Daily scale wintertime sea surface temperature and IPC-Navidad variability in the southern Bay of Biscay from 1981 to 2010

The combination of remotely sensed gappy Sea surface temperature (SST) images with the missing data filling DINEOF (data interpolating empirical orthogonal functions) technique, followed by a principal component analysis of the reconstructed data, has been used to identify the time evolution and the daily scale variability of the wintertime surface signal of the Iberian Poleward Current (IPC), or Navidad, during the 1981-2010 period. An exhaustive comparison with the existing bibliography, and the vertical temperature and salinity profiles related to its extremes over the Bay of Biscay area, show that the obtained time series accurately reflect the IPC-Navidad variability. Once a time series for the evolution of the SST signal of the current over the last decades is well established, this time series is used to propose a physical mechanism in relation to the variability of the IPC-Navidad, involving both atmospheric and oceanic variables. According to the proposed mechanism, an atmospheric circulation anomaly observed in both the 500 hPa and the surface levels generates atmospheric surface level pressure, wind-stress and heat-flux anomalies. In turn, those surface level atmospheric anomalies induce mutually coherent SST and sea level anomalies over the North Atlantic area, and locally, in the Bay of Biscay area. These anomalies, both locally over the Bay of Biscay area and over the North Atlantic, are in agreement with several mechanisms that have separately been related to the variability of the IPC-Navidad, i.e. the south-westerly winds, the joint effect of baroclinicity and relief (JEBAR) effect, the topographic beta effect and a weakened North Atlantic gyre.

Lagerversuch von frischem bzw. tief gefrorenen gelagerten kalt geräuchertem Atlantischem Lachs (Salmo salar) in 200-g-Fertigpackungen mit sensorischer Beurteilung in Abhängigkeit von der Lagerzeit

After 4 months frozen storage at –18 °C cold smoked Atlantic salmon in consumer packages can hardly be differentiated from the freshly smoked product by sensory assessment by an expert panel and cannot be differentiated by consumers.

Role of G protein coupled inwardly rectifier K+ channels (GIRK) on the neurobiology depression

353 págs.

液氮温区G-M制冷机的数值分析及新型结构制冷机的研制

G-M制冷机是回热式的小型低温制冷机，它利用绝热放气膨胀原理（又称为西蒙膨胀法）获得低温，具有振动小、运行稳定、寿命长、操作方便等特点，在对效率、重量、尺寸等没有太高要求的场合应用非常广泛。在八十年代末，G-M制冷机已经突破了液氦温度，非常适合在液氦温区为超导器件或电子元件提供冷量，在低温真空泵、MRI超导磁体冷却系统、SQUID再冷凝系统等方面有良好的应用前景，推广其应用已属当务之急。本文围绕着探索氦温区G-M制冷机工作机理、提高低温蓄冷器性能及新型结构G-M制冷机的研制等方面，进行了系统地理论分析和纳归纳，以及初步地实验研究：一. 首次比较完善地建立了液氦温区G-M型制冷机整机数值模拟方法，数值模拟方法给出了制冷机内工质参数瞬态分布及动态变化曲线，为分析制冷机独特的循环特性提供了直观的依据，为探讨运行及结构参数对制冷性能的影响机理提供了强有力的工具。模型中考虑了制冷机中的阻力、实际进排气角、物性变化及蓄冷器内空隙率的存在等多种实际因素：解决了一、二级耦合及部件交界处物性变化不连续对计算影响等问题；采取网格非均匀化、牛顿迭代法以及负反馈原理等措施，提高了计算精度和收敛性。在微机上成功地模拟了液氦温区G-M制冷机的工作过程，程序采用模块化编程，具有一定通用性。二. 运用液氦温区整套机数值模拟方法，计算了制冷机内工质参数（氦流温度、压力、流速等）周期性变化和空间分布，采用一级蓄冷器与低温蓄冷器工作特性对比法，从整机内工质参数动态变化规律分析的角度，验证了液氦温区G-M制冷机工质氦的循环主要分为两部分：常规循环、低温循环。并详细地讨论了运行参数（频率、工作压力）及一级制冷机结构参数对整机内工数动态变化的影响规律以及制冷机性能的影响机理。三. 首次建立了较完善的液氦温区多层混合填料型低温蓄冷器的数值模拟方法，运用数值模拟方法，首次详细地研究了常用填料的不同组合、一定组合下填料比例以及蓄冷器结构对制冷机性能的影响机理，提出了不同填料的最佳节组合及一定组合下填料最佳比例的确定和低温蓄冷器结构和填料优化的原则，为合理有效地设计高性能液氦温区低温蓄冷器提供了依据。四. 提出并设计、加工了一种新型结构的液氦温区双级G-M型制冷机，该机结构在国内外属于首创。其具有以下主要结构特点：一、二级分别独立驱动；一、二级之间通过热桥连接；二级蓄冷器外置于汽缸等。同时建立了新型结构液氦温区双级G-M型制冷机实验系统，为今后整机性能和内部动态过程的研究奠定了基础。五. 新型结构双级G-M型制冷机二级单机动转频率为0.6Hz时，制冷温度为13.6K，且在20K时有4.4W的制冷量；制冷机已达到液氦温区，f = 0.4Hz时，最低温度为4.6K；f = 1Hz，制冷温度为10K时，制冷量大于6W，上述结果目前均未见有文献报道。在新型G-M制冷机上，初步进行了低温蓄冷器性能测试实验及运行参数对制冷机性能影响的实验研究。

