Change Delta Research Articles

On Tomonaga’s theory of split-anode magnetrons

This article is meant to formulate the equations of motion of an electron in a cavity magnetron using action-angle variables. This means following the electron's path on its way from a cylindrical cathode moving toward a co-axial cylindrical anode in presence of a uniform magnetic field parallel to the common axis. After analyzing the situation without coupling to an external oscillatory electric field, we employ methods of canonical perturbation theory to find the resonance condition between the frequencies of the free theory w_r, w_phi and the applied perturbing oscillatory frequency w. A long-time averaging process will then eliminate the periodic terms in the equation for the now time-dependent action-angle variables. The terms that are no longer periodic will cause secular changes so that the canonical action-angle variables (J, delta) change in a way that the path of the electron will deform gradually so that it can reach the anode. How the ensemble of the initially randomly distributed electrons forms spokes and how their energy is conveyed to the cavity-field oscillation is the main focus of this article. Some remarks concerning the importance of results in QED and the invention of radar theory and application conclude the article.

Environmental characteristics and land-use pattern changes of the Old Huanghe River delta, eastern China, in the sixteenth to twentieth centuries

The interaction between human and land in estuarine–coastal areas has become a focus of the global change research. Since the sixteenth century, the Old Huanghe River delta has experienced rapid accretion, the formation of rich ecological resources and diverse land use pattern changes; such information, in combination with a large number of historical documents, provides a unique research area for revealing the processes for ecosystem–human changes. We use historical documents and adopt multidisciplinary methods, to identify the relationship between ecosystem changes and human activities, on the basis of spatial and temporal analysis, for in the Old Huanghe River delta region. The results indicate that, in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, the long-term monopolistic development pattern under the government leadership, which occupied large quantities of ecological resources, controlled the coastal salt industry and marsh land exploitation. However, along with the delta ecosystem change and population growth, the development pattern became gradually unsustainable, i.e., the salt industry migrated toward the north, while the farming activities migrated toward the south with enhanced intensity of marsh reclamation. The government monopoly collapsed in the late nineteenth century, which enlarged the independent development space for the local residents, which, to a large extent, improved the land-use efficiency and reduced the population pressure.

Sediment Transport and Geomorphological Change in a High-Discharge Tropical Delta (Magdalena River, Colombia): Insights from a Period of Intense Change and Human Intervention (1990–2010)

ABSTRACT Restrepo, J.C.; Schrottke, K.; Traini, C.; Ortiz, J.C.; Orejarena, A.; Otero, L.; Higgins, A., and Marriaga, L., 2016. Sediment transport and geomorphological change in a high-discharge tropical delta (Magdalena River, Colombia): Insights from a period of intense change and human intervention (1990–2010). There is strong indication that environmental changes and human interventions have affected freshwater discharge and sediment flux in the Magdalena River (northwestern South America) within the period from 1990 to 2010. Thus, stream flow, suspended sediment load (SSL), and riverbed dynamics were analysed in this study for estimating changes in the suspended sediment transport regime as well as of erosional/depositional patterns in different zones of the delta. It can be shown that stream flow increased at a higher rate than suspended sediment transport, promoting changes in the sediment transport regime. Erosion appeared at the mouth/frontal bar and the outlet zones and modified the sedimentary ...

Effect of endothelin-1 receptor antagonists on skin fibrosis in scleroderma patients from the EUSTAR database

