Steric and mass-induced sea level variations in the Mediterranean Sea revisited

The total sea level variation (SLV) is the combination of steric and mass␣induced SLV, whose exact shares are key to understanding the oceanic response to climate system changes. Total SLV can be observed by radar altimetry satellites such as TOPEX/POSEIDON and Jason 1/2. The steric SLV can be computed through temperature and salinity profiles from in situ measurements or from ocean general circulation models (OGCM), which can assimilate the said observations. The mass-induced SLV can be estimated from its time-variable gravity (TVG) signals. We revisit this problem in the Mediterranean Sea estimating the observed, steric, and mass-induced SLV, for the latter we analyze the latest TVG data set from the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite mission launched in 2002, which is 3.5 times longer than in previous studies, with the application of a two-stage anisotropic filter to reduce the noise in high-degree and -order spherical harmonic coefficients. We confirm that the intra-annual total SLV are only produced by water mass changes, a fact explained in the literature as a result of the wind field around the Gibraltar Strait. The steric SLV estimated from the residual of “altimetry minus GRACE” agrees in phase with that estimated from OGCMs and in situ measurements, although showing a higher amplitude. The net water fluxes through both the straits of Gibraltar and Sicily have also been estimated accordingly.

Prevalence of exposure to occupational risks during preganancy in Spain

Objectives. We describe reported exposures to main categories of occupational agents and conditions in Spanish pregnant workers. Methods. Women were recruited at 12th week of pregnancy from main public gynaecological consults to be included in the INMA Spanish cohorts study (n = 2,058). Through personal interviews with structured questionnaires, information on working situation and working conditions during pregnancy was obtained. Results. Fifty percent of the women reported frequent exposure to physical load (standing, heavy lifting) and 45 % reported exposure to three or more indicators of job strain. Exposure to at least one physical agent (noise, vibrations, etc.) affected 25 % of the women. Exposure to chemicals was reported by 20 % of the women, mostly including solvents and cleaning products. Eight percent of the women worked at night shifts. Job strain was more prevalent in office workers and industrial operators. Industrial workers showed the highest prevalence of exposure to chemical and physical pollutants. Conclusions. Our data suggest that working conditions of pregnant women may need increased control in Spain.

Tri-level study: modification. Task 5: an examination of driver characteristics and collision producing errors of accident and traffic violation repeaters. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Tri-level accident research study. Second annual report. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Ground water level changes and demographic analysis of ground water in Illinois /

"October, 1981."

Cumulative auditory effects resulting from multiple exposure to intense acoustic stimulation.

Pt. 1. Deafening effects of noise on the cat -- Pt. 2. Histological effects of intense sound on the inner ear.

Safety of oral tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-based pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: prospective studies in HIV-uninfected men and women

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Air pollution exposure and novel biomarkers of inflammation and cardiac stress in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air)

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Human Mobility, Exposure to the Built Environment, and Health

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Skin exposure during conventional phototherapy in preterm infants: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To assess the effect of reduced skin exposure in preterm infants receiving overhead phototherapy treatment on total serum bilirubin (TSB). Methods: Randomized controlled trial. Preterm infants (>1500 g birthweight and less than or equal to 36 weeks gestation) were randomized to being nursed either partially clothed with only disposable nappies and in posturally supported positions (n = 30) or naked without postural support (n = 29). Primary outcome was mean TSB percentage change at 24 h of completed conventional overhead phototherapy treatment (irradiance of 6 muWcm(-2)/nm at a wavelength of 425-475 nm). The incidence of rebound jaundice, number of infants continuing to receive phototherapy treatment at 24 h periods, parental stress, mother-infant interaction and mean TSB percentage change at 24 h of completed conventional overhead phototherapy treatment were examined. Results: Mean TSB percentage change at 24 h of completed treatment for the partially clothed group was 15.4% (+/-18) and for the naked group 19% (+/-15) (mean difference 3.6% 95% CI -5.1, 12.3). No other outcomes were significantly affected by reduced skin exposure to overhead phototherapy treatment. Conclusion: Our results show no statistically significant difference in TSB level change using either nursing practice.

Rainfall variability at decadal and longer time scales: signal or noise?

Rainfall variability occurs over a wide range of temporal scales. Knowledge and understanding of such variability can lead to improved risk management practices in agricultural and other industries. Analyses of temporal patterns in 100 yr of observed monthly global sea surface temperature and sea level pressure data show that the single most important cause of explainable, terrestrial rainfall variability resides within the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) frequency domain (2.5-8.0 yr), followed by a slightly weaker but highly significant decadal signal (9-13 yr), with some evidence of lesser but significant rainfall variability at interclecadal time scales (15-18 yr). Most of the rainfall variability significantly linked to frequencies tower than ENSO occurs in the Australasian region, with smaller effects in North and South America, central and southern Africa, and western Europe. While low-frequency (LF) signals at a decadal frequency are dominant, the variability evident was ENSO-like in all the frequency domains considered. The extent to which such LF variability is (i) predictable and (ii) either part of the overall ENSO variability or caused by independent processes remains an as yet unanswered question. Further progress can only be made through mechanistic studies using a variety of models.

