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At least 739 records · Page 41

Al-rich AlGaN high electron mobility transistor gate metallization study up to 600 °C in air

Here we report a comparative study of three rectifying gate metals, W, Pd, and Pt/Au, on ultrawide bandgap Al 0.86 Ga 0.14 N barrier/Al 0.7 Ga 0.3 N channel high electron mobility transistors for use in extreme temperatures. The transistors were electrically characterized from 30 to 600 °C in air. Of the three gate metals, the Pt/Au stack exhibited the smallest change in threshold voltage (0.15 V, or 9% change between the 30 and 600 °C values, and a maximum change of 42%), the highest on/off current ratio (1.5 × 10 6 ) at 600 °C, and a modest forward gate leakage current (0.39 mA/mm for a 3,V gate bias) at 600 °C. These favorable results showcase AlGaN channel high electron mobility transistors' ability to operate in extreme temperature environments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Combined spectroscopic imaging STM and ARPES study of different gaps measured in the cuprate phase diagram

A comparative study of the gaps measured in two techniques, angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, is presented herein. In particular the study focuses on the more overdoped region of the cuprate phase diagram in the superconducting state. While the total densities of states measured in the two techniques agree very well, it is shown that the peak in the density of states, Δ DOS , is consistently displaced to higher energies relative to the maximal superconducting gap, Δ 0 , determined in photoemission. The difference between the two gaps is more evident for the less doped samples reflecting increased normalization of bands. This observation will clearly influence the boundaries in the phase diagrams of the cuprates defined by these two techniques.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Adjuvant radiation therapy for bladder cancer: A dosimetric comparison of techniques

Trials of adjuvant radiation after cystectomy are under development. There are no studies comparing radiation techniques to inform trial design. This study assesses the effect on bowel and rectal dose of 3 different modalities treating 2 proposed alternative clinical target volumes (CTVs). Contours of the bowel, rectum, CTV-pelvic sidewall (common/internal/external iliac and obturator nodes), and CTV-comprehensive (CTV-pelvic sidewall plus cystectomy bed and presacral regions) were drawn on simulation images of 7 post-cystectomy patients. We optimized 3-dimensional conformal radiation (3-D), intensity-modulated radiation (IMRT), and single-field uniform dose (SFUD) scanning proton plans for each CTV. Mixed models regression was used to compare plans for bowel and rectal volumes exposed to 35% (V{sub 35%}), 65% (V{sub 65%}), and 95% (V{sub 95%}) of the prescribed dose. For any given treatment modality, treating the larger CTV-comprehensive volume compared with treating only the CTV-pelvic sidewall nodes significantly increased rectal dose (V{sub 35%} {sub rectum}, V{sub 65%} {sub rectum}, and V{sub 95%} {sub rectum}; p < 0.001 for all comparisons), but it did not produce significant differences in bowel dose (V{sub 95%} {sub bowel}, V{sub 65%} {sub bowel}, or V{sub 35%} {sub bowel}). The 3-D plans, compared with both the IMRT and the SFUD plans, had a significantly greater V{sub 65%} {sub bowel} and V{sub 95%} {sub bowel} for each proposed CTV (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). The effect of treatment modality on rectal dosimetry differed by CTV, but it generally favored the IMRT and the SFUD plans over the 3-D plans. Comparison of the IMRT plan vs the SFUD plan yielded mixed results with no consistent advantage for the SFUD plan over the IMRT plan. Targeting a CTV that spares the cystectomy bed and presacral region may marginally improve rectal toxicity but would not be expected to improve the bowel toxicity associated with any given modality of adjuvant radiation. Using the IMRT or the SFUD plans instead of the 3-D conformal plan may improve both bowel and rectal toxicity.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

The effects of different types of mulch on soil properties and tea production and quality

Abstract BACKGROUND Tea is an important economic crop in China. Mulching, a modern agricultural practice, can modify the soil microenvironment and maintain the crop yield. RESULTS To investigate the effect of different mulching modes on tea plant growth, filed experiments were conducted in a Shizipu tea plantation located in Langxi Country (Xuanchen City, Anhui Province, China). Five treatments were carried out in a randomized complete block arrangement: (i) clean tillage (control); (ii) black plastic film; (iii) weed barrier fabric; (iv) rice straw mulch; and (v) intercropping with Vulpia myuros . The effects of different mulch modes on soil temperature, water moisture, soil compactness, root activity, soil enzyme activity and nutrition status on tea yield, quality and economic benefits were compared at the harvest stage. In the present study, compared with other mulch treatments, intercropping with V. myuros significantly reduced the topsoil temperature (to an optimum temperature) and soil compactness, and increased the water holding capacity in the deep soil layer, which contributed to increased tea root activity and respiration. Furthermore, intercropping with V. myuros significantly increased soil enzymes activity, soil organic matter, and the available nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the main root zone. Therefore, the stronger tea root activity accelerated nutrition uptake and increased the tea yield and quality‐related components of the tea, thus resulting in a larger average net income. CONCLUSION Intercropping with V. myuros could serve as a profitable agricultural method for tea production. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Xianchen, Zhang↗

Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Versus Surgery for Medically Operable Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Markov Model-Based Decision Analysis

Purpose: To compare the quality-adjusted life expectancy and overall survival in patients with Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with either stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or surgery. Methods and Materials: We constructed a Markov model to describe health states after either SBRT or lobectomy for Stage I NSCLC for a 5-year time frame. We report various treatment strategy survival outcomes stratified by age, sex, and pack-year history of smoking, and compared these with an external outcome prediction tool (Adjuvant{exclamation_point} Online). Results: Overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and other causes of death as predicted by our model correlated closely with those predicted by the external prediction tool. Overall survival at 5 years as predicted by baseline analysis of our model is in favor of surgery, with a benefit ranging from 2.2% to 3.0% for all cohorts. Mean quality-adjusted life expectancy ranged from 3.28 to 3.78 years after surgery and from 3.35 to 3.87 years for SBRT. The utility threshold for preferring SBRT over surgery was 0.90. Outcomes were sensitive to quality of life, the proportion of local and regional recurrences treated with standard vs. palliative treatments, and the surgery- and SBRT-related mortalities. Conclusions: The role of SBRT in the medically operable patient is yet to be defined. Our model indicates that SBRT may offer comparable overall survival and quality-adjusted life expectancy as compared with surgical resection. Well-powered prospective studies comparing surgery vs. SBRT in early-stage lung cancer are warranted to further investigate the relative survival, quality of life, and cost characteristics of both treatment paradigms.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Synthesis and thermoluminescence studies of γ-irradiated Dy{sup 3+} doped SrGd{sub 2}O{sub 4} phosphor

Highlights: • SrGd2O4:Dy3+ phosphors have been prepared via homogeneous precipitation cum auto-combustion method for the first time. • TL characteristics of γ-irradiated SrGd2O4: Dy3+ phosphors were studied for various Dy3+ contents and heating rates. • Linear TL profile, less fading and high reproducibility of the present phosphor system reveals its applicability in TL dosimetry. - Abstract: Dy{sup 3+} doped SrGd{sub 2}O{sub 4} phosphors were synthesized via homogeneous precipitation cum auto-combustion method for the first time. Orthorhombic phase formation and granular morphology of SrGd{sub 2}O{sub 4}: Dy{sup 3+} samples were investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microscopic studies. Thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of SrGd{sub 2}O{sub 4}: Dy{sup 3+} phosphors were taken after exposure of {sup 60}Co γ-rays. The TL glow curve of as-prepared phosphors was well-resolved into five peaks 114 °C, 161 °C, 198 °C, 248 °C, and 293 °C by using computerized glow curve deconvolution program. The effect of impurity (Dy{sup 3+}) contents and heating rates for the TL glow curves were also studied. The linear behaviour of as-formed SrGd{sub 2}O{sub 4}: Dy{sup 3+} samples are observed within a wide range of dose of 80 Gy–2 kGy. Fading characteristics of SrGd{sub 2}O{sub 4}: Dy{sup 3+} phosphor was studied over the duration of 30 days. A comparative study was done to estimate different trapping parameters by employing Chen’s peak shape method and CGCD simulation of TL glow curves.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hawai‘i Supernova Flows: a peculiar velocity survey using over a Thousand Supernovae in the near-infrared