Introduction The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of endothelin-1 receptor antagonists (ETRAs) on skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients from the (EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research) EUSTAR cohort. Methods SSc patients from the EUSTAR cohort with at least three visits (pre-study visit without ETRA treatment, baseline and follow-up visit with ETRA treatment) were included. The control group consisted of SSc patients with the same inclusion criteria, but without ETRA treatment. The primary endpoint was the comparison of the delta change of the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) between baseline and follow-up in the ETRA versus the control group. Results Data on 75 ETRA treated (68 bosentan, 1 sitaxentan, 6 ambrisentan) and 969 control patients were included. The delta change of mRSS was not significantly different between the ETRA group and the control group (n = 969; 0 (-2-1) vs. n = 75; 0 (-2-1); p = 0.4). Similarly, subgroup analysis on patients with diffuse, extended SSc disease (mRSS ≥16) did not show differences in the delta change of mRSS between the ETRA group and the control group (n = 125; −1 [-7-0] vs. n = 23; −1 [-7-2], p = 0.8). Likewise, diffuse SSc patients with mRSS 7-21 at baseline, reflecting recently identified enrichment criteria for clinical trials, did not show any difference between the ETRA and the control group (n = 219; −1 [-3-1] vs. n = 27; −1 [-3-2]; p = 0.5). Conclusions This controlled, observational, real-life cohort study with a large sample size did not show effects of ETRAs on skin fibrosis in patients with SSc.

Land use change and landscape response in the Yellow River Delta of China: a case of Dongying City

Rapid land use change has taken place in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) of China over the last decade, which is the result of human activities. This paper has analyzed land use changes in Dongying City (located in the modern YRD) over 18 years from 1992 to 2010 based on the combined use of RS and GIS, and further explored the landscape response of these changes. The results show that (1) the maximum annual land use change in the study area has occurred in the period from 2000 to 2010, but did not significantly from 1992 to 2000; (2) the most obvious changes have occurred at the coastal areas and economically developed areas of the study area; (3) in the monitoring period, construction land increased significantly, which came from the surrounding farmland; but farmland remained stable owing to the transition from grassland and unused land covered largely by salt pan and shrimp ponds; and (4) in the monitoring period,the landscape diversity and evenness were decreasing, but the landscape dominance was increasing because of the expansion of artificial types (i.e. built-up land, shrimp ponds and salt pan) and the decreasing landscape dominance of natural types, namely grassland and unused land.

A global empirical typology of anthropogenic drivers of environmental change in deltas.

It is broadly recognized that river delta systems around the world are under threat from a range of anthropogenic activities. These activities occur at the local delta scale, at the regional river and watershed scale, and at the global scale. Tools are needed to support generalization of results from case studies in specific deltas. Here, we present a methodology for quantitatively constructing an empirical typology of anthropogenic change in global deltas. Utilizing a database of environmental change indicators, each associated with increased relative sea-level rise and coastal wetland loss, a clustering analysis of 48 global deltas provides a quantitative assessment of systems experiencing similar or dissimilar sources and degrees of anthropogenic stress. By identifying quantitatively similar systems, we hope to improve the transferability of scientific results across systems, and increase the effectiveness of delta management best practices. Both K-Means and Affinity Propagation clustering algorithms find similar clusters, with relative stability across small changes in K-Means cluster number. High-latitude deltas appear similar, in terms of anthropogenic environmental stress, to several low-population, low-latitude systems, including the Amazon delta, despite substantially different climatic regimes. Highly urbanized deltas in Southeast Asia form a distinct cluster. By providing a quantitative boundary between groups of delta systems, this approach may also be useful for assessing future delta change and sustainability given projected population growth, urbanization, and economic development trends.

The Effect of Obesity on the Improvement in Health State Outcomes following Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Interbody Fusion

