Ozone in the atmospheric boundary layer: Transport mechanisms and predictive indicators at 36�N

Scope and Method of Study: The objectives of this study were the estimation of the background ozone concentration specific to the study location, correlation between the background concentration and ground-level ozone, evaluation of the relationship between meteorological parameters and ozone (measured as the background concentration and at ground level), and identification of transport pathways for the component of local ozone concentrations not explained by local photochemistry. Ozone was measured in 1-hour averages at an elevation of 210 meters above ground level, with a companion set of control data measured in 1-hour averages at ground level. Data collection occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a mid-sized city located at a latitude of 36ºN, over the period beginning on 01 June 2005 and ending on 30 November 2005. Additionally, meteorological data were collected at the 210-meter ozone installation and were retrieved from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sites that measure and record ground-level conditions, upper-air soundings, and vertical wind profiles. Solar radiation data was retrieved from the Oklahoma Mesonet.Findings and Conclusions: Local meteorological conditions were found to be more important to local photochemical generation of ozone than to the behavior of the 210-meter concentration, representative of background ozone in the troposphere. Specifically, a negative correlation with an R2 of 0.5286 was achieved between ground-level ozone and relative humidity, while a positive correlation with an R2 of 0.4897 was achieved between ground-level ozone and dry-bulb temperature. All ground-level ozone concentrations ≥ 0.08 ppm occurred at dry-bulb temperatures ≥ 27ºC and relative humidity ≤ 50%. Solar radiation was of marked importance to ground-level concentrations as well, as R2 equaled 0.6065. Wind speed had a lower correlation with ground-level ozone (R2 = 0.1121), but all occurrences of ground-level ozone ≥ 0.08 ppm during the study were accompanied by ground-level wind speeds < 5 m·s^-1. When compared with 210-meter ozone, local meteorological conditions showed poor or no correlation. Instead, the 210-meter concentration was found to be correlated with geopotential heights at 300 hPa, representative of the height of the polar jet stream. This correlation improved as heights in close proximity to the mean position of the polar jet were considered, with a maximum R2 of 0.38 when 210-meter ozone was compared with 300 hPa geopotential heights at 46ºN. Furthermore, the best correlation was achieved with an 18-hour lag between 210-meter ozone and 300 hPa geopotential heights, accounting for the vertically-tilted structure of atmospheric waves. From the correlation between 210-meter ozone and 300 hPa geopotential heights, it can be concluded that atmospheric disturbances, both as Rossby and baroclinic waves, strongly influence the tropospheric background ozone concentration, as high concentrations were favored during large-scale anti-cyclonic subsidence, while low concentrations were favored during large-scale cyclonic lift. These processes ultimately affected ground-level ozone, as a strong correlation was shown with 210-meter ozone (R2 = 0.8781) during the afternoon hours. Horizontal ozone transport was shown to be appreciable at a distance of 80 km, but based on dispersion modeling, transport at a horizontal distance of 400 km did not appear to contribute significantly to ground-level concentrations

Evidence for a black hole spin--orbit misalignment in the X-ray binary Cyg X-1

Recently, the accretion geometry of the black-hole X-ray binary Cyg X-1 was probed with the X-ray polarization. The position angle of the X-ray emitting flow was found to be aligned with the position angle of the radio jet in the plane of the sky. At the same time, the observed high polarization degree could be obtained only for a high inclination of the X-ray emitting flow, indicating a misalignment between the binary axis and the black hole spin. The jet, in turn, is believed to be directed by the spin axis, hence similar misalignment is expected between the jet and binary axes. We test this hypothesis using very long (up to about 26 years) multi-band radio observations. We find the misalignment of $20^\circ$--$30^\circ$. However, on the contrary to the earlier expectations, the jet and binary viewing angles are found to be similar, while the misalignment is seen between position angles of the jet and the binary axis on the plane of the sky. Furthermore, the presence of the misalignment questions our understanding of the evolution of this binary system.Comment: ApJL, in pres

Fructan synthesis, accumulation, and polymer traits I:Festulolium chromosome substitution lines