ABSTRACT We introduce the Hawai‘i Supernova Flows project and present summary statistics of the first 1217 astronomical transients observed, 668 of which are spectroscopically classified Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia). Our project is designed to obtain systematics-limited distances to SNe Ia while consuming minimal dedicated observational resources. To date, we have performed almost 5000 near-infrared (NIR) observations of astronomical transients and have obtained spectra for over 200 host galaxies lacking published spectroscopic redshifts. In this survey paper, we describe the methodology used to select targets, collect/reduce data, calculate distances, and perform quality cuts. We compare our methods to those used in similar studies, finding general agreement or mild improvement. Our summary statistics include various parametrizations of dispersion in the Hubble diagrams produced using fits to several commonly used SN Ia models. We find the lowest dispersions using the SNooPy package’s EBV_model2, with a root mean square deviation of 0.165 mag and a normalized median absolute deviation of 0.123 mag. The full utility of the Hawai‘i Supernova Flows data set far exceeds the analyses presented in this paper. Our photometry will provide a valuable test bed for models of SN Ia incorporating NIR data. Differential cosmological studies comparing optical samples and combined optical and NIR samples will have increased leverage for constraining chromatic effects like dust extinction. We invite the community to explore our data by making the light curves, fits, and host galaxy redshifts publicly accessible.

Do, Aaron (ORCID:0000000334297845)↗

Eu 3 Ir 2 In 15 : A mixed-valent and vacancy-filled variant of the Sc 5 Co 4 Si 10 structure type with anomalous magnetic properties

Here, a new compound, Eu 3 Ir 2 In 15 has been synthesized using indium as an active metal flux. The compound crystallizes in tetragonal P4/mbm space group with lattice parameters, a = 14.8580(4) Å, b = 14.8580(4) Å, c = 4.3901(2) Å. It was further characterized by SEM-EDX studies. The temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility suggests that Eu in this compound is exclusively in divalent state. The effective magnetic moment (μ eff ) of this compound is 7.35 μ B /Eu ion with paramagnetic Curie temperature (θ p ) of -28 K suggesting antiferromagnetic interaction. The mixed valent nature of Eu observed in magnetic measurements was confirmed by XANES measurements. The compound undergoes demagnetization at a low magnetic field (10 Oe), which is quite unusual for Eu based intermetallic compounds. Temperature dependent resistivity studies reveal that the compound is metallic in nature. A comparative study was made between Eu 3 Ir 2 In 15 and hypothetical vacancy variant Eu 5 Ir 4 In 10 which also crystallizes in the same crystal structure However our computational studies along with control experiments suggest that the latter is thermodynamically less feasible compared to the former and hence we proposed that it is highly unlikely that a RE 5 T 4 X 10 would exist with X as a group 13 elements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The structure-activity relationship of ginsenosides on hypoxia-reoxygenation induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes

Highlights: • Ginsenosides have cardioprotective effects on hypoxia and reoxygenation-induced damage. • There is a structure-activity relationship regarding ginsenosides' inhibition of apoptosis. • AMPK could be an important mediator for ginsenosides' cardioprotection against hypoxic injury. Ginsenosides have been studied extensively in recent years due to their therapeutic effects in cardiovascular diseases. While most studies examined the different ginsenosides individually, few studies compare the therapeutic effects among the different types. This study examined how effective protopanaxadiol, protopanaxatriol ginsenosides Rh2, Rg3, Rh1, and Rg2 of the ginsenoside family are in protecting H9c2 cardiomyocytes from damage caused by hypoxia/reoxygenation. In the current study, a model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion was induced in H9c2 cardiomyocytes by oxygen deprivation via a hypoxia chamber followed by reoxygenation. Our data show that structures similar to that of protopanaxadiol, which lacked the hydroxide group at C6, were more effective in lowering apoptosis than structures similar to protopanaxatriol with a hydroxide group at C6. As the compounds increased in size and complexity, the cardioprotective effects diminished. In addition, the S enantiomer proved to be more effective in cardioprotection than the R enantiomer. Furthermore, the immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that ginsenosides activate AMPK but suppress JNK signaling pathways during hypoxia/reoxygenation. Thus, ginsenosides treatment attenuated hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis via modulating cardioprotective AMPK and inflammation-related JNK signaling pathways.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Development and demonstration of a rolling ball viscometer for molten salts with near-minimum liquidus NaCl–KCl

