Development of a severe local storm prediction system: A 60-day test of a mesoscale primitive equation model

The progress and problems associated with the dynamical forecast system which was developed to predict severe storms are examined. The meteorological problem of severe convective storm forecasting is reviewed. The cascade hypothesis which forms the theoretical core of the nested grid dynamical numerical modelling system is described. The dynamical and numerical structure of the model used during the 1978 test period is presented and a preliminary description of a proposed multigrid system for future experiments and tests is provided. Six cases from the spring of 1978 are discussed to illustrate the model's performance and its problems. Potential solutions to the problems are examined

Model for quantitative tip-enhanced spectroscopy and the extraction of nanoscale-resolved optical constants

Near-field infrared spectroscopy by elastic scattering of light from a probe tip resolves optical contrasts in materials at dramatically sub-wavelength scales across a broad energy range, with the demonstrated capacity for chemical identification at the nanoscale. However, current models of probe-sample near-field interactions still cannot provide a sufficiently quantitatively interpretation of measured near-field contrasts, especially in the case of materials supporting strong surface phonons. We present a model of near-field spectroscopy derived from basic principles and verified by finite-element simulations, demonstrating superb predictive agreement both with tunable quantum cascade laser near-field spectroscopy of SiO$_2$ thin films and with newly presented nanoscale Fourier transform infrared (nanoFTIR) spectroscopy of crystalline SiC. We discuss the role of probe geometry, field retardation, and surface mode dispersion in shaping the measured near-field response. This treatment enables a route to quantitatively determine nano-resolved optical constants, as we demonstrate by inverting newly presented nanoFTIR spectra of an SiO$_2$ thin film into the frequency dependent dielectric function of its mid-infrared optical phonon. Our formalism further enables tip-enhanced spectroscopy as a potent diagnostic tool for quantitative nano-scale spectroscopy.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figure

Mesoscale acid deposition modeling studies

The work performed in support of the EPA/DOE MADS (Mesoscale Acid Deposition) Project included the development of meteorological data bases for the initialization of chemistry models, the testing and implementation of new planetary boundary layer parameterization schemes in the MASS model, the simulation of transport and precipitation for MADS case studies employing the MASS model, and the use of the TASS model in the simulation of cloud statistics and the complex transport of conservative tracers within simulated cumuloform clouds. The work performed in support of the NASA/FAA Wind Shear Program included the use of the TASS model in the simulation of the dynamical processes within convective cloud systems, the analyses of the sensitivity of microburst intensity and general characteristics as a function of the atmospheric environment within which they are formed, comparisons of TASS model microburst simulation results to observed data sets, and the generation of simulated wind shear data bases for use by the aviation meteorological community in the evaluation of flight hazards caused by microbursts

Greenfield HSA Service Learning Project

Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School is a kindergarten to eighth-grade public school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Greenfield Home and School Association (HSA) is a parent organization whose efforts to support the school include sending weekly informational newsletters and by fundraising for school improvements. The HSA recently has become concerned that Greenfield teachers may be struggling with burnout originating from increasing demands placed upon them by pandemic-related stresses. The HSA asked for help in identifying and evaluating positive psychology interventions that could be used at Greenfield to reduce teacher burnout and increase teacher well-being. Three students from the Master of Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania addressed the concerns of the HSA by developing well-being interventions that might be adopted by the HSA as part of their programming over the next year. The interventions proposed by the MAPP students included administering a teacher burnout and well-being survey, adopting a mission statement that incorporated a well-being purpose for the organization, developing micro-interventions that could be easily and quickly used by teachers, improving the teachers’ lounge for greater well-being, and hosting a positive psychology retreat for teachers. Each of these interventions, described in detail in this report, was intended to use the principles of positive psychology to alleviate and prevent burnout in teachers and help build and enhance the resilience of the school community post-pandemic

Synthesis and evaluation of designed PKC modulators for enhanced cancer immunotherapy.

Bryostatin 1 is a marine natural product under investigation for HIV/AIDS eradication, the treatment of neurological disorders, and enhanced CAR T/NK cell immunotherapy. Despite its promising activity, bryostatin 1 is neither evolved nor optimized for the treatment of human disease. Here we report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of several close-in analogs of bryostatin 1. Using a function-oriented synthesis approach, we synthesize a series of bryostatin analogs designed to maintain affinity for bryostatin's target protein kinase C (PKC) while enabling exploration of their divergent biological functions. Our late-stage diversification strategy provides efficient access to a library of bryostatin analogs, which per our design retain affinity for PKC but exhibit variable PKC translocation kinetics. We further demonstrate that select analogs potently increase cell surface expression of CD22, a promising CAR T cell target for the treatment of leukemias, highlighting the clinical potential of bryostatin analogs for enhancing targeted immunotherapies

Phenology of western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on plant species in and near apple orchards in Washington State

Both orchard and adjacent native vegetation harboured adult western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), from early spring until fall. Frankliniella occidentalis made up the great majority of adults collected in flowers of most plant species sampled, including apple. Other species found on apple flowers included Anaphothrips obscurus Muller, which lives on grasses, and Thrips brevipilosus Moulton. A mixture of thrips species, including F. occidentalis, Scirtothrzps citri (Moulton), Thrips tabaci Lindeman, and Thrips treherni Preisner, occurred on apple shoots. Thrips were found in orchards as early as green tip (early April), with the highest concentrations of F. occidentalis in shoots occurring in June and July. Thrips declined in late summer as shoots formed dormant buds; however, some F. occidentalis adults were still found in early September. Five common woody plants and forbs selected for sampling in the sagebrush-steppe habitat had F. occidentalis adults present, especially during bloom. Western flower thrips can exploit open flowers or young shoots from spring through fall in native vegetation because of the diversity of plants and their different growth habits