Epidemiology of recreational exposure to freshwater cyanobacteria - an international prospective cohort study

Background: Case studies and anecdotal reports have documented a range of acute illnesses associated with exposure to cyanobacteria and their toxins in recreational waters. The epidemiological data to date are limited; we sought to improve on the design of some previously conducted studies in order to facilitate revision and refinement of guidelines for exposure to cyanobacteria in recreational waters. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the incidence of acute symptoms in individuals exposed, through recreational activities, to low ( cell surface area < 2.4 mm(2)/mL), medium ( 2.4 - 12.0 mm(2)/mL) and high (> 12.0 mm(2)/mL) levels of cyanobacteria in lakes and rivers in southeast Queensland, the central coast area of New South Wales, and northeast and central Florida. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed; models adjusted for region, age, smoking, prior history of asthma, hay fever or skin disease ( eczema or dermatitis) and clustering by household. Results: Of individuals approached, 3,595 met the eligibility criteria, 3,193 (89%) agreed to participate and 1,331 (37%) completed both the questionnaire and follow-up interview. Respiratory symptoms were 2.1 (95% CI: 1.1 - 4.0) times more likely to be reported by subjects exposed to high levels of cyanobacteria than by those exposed to low levels. Similarly, when grouping all reported symptoms, individuals exposed to high levels of cyanobacteria were 1.7 ( 95% CI: 1.0 - 2.8) times more likely to report symptoms than their low-level cyanobacteria-exposed counterparts. Conclusion: A significant increase in reporting of minor self-limiting symptoms, particularly respiratory symptoms, was associated with exposure to higher levels of cyanobacteria of mixed genera. We suggest that exposure to cyanobacteria based on total cell surface area above 12 mm(2)/mL could result in increased incidence of symptoms. The potential for severe, life-threatening cyanobacteria-related illness is likely to be greater in recreational waters that have significant levels of cyanobacterial toxins, so future epidemiological investigations should be directed towards recreational exposure to cyanotoxins.

Virtual reality exposure therapy: 150-degree screen to desktop PC

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) developed using immersive or semi-immersive virtual environments present a usability problem for practitioners. To meet practitioner requirements for lower cost and portability VRET programs must often be ported onto desktop environments such as the personal computer (PC). However, success of VRET has been shown to be linked to presence, and the environment's ability to evoke the same reactions and emotions as a real experience. It is generally accepted that high-end virtual environments ( VEs) are more immersive than desktop PCs, but level of immersion does not always predict level of presence. This paper reports on the impact on presence of porting a therapeutic VR application for Schizophrenia from the initial research environment of a semi-immersive curved screen to PC. Presence in these two environments is measured both introspectively and across a number of causal factors thought to underlie the experience of presence. Results show that the VR exposure program successfully made users feel they were present in both platforms. While the desktop PC achieved higher scores on presence across causal factors participants reported they felt more present in the curved screen environment. While comparison of the two groups was statistically significant for the PQ but not for the IPQ, subjective reports of experiences in the environments should be considered in future research as the success of VRET relies heavily on the emotional response of patients to the therapeutic program.

ADSL transceivers applying DSM and their nonstationary noise robustness

Dynamic spectrum management (DSM) comprises a new set of techniques for multiuser power allocation and/or detection in digital subscriber line (DSL) networks. At the Alcatel Research and Innovation Labs, we have recently developed a DSM test bed, which allows the performance of DSM algorithms to be evaluated in practice. With this test bed, we have evaluated the performance of a DSM level-1 algorithm known as iterative water-filling in an ADSL scenario. This paper describes the results of, on the one hand, the performance gains achieved with iterative water-filling, and, on the other hand, the nonstationary noise robustness of DSM-enabled ADSL modems. It will be shown that DSM trades off nonstationary noise robustness for performance improvements. A new bit swap procedure is then introduced to increase the noise robustness when applying DSM.

Impact of mycophenolate mofetil loading on drug exposure in the early posttransplant period

Achieving adequate therapeutic levels of immunosuppressive medications is important in rejection prevention. This study examined exposure to mycophenolic acid (MPA) in kidney transplant patients within the first 5 days posttransplantation. Methods. This single-center, nonrandomized study of first solitary kidney allograft recipients receiving cyclosporine (n = 116) or tacrolimus (n = 50) included patients who received either 1 g or 1.5 g of mycophenolate mofetil twice daily starting postoperatively. Exposure to MPA was measured at days 3 and 5 posttransplant using published limited sampling time equations. Results. There were no significant differences in exposure in the cyclosporine-treated patients receiving 3-g (n = 22) compared to 2-g (n = 94) daily doses (AUC([0-12]) 33.8 +/- 10.0 mg*h/L versus 30.1 +/- 9.7 mg*h/L, P =.20, respectively). About half the patients in both groups had AUC([0-12]) < 30 mg*h/L on days 3 and 5 posttransplant. On the other hand, there was significantly greater exposure on day 3 in the tacrolimus-treated patients receiving 3 g (n = 21) compared to 2 g (n = 29) daily (AUC([0-12]) 43.1 +/- 9.0 mg*h/L versus 36.8 +/- 11.1 mg*h/L, P =.016, respectively). On day 3 one (4.8%) patient receiving 3 g had an AUC([0-12]) of < 30 mg*h/L; whereas, eight (27.5%) receiving 2 g were below this level (P =.068). The AUC([0-12]) levels were not different on day 5. Conclusions. Loading with higher doses of mycophenolate mofetil results in greater exposure and a trend toward more patients in the therapeutic window within the first week for tacrolimus- but not for cyclosporine-treated patients.