The fructans found as storage carbohydrates in temperate forage grasses have a physiological role in regrowth and stress tolerance. They are also important for the nutritional value of fresh and preserved livestock feeds, and are potentially useful as feedstocks for biorefining. Seasonal variation in fructan content and the capacity for de novo fructan synthesis have been examined in a Festulolium monosomic substitution line family to investigate variation in the polymers produced by grasses in the ryegrass-fescue complex. There were significant differences between ryegrass and fescue. Fescue had low polymeric fructan content and a high oligomer/polymer ratio; synthesis of polymers longer than degree of polymerisation 6 (DP6) from oligomers was slow. However, extension of polymer length from DP10/DP20 upwards appeared to occur relatively freely, and, unlike ryegrass, fescue had a relatively even spread of polymer chain lengths above DP20. This included the presence of some very large polymers. Additionally fescue retained high concentrations of fructan, both polymeric and oligomeric, during conditions of low source/high sink demand. There were indications that major genes involved in the control of some of these traits might be located on fescue chromosome 3 opening the possibility to develop grasses optimised for specific applications

Binge Drinking Following Resistance Exercise: Effect on Muscle Power Recovery

Alcohol impairs recovery of isokinetic performance following muscle damaging resistance exercise but no knowledge exists regarding alcohol’s effect on recovery of performance in explosive isotonic movements following resistance exercise that induces only limited muscle damage. Purpose: To investigate the effect of alcohol on recovery from resistance exercise for explosive performance measures. Methods: Nine healthy men (Mean ± SD: 24.8 ± 3.2 years, 176 ± 7 cm, 86.4 ± 14.6 kg) completed 2 identical acute heavy resistance exercise tests (AHRET) separated by 1 week. The AHRET consisted of 6 sets of 10 repetitions of smith machine squats at 80% of 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) with 2 min of rest between sets. From 10-20 minutes post-AHRET participants consumed either 190 proof grain alcohol (EtOH) equal to 1.086 g of alcohol per kg lean mass (82-122 ml total) or no alcohol (Placebo) diluted in an artificially sweetened and calorie free beverage. The participants were blinded to conditions and the order of conditions was counter-balanced. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured using a breathalyzer. Sixty-five minutes pre-exercise, participants ingested a meal replacement beverage (33.5 kJ per kg body mass). Before the AHRET (PRE) and the following morning (AM), participants performed three high pulls and three bench press throws with 30% of 1-RM, and 10 consecutive vertical jumps, all at maximal effort. Peak power was measured for all exercises. Muscle soreness was measured using analog scales at PRE and AM. Results: BAC peaked 60-90 min post-exercise in all participants (0.084 ± 0.017 g·dl-1) on alcohol ingestion days. No effect of alcohol was found for peak power in the high pull (EtOH, PRE: 1658 ± 432 W, AM: 1659 ± 260 W; Placebo, PRE: 1599 ± 397 W, AM: 1579 ± 301 W), bench press throw (EtOH, PRE: 1120 ± 276 W, AM: 1105 ± 295 W; Placebo, PRE: 1119 ± 202 W, AM: 1089 ± 257 W), or vertical jump (EtOH, PRE: 52.6 ± 13.5 W·kg-1, AM: 48.5 ± 6.3 W·kg-1; Placebo, PRE: 52.2 ± 9.4 W·kg-1, AM: 47.9 ± 9.0 W·kg-1). Leg soreness increased moderately from PRE to AM with no difference between conditions. CONCLUSION: A moderate BAC does not appear to affect explosive upper or lower body power capability on the morning following a heavy squat session that induces only limited muscle damage

Fructan synthesis, accumulation and polymer traits II:Fructan pools in populations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) with variation for water-soluble carbohydrate and candidate genes were not correlated with biosynthetic activity and demonstrated constraints to polymer chain extension

Differences have been shown between ryegrass and fescue within the Festulolium subline introgression family for fructan synthesis, metabolism and polymer-size traits. It is well-established that there is considerable variation for water-soluble carbohydrate and fructan content within perennial ryegrass. However there is much still to be discovered about the fructan polymer pool in this species, especially in regard to its composition and regulation. It is postulated that similar considerable variation for polymer traits may exist, providing useful polymers for biorefining applications. Seasonal effects on fructan content together with fructan synthesis and polymer-size traits have been examined in diverse perennial ryegrass material comprising contrasting plants from a perennial ryegrass F2 mapping family and from populations produced by three rounds of phenotypic selection. Relationships with copy number variation in candidate genes have been investigated. There was little evidence of any variation in fructan metabolism across this diverse germplasm under these conditions that resulted in substantial differences in the complement of fructan polymers present in leaf tissue at high water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations. The importance of fructan synthesis during fructan accumulation was unclear as fructan content and polymer characteristics in intact plants during the growing season did not reflect the capacity for de novo synthesis. However, the retention of fructan in environmental conditions favouring high sink / low source demand may be an important component of the high sugar trait and the roles of breakdown and turnover are discussed

