Development of a coupled land-atmosphere satellite data assimilation system for improved local atmospheric simulations

This study developed a coupled land-atmosphere satellite data assimilation system as a new physical downscaling approach, by coupling a mesoscale atmospheric model with a land data assimilation system (LDAS). The LDAS consists of a land surface scheme as the model operator, a radiative transfer model as the observation operator, and the simulated annealing method for minimizing the difference between the observed and simulated microwave brightness temperature. The atmospheric model produces forcing data for the LDAS, and the LDAS produces better initial surface conditions for the modelling system. This coupled system can take into account land surface heterogeneities through assimilating satellite data for a better precipitation prediction. To assess the effectiveness of the new system, 3-dimensional numerical experiments were carried out in a mesoscale area of the Tibetan Plateau during the wet monsoon season. The results show significant improvement compared with a no assimilation regional atmospheric model simply nested from the global model. The surface soil moisture content and its distribution from the assimilation system were more consistent to in situ observations. These better surface conditions affect the land-atmosphere interactions through convection systems and lead to better atmospheric predictability as confirmed by satellite-based cloud observations and in situ sounding observations. Through the use of satellite brightness temperature, the developed coupled land-atmosphere assimilation system has shown potential ability to provide better initial surface conditions and its inputs to the atmosphere and to improve physical downscaling through regional models.     

Decentralised control of chromatographic simulated moving bed processes based on wave front reconstruction

The behaviour of chromatographic simulated moving bed processes is described by the movement of concentration profiles through a circle of separation columns. A closed-loop control manipulates the profiles in order to meet demands concerning specified product purity and disturbance attenuation. If steep wave fronts of the concentration profiles occur, the controlled variables undergo fast changes in case of a transient of the process. In this case, a reconstruction of the wave fronts is necessary for a successful control.A simple and effective decentralised controller structure is proposed based on cascaded discrete-time PI controllers. On-line product purity measurements and the reconstructed wave fronts are used for control purposes. Two kinds of process models are used: a rigorous model for dynamic simulations, and strongly simplified plant models for the design of the wave front reconstruction and the controller. The latter models are identified based on experimental step tests with the reference plant and numerical simulations. The performance of the control system is evaluated by numerical simulations.     

Depth-Fused 3D Imagery on an Immaterial Display

We present an immaterial display that uses a generalized form of depth-fused 3D (DFD) rendering to create unencumbered 3D visuals. To accomplish this result, we demonstrate a DFD display simulator that extends the established depth-fused 3D principle by using screens in arbitrary configurations and from arbitrary viewpoints. The feasibility of the generalized DFD effect is established with a user study using the simulator. Based on these results, we developed a prototype display using one or two immaterial screens to create an unencumbered 3D visual that users can penetrate, examining the potential for direct walk-through and reach-through manipulation of the 3D scene. We evaluate the prototype system in formative and summative user studies and report the tolerance thresholds discovered for both tracking and projector errors.     

Multithreaded Hybrid Feature Tracking for Markerless Augmented Reality

We describe a novel markerless camera tracking approach and user interaction methodology for augmented reality (AR) on unprepared tabletop environments. We propose a real-time system architecture that combines two types of feature tracking. Distinctive image features of the scene are detected and tracked frame-to-frame by computing optical flow. In order to achieve real-time performance, multiple operations are processed in a synchronized multi-threaded manner: capturing a video frame, tracking features using optical flow, detecting distinctive invariant features, and rendering an output frame. We also introduce user interaction methodology for establishing a global coordinate system and for placing virtual objects in the AR environment by tracking a user's outstretched hand and estimating a camera pose relative to it. We evaluate the speed and accuracy of our hybrid feature tracking approach, and demonstrate a proof-of-concept application for enabling AR in unprepared tabletop environments, using bare hands for interaction.     

An Interoperable Grid Information System for Integrated Resource Monitoring Based on Virtual Organizations

In many Grid infrastructures different kinds of information services are in use, which utilize different incompatible data structures and interfaces to encode and provide their data. Homogeneous monitoring of these infrastructures with the monitoring data being accessible everywhere independently of the middleware which provided it, is the basis for a consistent status reporting on the Grids’ resources and services. Thus, interoperability or interoperation between the different information services in a heterogeneous Grid infrastructure is required. Monitoring data must contain the identity of the affected Virtual Organization (VO) so that it can be related to the resources and services the VO has allocated to enable VO-specific information provision. This paper describes a distributed architecture for an interoperable information service, which combines data unification and categorization with policies for VO membership, VO resource management and data transformations. This service builds the basis for an integrated and interoperating monitoring of Grids, which provide their data to more than one VO and utilize heterogeneous information services.     

Capillary-driven pumping for passive degassing and fuel supply in direct methanol fuel cells

In this paper we present a new concept of creating and using capillary pressure gradients for passive degassing and passive methanol supply in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). An anode flow field consisting of parallel tapered channels structures is applied to achieve the passive supply mechanism. The flow is propelled by the surface forces of deformed CO₂ bubbles, generated as a reaction product during DMFC operation. This work focuses on studying the influence of channel geometry and surface properties on the capillary-induced liquid flow rates at various bubbly gas flow rates. Besides the aspect ratios and opening angles of the tapered channels, the static contact angle as well as the effect of contact angle hysteresis has been identified to significantly influence the liquid flow rates induced by capillary forces at the bubble menisci. Applying the novel concept, we show that the liquid flow rates are up to thirteen times higher than the methanol oxidation reaction on the anode requires. Experimental results are presented that demonstrate the continuous passive operation of a DMFC for more than 15 h.     

