Search

At La Venta, Mexico, the Middle Formative Olmec regional center, the existence of individual leaders is interpreted from the evidence of monumental stone portraiture and several tombs believed to house the bodies of a sequence of kings late in La Venta's history. The status of these latter features as graves, however, has been debated since soon after they were excavated in the 1940s, especially because they generally lacked osteological material. What remained was arrangements of costume items as if adorning a body, usually associated with a stone container. Most archaeologists have advanced the reasonable explanation that bones and teeth would not have survived in tropical environments and accepted both the tomb attribution and their function as individual funerary monuments. A detailed review of available information from the La Venta excavations reveals these assumptions are not warranted. Field data indicate the absence of expected taphonomic evidence of bodily decay. Analysis of the stratigraphy of Mound A-2, aided, by computer-enhanced imaging of field drawings, demonstrates its tomb-like features were erected in a single, short construction phase, not over a span of decades as individual kings died. These conclusions call for alternative explanations of these “surrogate burials,” absent bodies materially evoked by ritual officiants.

Aim: Our main objectives were to compare the effects of Rejuveinix (RJX), dexamethasone (DEX) and their combination on the severity of sepsis and survival outcome in an animal model of fatal sepsis. Methods: We used the LPS plus D-galactosamine mouse model of sepsis to compare the anti-inflammatory activities of RJX, dexamethasone and a combination of RJX plus DEX. Additionally, we examined the clinical feasibility and tolerability of combining RJX with DEX in COVID-19 patients in a clinical phase I study. Data were analyzed using standard methods. Results & conclusion: RJX exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity in the murine sepsis model. The combination of RJX plus DEX was more effective than either agent alone, decreased the inflammatory cytokine responses and associated organ damage, and improved the survival outcome in mice. In the phase I clinical study, RJX plus DEX was well tolerated by COVID-19 patients.

Overutilization of imaging in radiology increases costs without improvement in patient outcomes. As a part of the regular quality measures, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services deemed our institution to be overutilizing abdomen and abdominopelvic computer tomography (CT) with and without intravenous (IV) contrast. We implemented a quality improvement (QI) effort to reduce use of abdomen CT with and without IV contrast.We found high use of abdomen CT with and without IV contrast for liver imaging and implemented an intervention from July 2018 to June 2020. The intervention included updating the liver imaging protocols in alignment with LI-RADS guidelines and hosting educational sessions with the clinical and radiology team to review the updates. Control charts were generated to display changes in the number of CT examinations over time with phase variables indicating two averages, pre- and post-intervention.Guidelines combined with targeted educational and engaged interventions with providers demonstrated a downshift in the use of abdomen CT with and without IV contrast and upshift in the concurrent abdomen CT with IV contrast only for liver imaging.Our quality improvement effort suggests that a combination of national quality metrics guidelines and radiology-led interventions such as education and engagement can reduce overutilization.

The magnetic information stored in volcanic rocks is a valuable archive of the history of the behavior of the Earth’s magnetic field. Micromagnetic Tomography (MMT) allows to determine magnetic moments of individual iron-oxide grains in rocks. Theoretically this enables us to separate contributions from non-ideal recorders and ideal recorders, overcoming the difficulties arising from bulk measurements. Here we present results from two sister specimens from the 1907-flow from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano to which MMT was applied. One specimen was imaged both by the Quantum Diamond Microscope in Harvard and by the MicroCT scanner Nanoscope–S in Delft, producing magnetic moments of 1,646 individual grains. The sister sample underwent stepwise AF-demagnetization: a step toward classic paleomagnetic analysis, from which we present (preliminary) results. In MMT, individual grains are allocated a magnetization through a least-squares inversion. For the first sample, we produced more than one magnetization for each grain, because each grain was present in multiple unique inversion ‘tiles’ (smaller sub-areas due to computational constraints). This enabled a statistical analysis of the (robustness of) results, presented here. For the second sample (preliminary) demagnetization results per grain are presented. We also present results of an investigation into a parameter for selecting grains that can be reliably resolved from the statistical analysis. For both samples only relatively large iron-oxide grains (diameter > 1.5 - 2 µm) were resolved, as the resolution of the MicroCT was limited. However, any analysis of magnetism at grain level is a step in understanding how magnetizations are stored in individual grains, and is of importance for those specimens that only contain large iron-oxides.