Understanding Unauthorized Access using Fine-Grained Human-Computer Interaction Data

Unauthorized Data Access (UDA) by an internal employee is a major threat to an organization. Regardless of whether the individuals engaged in UDA with malicious intent or not, real-time identification of UDA events and anomalous behaviors is extremely difficult. For example, various artificial intelligence methods for detecting insider threat UDA have become readily available; while useful, such methods rely on post hoc analysis of the past (e.g., unsupervised learning algorithms on access logs). This research-in-progress note reports on if the analysis of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) behaviors, which have been empirically validated in various studies to reveal hidden cognitive state, can be utilized as a method to detect UDAs. To examine this, an experimental design was required that would grant the subjects an opportunity to engage in UDA events while tracking the HCI behaviors in an unobtrusive manner. Background, experimental design, study execution, preliminary results, and future research plans are presented

Reviews

Lilith in a New Light: Essays on the George Macdonald Fantasy Novel. Ed. Lucas H. Harriman. Reviewed by William Gray. Black & White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien. Edited by Angela Gardner. Illustrated by Jef Murray. Reviewed by Glen GoodKnight. C.S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion. John Beversluis. Reviewed by Donald T. Williams. Faith and Choice in the Works of Joss Whedon. K.. Dale Koontz. Reviewed by Amy H. Sturgis. Fritz Leiber, Critical Essays. Ed. Benjamin Szumskyj. Reviewed by Darrell Schweitzer. Myth and Magic: Art according to the Inklings. Eduardo Segura and Thomas Honegger. Reviewed by Jason Fisher. From Narnia to a Space Odyssey: The War of Ideas between Arthur C. Clarke And C. S. Lewis. Ed., and with introduction, by Ryder W. Miller. Reviewed by Joe R. Christopher. The Mirror Crack\u27d: Fear and Horror in JRR Tolkien\u27s Major Works. Ed. Lynn Forest-Hill. Reviewed by Edith L. Crowe. Arda Reconstructed: The Creation of the Published Silmarillion. Douglas Charles Kane. Reviewed by Jason Fisher. Night Operation. Owen Barfield. Reviewed by David Bratman. Eager Spring. Owen Barfield. Reviewed by David Bratman

The Strayed Reveller, No. 1

The Strayed Reveller is a literary magazine of stories, songs, poems, essays, reviews and artwork by students at Stephen F. Austin State University. It is published monthly andsponsered by the School of Liberal Arts and Department of English.https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/reveller/1000/thumbnail.jp

Association between rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, progression of functional limitation and long-term risk of orthopaedic surgery : Combined analysis of two prospective cohorts supports EULAR treat to target DAS thresholds

Objectives: To examine the association between disease activity in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), functional limitation and long-term orthopaedic episodes. Methods: Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability scores were collected from two longitudinal early RA inception cohorts in routine care; Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Study and Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Network from 1986 to 2012. The incidence of major and intermediate orthopaedic surgical episodes over 25 years was collected from national data sets. Disease activity was categorised by mean disease activity score (DAS28) annually between years 1 and 5; remission (RDAS≤2.6), low (LDAS>2.6-3.2), low-moderate (LMDAS≥3.2-4.19), high-moderate (HMDAS 4.2-5.1) and high (HDAS>5.1). Results: Data from 2045 patients were analysed. Patients in RDAS showed no HAQ progression over 5 years, whereas there was a significant relationship between rising DAS28 category and HAQ at 1 year, and the rate of HAQ progression between years 1 and 5. During 27 986 person-years follow-up, 392 intermediate and 591 major surgeries were observed. Compared with the RDAS category, there was a significantly increased cumulative incidence of intermediate surgery in HDAS (OR 2.59 CI 1.49 to 4.52) and HMDAS (OR 1.8 CI 1.05 to 3.11) categories, and for major surgery in HDAS (OR 2.48 CI 1.5 to 4.11), HMDAS (OR 2.16 CI 1.32 to 3.52) and LMDAS (OR 2.07 CI 1.28 to 3.33) categories. There was no significant difference in HAQ progression or orthopaedic episodes between RDAS and LDAS categories. Conclusions: There is an association between disease activity and both poor function and long-term orthopaedic episodes. This illustrates the far from benign consequences of persistent moderate disease activity, and supports European League Against Rheumatism treat to target recommendations to secure low disease activity or remission in all patients.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio