 08/S1402/6). In Phase 1, poor motility cells recovered from the 40% interface of the discontinuous density gradient were used as surrogates for patient samples. Pooled samples from three to four different donors were utilized in order to reduce variability and increase the number of cells available for simultaneous examination of multiple compounds. During Phase 2 testing, semen samples from 23 patients attending for either routine diagnostic andrology assessment or IVF/ICSI were prepared and exposed to selected compounds. Additionally, 48 aliquots of prepared samples, surplus to clinical use, were examined from IVF (n = 32) and ICSI (n = 16) patients to further determine the effects of selected compounds under clinical conditions of treatment. Effects of compounds on sperm motility were assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis. A modified Kremer test using methyl cellulose was used to assess sperm functional ability to penetrate into viscous media. Sperm acrosome integrity and induction of apoptosis were assessed using the acrosomal content marker PSA-FITC and annexin V kit, respectively. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: In Phase 1, six compounds were found to have a strong effect on poor motility samples with a magnitude of response of ≥60% increase in percentage total motility. Under capacitating and non-capacitating conditions, these compounds significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased the percentage of total and progressive motility. Furthermore, these compounds enhanced penetration into a cervical mucus substitute (P ≤ 0.05). Finally, the AR was not significantly induced and these compounds did not significantly increase the externalization of phosphatidylserine (P = 0.6, respectively). In general, the six compounds maintained the stimulation of motility over long periods of time (180 min) and their effects were still observed after their removal. In examinations of clinical samples, there was a general observation of a more significant stimulation of sperm motility in samples with lower baseline motility. In ICSI samples, compounds #26, #37 and #38 were the most effective at significantly increasing total motility (88, 81 and 79% of samples, respectively) and progressive motility (94, 93 and 81% of samples, respectively). In conclusion, using a two-phased drug discovery screening approach including the examination of clinical samples, 3/43 compounds were identified as promising candidates for further study. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: This is an in vitro study and caution must be taken when extrapolating the results. Data for patients were from one assessment and thus the robustness of responses needs to be established. The n values for ICSI samples were relatively small. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: We have systematically screened and identified several compounds that have robust and effective stimulation (i.e. functional significance with longevity and no toxicity) of total and progressive motility under clinical conditions of treatment. These compounds could be clinical candidates with possibilities in terms of assisted reproductive technology options for current or future patients affected by asthenozoospermia or oligoasthenozoospermia

Association of genetic variation with systolic and diastolic blood pressure among African Americans: the Candidate Gene Association Resource study

The prevalence of hypertension in African Americans (AAs) is higher than in other US groups; yet, few have performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in AA. Among people of European descent, GWASs have identified genetic variants at 13 loci that are associated with blood pressure. It is unknown if these variants confer susceptibility in people of African ancestry. Here, we examined genome-wide and candidate gene associations with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) using the Candidate Gene Association Resource (CARe) consortium consisting of 8591 AAs. Genotypes included genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data utilizing the Affymetrix 6.0 array with imputation to 2.5 million HapMap SNPs and candidate gene SNP data utilizing a 50K cardiovascular gene-centric array (ITMAT-Broad-CARe [IBC] array). For Affymetrix data, the strongest signal for DBP was rs10474346 (P= 3.6 × 10−8) located near GPR98 and ARRDC3. For SBP, the strongest signal was rs2258119 in C21orf91 (P= 4.7 × 10−8). The top IBC association for SBP was rs2012318 (P= 6.4 × 10−6) near SLC25A42 and for DBP was rs2523586 (P= 1.3 × 10−6) near HLA-B. None of the top variants replicated in additional AA (n = 11 882) or European-American (n = 69 899) cohorts. We replicated previously reported European-American blood pressure SNPs in our AA samples (SH2B3, P= 0.009; TBX3-TBX5, P= 0.03; and CSK-ULK3, P= 0.0004). These genetic loci represent the best evidence of genetic influences on SBP and DBP in AAs to date. More broadly, this work supports that notion that blood pressure among AAs is a trait with genetic underpinnings but also with significant complexit