Efficient transport pathways for ozone-depleting very short-lived substances (VSLSs) from their source regions into the stratosphere are a matter of current scientific debate; however they have yet to be fully identified on an observational basis. Understanding the increasing impact of chlorine-containing VSLSs (Cl-VSLSs) on stratospheric ozone depletion is important in order to validate and improve model simulations and future predictions. We report on a transport study using airborne in situ measurements of the Cl-VSLSs dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) and trichloromethane (chloroform, CHCl3) to derive a detailed description of two transport pathways from (sub)tropical source regions into the extratropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (Ex-UTLS) in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) late summer. The Cl-VSLS measurements were obtained in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) above western Europe and the midlatitude Atlantic Ocean in the frame of the WISE (Wave-driven ISentropic Exchange) aircraft campaign in autumn 2017 and are combined with the results from a three-dimensional simulation of a Lagrangian transport model as well as back-trajectory calculations. Compared to background measurements of similar age we find up to 150 % enhanced CH2Cl2 and up to 100 % enhanced CHCl3 mixing ratios in the extratropical lower stratosphere (Ex-LS). We link the measurements of enhanced CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 mixing ratios to emissions in the region of southern and eastern Asia. Transport from this area to the Ex-LS at potential temperatures in the range of 370–400 K takes about 6–11 weeks via the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone (ASMA). Our measurements suggest anthropogenic sources to be the cause of these strongly elevated Cl-VSLS concentrations observed at the top of the lowermost stratosphere (LMS). A faster transport pathway into the Ex-LS is derived from particularly low CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 mixing ratios in the UTLS. These low mixing ratios reflect weak emissions and a local seasonal minimum of both species in the boundary layer of Central America and the tropical Atlantic. We show that air masses uplifted by hurricanes, the North American monsoon, and general convection above Central America into the tropical tropopause layer to potential temperatures of about 360–370 K are transported isentropically within 5–9 weeks from the boundary layer into the Ex-LS. This transport pathway linked to the North American monsoon mainly impacts the middle and lower part of the LMS with particularly low CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 mixing ratios. In a case study, we specifically analyze air samples directly linked to the uplift by the Category 5 Hurricane Maria that occurred during October 2017 above the Atlantic Ocean. CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 have similar atmospheric sinks and lifetimes, but the fraction of biogenic emissions is clearly higher for CHCl3 than for the mainly anthropogenically emitted CH2Cl2; consequently lower CHCl3 : CH2Cl2 ratios are expected in air parcels showing a higher impact of anthropogenic emissions. The observed CHCl3 : CH2Cl2 ratio suggests clearly stronger anthropogenic emissions in the region of southern and eastern Asia compared to those in the region of Central America and the tropical Atlantic. Overall, the transport of strongly enhanced CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 mixing ratios from southern and eastern Asia via the ASMA is the main factor in increasing the chlorine loading from the analyzed VSLSs in the Ex-LS during the NH late summer. Thus, further increases in Asian CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 emissions, as frequently reported in recent years, will further increase the impact of Cl-VSLSs on stratospheric ozone depletion.

HCC is a leading cause of mortality in patients with advanced liver disease and is associated with significant morbidity. Despite multiple available curative and palliative treatments, there is a lack of systematic evaluation of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in HCC.The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Practice Metrics Committee conducted a scoping review of PROs in HCC from 1990 to 2021 to (1) synthesize the evidence on PROs in HCC and (2) provide recommendations on incorporating PROs into clinical practice and quality improvement efforts. A total of 63 studies met inclusion criteria investigating factors associated with PROs, the relationship between PROs and survival, and associations between HCC therapy and PROs. Studies recruited heterogeneous populations, and most were cross-sectional. Poor PROs were associated with worse prognosis after adjusting for clinical factors and with more advanced disease stage, although some studies showed better PROs in patients with HCC compared to those with cirrhosis. Locoregional and systemic therapies were generally associated with a high symptom burden; however, some studies showed lower symptom burden for transarterial radiotherapy and radiation therapy. Qualitative studies identified additional symptoms not routinely assessed with structured questionnaires. Gaps in the literature include lack of integration of PROs into clinical care to guide HCC treatment decisions, unknown impact of HCC on caregivers, and the effect of palliative or supportive care quality of life and health outcomes.Evidence supports assessment of PROs in HCC; however, clinical implementation and the impact of PRO measurement on quality of care and longitudinal outcomes need future investigation.

Atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide have increased substantially because of human activities. However, their sources in South Asia, which contribute strongly to the accelerating global growth of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, are poorly quantified. Here, we present aircraft measurements with high temporal and vertical resolution up to 20 km during the Asian summer monsoon where rapid upward transport of surface pollutants to greater altitudes occurs. Using Lagrangian model simulations, we successfully reconstruct observed carbon dioxide profiles leading to an improved understanding of the vertical structure of carbon dioxide in the Asian monsoon region. We show that spatio-temporal patterns of carbon dioxide on the Indian subcontinent driven by regional flux variations rapidly propagate to approximately 13 km with slower ascent above. Enhanced carbon dioxide compared to the stratospheric background can be detected up to 20 km. We suggest that the propagation of these signals from the surface to the stratosphere can be used to evaluate transport models and assess carbon dioxide fluxes in South Asia.

While climate change is increasingly being viewed as one of the most critical issues affecting the landscape design and horticultural industries today, research indicates that many current professi...

The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) advocates evaluating built landscape projects’ performance and collecting evidence to guide future practice. However, in the first few years of landscape...

Pure Lagrangian, i.e., trajectory-based transport models, take into account only the resolved advective part of transport. That means neither mixing processes between the air parcels (APs) nor unresolved subgrid-scale advective processes like convection are included. The Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS 1.0) extends this approach by including mixing between the Lagrangian APs parameterizing the small-scale isentropic mixing. To improve model representation of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), this approach was extended by taking into account parameterization of tropospheric mixing and unresolved convection in the recently published CLaMS 2.0 version. All three transport modes, i.e., isentropic and tropospheric mixing and the unresolved convection can be adjusted and optimized within the model. Here, we investigate the sensitivity of the model representation of tracers in the UTLS with respect to these three modes. For this reason, the CLaMS 2.0 version implemented within the Modular Earth Submodel System (MESSy), CLaMS 2.0/MESSy, is applied with meteorology based on the ERA-Interim (EI) and ERA5 (E5) reanalyses with the same horizontal resolution (1.0×1.0∘) but with 60 and 137 model levels for EI and E5, respectively. Comparisons with in situ observations are used to rate the degree of agreement between different model configurations and observations. Starting from pure advective runs as a reference and in agreement with CLaMS 1.0, we show that among the three processes considered, isentropic mixing dominates transport in the UTLS. Both the observed CO, O3, N2O, and CO2 profiles and CO–O3 correlations are clearly better reproduced in the model with isentropic mixing. The second most important transport process considered is convection which is only partially resolved in the vertical velocity fields provided by the analysis. This additional pathway of transport from the planetary boundary layer (PBL) to the main convective outflow dominates the composition of air in the lower stratosphere relative to the contribution of the resolved transport. This transport happens mainly in the tropics and sub-tropics, and significantly rejuvenates the age of air in this region. By taking into account tropospheric mixing, weakest changes in tracer distributions without any clear improvements were found.

