Processes controlling the seasonal variations of 210Pb and 7Be at the Mt. Cimone WMO-GAW global station, Italy: A model analysis

We apply the Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) chemistry and transport model 14 driven by the NASA\u2019s MERRA assimilated meteorological data to simulate the seasonal variations of two radionuclide aerosol tracers (terrigenous 210Pb and cosmogenic 7 15 Be) at the 16 WMO-GAW station of Mt. Cimone (44\ub012\u2019 N, 10\ub042\u2019 E, 2165 m asl, Italy), which is 17 representative of free-tropospheric conditions most of the year, during 2005 with an aim to 18 understand the roles of transport and precipitation scavenging processes in controlling their 19 seasonality. The total precipitation field in the MERRA data set is evaluated with the Global 20 Precipitation Climatology project (GPCP) observations, and a generally good agreement is found. The model reproduces reasonably the observed seasonal pattern of 210 21 Pb concentrations, characterized by a wintertime minimum due to lower 222 22 Rn emissions and weaker uplift from the boundary layer and summertime maxima resulting from strong convection over the continent. The observed seasonal behavior of 7Be concentrations shows a winter minimum, a summer maximum, and a secondary spring maximum. The model captures the observed 7Be 4 pattern in winter-spring, which is linked to the larger stratospheric influence during spring. However, the model tends to underestimate the observed 7Be concentrations in summer, 6 partially due to the sensitivity to spatial sampling in the model. Model sensitivity experiments 7 indicate a dominant role of precipitation scavenging (versus dry deposition and convection) in controlling the seasonality of 210Pb and 7 Be concentrations at Mt. Cimone

An Overview of Measurement Comparisons from the INTEX-B/MILAGRO Airborne Field Campaign

As part of the NASA's INTEX-B mission, the NASA DC-8 and NSF C-130 conducted three wing-tip to wing-tip comparison flights. The intercomparison flights sampled a variety of atmospheric conditions (polluted urban, non-polluted, marine boundary layer, clean and polluted free troposphere). These comparisons form a basis to establish data consistency, but also should also be viewed as a continuation of efforts aiming to better understand and reduce measurement differences as identified in earlier field intercomparison exercises. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of 140 intercomparisons of data collected as well as a record of the measurement consistency demonstrated during INTEX-B. It is the primary goal to provide necessary information for the future research to determine if the observations from different INTEX-B platforms/instrument are consistent within the PI reported uncertainties and used in integrated analysis. This paper may also contribute to the formulation strategy for future instrument developments. For interpretation and most effective use of these results, the reader is strongly urged to consult with the instrument principle investigator

Evaluation of simulated O-3 production efficiency during the KORUS-AQ campaign: Implications for anthropogenic NOx emissions in Korea

We examine O3 production and its sensitivity to precursor gases and boundary layer mixing in Korea by using a 3-D global chemistry transport model and extensive observations during the KORea-US cooperative Air Quality field study in Korea, which occurred in May–June 2016. During the campaign, observed aromatic species onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft, especially toluene, showed high mixing ratios of up to 10 ppbv, emphasizing the importance of aromatic chemistry in O3 production. To examine the role of VOCs and NOx in O3 chemistry, we first implement a detailed aromatic chemistry scheme in the model, which reduces the normalized mean bias of simulated O3 mixing ratios from –26% to –13%. Aromatic chemistry also increases the average net O3 production in Korea by 37%. Corrections of daytime PBL heights, which are overestimated in the model compared to lidar observations, increase the net O3 production rate by ~10%. In addition, increasing NOx emissions by 50% in the model shows best performance in reproducing O3 production characteristics, which implies that NOx emissions are underestimated in the current emissions inventory. Sensitivity tests show that a 30% decrease in anthropogenic NOx emissions in Korea increases the O3 production efficiency throughout the country, making rural regions ~2 times more efficient in producing O3 per NOx consumed. Simulated O3 levels overall decrease in the peninsula except for urban and other industrial areas, with the largest increase (~6 ppbv) in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA). However, with simultaneous reductions in both NOx and VOCs emissions by 30%, O3 decreases in most of the country, including the SMA. This implies the importance of concurrent emission reductions for both NOx and VOCs in order to effectively reduce O3 levels in Korea

Genome-wide chromatin mapping with size resolution reveals a dynamic sub-nucleosomal landscape in Arabidopsis