Study Design Observational study. Objective Studies have shown a correlation between obesity and lumbar spine pathology, but also that obese patients have higher rates of complication following lumbar spine surgery. It is unknown if obese patients have clinical gains following lumbar spine surgery comparable to the gain of normal-weight patients. This study investigated the correlation of obesity and the delta change in outcomes in a single surgeon's cohort of normal-weight and obese patients undergoing minimally invasive (MIS) transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). Methods A retrospective review was performed of a single surgeon's patients at an academic medical center who underwent MIS TLIF between July 2011 and December 2013. Statistical analyses included independent sample t test for continuous variables, Fisher exact test for categorical data, and repeated measures two-way analysis of variance to assess the interaction between obesity status and the change in Short-Form Health Survey 12 (SF-12) results. Results Thirty-eight patients from a single institution were reviewed, and 19 had a body mass index greater than 30. The nonobese and obese postoperative SF-12 mental composite scores (MCS; 52.70 ± 2.50 versus 52.16 ± 1.91; p = 0.87) and physical composite scores (PCS; 45.56 ± 2.72 versus 41.03 ± 2.65; p = 0.24) did not show any significant differences. There was no significant interaction between obesity and change in SF-12 MCS (F [1, 36] = 0.96, p = 0.33) or SF-12 PCS (F [1, 36] = 0.74, p = 0.40) between the pre- and postoperative scores. There was a significant effect of obesity on SF-12 PCS scores (F [1, 36] = 7.15, p = 0.01). Conclusions Patients undergoing MIS TLIF sustain meaningful and significant gains in SF-12 MCS and PCS that is not impacted by their obesity status.

Investigating marsh sediment dynamics and its driving factors in Yellow River delta for wetland restoration

The wetlands of the Yellow River delta play important roles for Asian and west Pacific birds during migration. Marshes are the main component of wetlands in the delta, and their coverage area has experienced a decreasing trend for the last few decades. Wetland changes in the Yellow River delta have been analyzed in previous studies; however, those studies only partially analyzed the causes of the decline. Using statistical and spatial analysis based on observational data and remote sensing imagery for the period of 1986–2005, we found that the annual mean temperature and annual precipitation tended to increase, and the evapotranspiration and the moisture index tended to decrease. Consequently, these climate factors led to a significant decrease in river runoff, which resulted in decreased water supply for the marshes in the delta. A Wetland Restoration Project was launched in 1992, and it successfully conserved marshes within a relatively small area. However, the inadequate water supply still resulted in an overall decrease in marsh area over the entire study area. These results provide more insights into managing wetlands eco-restoration.

Assessment of calibration assumptions under strong climate changes

AbstractClimate model calibration relies on different working hypotheses. The simplest bias correction or delta change methods assume the invariance of bias under climate change. Recent works have questioned this hypothesis and proposed linear bias changes with respect to the forcing. However, when the system experiences larger forcings, these schemes could fail. Calibration assumptions are tested within a simplified framework in the context of an intermediate complexity model for which the reference (or “reality”) differs from the model by a single parametric model error and climate change is emulated by largely different CO2 forcings. It appears that calibration does not add value since the variation of bias under climate change is nonmonotonous for almost all variables and large compared to the climate change and the bias, except for the global temperature and sea ice area. For precipitation, calibration provides added value both globally and regionally. The calibration methods used fail to correct climate variability.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of land cover and land surface temperature in Ganges-Brahmaputra delta: A comparative analysis between India and Bangladesh

Land use and land cover (LULC) change in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta (GBD) poses significant challenges towards future environmental sustainability of the region and requires regional scale monitoring of key bio-physical variables and changes in their inter-relationship over space and time. Focusing on the southern part of the lower GBD region along the international border of India and Bangladesh, this study examined the spatio-temporal variability of LULC change and its relationship with Land Surface Temperature (LST). Furthermore, LULC-LST relationships were compared between Indian and Bangladesh part and its trend in and around big cities (with more than 1 million population) and towns (with more than 100,000 population) was investigated. Results showed that LST changes were predominantly driven by LULC changes on both sides of the border. Urban growth is the dominant form of LULC change, and the rate of land change was faster in 2005–2010 time period than 1989–2005. Over the period of 21 years, mean January LST decreased by approximately 1.83 °C in Indian part and 1.85 °C in the Bangladesh part. Areas that changed from to rural from agricultural experienced decrease in mean LST, whereas those areas that changed to urban from either agriculture or rural, experienced increase in mean LST. The relationship between LULC and LST are same on both sides of the Indo-Bangladesh border. In bigger cities like Kolkata (in India) and Khulna (in Bangladesh), there is a high spatial variability in relationship between LULC and LST compared to large towns. The LULC-LST relationship in large towns in India was influenced by proximity to Kolkata and coastal areas, whereas in Bangladesh no such influence was evident. The results and the data produced in this study are crucial for monitoring LULC changes, for developing spatial decision support system, and thus will be helpful to address the current challenges of land management in the GBD region. Changes in the LULC and LST are important indicators of GBD's environmental health and access its vulnerability and thus the present findings serve as baseline information for future studies seeking to examine the impact of differential policies on the LULC change in the region.