Paleomagnetic measurements of natural remanent magnetization were – until recently -- performed on large, millimeter to centimeter-sized rock samples using classical rock magnetometers. Developments of magnetic imaging (i.e., quantum diamond microscope (QDM) and scanning SQUID microscope) allow for the measurement of individual, weakly magnetic (10-16 Am2) particle clusters within a sample. However, this increased spatial resolution adds to the complexity of the magnetic signal and requires novel approaches in analyzing the data.Commonly, the magnetic moment of sources within a sample are analyzed by dipole inversion, meaning fitting a dipole signal to a cropped part of a magnetic map. While this gives accurate results for sources that are well separated and dipole-like in character, recovering net magnetic moments from complex maps proved difficult. Machine learning (ML) has been used to study a vast number of problems and has become a part of our daily lives. Here, we present the first ML model to predict net magnetic moments from magnetic maps. Our ML models consist of three simple convolutional neural networks for source declination, inclination, moment magnitude, each of which has been trained on a large (500k) synthetic map dataset. The models are tested against several datasets, varying in size, source distribution and resolution. Our models can quickly and accurately recover the magnetic moment, even for very complex (i.e., low dipolarity) maps. The accuracy of the models is < 8˚ for inclination and declination and < 10 % for moment. Surprisingly, we find little correlation in the prediction accuracy to the dipolarity of the map. These results show that ML is a promising alternative to dipole inversions, especially for maps with low dipolarity parameters, where traditional dipole inversions can fail.

BackgroundThe identification of effective strategies capable of reducing the case mortality rate of high-risk COVID-19 is an urgent and unmet medical need. We recently reported the clinical safety profile of RJX, a well-defined intravenous GMP-grade pharmaceutical formulation of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory vitamins as active ingredients, in a Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers (ClinicalTrials.govIdentifier:NCT03680105) (Uckun et al., Front. Pharmacol. 11, 594321. 10.3389/fphar.2020.594321). Here we report data from a pilot clinical study (RPI-015) which examined the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of using RJX in combination with clinical standard of care (SOC) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with pneumonia (ClinicalTrials.govIdentifier:NCT04708340). In addition to our early clinical proof of concept (POC) data, we also present non-clinical POC from a mouse model of CRS and ARDS that informed the design of the reported clinical study.Methods13 patients, who were hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia and abnormally elevated serum inflammatory biomarkers markers ≥3 months prior to the identification of the first confirmed U.S case of the Omicron variant, were treated with IV RJX (daily x 7 days) plus SOC. Non-clinical POC study examined the ability of RJX plus dexamethasone (DEX) to improve the survival outcome in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-Galactosamine (GalN) mouse model of fatal cytokine release syndrome (CRS), sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).FindingsIn the Phase 1 clinical study, none of the 13 patients developed a treatment-related DLT, SAE, or Grade 3-5 AEs. Nine (9) of the 12 evaluable patients, including 3 patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure, showed rapid clinical recovery. In the non-clinical POC study in LPS-GalN challenged mice, the combination of RJX plus DEX was more effective than RJX alone or DEX alone, reversed the CRS as well as inflammatory tissue damage in the lungs and liver, and improved the survival outcome. Taken together, these findings provide the early clinical and non-clinical POC for the development of RJX as an adjunct to the SOC in the multi-modality management of high-risk COVID-19.

The stratospheric meridional overturning circulation, also referred to as the Brewer-Dobson circulation (BDC), controls the composition of the stratosphere, which, in turn, affects radiation and climate. As the BDC cannot be directly measured, one has to infer its strength and trends indirectly. For instance, trace gas measurements allow the calculation of average transit times. Satellite measurements provide information on the distributions of trace gases for the entire stratosphere, with measurements of particularly long and dense coverage available for stratospheric water vapour (H2O). Although chemical processes and boundary conditions confound interpretation, the influence of CH4 oxidation on H2O is relatively straightforward, and thus H2O is an appealing tracer for transport analysis despite these caveats. In this work, we explore how mean age of air trends can be estimated from the combination of stratospheric H2O and CH4 data. We carry out different sensitivity studies with the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS) and focus on the analysis of the periods of 1990–2006 and 1990–2017. In particular, we assess the methodological uncertainties related to the two commonly-used approximations of (i) instantaneous stratospheric entry mixing ratio propagation, and (ii) constant correlation between mean age and the fractional release factor of methane. Our results show that the estimated mean age of air trends from the combination of observed stratospheric H2O and CH4 changes may be significantly affected by the assumed approximations. Depending on the investigated stratospheric region and the considered period, the error in estimated mean age of air decadal trends can be large – the discrepancies are up to 10 % per decade or even more at the lower stratosphere. For particular periods, the errors from the two approximations can lead to opposite effects, which may even cancel out. Finally, we propose an improvement to the approximation method by using an idealised age spectrum to propagate stratospheric entry mixing ratios. The findings of this work can be used for improving and assessing the uncertainties in stratospheric BDC trend estimation from global satellite measurements.