All eukaryotic genomes are packaged as chromatin, with DNA interlaced with both regularly patterned nucleosomes and sub-nucleosomal-sized protein structures such as mobile and labile transcription factors (TF) and initiation complexes, together forming a dynamic chromatin landscape. Whilst details of nucleosome position in Arabidopsis have been previously analysed, there is less understanding of their relationship to more dynamic sub-nucleosomal particles (subNSPs) defined as protected regions shorter than the ~150bp typical of nucleosomes. The genome-wide profile of these subNSPs has not been previously analysed in plants and this study investigates the relationship of dynamic bound particles with transcriptional control. Here we combine differential micrococcal nuclease (MNase) digestion and a modified paired-end sequencing protocol to reveal the chromatin structure landscape of Arabidopsis cells across a wide particle size range. Linking this data to RNAseq expression analysis provides detailed insight into the relationship of identified DNA-bound particles with transcriptional activity. The use of differential digestion reveals sensitive positions, including a labile -1 nucleosome positioned upstream of the transcription start site (TSS) of active genes. We investigated the response of the chromatin landscape to changes in environmental conditions using light and dark growth, given the large transcriptional changes resulting from this simple alteration. The resulting shifts in the suites of expressed and repressed genes show little correspondence to changes in nucleosome positioning, but led to significant alterations in the profile of subNSPs upstream of TSS both globally and locally. We examined previously mapped positions for the TFs PIF3, PIF4 and CCA1, which regulate light responses, and found that changes in subNSPs co-localized with these binding sites. This small particle structure is detected only under low levels of MNase digestion and is lost on more complete digestion of chromatin to nucleosomes. We conclude that wide-spectrum analysis of the Arabidopsis genome by differential MNase digestion allows detection of sensitive features hereto obscured, and the comparisons between genome-wide subNSP profiles reveals dynamic changes in their distribution, particularly at distinct genomic locations (i.e. 5’UTRs). The method here employed allows insight into the complex influence of genetic and extrinsic factors in modifying the sub-nucleosomal landscape in association with transcriptional changes

Effectively managing headteacher performance:final report.

This document is one of a set of reports about the study of the effective management of headteacher performance in schools in England. This report is the full report, including the executive summary; details about the framework and design of the study; a review of the international literature on performance management of senior leaders in education and related sectors; analysis of empirical data collected for the study; discussion of significant issuesarising from the analysis; and a summary of main findings and implications drawing on the analysis and review of literature.We recommend that you read all the reports to understand the research fully. These documents are available on from gov.uk. The complete set of reports includes the following: Research brief A summary of key areas for consideration by governors and those directly involved in the process of headteacher performance management. Full reportThe full report, including the executive summary; details about the framework and design of the study; a review of the international literature on performance management of senior leaders in education and related sectors; analysis of empirical data collected for the study; discussion of significant issues arising from the analysis; and a summary of main findings and implications drawing on the analysis and review of literature. Case Studies (Annexe A)Ten case studies drawn from the research to illustrate approaches to headteacher performance management in a variety of schools and school groups around England. Vignettes (Annexe B)Twelve examples of important research themes contextualised in specific school settings

Biogenic cloud nuclei in the central Amazon during the transition from wet to dry season