Myokines in Response to a Tournament Season among Young Tennis Players

The study investigated changes in myokines, heat shock proteins, and growth factors in highly ranked, young, male tennis players in response to physical workload during the competitive season and their potential correlations with match scores. Blood collections were carried out at the beginning, the midpoint, and the end of the tournament season. Data analysis revealed a significant increase in interleukin 6 and its inverse correlation with the number of lost games (r = −0.45; 90% CI −0.06 to 0.77). Neither the irisin nor BDNF level changed notably, yet delta changes of irisin across the season significantly correlated with the number of games won. The concentration of HSP27 recorded a small increase (31.2%; 90% CI 10.7 to 55.5, most likely). A negative correlation was noted between IGF-1 and HSP27 concentration at baseline (−0.70 very high; 90% CI −0.89 to −0.31, very likely). At the end of the season IGF-1 correlated positively with the number of games won (r = 0.37 moderate, 90% CI −0.16 to 0.73, likely) but negatively with the number of games lost (r = −0.39, 90% CI −0.14 to −0.74, likely). In conclusion our data indicated that Il-6, irisin, and growth factor IGF-1 may modify overall performance during a long lasting season, expressed in the amount of games won or lost.

Effect of Narrowband Ultraviolet B Therapy on Serum Vitamin D in Saudi Patients with Vitiligo

Objective: To evaluate the effect of NB-UVB therapy on serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in Saudi patients with vitiligo. Method: We estimated the levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] before, and after NB-UVB radiation in patients with vitiligo who did not take vitamin D supplement. A comparison was done between subsets of patients concerning gender and duration of treatment of NB-UVB. Results: There were 39 patients with vitiligo. Females were 22 (56.4%) and males were 17 (43.6%).The mean vitamin D level before NB-UVB treatment was 29.575 ± 16.315 nmol/L. while vitamin D level was increased to 78.871 + 22.776 after treatment with significant differences (P < 0.0001). The males had mean vitamin D level 36.232 ± 19.505 nmol/L, while females had mean vitamin D level 24.431 ± 11.321 nmol/L at baseline. After NB-UVB treatment the males had vitamin D level of 78.888 ± 25.683 nmol/L. While females had mean vitamin D level78.859 ± 20.884 nmol/L. After 6 months of the NB-UVB treatment the delta change in vitamin D level was 38.888 ± 20.255 nmol/L while after 12 - 24 months of treatment with NB-UVB the delta change in vitamin D level was 60.252 ± 17.565 nmol/L (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Patients who received narrow band ultra violet B radiation at wave length 309 nm as treatment of vitiligo are less likely to need vitamin D supplement to correct their vitamin D deficiency. More studies are needed in order to confirm these results and to establish UVB as treatment modalities to correct vitamin D levels in patients who cannot absorb vitamin D either orally or parentally.