Chlorinated very short-lived substances (Cl-VSLS) are not controlled by the Montreal Protocol but the recent emission increase of the Cl-VSLS CH2Cl2 (Dichloromethane) and CHCl3 (Chloroform) is believed to significantly increase the stratospheric chlorine loading from VSLS. Provided efficient transport of Cl-VSLS from the source region into the stratosphere further emission increases could ultimately even cause a significant delay of the predicted recovery date of the ozone layer to pre-1980 values. During the WISE (Wave-driven ISentropic Exchange) campaign in autumn 2017 excessive probing of the UTLS (upper troposphere lower stratosphere) region above Western Europe and the Atlantic Ocean was conducted from aboard the HALO (High Altitude and Long range) research aircraft. We use real-time in situ WISE measurements of CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 from HAGAR-V (High Altitude Gas AnalyzeR – 5 channel version) in correlation with N2O from UMAQS (University of Mainz Airborne QCL Spectrometer), as well as CLaMS (Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere) global 3-dimensional simulations of air mass origin tracers and backward trajectories to identify the most efficient transport mechanisms for Cl-VSLS entering the LS region in northern hemispheric summer.The WISE measurements reveal two distinct transport pathways into the UTLS region of particularly CH2Cl2-rich and CH2Cl2-poor air. CH2Cl2-rich air could be identified to be transported by the Asian summer monsoon within about 4-10 weeks from its source regions in Asia into the stratosphere above the Atlantic Ocean at around 380 K and above. CH2Cl2-poor air could be identified to be mainly uplifted to potential temperatures of about 365 K by the North American monsoon above the region of Central America with transport times of only 2-5 weeks. In addition, we could link backward trajectories of CH2Cl2-poor air in the LS region to be uplifted by the category 5 hurricane Maria in September 2017. Based on all analyzed WISE measurements, we found that almost all young (transport time < 4 months) air masses were uplifted either above Asia or above Central America, emphasizing not only the impact of the Asian summer monsoon on the stratospheric tracer distribution but also that of the North American monsoon and hurricanes.The measurements of both CH2Cl2 and CHCl3 show the lowest stratospheric mixing ratios originating in the region of Central America and enhanced mixing ratios from Asia (enhancements > 100 % and > 50 %, respectively). However, the source distribution of CHCl3 is much less clear than that of CH2Cl2 and inconspicuous CH2Cl2 measurements can also contain enhanced CHCl3 mixing ratios. Nevertheless, the anthropogenic impact on CHCl3 -rich air from Asia is clearly visible in the measurements and we believe it is likely that a future increase of Asian CHCl3 emissions could lead to similarly large stratospheric enhancements as already observed for CH2Cl2. Consequently, this would further increase ozone depletion from stratospheric chlorine deposition of VSLS.

In September 2019 a rare sudden stratospheric warming occurred in the Antarctic region. During the course of this event the airborne campaign SouthTRAC (Transport and composition of the Southern Hemisphere UTLS) was conducted with the main goal of studying the impact of the Antarctic vortex on the southern hemisphere upper troposphere / lower stratosphere (UTLS). SouthTRAC deployed the German High Altitude and LOng range research aircraft (HALO) in two phases (September/early October and November) based in Rio Grande, Argentina. The mission comprised 23 scientific flights including transfer flights to/from Argentina and local flights from Rio Grande. During several of these flights HALO flew over the Antarctic Peninsula and adjacent regions, thus probing the bottom of the Antarctic vortex, and crossing vortex streamers and thin filaments.We present and analyse in situ measurements of CO2 and various other long-lived tracers obtained by the University of Wuppertal’s 5-channel High Altitude Gas AnalyzeR (HAGAR-V) along with N2O measured by the University of Mainz's UMAQS (University of Mainz Airborne QCL Spectrometer) using laser absorption techniques. For our analysis we use mixing ratios of CO2, SF6, CFC-11, CFC-12, N2O, and age of air (AoA) derived from CO2 and SF6.Vertical and meridional distributions as well as tracer correlations show differences between phase 1 and phase 2 of the mission. During September the distributions at mid-latitudes indicate stronger isentropic transport of vortex and subtropical air than during November. The CO2-N2O correlation also changed between September and November due to isentropic mixing at 330-400 K potential temperature. The oldest observed AoA as derived from CO2 was about 4.5 years at 390 K, while significantly older AoA is derived from SF6, but is presumably an overestimate due to mesospheric loss of SF6. We have compared the tracer distributions and AoA during SouthTRAC with those of the undisturbed 1999 Antarctic vortex sampled by the M55 Geophysica aircraft during the Antarctic campaign APE-GAIA. For September/October we find similar distributions and age values in both years, which would suggest that net tracer descent trough isentropes in the disturbed 2019 lower Antarctic vortex was not substantially different from that occurring in a typical undisturbed winter.

