Polar mesosphere summer echoes: a comparison of simultaneous observations at three wavelengths

On 5 July 2005, simultaneous observations of Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes (PMSE) were made using the EISCAT VHF (224 MHz) and UHF (933 MHz) radars located near Tromsø, Norway and the ALWIN VHF radar (53.5 MHz) situated on Andøya, 120 km SW of the EISCAT site. During the short interval from 12:20 UT until 12:26 UT strong echoes at about 84 km altitude were detected with all three radars. The radar volume reflectivities were found to be 4×10<sup>−13</sup> m<sup>−1</sup>, 1.5×10<sup>−14</sup> m<sup>−1</sup> and 1.5×10<sup>−18</sup> m<sup>−1</sup> for the ALWIN, EISCAT-VHF and UHF radars, respectively. We have calculated the reflectivity ratios for each pair of radars and have compared them to ratios obtained from the turbulence-theory model proposed by Hill (1978a). We have tested different values of the turbulent energy dissipation rate ε and Schmidt number <i>S<sub>c</sub></i>, which are free parameters in the model, to try to fit theoretical reflectivity ratios to the experimental ones. No single combination of the parameters ε and <i>S<sub>c</sub></i> could be found to give a good fit. Spectral widths for the EISCAT radars were estimated from the spectra computed from the autocorrelation functions obtained in the experiment. After correction for beam-width broadening, the spectral widths are about 4 m/s for the EISCAT-VHF and 1.5–2 m/s for the UHF radar. However, according to the turbulence theory, the spectral widths in m/s should be the same for both radars. We also tested an incoherent scatter (IS) model developed by Cho et al. (1998), which takes into account the presence of charged aerosols/dust at the summer mesopause. It required very different sizes of particles for the EISCAT-VHF and UHF cases, to be able to fit the experimental spectra with model spectra. This implies that the IS model cannot explain PMSE spectra, at least not for monodisperse distributions of particles

Converting Your Thoughts to Texts: Enabling Brain Typing via Deep Feature Learning of EEG Signals

An electroencephalography (EEG) based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) enables people to communicate with the outside world by interpreting the EEG signals of their brains to interact with devices such as wheelchairs and intelligent robots. More specifically, motor imagery EEG (MI-EEG), which reflects a subjects active intent, is attracting increasing attention for a variety of BCI applications. Accurate classification of MI-EEG signals while essential for effective operation of BCI systems, is challenging due to the significant noise inherent in the signals and the lack of informative correlation between the signals and brain activities. In this paper, we propose a novel deep neural network based learning framework that affords perceptive insights into the relationship between the MI-EEG data and brain activities. We design a joint convolutional recurrent neural network that simultaneously learns robust high-level feature presentations through low-dimensional dense embeddings from raw MI-EEG signals. We also employ an Autoencoder layer to eliminate various artifacts such as background activities. The proposed approach has been evaluated extensively on a large- scale public MI-EEG dataset and a limited but easy-to-deploy dataset collected in our lab. The results show that our approach outperforms a series of baselines and the competitive state-of-the- art methods, yielding a classification accuracy of 95.53%. The applicability of our proposed approach is further demonstrated with a practical BCI system for typing.Comment: 10 page

Differential selective pressure alters rate of drug resistance acquisition in heterogeneous tumor populations

Recent drug discovery and development efforts have created a large arsenal of targeted and chemotherapeutic drugs for precision medicine. However, drug resistance remains a major challenge as minor pre-existing resistant subpopulations are often found to be enriched at relapse. Current drug design has been heavily focused on initial efficacy, and we do not fully understand the effects of drug selective pressure on long-term drug resistance potential. Using a minimal two-population model, taking into account subpopulation proportions and growth/kill rates, we modeled long-term drug treatment and performed parameter sweeps to analyze the effects of each parameter on therapeutic efficacy. We found that drugs with the same overall initial kill may exert differential selective pressures, affecting long-term therapeutic outcome. We validated our conclusions experimentally using a preclinical model of Burkitt’s lymphoma. Furthermore, we highlighted an intrinsic tradeoff between drug-imposed overall selective pressure and rate of adaptation. A principled approach in understanding the effects of distinct drug selective pressures on short-term and long-term tumor response enables better design of therapeutics that ultimately minimize relapse.Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research (Support (core) Grant P30-CA14051)National Cancer Institute (U.S.). Integrative Cancer Biology Program (Grant U54-CA112967)National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (Interdepartmental Biotechnology Training Program 5T32GM008334