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Whitehead, J. D., Darbyshire, E., Brito, J., Barbosa, H. M. J., Crawford, I., Stern, R., Gallagher, M. W., Kaye, P. H., Allan, J. D., Coe, H., Artaxo, P., and McFiggans, G.: Biogenic cloud nuclei in the central Amazon during the transition from wet to dry season, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 9727-9743, doi:10.5194/acp-16-9727-2016, 2016.The Amazon basin is a vast continental area in which atmospheric composition is relatively unaffected by anthropogenic aerosol particles. Understanding the proper- ties of the natural biogenic aerosol particles over the Ama- zon rainforest is key to understanding their influence on re- gional and global climate. While there have been a number of studies during the wet season, and of biomass burning par- ticles in the dry season, there has been relatively little work on the transition period – the start of the dry season in the absence of biomass burning. As part of the Brazil–UK Net- work for Investigation of Amazonian Atmospheric Composi- tion and Impacts on Climate (BUNIAACIC) project, aerosol measurements, focussing on unpolluted biogenic air masses, were conducted at a remote rainforest site in the central Ama- zon during the transition from wet to dry season in July 2013. This period marks the start of the dry season but before sig- nificant biomass burning occurs in the region. Median particle number concentrations were 266 cm−3, with size distributions dominated by an accumulation mode of 130–150 nm. During periods of low particle counts, a smaller Aitken mode could also be seen around 80 nm. While the concentrations were similar in magnitude to those seen during the wet season, the size distributions suggest an en- hancement in the accumulation mode compared to the wet season, but not yet to the extent seen later in the dry sea- son, when significant biomass burning takes place. Submi- cron nonrefractory aerosol composition, as measured by an aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM), was domi- nated by organic material (around 81 %). Aerosol hygro- scopicity was probed using measurements from a hygro- scopicity tandem differential mobility analyser (HTDMA), and a quasi-monodisperse cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNc). The hygroscopicity parameter, κ , was found to be low, ranging from 0.12 for Aitken-mode particles to 0.18 for accumulation-mode particles. This was consistent with pre- vious studies in the region, but lower than similar measure- ments conducted in Borneo, where κ ranged 0.17–0.37. A wide issue bioaerosol sensor (WIBS-3M) was deployed at ground level to probe the coarse mode, detecting pri- mary biological aerosol by fluorescence (fluorescent biolog- ical aerosol particles, or FBAPs). The mean FBAP number concentration was 400 ± 242 L−1; however, this ranged from around 200 L−1 during the day to as much as 1200 L−1 at night. FBAPs dominated the coarse-mode particles, compris- ing between 55 and 75 % of particles during the day to more than 90 % at night. Non-FBAPs did not show a strong diur- nal pattern. Comparison with previous FBAP measurements above canopy at the same location suggests there is a strong vertical gradient in FBAP concentrations through the canopy. Cluster analysis of the data suggests that FBAPs were dom- inated (around 70 %) by fungal spores. Further, long-term measurements will be required in order to fully examine the seasonal variability and distribution of primary biological aerosol particles through the canopy. This is the first time that such a suite of measurements has been deployed at this site to investigate the chemical compo- sition and properties of the biogenic contributions to Ama- zonian aerosol during the transition period from the wet to the dry season, and thus provides a unique comparison to the aerosol properties observed during the wet season in previ- ous similar campaigns. This was also the first deployment of a WIBS in the Amazon rainforest to study coarse-mode parti- cles, particularly primary biological aerosol particles, which are likely to play an important role as ice nuclei in the region.Peer reviewe

Treatment options for muscle-invasive urothelial cancer for patients who were not eligible for cystectomy or neoadjuvant chemotherapy with methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin

BACKGROUND. Many patients with invasive urothelial cell cancer are poor candidates for cisplatin-based chemotherapy, and many are high risk for cystectomy. Southwest Oncology Group Trial 8733 was designed to address treatment for such patients. METHODS. Eligible patients had primary or recurrent muscle-invasive disease with transitional cell or squamous cell histology, a performance status from 0 to 2, no extrapelvic disease, a life expectancy >3 months, and adequate hematologic function. The treating clinician assigned patients to operable or inoperable groups. All patients received 2 cycles of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) at a dose of 1000mg/m 2 per day × 4 starting concurrently with radiation at a dose of 200 centigrays per day × 10 each cycle. After 2 cycles, operable patients with positive biopsies underwent cystectomy, and patients with negative biopsies received a third cycle of chemoradiotherapy. Patients in the inoperable group received 3 cycles without interim biopsy. RESULTS. Eighteen of 24 eligible patients in the operable group were evaluable for response. Five patients had a complete response (CR), 9 patients had stable disease, 1 patient had progressive disease, and 3 patients were not assessable. The median progression-free survival was 10 months (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 4–14 months), and the median overall survival was 18 months (95% CI, 7–28 months). In the inoperable group, 35 of 37 eligible patients were evaluable for response with 17 CRs (49%; 95% CI, 31%–66%). The median progression-free survival was 13 months (95% CI, 10–17 months), and the median overall survival was 20 months (95% CI, 11–53 months). There were no episodes of grade 4 toxicity. CONCLUSIONS. In the current study, the combination of 5-FU and radiation was found to be tolerated well by patients with numerous comorbidities who could not tolerate cisplatin-based therapy or cystectomy. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58591/1/23420_ftp.pd