Lifestyle modification is currently the only treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The most effective way to motivate behavior change in this population is not well understood.The aims of this study were to characterize the association between patient disease knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors and to determine the impact of an educational intervention.Adults with NAFLD had the following assessed before and after an educational intervention: (1) disease knowledge; (2) health-related quality of life (HRQOL); (3) physical activity; (4) diet; (5) stages of change; and (6) clinical variables.Median age of the cohort (N = 248) was 53.5, 46% were male, 85% were white, and median body mass index was 33.9. Forty-eight percentage had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and 28% had cirrhosis. The median correct knowledge score was 73.6%, median Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire-NAFLD was 5.2/7, and diet score was 7/16 (higher indicating unhealthy diets). The cohort was sedentary at baseline, with 46% and 60% in active phases of change for nutrition and physical activity, respectively. Fifty-six (22%) had all three high-risk behaviors (sedentary, poor diet scores, low stage of change), which was independently associated with depression. The educational intervention improved diet scores, HRQOL, stages of change, and weight.Despite good disease knowledge, NAFLD participants were sedentary and 1/4 had high-risk lifestyle behaviors. An educational intervention had positive impacts on clinical outcomes, though effect size was small. Pairing educational interventions with targeted interventions to motivate behavior change can improve care for patients with NAFLD.

Here, we demonstrate that our anti-sepsis and COVID-19 drug candidate Rejuveinix (RJX) substantially improves the survival outcome in the LPS-GalN animal model of sepsis and multi-organ failure. One hundred (100) percent (%) of untreated control mice remained alive throughout the experiment. By comparison, 100% of LPS-GalN injected mice died at a median of 4.6 hours. In contrast to the invariably fatal treatment outcome of vehicle-treated control mice, 40% of mice treated with RJX (n=25) remained alive with a 2.4-fold longer median time survival time of 10.9 hours (Log-rank X2=20.60, P

International audience; Every year during the Asian summer monsoon season from about mid-June to early September, a stable anticyclonic circulation system forms over the Himalayas. This Asian summer monsoon (ASM) anticyclone has been shown to promote transport of air into the stratosphere from the Asian troposphere, which contains large amounts of anthropogenic pollutants. Essential details of Asian monsoon transport, such as the exact timescales of vertical transport, the role of convection in cross-tropopause exchange, and the main location and level of export from the confined anticyclone to the stratosphere are still not fully resolved. Recent airborne observations from campaigns near the ASM anticyclone edge and centre in 2016 and 2017, respectively, show a steady decrease in carbon monoxide (CO) and increase in ozone (O3) with height starting from tropospheric values of around 100 ppb CO and 30 50 ppb O3 at about 365 K potential temperature. CO mixing ratios reach stratospheric background values below ∼ 25 ppb at about 420 K and do not show a significant vertical gradient at higher levels, while ozone continues to increase throughout the altitude range of the aircraft measurements. Nitrous oxide (N2O) remains at or only marginally below its 2017 tropospheric mixing ratio of 333 ppb up to about 400 K, which is above the local tropopause. A decline in N2O mixing ratios that indicates a significant contribution of stratospheric air is only visible above this level. Based on our observations, we draw the following picture of vertical transport and confinement in the ASM anticyclone: rapid convective uplift transports air to near 16 km in altitude, corresponding to potential temperatures up to about 370 K. Although this main convective outflow layer extends above the level of zero radiative heating (LZRH), our observations of CO concentration show little to no evidence of convection actually penetrating the tropopause. Rather, further ascent occurs more slowly, consistent with isentropic vertical velocities of 0.7 1.5 K d-1. For the key tracers (CO, O3, and N2O) in our study, none of which are subject to microphysical processes, neither the lapse rate tropopause (LRT) around 380 K nor the cold point tropopause (CPT) around 390 K marks a strong discontinuity in their profiles. Up to about 20 to 35 K above the LRT, isolation of air inside the ASM anticyclone prevents significant in-mixing of stratospheric air (throughout this text, the term in-mixing refers specifically to mixing processes that introduce stratospheric air into the predominantly tropospheric inner anticyclone). The observed changes in CO and O3 likely result from in situ chemical processing. Above about 420 K, mixing processes become more significant and the air inside the anticyclone is exported vertically and horizontally into the surrounding stratosphere.

Over the course of the summer, when the subtropical jet is weakest, quasi-isentropic transport of young air from the troposphere and the tropical tropopause layer into the northern hemisphere (NH) lowermost stratosphere (LMS) is increased resulting in a drastic change of LMS chemical composition between spring and fall. The focus of this work is on the role of different transport paths into the NH LMS, including outflow from the Asian Monsoon, and their associated time scales of transport and mixing.We present and analyse in situ measurements of CO2 and various long-lived tracers obtained during three recent aircraft campaigns encompassing over 40 research flights in the NH UTLS during winter/spring, summer, and fall. The POLSTRACC/GW-LCYCLE/SALSA campaign probed the northern high latitude LMS in winter/spring 2016, deploying the German research aircraft HALO from Kiruna (Sweden) and from Germany. The second campaign deployed the M55 Geophysica research aircraft in July/August 2017 from Kathmandu, Nepal, in the frame of the EU-funded project StratoClim (Stratospheric and upper tropospheric processes for better Climate predications) in order to probe in situ for the first time the inside of the Asian Monsoon anticyclone. Roughly two months later the WISE (Wave-driven ISentropic Exchange) campaign deployed again HALO from Shannon (Ireland) in September and October 2017 to investigate isentropic transport and mixing in the NH LMS.The University of Wuppertal measured CO2 and a suite of long-lived tracers on each aircraft. On the Geophysica, the measurements were made with the HAGAR (High Altitude Gas AnalyzeR) instrument. On HALO, a recently developed extended 5-channel version, HAGAR-V, was flown, which in addition measured a suite of short-lived tracers by GC coupled with a mass spectrometer. The University of Mainz measured N2O and CO on HALO using laser absorption techniques. For our analysis we use mixing ratios of CO2, SF6, CFC-11, CFC-12, and N2O.Owing to their different lifetimes, tropospheric growth (for SF6) and a seasonal cycle (for CO2), the LMS distributions of these long-lived trace gases and their development between spring and fall contain key information about the origin and mean stratospheric age of LMS air as well as time scales of rapid isentropic transport and mixing. The analysis of tracer measurements is complemented by simulations with the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS) providing information on age of air spectra and fractions of origin from specific surface regions, allowing in particular to assess the role of the Asian Monsoon in determining the composition of the NH LMS in fall.