A case study of gravity waves in noctilucent clouds

We present a case study of a noctilucent cloud (NLC) display appearing on 10-11 August 2000 over Northern Sweden. Clear wave structures were visible in the clouds and time-lapse photography was used to derive the parameters characterising the gravity waves which could account for the observed NLC modulation. Using two nearby atmospheric radars, the Esrange MST Radar data and Andoya MF radar, we have identified gravity waves propagating upward from the upper stratosphere to NLC altitudes. The wave parameters derived from the radar measurements support the suggestion that gravity waves are responsible for the observed complex wave dynamics in the NLC

Morphological and stress vulnerability indices for human coronary plaques and their correlations with cap thickness and lipid percent: An IVUS-based fluid-structure interaction multi-patient study

Plaque vulnerability, defined as the likelihood that a plaque would rupture, is difficult to quantify due to lack of in vivo plaque rupture data. Morphological and stress-based plaque vulnerability indices were introduced as alternatives to obtain quantitative vulnerability assessment. Correlations between these indices and key plaque features were investigated. In vivo intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) data were acquired from 14 patients and IVUS-based 3D fluid-structure interaction (FSI) coronary plaque models with cyclic bending were constructed to obtain plaque wall stress/strain and flow shear stress for analysis. For the 617 slices from the 14 patients, lipid percentage, min cap thickness, critical plaque wall stress (CPWS), strain (CPWSn) and flow shear stress (CFSS) were recorded, and cap index, lipid index and morphological index were assigned to each slice using methods consistent with American Heart Association (AHA) plaque classification schemes. A stress index was introduced based on CPWS. Linear Mixed-Effects (LME) models were used to analyze the correlations between the mechanical and morphological indices and key morphological factors associated with plaque rupture. Our results indicated that for all 617 slices, CPWS correlated with min cap thickness, cap index, morphological index with r = -0.6414, 0.7852, and 0.7411 respectively (p<0.0001). The correlation between CPWS and lipid percentage, lipid index were weaker (r = 0.2445, r = 0.2338, p<0.0001). Stress index correlated with cap index, lipid index, morphological index positively with r = 0.8185, 0.3067, and 0.7715, respectively, all with p<0.0001. For all 617 slices, the stress index has 66.77% agreement with morphological index. Morphological and stress indices may serve as quantitative plaque vulnerability assessment supported by their strong correlations with morphological features associated with plaque rupture. Differences between the two indices may lead to better plaque assessment schemes when both indices were jointly used with further validations from clinical studies

Groundwater depletion embedded in international food trade

Recent hydrological modelling1 and Earth observations2,3 have located and quantified alarming rates of groundwater depletion worldwide. This depletion is primarily due to water withdrawals for irrigation1,2,4, but its connection with the main driver of irrigation, global food consumption, has not yet been explored. Here we show that approximately eleven per cent of non-renewable groundwater use for irrigation is embedded in international food trade, of which two-thirds are exported by Pakistan, the USA and India alone. Our quantification of groundwater depletion embedded in the world’s food trade is based on a combination of global, cropspecific estimates of non-renewable groundwater abstraction and international food trade data. A vast majority of the world’s population lives in countries sourcing nearly all their staple crop imports from partners who deplete groundwater to produce these crops, highlighting risks for global food and water security. Some countries, such as the USA, Mexico, Iran and China, are particularly exposed to these risks because they both produce and import food irrigated from rapidly depleting aquifers. Our results could help to improve the sustainability of global food production and groundwater resource management by identifying priority regions and agricultural products at risk as well as the end consumers of these products

Climate and southern Africa's water-energy-food nexus

In southern Africa, the connections between climate and the water-energy-food nexus are strong. Physical and socioeconomic exposure to climate is high in many areas and in crucial economic sectors. Spatial interdependence is also high, driven for example, by the regional extent of many climate anomalies and river basins and aquifers that span national boundaries. There is now strong evidence of the effects of individual climate anomalies, but associations between national rainfall and Gross Domestic Product and crop production remain relatively weak. The majority of climate models project decreases in annual precipitation for southern Africa, typically by as much as 20% by the 2080s. Impact models suggest these changes would propagate into reduced water availability and crop yields. Recognition of spatial and sectoral interdependencies should inform policies, institutions and investments for enhancing water, energy and food security. Three key political and economic instruments could be strengthened for this purpose; the Southern African Development Community, the Southern African Power Pool, and trade of agricultural products amounting to significant transfers of embedded water