L-thiocitrulline. A stereospecific, heme-binding inhibitor of nitric-oxide synthases

Nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the oxidation of L-arginine to citrulline and nitric oxide (NO). The enzyme is inhibited by a variety of N omega-monosubstituted L-arginine analogs, and some of these compounds are useful in reversing pathologies associated with the overproduction of NO (e.g. the hypotension of septic shock). We report here that L-thiocitrulline (gamma-thioureido-L-norvaline) is a potent, stereospecific inhibitor of the constitutive brain and endothelial isoforms of NOS as well as the isoform induced in vascular smooth muscle cells by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma. Steady state kinetic studies show L-thiocitrulline inhibition is competitive with L-arginine (Ki approximately 4-20% of KArgm), indicating that initial binding is as a substrate/product analog. In contrast to L-arginine and N omega-methyl-L-arginine, the prototypic NOS inhibitor, L-thiocitrulline binding elicits a "Type II" difference spectrum, indicating a high spin to low spin transition of the iron in the heme cofactor. This finding suggests that L-thiocitrulline is contributing the sixth ligand to heme iron, probably through the thioureido sulfur. Such interaction with heme iron neither stimulates nor inhibits the direct flavin-mediated cytochrome c reduction activity of the enzyme, but it does inhibit heme-dependent superoxide formation. In vivo, L-thiocitrulline is a potent pressor agent in both normal and endotoxemic rats, the latter finding suggesting utility in treating the hypotension of septic shock.     

Coiled bodies contain U7 small nuclear RNA and associate with specific DNA sequences in interphase human cells

Coiled bodies (CBs) are nuclear organelles whose structures appear to be highly conserved in evolution. In rapidly cycling cells, they are typically located in the nucleoplasm but are often found in contact with the nucleolus. The CBs in human cells contain a unique protein, called p80-coilin. Studies on amphibian oocyte nuclei have revealed a protein within the "sphere" organelle that shares significant structural similarity to p80-coilin. Spheres and CBs are also highly enriched in small nuclear ribonucleoproteins and other RNA-processing components. We present evidence that, like spheres, CBs contain U7 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) and associate with specific chromosomal loci. Using biotinylated 2'-O-methyl oligonucleotides complementary to the 5' end of U7 snRNA and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we show that U7 is distributed throughout the nucleoplasm, excluding nucleoli, and is concentrated in CBs. Interestingly, we found that CBs often associate with subsets of the histone, U1, and U2 snRNA gene loci in interphase HeLa-ATCC and HEp-2 monolayer cells. However, in a strain of suspension-grown HeLa cells, called HeLa-JS1000, we found a much lower rate of association between CBs and snRNA genes. Possible roles for CBs in the metabolism of these various histone and snRNAs are discussed.     

State of the Art of Molecular Visualization in Immersive Virtual Environments

Visualization plays a crucial role in molecular and structural biology. It has been successfully applied to a variety of tasks, including structural analysis and interactive drug design. While some of the challenges in this area can be overcome with more advanced visualization and interaction techniques, others are challenging primarily due to the limitations of the hardware devices used to interact with the visualized content. Consequently, visualization researchers are increasingly trying to take advantage of new technologies to facilitate the work of domain scientists. Some typical problems associated with classic 2D interfaces, such as regular desktop computers, are a lack of natural spatial understanding and interaction, and a limited field of view. These problems could be solved by immersive virtual environments and corresponding hardware, such as virtual reality head-mounted displays. Thus, researchers are investigating the potential of immersive virtual environments in the field of molecular visualization. There is already a body of work ranging from educational approaches to protein visualization to applications for collaborative drug design. This review focuses on molecular visualization in immersive virtual environments as a whole, aiming to cover this area comprehensively. We divide the existing papers into different groups based on their application areas, and types of tasks performed. Furthermore, we also include a list of available software tools. We conclude the report with a discussion of potential future research on molecular visualization in immersive environments.     

Advanced Characterization and Optimization of NiOx:Cu-SAM Hole-Transporting Bi-Layer for 23.4% Efficient Monolithic Cu(In,Ga)Se2-Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells

The performance of five hole-transporting layers (HTLs) is investigated in both single-junction perovskite and Cu(In, Ga)Se₂ (CIGSe)-perovskite tandem solar cells: nickel oxide (NiO_x,), copper-doped nickel oxide (NiO_x:Cu), NiO_x+SAM, NiO_x:Cu+SAM, and SAM, where SAM is the [2-(3,-6Dimethoxy-9H-carbazol-9yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid (MeO-2PACz) self-assembled monolayer. The performance of the devices is correlated to the charge-carrier dynamics at the HTL/perovskite interface and the limiting factors of these HTLs are analyzed by performing time-resolved and absolute photoluminescence ((Tr)PL), transient surface photovoltage (tr-SPV), and X-ray/UV photoemission spectroscopy (XPS/UPS) measurements on indium tin oxide (ITO)/HTL/perovskite and CIGSe/HTL/perovskite stacks. A high quasi-Fermi level splitting to open-circuit (QFLS-V_oc) deficit is detected for the NiO_x-based devices, attributed to electron trapping and poor hole extraction at the NiO_x-perovskite interface and a low carrier effective lifetime in the bulk of the perovskite. Simultaneously, doping the NiO_x with 2% Cu and passivating its surface with MeO-2PACz suppresses the electron trapping, enhances the holes extraction, reduces the non-radiative interfacial recombination, and improves the band alignment. Due to this superior interfacial charge-carrier dynamics, NiO_x:Cu+SAM is found to be the most suitable HTL for the monolithic CIGSe-perovskite tandem devices, enabling a power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.4%, V_oc of 1.72V, and a fill factor (FF) of 71%, while the remaining four HTLs suffer from prominent V_oc and FF losses.