During the recent SouthTRAC (Transport and composition of the Southern Hemisphere UTLS) campaign the German High Altitude and LOng range research aircraft (HALO) intensively probed the bottom of the Antarctic vortex and the adjacent mid to high latitude upper troposphere / lower stratosphere (UTLS) throughout late winter and spring 2019. A main goal of this mission was to study dynamics, transport and composition of this region, and particularly to assess the impact of the Antarctic vortex on the southern hemisphere UTLS. The Antarctic winter 2019 was extraordinary with respect to dynamics, with a sudden stratospheric warming (only the second one ever observed) leading to a less stable and unusually warm polar vortex. The campaign consisted of two phases based in Rio Grande, Argentina (54°S) and comprised a total of 27 science flights including transfer flights to/from Argentina and 13 local flights from Rio Grande in September/early October and in November 2019. A number of these flights penetrated into the lower Antarctic vortex, others crossed streamers or thin filaments shed from the vortex by frequent Rossby wave breaking events.We present observations obtained on board of HALO by the University of Wuppertal's High Altitude Gas Analyzer –V (HAGAR-V), a 5-channel in-situ tracer instrument recently developed for HALO to study the chemical composition, dynamics, and transport in the UTLS. HAGAR-V combines i) a fast CO2 measurement by NDIR analyzer (every 3 s), ii) a 2-channel GC/ECD-system measuring the long-lived tracers CFC-12, SF6 (every 40 s), CFC-11, CFC-113 and Halon-1211 (every 80s), and iii) a 2-channel GC/MS system measuring a large suite of further long-lived (e.g. HFCs) and short-lived halogenated tracers, including further chlorine source gases (e.g. CCl4, CH2Cl2, CHCl3, C2Cl4, HCFCs) every 2-4 minutes. We will discuss the unusually active dynamics and associated tracer transport in the vicinity of the 2019 Antarctic vortex reflected by these measurements, and show the temporal development of vertical distributions and tracer correlations throughout the spring. We will also compare the tracer distributions during SouthTRAC with those observed from the M55 Geophysica aircraft during the 1999 Antarctic campaign APE-GAIA.

In the Arctic environment, ambient temperature can drop below the freezing point, which may lead to ice formation in the oil transportation pipelines. Natural hazards can also cause freezing in the liquid transportation system. The formation of ice can cause flow assurance and process safety issues, such as restricting flow path, pipeline plugging, failure of pipeline components, the release of hazardous liquid, and fire. Restricting of flow path causes additional burden to the upstream pumping system, while pipeline plugging leads to shutdown of the pipeline system and causes tremendous cost to remediate plugging. The incidents with hazardous liquid release and fire can also lead to enormous expenses. This paper investigates the risks of ice formation in the pipeline and its effect on the transportation system. The experimental tests were performed in a 2-inch diameter carbon steel flow loop. Pressure, temperature, and differential temperature were measured during the test. The experimental results show that an annular ice deposition layer was observed at the pipe inner wall, which restricted flow path and caused an increased differential pressure. The deposition of ice on the pipe surface required a negative temperature gradient. Ice accumulations were identified at the low spot in front of the flow meter, the inserted thermocouples, and the perforated plate. The deposition and accumulation mechanisms are discussed. Both the ice layer on the pipe surface and ice accumulation at the pipeline components were porous, indicating the formation mechanism was due to small ice crystals sticking to the pipe surface. The study on deposition and plugging mechanism can help provide a guidance to prevent hazardous liquid transportation damages triggered by ice plugging.

Slurry transport has become a subject of interest in several industries, including oil and gas. The importance of slurry/solid transport in the oil and gas industry is evident in areas of cuttings transport, sand transport and, lately, hydrates. Hydrate formation, if not properly monitored and controlled, may lead to pipeline blockage. To avoid pipeline blockage and other hydrate formation risks, chemical additives are added to the system. Additives such as anti-agglomerants help improve hydrate transportability by dispersing the formed hydrates into slurries and preventing them from sticking to the pipe wall. This enables transportation of highly concentrated slurries. However, the high hydrate volume fractions (HVF) slurries may exhibit complex rheology. There is therefore a great need to correlate flow properties such as friction factor and viscosity to HVF. Hydrate slurry transport is important whether hydrates are deliberately generated for energy storage purposes or hydrates formed because of the prevailing flow conditions. However, when determining the viscosity of a fluid containing solid particles, the conventional viscometer types such as concentric cylinders and cone and plate are often not suitable. This is because either the narrow gap would not accommodate the particle size or their inability to maintain the particles suspended leading to bed formation. In this work, a high-pressure mixer-type viscometer was used to generate and characterize hydrate slurries. This work aims to generate a significant amount of hydrate slurry characterization data that may be used as basis for better rheometer designs, hydrate slurry flow properties modeling or integration of hydrate transportability into general multiphase modeling. Results showed that intermediate watercuts posed the greatest pipeline plugging risk for all the oils tested. The amount of transportable hydrates increased with oil viscosity. Generally, hydrate slurries generated exhibited shear thinning behavior that increased with increasing hydrate volume fraction. However, the overall rheology of these slurries is a complex function of the oil used, watercut, gas added to the system and hydrate solid fraction. Lowering shear rates for high HVF systems resulted in separation. Results in this work further suggest that hydrate transportation may be possible with minimum risk if anti-agglomerants are used and high enough shear is applied. On the other hand, if no anti-agglomerant is used, severe aggregation may result in flow line plugging.