Changes in white adipose tissue metabolism induced by resveratrol in rats

Background: A remarkable range of biological functions have been ascribed to resveratrol. Recently, this polyphenol has been shown to have body fat lowering effects. The aim of the present study was to assess some of the potential underlying mechanisms of action which take place in adipose tissue. Methods: Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and treated with 30 mg resveratrol/kg body weight/d. All rats were fed an obesogenic diet and after six weeks of treatment white adipose tissues were dissected. Lipoprotein lipase activity was assessed by fluorimetry, acetyl-CoA carboxylase by radiometry, and malic enzyme, glucose-6P-dehydrogenase and fatty acid synthase by spectrophotometry. Gene expression levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, lipoprotein lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase, adipose triglyceride lipase, PPAR-gamma, SREBP-1c and perilipin were assessed by Real time RT-PCR. The amount of resveratrol metabolites in adipose tissue was measured by chromatography. Results: There was no difference in the final body weight of the rats; however, adipose tissues were significantly decreased in the resveratrol-treated group. Resveratrol reduced the activity of lipogenic enzymes, as well as that of heparin-releasable lipoprotein lipase. Moreover, a significant reduction was induced by this polyphenol in hormone-sensitive lipase mRNA levels. No significant changes were observed in other genes. Total amount of resveratrol metabolites in adipose tissue was 2.66 +/- 0.55 nmol/g tissue. Conclusions: It can be proposed that the body fat-lowering effect of resveratrol is mediated, at least in part, by a reduction in fatty acid uptake from circulating triacylglycerols and also in de novo lipogenesis.

Trace Metal Sensors for Coastal Monitoring, Seaside, California, April 11-13, 2005: workshop proceedings

The Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT) Workshop on Trace Metal Sensors for Coastal Monitoring was convened April 11-13, 2005 at the Embassy Suites in Seaside, California with partnership from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Trace metals play many important roles in marine ecosystems. Due to their extreme toxicity, the effects of copper, cadmium and certain organo-metallinc compounds (such as tributyltin and methylmercury) have received much attention. Lately, the sublethal effects of metals on phytoplankton biochemistry, and in some cases the expression of neurotoxins (Domoic acid), have been shown to be important environmental forcing functions determining the composition and gene expression in some groups. More recently the role of iron in controlling phytoplankton growth has led to an understanding of trace metal limitation in coastal systems. Although metals play an important role at many different levels, few technologies exist to provide rapid assessment of metal concentrations or metal speciation in the coastal zone where metal-induced toxicity or potential stimulation of harmful algal blooms, can have major economic impacts. This workshop focused on the state of on-site and in situ trace element detection technologies, in terms of what is currently working well and what is needed to effectively inform coastal zone managers, as well as guide adaptive scientific sampling of the coastal zone. Specifically the goals of this workshop were to: 1) summarize current regional requirements and future targets for metal monitoring in freshwater, estuarine and coastal environments; 2) evaluate the current status of metal sensors and possibilities for leveraging emerging technologies for expanding detection limits and target elements; and 3) help identify critical steps needed for and limits to operational deployment of metal sensors as part of routine water quality monitoring efforts. Following a series of breakout group discussions and overview talks on metal monitoring regulatory issues, analytical techniques and market requirements, workshop participants made several recommendations for steps needed to foster development of in situ metal monitoring capacities: 1. Increase scientific and public awareness of metals of environmental and biological concern and their impacts in aquatic environments. Inform scientific and public communities regarding actual levels of trace metals in natural and perturbed systems. 2. Identify multiple use applications (e.g., industrial waste steam and drinking water quality monitoring) to support investments in metal sensor development. (pdf contains 27 pages)