The thermophysical characterization of molten chloride and fluoride salts is a key interest for the development of advanced molten salt nuclear reactors. Viscosity is one thermophysical property of interest; a high-accuracy understanding of this property is necessary for modeling the thermal energy transfer and mass flow rate for a given molten salt system. Only a few methods have consistently been used to measure the viscosity of molten chloride and fluoride salt systems, and large discrepancies have been observed in the literature between independent studies of nearly identical salt systems. As such, exploration of novel measurement methods or implementations may allow for further validation, improved measurement accuracy, and overall improved understanding about optimal approaches for measuring molten salt viscosity. Here, in this study, a novel implementation of the rolling ball viscometry method was used to measure the viscosity of a 44/56 mol % mixture of NaCl–KCl within a temperature range of 714–838 °C, with the intent to demonstrate the feasibility of this technique for molten salt viscosity measurement cross-validation. The purity of this salt was confirmed through laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Measured viscosities were approximately 1.3–1.0 cP within this temperature range, and the overall uncertainty was 10.8%, which was determined through Gaussian error propagation. The results agree reasonably well with measured viscosities of similar NaCl–KCl mixtures in the literature (within 2%–20% depending on the temperature and study), although the experimental error in some of these comparative studies may be significant.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Modeling and experimental validation of dynamical effects in Bragg coherent x-ray diffractive imaging of finite crystals

Bragg coherent diffractive imaging (BCDI) is a noninvasive microscopy technique that can visualize the shape and internal lattice deviations of crystals with nanoscale spatial resolution and picometer deformation sensitivity. Its strain imaging capability relies on Fourier transform–based iterative phase retrieval algorithms, which are mostly developed under the kinematical approximation. Such approximation prohibits the application of BCDI on larger crystals, which are commonly seen in most emerging functional materials. Understanding the dynamical effect in BCDI, as well as developing a validated method for modeling BCDI at the dynamical diffraction limit, is crucial for applying BCDI to hierarchical systems that contain micron-sized crystals and grains. Thus we report a comparative study on the impact of dynamical diffraction effects by comparing the reconstruction results from two measurements of the same crystal. Forward simulation is implemented to show subtle changes of interference fringes in the diffraction pattern due to the dynamical diffraction, and is compared directly with the experimental data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Gyrokinetic Particle Simulation of Turbulent Transport in Burning Plasmas

The three-year project GPS-TTBP resulted in over 152 publications and 135 presentations. This summary focuses on the scientific progress made by the project team. A major focus of the project was on the physics intrinsic rotation in tokamaks. Progress included the first ever flux driven study of net intrinsic spin-up, mediated by boundary effects (in collaboration with CPES), detailed studies of the microphysics origins of the Rice scaling, comparative studies of symmetry breaking mechanisms, a pioneering study of intrinsic torque driven by trapped electron modes, and studies of intrinsic rotation generation as a thermodynamic engine. Validation studies were performed with C-Mod, DIII-D and CSDX. This work resulted in very successful completion of the FY2010 Theory Milestone Activity for OFES, and several prominent papers of the 2008 and 2010 IAEA Conferences. A second major focus was on the relation between zonal flow formation and transport non-locality. This culminated in the discovery of the ExB staircase - a conceptually new phenomenon. This also makes useful interdisciplinary contact with the physics of the PV staircase, well-known in oceans and atmospheres. A third topic where progress was made was in the simulation and theory of turbulence spreading. This work, now well cited, is important for understanding the dynamics of non-locality in turbulent transport. Progress was made in studies of conjectured non-diffusive transport in trapped electron turbulence. Pioneering studies of ITB formation, coupling to intrinsic rotation and hysteresis were completed. These results may be especially significant for future ITER operation. All told, the physics per dollar performance of this project was quite good. The intense focus was beneficial and SciDAC resources were essential to its success.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Influence of Pressure on Physical Property of Ammonia Borane and its Re-hydrogenation

The project systematically studied the high pressure behavior of ammonia borane and its derivative lithium amidoborane. Phase transitions in these materials are investigated in the pressure range up to 20 GPa and temperature range from 80 K to 400K. A number of new phase transitions are discovered in this pressure and temperature range including a second order transformation at 5 GPa and a first order transformation at 12 GPa at room temperature, and four new transitions at high pressure and low temperatures. The Clapeyron slopes for both pressure-induce tetragonal (I4mm) phase to orthorhombic (Cmc21) phase and temperature-induce tetragonal (I4mm) phase to orthorhombic (Pmn21) phase are determined to be positive, indicating these phase transitions are exothermic. This result demonstrates that the high pressure orthorhombic phase of ammonia borane has lower enthalpy than that of tetragonal phase at ambient conditions. If we assume decomposition from the orthorhombic phase yields the same products as that from the tetragonal phase, the decomposition of the orthorhombic phase will be less exothermic. Therefore rehydrogenation from the decomposed product into the orthorhombic phase at high pressure may become easier. The project also studied the influences of nanoconfinement on the phase transitions. Comparative study using Raman spectroscopy indicates that the temperature induced I4mm to Pmn21 transition is suppressed from 217 K to 195 K when the sample is confined in SBA15 (7-9 nm pore size). When the pore size is reduced from 7-9 nm to 3-4 nm, this transition is totally suppressed in the temperature down to 80 K. A similar influence of the nanoconfiement on pressure induced phase transitions is also observed using Raman spectroscopy. The phase boundary between the I4mm phase and high pressure Cmc21 phase at ambient temperature shifts from 0.9 GPa to 0.5 GPa; and that between the Cmc21 phase and higher pressure P21 phase shifts from 10.2 GPa to 9.7 GPa.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Theoretical structural and vibrational study of 5-trifluoromethyluracil. A comparison with uracil