Changes within the Electroencephalogram and Increase in Mental Concentration are related to Differences in Solubulisation and Composition of Different Q10-Formulations

Objective: Evaluate the efficacy of three different Q10 formulation (Greenspeed@, Gerimed®, and Power Magic®Q10) on changes in vigilance by as well as evaluating the error rate in the concentration and attention d2-test before and 1 hour after the ingestion of the Q10-solutions. Methodology: Relative EEG changes in power spectra alpha, beta, theta and delta were measured in 15 subjects (11 males and 4 females) before and 1 hour after the ingestion of one of the three Q10 formulations. Volunteers were given any one of the Q10 formulations in a double blind cross-over design. No drop-outs were registered as volunteers were eager to increase their state of vigilance. Power spectra in the EEG- demonstrated a highly significant increase in the beta-band (8-13 Hz) after all three solutions, the largest after intake of the Greenspeed® and the lowest after intake of the PowerMagic®Q10 preparation. This closely correlated with a reduction in error rate using the d2-concentration test, where again Greenspeed® did show the most beneficial effect, PowerMagic® Q10 rated last, while Gerimed® took a middle position. Correlation coefficient between power in the EEG beta-band and the incidence of error rate was high (spearmen rank correlation coefficient r=-0.96) suggesting that all three Q10 preparation, while differing in their degree of efficacy, were able to increase neuronal cell activity, an effect which resulted in an increase in alertness and focused attention. Conclusion: All three Q10 preparations induced vigilance and concentration. This very likely is mediated by the increase in ATP formation within the mitochondria of neuronal cells, where Q10 is a necessary constituent within the electronic transport chain.

Contribution of spontaneous polarization and its fluctuations to refraction of light in ferroelectrics

The expressions for the spontaneous polar contribution delta n (i) (s) to the principal values of the refractive index due to the quadratic electro-optic effect in ferroelectrics have been considered within the phenomenological approach taking into account the polarization fluctuations. A method has been proposed for calculating the magnitude and temperature dependence of the root-mean-square fluctuations of the polarization (short-range local polar order) P (sh) = aEuroP (fl) (2) aEuro parts per thousand(1/2) below the ferroelectric transition temperature T (c) from temperature changes in the spontaneous polar contribution delta n (i) (s) (T) if the average spontaneous polarization P (s) = aEuroPaEuro parts per thousand characterizing the long-range order is determined from independent measurements (for example, from dielectric hysteresis loops). For the case of isotropic fluctuations, the proposed method has made it possible to calculate P (sh) and P (s) only from refractometric measurements. It has been shown that, upon interferometric measurements, the method developed in this work allows calculating P (sh) and P (s) directly from the measured temperature and electric-field changes in the relative optical path (the specific optical retardation) of the light.

Effect of Hedging-Integrated Rule Curves on the Performance of the Pong Reservoir (India) During Scenario-Neutral Climate Change Perturbations

This study has evaluated the effects of improved, hedging-integrated reservoir rule curves on the current and climate-change-perturbed future performances of the Pong reservoir, India. The Pong reservoir was formed by impounding the snow- and glacial-dominated Beas River in Himachal Pradesh. Simulated historic and climate-change runoff series by the HYSIM rainfall-runoff model formed the basis of the analysis. The climate perturbations used delta changes in temperature (from 0° to +2 °C) and rainfall (from −10 to +10 % of annual rainfall). Reservoir simulations were then carried out, forced with the simulated runoff scenarios, guided by rule curves derived by a coupled sequent peak algorithm and genetic algorithms optimiser. Reservoir performance was summarised in terms of reliability, resilience, vulnerability and sustainability. The results show that the historic vulnerability reduced from 61 % (no hedging) to 20 % (with hedging), i.e., better than the 25 % vulnerability often assumed tolerable for most water consumers. Climate change perturbations in the rainfall produced the expected outcomes for the runoff, with higher rainfall resulting in more runoff inflow and vice-versa. Reduced runoff caused the vulnerability to worsen to 66 % without hedging; this was improved to 26 % with hedging. The fact that improved operational practices involving hedging can effectively eliminate the impacts of water shortage caused by climate change is a significant outcome of this study.

