Performance Evaluation Of SMOS Soil Moisture Retrieval Parameters For Hydrological Application

Microwave remote sensing has high potential for soil moisture retrieval. However, the efficient retrieval of soil moisture depends on optimally choosing the soil moisture retrieval parameters. In this study first the initial evaluation of SMOS L2 product is performed and then four approaches regarding soil moisture retrieval from SMOS brightness temperature are reported. The radiative transfer equation based tau-omega rationale is used in this study for the soil moisture retrievals. The single channel algorithms (SCA) using H polarisation is implemented with modifications, which includes the effective temperatures simulated from ECMWF (downscaled using WRF-NOAH Land Surface Model (LSM)) and MODIS. The retrieved soil moisture is then utilized for soil moisture deficit (SMD) estimation using empirical relationships with Probability Distributed Model based SMD as a benchmark. The square of correlation during the calibration indicates a value of R2 =0.359 for approach 4 (WRF-NOAH LSM based LST with optimized roughness parameters) followed by the approach 2 (optimized roughness parameters and MODIS based LST) (R2 =0.293), approach 3 (WRF-NOAH LSM based LST with no optimization) (R2 =0.267) and approach 1(MODIS based LST with no optimization) (R2 =0.163). Similarly, during the validation a highest performance is reported by approach 4. The other approaches are also following a similar trend as calibration. All the performances are depicted through Taylor diagram which indicates that the H polarisation using ECMWF based LST is giving a better performance for SMD estimation than the original SMOS L2 products at a catchment scale.

The CMS experiment at the CERN LHC

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector is described. The detector operates at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It was conceived to study proton-proton (and lead-lead) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV (5.5 TeV nucleon-nucleon) and at luminosities up to 10(34)cm(-2)s(-1) (10(27)cm(-2)s(-1)). At the core of the CMS detector sits a high-magnetic-field and large-bore superconducting solenoid surrounding an all-silicon pixel and strip tracker, a lead-tungstate scintillating-crystals electromagnetic calorimeter, and a brass-scintillator sampling hadron calorimeter. The iron yoke of the flux-return is instrumented with four stations of muon detectors covering most of the 4 pi solid angle. Forward sampling calorimeters extend the pseudo-rapidity coverage to high values (vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 5) assuring very good hermeticity. The overall dimensions of the CMS detector are a length of 21.6 m, a diameter of 14.6 m and a total weight of 12500 t.

The impact of different surface parameterizations and vertical resolutions on the simulation of seabreeze episodes at the island of Fuerteventura

[EN] On 8-10 April 2007, several episodes of intense sea-breeze fronts were registered at the island of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands). The sea-breeze circulation was primary driven by daytime heating contrasts between land and the Atlantic Ocean during a period of weak trade winds. Numerical simulations of these events were carried out using the 3.1.1 version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. Two different domains with 6.6-km and 2.2-km horizontal grid spacing and two sets with 27 and 51 vertical sigma levels were defined. The simulation was performed using two-way interactive nesting between the first and the second domain, using different land surface model parameterizations (Thermal diffusion, Noah LSM and RUC) for comparison. Initial conditions were provided by the NCAR Dataset analysis from April 2007, which were improved using surface and upper-air observations. The poster is focused on the 9 April episode.

Local flow under weak trade wind regime

[EN] On 8-10 April 2007, several episodes of intense sea-breeze fronts were registered at the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote (Canary Islands). The sea-breeze circulation was primary driven by daytime heating contrasts between land and the Atlantic Ocean during a period of weak trade winds. Numerical simulations of these events were carried out using the 3.1.1 version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) Model. Three different domains with 6.6-km, 2.2-km and 0.7-km horizontal grid spacing and two sets with 51 and 70 vertical sigma levels were defined. The simulation was performed using two-way interactive nesting between the first and the second domain, using different land surface model parameterizations (Thermal diffusion, Noah LSM and RUC) for comparison. Initial conditions were provided by the NCAR Dataset analysis from April 2007, which were improved using surface and upper-air observations. The poster is focused on the 10 April episode.

Firsts results on the modelling of the Gran Canaria atmospheric wake

[EN] This poster shows the first attempt to modelize the Gran Canaria Island wake, an obstacle with almost a conical shape (60 km diameter and about 2000 m height). The leeside circulation was modelized for two well-defined street vortex cases during June 2010 and March 2011. Numerical simulations of these events were carried out using the 3.1.1 version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) Model. Three different domains with 4.5-km, 1.5-km and 0.5-km horizontal grid spacing and 70 vertical sigma levels were defined. The simulations were performed using two-way interactive nesting between the first and the second and third domains, using different land surface model parameterizations (Thermal diffusion, Noah LSM and RUC) for comparison. Initial conditions were provided by the NCAR Dataset analysis from April 2007. The poster is focused on both episodes using NoahLSM parameterizations.

Acto de homenaje al Dr. Ted Packard en el Día Internacional del Libro 2012.