Objectives Complex longitudinal sampling and the observational structure of patient registers in health services research are associated with methodological challenges regarding data management and statistical evaluation. We exemplify common pitfalls and want to stimulate discussions on the design, development, and deployment of future longitudinal patient registers and register-based studies. Study Design and Setting For illustrative purposes, we use data from the prospective, observational, German DIabetes Versorgungs-Evaluation register. One aim was to explore predictors for the initiation of a basal insulin supported therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes initially prescribed to glucose-lowering drugs alone. Results Major challenges are missing mortality information, time-dependent outcomes, delayed study entries, different follow-up times, and competing events. We show that time-to-event methodology is a valuable tool for improved statistical evaluation of register data and should be preferred to simple case–control approaches. Conclusion Patient registers provide rich data sources for health services research. Analyses are accompanied with the trade-off between data availability, clinical plausibility, and statistical feasibility. Cox' proportional hazards model allows for the evaluation of the outcome-specific hazards, but prediction of outcome probabilities is compromised by missing mortality information.

The 2017 StratoClim high-altitude aircraft campaign provided measurements of near-tropopause cirrus and tracer measurements in the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) region over the Asian monsoon region. Because this region had not previously been sampled by in-situ measurements, the StratoClim flights provide a unique perspective on what is perhaps the largest source of water to the stratosphere. Cirrus were frequently present to tropopause level and above, with evidence of convective detrainment to at least 400 K. Flights sampled fresh convective outflow with ages of minutes to hours, as well as probable instances of in-situ dehydration. The dataset thus provides an unprecedented set of case studies on the evolution of near-tropopause cirrus. We show examples of cirrus of multiple types that highlight the diversity of processes controlling ice crystal size distributions and lifetimes and the interaction between convective sources and their environment. Measurements of water isotopic composition from the Chicago Water Isotope Spectrometer (ChiWIS) provide additional insight into these interactions and the influence of cirrus on the large-scale environment.

The Asian Monsoon Anticyclone (AMA) represents the wettest region in the lower stratosphere (LS) and is a key contributor to the global annual maximum in LS water vapor. While the AMA wet pool is linked with persistent convection in the region and horizontal confinement of the anticyclone, the impact of overshooting convection on AMA water vapor is not well understood. This study addresses this issue using a unique set of observations onboard high-altitude M55-Geophysica aircraft deployed in Kathmandu in Summer 2017 as part of the EU StratoClim project. The study incorporates airborne measurements of water vapor, ice water, water isotopes, carbon monoxide, ozone as well as cloud particle backscatter and size distributions; ensemble trajectory modeling coupled with a satellite-based overshoot tracking scheme; as well as an extensive set of satellite observations. The analysis provides a detailed insight into a complex variety of processes driving water distribution in the Asian tropopause layer. In particular, we show evidence of direct and indirect convective impact on LS water up to the 415 K level. The ensemble trajectory analysis suggests that tropopause-overshooting convection above subtropical China may be a key contributor to AMA hydration, while deep convection above Northern India counteracts the moistening through convectively-induced cooling of the tropopause. With that, both hydration and dehydration processes in AMA may be reversible, resulting in a strong variability of H2O above the climatological tropopause. The intensity of convective influence is demonstrated in the flight of 10 Aug 2017, in which the aircraft flew through active stratospheric overshoots at the cold-point tropopause and sampled outflows minutes to hours old. The measurements reveal up to 2500 ppmv of ice water above 17 km in large aggregated ice crystals up to 700 µm in diameter. Smaller crystals were observed as high as 18.8 km (410 K). Tracer measurements show perturbations reflecting vigorous vertical motions and provide evidence for ongoing mixing of tropospheric and stratospheric air around the tropopause. The ensemble of measurements inside and downwind of convective overshoots is used to characterize in detail the impact of overshooting convection on the structure and composition of the Asian tropopause layer.

Slurry transport has become a subject of interest in several industries, including oil and gas. The importance of slurry/solid transport in the oil and gas industry is evident in areas of cuttings transport, sand transport and, lately, hydrates. There is therefore a great need to develop instrumentation capable of characterizing fluids with high solid content. Presence of solids in fluids makes the rheological characterization of these systems difficult. This is because available rheometers are designed with a narrow gap and cannot prevent solids from settling. The main aim of this paper is to present a step-by-step procedure of converting torque and shaft speed into viscosity information by applying the Couette analogy, equivalent diameter and inverse line concepts. The use of traditional impeller geometries such as cone and plate may be challenging due to their narrow gap and inability to prevent settling. Therefore, the use of non-conventional impeller geometry is imperative when dealing with settling slurries and suspensions. The most challenging task using complex geometry impeller is data interpretation especially when dealing with complex rheology fluids. In this work, an autoclave is transformed into a mixer-type viscometer by modifying its mixing, cooling and data acquisition systems. Mathematical models relating the measured torque to shear stress and the measured shaft speed to shear rate were developed and expressed in terms of the equivalent diameter. The shear rate and shear stress constants were expressed in terms of equivalent diameter and measureable parameters such as impeller speed and torque. The mixer-type viscometer was calibrated using four Newtonian and four Power-Law fluids to determine the rheological constants (equivalent diameter, shear rate and shear stress constants). The concept of inverse line was used to identify the laminar flow regime. The calibrated instrument was used to characterize two Power-Law fluids. This procedure can be extended to any rheological model. Methods developed in this work can be used to characterize fluids with high solid content. This is particularly important when dealing with complex rheology slurries such as those encountered in food processing, oil and gas and pharmaceuticals.