Grapevine rhizosphere bacteria: influence of diversity and function on two root diseases

The overall goal of this research was to determine what, if any, role grapevine rhizosphere bacteria play in the differing susceptibilities of New Zealand grown rootstocks to Cylindrocarpon black foot disease. The size and diversity of bacterial populations associated with the rhizospheres of grapevine rootstocks: 101-14, 5C, Schwarzmann and Riparia Gloire were evaluated. Dilution plating showed that total bacterial (P=0.012, P=0.005 for NA and KB, respectively) and fluorescent Pseudomonad (P=0.035) rhizosphere counts differed between rhizosphere and bulk soils but did not correlate with the differing susceptibilities of the rootstock varieties to black foot. No varietal differences were found for spore forming bacteria (P=0.201). SSCP banding patterns showed that species diversity was similar for most rootstocks, but that there were some differences in the composition of bacterial populations, probably attributable to vigour. Some functional characteristics of the bacteria isolated from the rhizospheres of the most and least susceptible rootstock varieties were assessed to investigate their potential to suppress the pathogen. In dual culture, bacteria from Riparia Gloire, 101-14 and the control soil all had little ability to antagonise Cylindrocarpon destructans. However, they differed in their degrees of activity for glucanase (P=0.000), protease (P=0.001) and siderophores (P=0.000). In all tests, bacterial isolates from the rhizosphere of 101-14 had the largest number of active isolates (P≤0.002); however, those from Riparia Gloire had the greatest degree of positive responses for the glucanase and siderophore assays. Bacterial isolates from the control soil produced few glucanases and no siderophores, but had the highest degree of protease activity. Bands excised and sequenced from SSCP gels frequently matched to other ‘uncultured bacteria’ in GenBank, as well as to other bacterial phyla, classes and genera commonly isolated from soil and sediment samples. These included members of the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria (α, δ, γ), Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria and Chromatiales. The pathogenicity of C. destructans and Fusarium oxysporum was investigated by inoculating soil containing wounded ungrafted rootstocks of 101-14, 5C, Schwarzmann and Riparia Gloire. Results indicated that F. oxysporum might be a more aggressive pathogen than C. destructans. Inoculation with F. oxysporum or C. destructans increased disease severity, P=0.018 and P=0.056, respectively at 0 cm. Rootstock variety influenced disease severity caused by C. destructans (P<0.001) and F. oxysporum (P=0.090), with rootstocks 101-14 and 5C being most susceptible to C. destructans, and Riparia Gloire and Schwarzmann most susceptible to F. oxysporum. There was also an indication that inoculation with one pathogen increased plant susceptibility to the other, with increased F. oxysporum infection in the C. destructans inoculated treatments of Riparia Gloire and Schwarzmann (P<0.05). The effect of carbohydrate stress (leaf trimming) and inoculation on C. destructans disease severity, incidence, and rootstock rhizosphere bacterial populations was evaluated by inoculating the soil containing one year old plants of Sauvignon Blanc scion wood grafted to rootstocks 101-14 and Schwarzmann. Disease severity and incidence was similar for both Schwarzmann (8.4% and 29.3%, respectively) and 101-14 (14.9% and 31.0%, respectively). When data for the moderate and no stress treatments were combined, because their effects were similar, the disease severity was significantly higher for the highly stressed plants(P=0.043). Stress did not influence disease incidence (P=0.551). Infection occurred in the non-inoculated plants, but disease severity was higher in the plants inoculated with C. destructans than those that were not. Root dry weight of highly stressed plants was lower than in both the moderately stressed (P=0.000) and unstressed plants (P=0.003). An interaction between inoculation and stress (P=0.031) showed that inoculated and highly stressed plants had the lowest root dry weight but there was no effect of rootstocks (P=0.062). There was no significant effect of carbohydrate stress (P=0.259) or inoculation (P=0.885) on shoot dry weight. SSCP banding patterns showed that bacterial diversity was generally similar between rootstocks, but stress and inoculation altered rhizosphere bacterial communities. This study has demonstrated that functionality of grapevine rhizosphere bacteria do differ between grapevine rootstock varieties that have different susceptibilities to black foot disease, but that this role needs to be further investigated if more accurate and practically relevant conclusions are to be drawn