[ES] Conferencia impartida por Ted Packard The Black Sea Flood was it Noah?s Flood?. Presentación a cargo de Félix Pintado Pico ; palabras a cargo de Avelina Fernández Manrique de Lara, Melchor González Dávila y Rafael Robaina Romero y conferencia impartida por Ted Packard en la Sala de Grado del Edificio de Ciencias Básicas el 23 de abril de 2012.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake of bone and soft tissue sarcomas in pediatric patients

A high (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake by positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging in sarcomas of adults has been reported. The current study aimed at defining the degree of (18)F-FDG uptake of pediatric sarcomas. This retrospective study included 29 patients (23 males, 6 females; mean age 14 ± 5 years) with soft tissue (n = 9) or bone (n = 20) sarcomas. Twenty-two patients (76%) underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT and 7 (24%) had dedicated (18)F-FDG PET studies. Tumor (18)F-FDG uptake was quantified by standard uptake value (SUV)(max) and tumor-to-liver ratios (SUV ratios; tumor SUV(max)/liver SUV(mean)). Tumor SUV(max) and SUV ratios were correlated with tumor Ki-67 expression. SUV(max) ranged from 1.4 to 24 g/mL (median 2.5 g/mL) in soft tissue sarcomas and 1.6 to 20.4 g/mL (median 6.9 g/mL) in bone sarcomas (P = .03), and from 1.6 to 9.2 g/mL (median 3.9 g/mL) and 3.5 to 20.4 g/mL (median 12 g/mL) in Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma, respectively (P = .009). Tumor SUV ratios ranged from 0.8 to 8.7 (median 1.9) in soft tissue sarcomas and 1.4 to 8.9 (median 3.8) in bone sarcomas (P = .08). Ewing sarcoma had a significantly lower tumor SUV ratio than osteosarcoma (P = .01). Ki-67 expression correlated significantly with the (18)F-FDG uptake in bone but not in soft tissue sarcomas. All sarcomas were visualized by (18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging. A higher (18)F-FDG uptake was observed in osteosarcoma than in Ewing and soft tissue sarcomas. The results of this study suggest that the degree of tumor (18)F-FDG uptake is sufficient to allow for monitoring of therapeutic responses in pediatric sarcomas.

Neural correlates of sleepiness induced by catecholamine depletion

Although extensive indirect evidence exists to suggest that the central dopaminergic system plays a significant role in the modulation of arousal, the functional effect of the dopaminergic influence on the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle remains unclear. Thirteen healthy volunteers and 15 unmedicated subjects with a history of major depressive disorder underwent catecholamine depletion (CD) using oral alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study. The main outcome measures in both sessions were sleepiness (Stanford-Sleepiness-Scale), cerebral glucose metabolism (positron emission tomography), and serum prolactin concentration. CD consistently induced clinically relevant sleepiness in both groups. The CD-induced prolactin increase significantly correlated with CD-induced sleepiness but not with CD-induced mood and anxiety symptoms. CD-induced sleepiness correlated with CD-induced increases in metabolism in the medial and orbital frontal cortex, bilateral superior temporal cortex, left insula, cingulate motor area and in the vicinity of the periaqueductal gray. This study suggests that the association between dopamine depletion and sleepiness is independent of the brain reward system and the risk for depression. The visceromotor system, the cingulate motor area, the periaqueductal gray and the caudal hypothalamus may mediate the impact of the dopaminergic system on regulation of wakefulness and sleep.

Is there a need for dedicated bone imaging in addition to 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging in pediatric sarcoma patients?

Many children with sarcomas undergo whole body 2-deoxy-2-((18)F)fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) and technetium methylene diphosphonate ((99)Tc-MDP) studies. It is unknown whether the combination of both tests results in more accurate detection of bone lesions than (18)F-FDG- PET/CT alone.

Genetic Variation and Population Structure in Native Americans

We examined genetic diversity and population structure in the American landmass using 678 autosomal microsatellite markers genotyped in 422 individuals representing 24 Native American populations sampled from North, Central, and South America. These data were analyzed jointly with similar data available in 54 other indigenous populations worldwide, including an additional five Native American groups. The Native American populations have lower genetic diversity and greater differentiation than populations from other continental regions. We observe gradients both of decreasing genetic diversity as a function of geographic distance from the Bering Strait and of decreasing genetic similarity to Siberians-signals of the southward dispersal of human populations from the northwestern tip of the Americas. We also observe evidence of: (1) a higher level of diversity and lower level of population structure in western South America compared to eastern South America, (2) a relative lack of differentiation between Mesoamerican and Andean populations, (3) a scenario in which coastal routes were easier for migrating peoples to traverse in comparison with inland routes, and (4) a partial agreement on a local scale between genetic similarity and the linguistic classification of populations. These findings offer new insights into the process of population dispersal and differentiation during the peopling of the Americas.