Hyperglycemia Blunts Hypoxic Ventilatory Response

Carotid body chemoreceptors respond to a variety of metabolic changes in an integrative manner. Given that hyperglycemia can serve as a desensitizer of the carotid bodies, we hypothesized hyperglycemia would blunt the carotid body’s ability to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and ventilation in response to hypoxia. Thirteen young healthy subjects (7 M, 6 F) were studied after fasting for at least three hours. Change in heart rate, blood pressure, and ventilation was measured between normoxic and hypoxic breathing conditions during fasting euglycemia (average blood glucose 89.77 ± 3.44 mg/dL) and again 30 minutes after administration of 75 g oral glucose tolerance test to induce hyperglycemia (average blood glucose 149.92 ± 9.72 mg/dL). Statistical analysis was done using paired t-tests. Comparisons were made between fasting and hyperglycemia for each characteristic measured and are reported as the delta change from normoxia to hypoxia: systolic blood pressure (7.23 ± 1.44 vs 1.38 ± 1.73 mmHg, p < 0.05), mean arterial pressure (5.18 ± 1.04 vs 1.79 ± 1.42 mmHg, p < 0.05), heart rate (8.24 ± 1.80 vs 3.93 ± 1.59 beats/min, p < 0.05), and respiration (1.57 ± 0.86 vs 0.02 ± 0.41 breaths/min, p < 0.05). This data shows that hyperglycemia blunts physiological responses to hypoxia, likely through desensitization of the carotid body. Thus, this study supports the role for the carotid body as an important integrative physiological sensor.

Low dose fish oil increases the omega-3 index improving cycling efficiency and heart rate recovery

Background: Dietary fish oil provides long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The heart (Charnock et al., 1986: Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 30, 393-406) and skeletal muscle (Peoples & McLennan, 2010: British Journal of Nutrition, 104(12), 1771-1779) preferentially incorporate DHA and modulates both myocardial (Pepe & McLennan, 2002: Circulation, 105, 2303-2308) and skeletal muscle oxygen consumption translated as improved muscle fatigue resistance (Peoples & McLennan, 2014: British Journal of Nutrition, 111, 996-1004). However, studies of well-trained endurance athletes have used excessive doses of DHA (Peoples et al., 2008: Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, 52, 540-547;  Buckley et al., 2009: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 12(4), 503-507). Given that even a very low fish oil supplement maximises membrane incorporation of DHA (Slee et al., 2010: Journal of Lipid Research, 51, 1841-1847) there is strong physiological basis for cyclists to improve oxygen efficiency through a nutritional approach. Purpose: The current study primarily aimed to establish if provision of a low dose of dietary fish oil in cyclists could convey improved oxygen efficiency in heart and skeletal muscle under conditions of established cycling fatigue and acute recovery. Methods: Using a double-blind design, trained males (N=26) were supplemented with (2x1g.d-1) soy oil (control n=13) or tuna fish oil (FO n=13) providing LCn-3PUFA, DHA: 560mg and EPA: 140mg (Nu-Mega, Australia) for 8 weeks. Erythrocyte omega-3 index (% EPA+DHA) was measured at baseline at following supplementation. At both time points participants underwent a repeated Wingate cycling protocol (6x30sec / 150seconds recovery) to establish cycling fatigue, immediately followed by a 5min cycling time trial (Wattbike, UK). Upon completion, participants were place in a supine recovery position for 10mins. Oxygen consumption (O2), heart rate (HR) and power (W) were continuously monitored.Results: Erythrocyte omega-3 index at baseline (Control: 4.2±0.2; FO: 4.7±0.2%) was not different between groups. After 8weeks the omega-3 index was unchanged in control (3.9±0.2%) but increased in FO group (6.3±0.3%, P< 0.01). There was no effect of FO supplementation on; peak HR (Control: 174±1 FO: 176±1beats.min-1), mean power during Wingate cycling fatigue protocol (Control: 545±28; FO: 511±33W), or cycling time trial performance under established fatigue (Control: 267±19; FO: 253±16W). However, FO supplementation improved oxygen efficiency (delta change) during the cycling time trial (Control: -23±26; FO: -154±59ml O2/min/100W P<0.05) and accelerated HR recovery (logit half-time) in the supine position immediately afterwards (Control: -0.4±1.2s; FO: -8.0±1.7s, P<0.05). The later was independent of a change in parasympathetic tone and reflective of reduced myocardial oxygen consumption.Discussion: A low dose fish oil supplement providing DHA increased the omega-3 index in trained cyclists. The improved cycling efficiency is reflective of the oxygen modulation previously demonstrated in rodent skeletal muscle (Peoples & McLennan, 2014), while the faster heart rate recovery without alteration in autonomic tone is supportive of the a reduction in intrinsic beat rate of the SA node following DHA administration (Verkerk, et al., 2009: Heart Rhythm, 6(10), 1485-1492). Conclusion: Provision of LCn-3 PUFA, DHA, in the form of a low dose fish oil supplement can have profound effects on heart and skeletal muscle incorporation, and as consequence improve cycling efficiency and heart rate recovery, indicative of reduced heart load. As a consequence, the concentrations used in the current study can be modeled for nutritional recommendations of DHA in elite cyclists.