Linear Chromatic Adaptation Transform Based on Delaunay Triangulation

Computer vision algorithms that use color information require color constant images to operate correctly. Color constancy of the images is usually achieved in two steps: first the illuminant is detected and then image is transformed with the chromatic adaptation transform ( CAT). Existing CAT methods use a single transformation matrix for all the colors of the input image. The method proposed in this paper requires multiple corresponding color pairs between source and target illuminants given by patches of the Macbeth color checker. It uses Delaunay triangulation to divide the color gamut of the input image into small triangles. Each color of the input image is associated with the triangle containing the color point and transformed with a full linear model associated with the triangle. Full linear model is used because diagonal models are known to be inaccurate if channel color matching functions do not have narrow peaks. Objective evaluation showed that the proposed method outperforms existing CAT methods by more than 21%; that is, it performs statistically significantly better than other existing methods.

Energy Functions And Basic Equations For Ferroelectrics

Energy functions (or characteristic functions) and basic equations for ferroelectrics in use today are given by those for ordinary dielectrics in the physical and mechanical communications. Based on these basic equations and energy functions, the finite element computation of the nonlinear behavior of the ferroelectrics has been carried out by several research groups. However, it is difficult to process the finite element computation further after domain switching, and the computation results are remarkably deviating from the experimental results. For the crack problem, the iterative solution of the finite element calculation could not converge and the solutions for fields near the crack tip oscillate. In order to finish the calculation smoothly, the finite element formulation should be modified to neglect the equivalent nodal load produced by spontaneous polarization gradient. Meanwhile, certain energy functions for ferroelectrics in use today are not compatible with the constitutive equations of ferroelectrics and need to be modified. This paper proposes a set of new formulae of the energy functions for ferroelectrics. With regard to the new formulae of the energy functions, the new basic equations for ferroelectrics are derived and can reasonably explain the question in the current finite element analysis for ferroelectrics.

A smoothing technique for discrete delta functions with application to immersed boundary method in moving boundary simulations.

The effects of complex boundary conditions on flows are represented by a volume force in the immersed boundary methods. The problem with this representation is that the volume force exhibits non-physical oscillations in moving boundary simulations. A smoothing technique for discrete delta functions has been developed in this paper to suppress the non-physical oscillations in the volume forces. We have found that the non-physical oscillations are mainly due to the fact that the derivatives of the regular discrete delta functions do not satisfy certain moment conditions. It has been shown that the smoothed discrete delta functions constructed in this paper have one-order higher derivative than the regular ones. Moreover, not only the smoothed discrete delta functions satisfy the first two discrete moment conditions, but also their derivatives satisfy one-order higher moment condition than the regular ones. The smoothed discrete delta functions are tested by three test cases: a one-dimensional heat equation with a moving singular force, a two-dimensional flow past an oscillating cylinder, and the vortex-induced vibration of a cylinder. The numerical examples in these cases demonstrate that the smoothed discrete delta functions can effectively suppress the non-physical oscillations in the volume forces and improve the accuracy of the immersed boundary method with direct forcing in moving boundary simulations.

The elasto-damage theory of the components assembling model

The potential energy in materials is well approximated by pair functional which is composed of pair potentials and embedding energy. During calculating material potential energy, the orientational component and the volumetric component are derived respectively from pair potentials and embedding energy. The sum of energy of all these two kinds of components is the material potential. No matter how microstructures change, damage or fracture, at the most level, they are all the changing and breaking atomic bonds. As an abstract of atomic bonds, these components change their stiffness during damaging. Material constitutive equations have been formulated by means of assembling all components' response functions. This material model is called the component assembling model. Theoretical analysis and numerical computing indicate that the proposed model has the capacity of reproducing some results satisfactorily, with the advantages of great conceptual simplicity, physical explicitness, and intrinsic induced anisotropy, etc.