The Electrical Resistance of Metals and Alloys in Their Hard and Soft States

It is known that the electrical resistance of annealed metals is usually smaller than that of metals in their cold worked state. The curve showing the relation between electrical resistance and annealing temperature reaches a minimum; continued annealing at higher temperature produces an increase in the electrical resistance. In the case of alloys it has been noted that a second decrease occurs at higher annealing temperature. The following work corroborates the observance of previous investigations. The electrical resistance of cold worked copper, gold, nickel, and iron decreased with annealing and then increased, the minimum being around 300° C. or 400° C. Monel metal showed a minimum resistance followed by an increase which in turn was followed by a second decrease.

Noaḥ Prilutzkis ktovim

Übers. d. Hauptsacht.: Noah Pryluckis Schriften

A bukh Mosheh Nadir

fun Noaḥ Shṭaynberg

Effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of pain in knee and hip osteoarthritis: a network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the backbone of osteoarthritis pain management. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of different preparations and doses of NSAIDs on osteoarthritis pain in a network meta-analysis. METHODS For this network meta-analysis, we considered randomised trials comparing any of the following interventions: NSAIDs, paracetamol, or placebo, for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the reference lists of relevant articles for trials published between Jan 1, 1980, and Feb 24, 2015, with at least 100 patients per group. The prespecified primary and secondary outcomes were pain and physical function, and were extracted in duplicate for up to seven timepoints after the start of treatment. We used an extension of multivariable Bayesian random effects models for mixed multiple treatment comparisons with a random effect at the level of trials. For the primary analysis, a random walk of first order was used to account for multiple follow-up outcome data within a trial. Preparations that used different total daily dose were considered separately in the analysis. To assess a potential dose-response relation, we used preparation-specific covariates assuming linearity on log relative dose. FINDINGS We identified 8973 manuscripts from our search, of which 74 randomised trials with a total of 58 556 patients were included in this analysis. 23 nodes concerning seven different NSAIDs or paracetamol with specific daily dose of administration or placebo were considered. All preparations, irrespective of dose, improved point estimates of pain symptoms when compared with placebo. For six interventions (diclofenac 150 mg/day, etoricoxib 30 mg/day, 60 mg/day, and 90 mg/day, and rofecoxib 25 mg/day and 50 mg/day), the probability that the difference to placebo is at or below a prespecified minimum clinically important effect for pain reduction (effect size [ES] -0·37) was at least 95%. Among maximally approved daily doses, diclofenac 150 mg/day (ES -0·57, 95% credibility interval [CrI] -0·69 to -0·46) and etoricoxib 60 mg/day (ES -0·58, -0·73 to -0·43) had the highest probability to be the best intervention, both with 100% probability to reach the minimum clinically important difference. Treatment effects increased as drug dose increased, but corresponding tests for a linear dose effect were significant only for celecoxib (p=0·030), diclofenac (p=0·031), and naproxen (p=0·026). We found no evidence that treatment effects varied over the duration of treatment. Model fit was good, and between-trial heterogeneity and inconsistency were low in all analyses. All trials were deemed to have a low risk of bias for blinding of patients. Effect estimates did not change in sensitivity analyses with two additional statistical models and accounting for methodological quality criteria in meta-regression analysis. INTERPRETATION On the basis of the available data, we see no role for single-agent paracetamol for the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis irrespective of dose. We provide sound evidence that diclofenac 150 mg/day is the most effective NSAID available at present, in terms of improving both pain and function. Nevertheless, in view of the safety profile of these drugs, physicians need to consider our results together with all known safety information when selecting the preparation and dose for individual patients. FUNDING Swiss National Science Foundation (grant number 405340-104762) and Arco Foundation, Switzerland.

The enduring effects of psychodynamic treatments vis-à-vis alternative treatments: A multilevel longitudinal meta-analysis

Although evidence suggests that the benefits of psychodynamic treatments are sustained over time, presently it is unclear whether these sustained benefits are superior to non-psychodynamic treatments. Additionally, the extant literature comparing the sustained benefits of psychodynamic treatments compared to alternative treatments is limited with methodological shortcomings. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a rigorous test of the growth of the benefits of psychodynamic treatments relative to alternative treatments across distinct domains of change (i.e., all outcome measures, targeted outcome measures, non-targeted outcome measures, and personality outcome measures). To do so, the study employed strict inclusion criteria to identify randomized clinical trials that directly compared at least one bona fide psychodynamic treatment and one bona fide non-psychodynamic treatment. Hierarchical linear modeling (Raudenbush, Bryk, Cheong, Congdon, & du Toit, 2011) was used to longitudinally model the impact of psychodynamic treatments compared to non-psychodynamic treatments at post-treatment and to compare the growth (i.e., slope) of effects beyond treatment completion. Findings from the present meta-analysis indicated that psychodynamic treatments and non-psychodynamic treatments were equally efficacious at post-treatment and at follow-up for combined outcomes (k=20), targeted outcomes (k=19), non-targeted outcomes (k=17), and personality outcomes (k=6). Clinical implications, directions for future research, and limitations are discussed.