Transient scenarios for robust climate change adaptation illustrated for water management in The Netherlands

Climate scenarios are used to explore impacts of possible future climates and to assess the robustness of adaptation actions across a range of futures. Time-dependent climate scenarios are commonly used in mitigation studies. However, despite the dynamic nature of adaptation, most scenarios for local or regional decision making on climate adaptation are static ‘endpoint’ projections. This paper describes the development and use of transient (time-dependent) scenarios by means of a case on water management in the Netherlands. Relevant boundary conditions (sea level, precipitation and evaporation) were constructed by generating an ensemble of synthetic time-series with a rainfall generator and a transient delta change method. Climate change impacted river flows were then generated with a hydrological simulation model for the Rhine basin. The transient scenarios were applied in model simulations and game experiments. We argue that there are at least three important assets of using transient scenarios for supporting robust climate adaptation: (1) raise awareness about (a) the implications of climate variability and climate change for decision making and (b) the difficulty of finding proof of climate change in relevant variables for water management; (2) assessment of when to adapt by identifying adaptation tipping points which can then be used to explore adaptation pathways, and (3) identification of triggers for climate adaptation.

Prognostic Value of Delta Change in Serum Sodium in Predicting Mortality and Length of Stay After Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Prognostic Value of Delta Change in Serum Sodium in Predicting Mortality and Length of Stay After Acute Pulmonary Embolism

The characteristics of consolidation settlement and its contribution to the topographical change in the northern modern Huanghe River subaqueous delta in China

The sediments of the modern Huanghe River subaqueous delta are easily to generate settlement and lead to topography change which is due to fast deposition rate, high void ratio, moisture content and compressibility. The sediment consolidation settlements and its contribution to the topography change in the northern modern Huanghe River subaqueous delta are studied based on drilling data, laboratory experiment results, and water depth measurements of different time. The results show that the final consolidation settlement of drill holes in the study area is between 1.17 and 3.21 m, and mean settlement of unit depth is between 2.30 and 5.30 cm/m based on the one-dimensional consolidation theory and Plaxis numerical model. The final consolidation settlement obtained by Plaxis numerical model is smaller than that obtained by the one-dimensional consolidation theory, and the difference is 3.4%–39.9% between the methods. The contribution of the consolidation settlement to the topographical change is at 20.2%–86.6%, and the study area can be divided into five different regions based on different contribution rates. In the erosion area, the actual erosion depth caused by hydrodynamics is lower than the changes of measured water depth, however, the actual deposition amount caused by hydrodynamics is much larger than the changes of water depth obtained by measured data in the equilibrium and deposition areas.