The Asian Summer Monsoon is a major agent for rapid transport of polluted air from the surface into the stratosphere. We present the first high altitude in situ tracer observations deep inside the Asian Summer Monsoon anticyclone (ASMA) and the overlying stratosphere up to 20 km altitude. The measurements were obtained over Nepal and India in July and August 2017 during a deployment of the M55 Geophysica research aircraft from Kathmandu, Nepal, in the frame of the EU-funded project StratoClim (Stratospheric and upper tropospheric processes for better climate predications). On board the aircraft long-lived tracers (N2O, CH4, CO2, H2, F12, F11, H-1211, SF6) were measured by the University of Wuppertal's High Altitude Gas AnalyzeR (HAGAR), CO by the Carbon Oxide Laser Diode (COLD), and O3 by the Fast Ozone ANalyzer (FOZAN). The deployment comprised eight scientific flights, including survey flights aimed at improving our understanding of large-scale transport and flights above and around mesoscale convective systems aimed at investigating their impact on the composition of the ASMA and on stratosphere-troposphere exchange. A first analysis of these measurements will be presented with regard to the principal transport processes controlling the chemical composition of the ASMA and tropical lower stratosphere. Vertical profiles and correlations between the various species, serving as stratospheric tracers, as boundary layer tracers, or age-of-air tracers, will be used to assess i) in-mixing of aged mid-latitude air inside the ASMA and the stratosphere above, ii) the impact of convection as a function of altitude, and iii) slow up-welling inside the ASMA. Comparisons will be made with data obtained with the Geophysica during the AMMA mission focused on the African Summer Monsoon, and the present observations will be put into a climatological context. The picture emerging from this analysis is that surface air delivered by convection up to at least 370 K potential temperature ascends coherently and in isolation inside the ASMA up to 400 K within about 3 months, but rapidly mixes with aged air above 410 K.

Sea level rise and land use change are likely to be some of the most fundamental and important challenges for biodiversity conservation in low-lying coastal areas in the 21st century. To protect biodiversity in coastal areas, there is an urgent need to identify conservation priorities in response to sea level rise and land use change. In this study, an integrated modeling process using a geomorphological model, species habitat models, and conservation prioritization is developed to identify conservation priorities in the face of sea level rise and land use change. We present a case study in the Matanzas River Basin of Northeast Florida that utilizes this integrated modeling approach with data for 38 focal species. We incorporate species-specific connectivity requirements in the analysis and compare the conservation priorities with existing conservation datasets including current conservation areas and the Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN). Results show that current reserves are not adequate to protect some of the most important conservation priorities in response to sea level rise but the updated FEGN does serve as a good foundation to inform future conservation decisions relevant to sea level rise. To protect the top 10% conservation priorities, approximately 11,700, 10,900 and 15,200 acres of additional land will need to be acquired for the 0.5, 1.0, and 2.5 m sea level rise scenarios respectively.

Based on simulations with the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere for the 1979–2013 period, driven by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA-Interim reanalysis, we analyze the impact of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) and of Major Stratospheric Warmings (MWs) on the amount of water vapor entering the stratosphere during boreal winter. The amplitude of H2O variation related to the QBO amounts to 0.5 ppmv. The additional effect of MWs reaches its maximum about 2–4 weeks after the central date of the MW and strongly depends on the QBO phase. Whereas during the easterly QBO phase there is a pronounced drying of about 0.3 ppmv about 3 weeks after the MW, the impact of the MW during the westerly QBO phase is smaller (about 0.2 ppmv) and more diffusely spread over time. We suggest that the MW-associated enhanced dehydration combined with a higher frequency of MWs after the year 2000 may have contributed to the lower stratospheric water vapor after 2000.

Climate change and sea level rise are phenomena with significant cultural dimensions at all spatial levels; however, these dimensions are often neglected in adaptation planning. The community and regional planning field is awakening to the importance of culture as a concern in planning, including community well being, distinctiveness, cohesion, and capacity. Since planning is often conducted with a spatial focus, the concept of cultural landscapes is a potentially useful tool, and in particular for climate change and sea level rise adaptation. This article describes an action research project for local sea level rise adaptation planning that attended to cultural landscapes. The planning process asked: (1) What core cultural landscapes are important to maintain? (2) What cultural landscapes may be lost due to external changes and adaptation choices? and (3) What cultural landscape adaptive capacities exist to achieve community resilience? The project communities are the towns of Yankeetown and Inglis, neighboring small towns situated in the rural Gulf coast of Florida. The project found that locally significant cultural landscapes emerge when residents participate in planning processes, and that these landscapes hold new keys to successful adaptation.