In the present work, a comparative study on the structural and vibrational properties of the 5-trifluoromethyluracil (TFMU) derivative with those corresponding to uracil in gas and aqueous solution phases was performed combining the available H{sup 1}-NMR, C{sup 13}-NMR, F{sup 19}-NMR and FTIR spectra with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Three stable conformers were theoretically determined in both media by using the hybrid B3LYP/6-31G* method. The solvent effects were simulated by means of the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) method employing the integral equation formalism variant (IEFPCM). Complete assignments of the vibrational spectra in both phases were performed combining the internal coordinates analysis and the DFT calculations with the Scaled Quantum Mechanics Force Field (SQMFF) methodology. The atomic charges, bond orders, solvation energies, dipole moments, molecular electrostatic potentials and force constants parameters were calculated for the three conformers of TFMU in gas phase and aqueous solution.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Studies on magnetocaloric effect of Tb 2 Ni 0.90 Si 2.94 compound

A comparative study has been carried out on the magnetocaloric properties of as-cast and annealed Tb 2 Ni 0.90 Si 2.94 intermetallic compound. While the as-cast material exhibits ferromagnetic cluster-glass behaviour below 9.9 K coexisting with antiferromagnetic (AFM) interaction, the annealed system shows AFM ordering below 13.5 K and spin freezing occurs below 4 K. The compound exhibits moderate magnetocaloric performance with maximum isothermal entropy changes (–ΔS M ) 8.8 and 10.9 J kg –1 K –1 , relative cooling power (RCP) 306 and 365 J kg –1 , along with adiabatic temperature change (ΔT ad ) 5.5 and 8.15 K for 70 kOe magnetic field change in as-cast and annealed forms, respectively. The estimated magnetic entropy change is found to be larger for annealed sample in comparison to that of as-cast analogue. However, the full width at half maxima (FWHM) of –ΔS M (T) behaviour is larger in as-cast compound due to the presence of inherent structural disorder which reduces with thermal annealing. A positive isothermal entropy change (–ΔS M ) and adiabatic temperature change (ΔT ad ) is observed for the as-cast compound in the measured field and temperature region. In contrast, the annealed system exhibits inverse magnetocaloric effect in the low field and temperature region where AFM interactions dominate. Magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is used as a tool to establish a subtle correlation between the observed magnetocaloric effect and the reported magnetic properties of the system.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

S-SAD phasing study of death receptor 6 and its solution conformation revealed by SAXS

A comparative analysis of sulfur phasing of death receptor 6 (DR6) using data collected at wavelengths of 2.0 and 2.7 Å is presented. SAXS analysis of unliganded DR6 defines a dimer as the minimum physical unit in solution. A subset of tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily members contain death domains in their cytoplasmic tails. Death receptor 6 (DR6) is one such member and can trigger apoptosis upon the binding of a ligand by its cysteine-rich domains (CRDs). The crystal structure of the ectodomain (amino acids 1–348) of human death receptor 6 (DR6) encompassing the CRD region was phased using the anomalous signal from S atoms. In order to explore the feasibility of S-SAD phasing at longer wavelengths (beyond 2.5 Å), a comparative study was performed on data collected at wavelengths of 2.0 and 2.7 Å. In spite of sub-optimal experimental conditions, the 2.7 Å wavelength used for data collection showed potential for S-SAD phasing. The results showed that the R{sub ano}/R{sub p.i.m.} ratio is a good indicator for monitoring the anomalous data quality when the anomalous signal is relatively strong, while d′′/sig(d′′) calculated by SHELXC is a more sensitive and stable indicator applicable for grading a wider range of anomalous data qualities. The use of the ‘parameter-space screening method’ for S-SAD phasing resulted in solutions for data sets that failed during manual attempts. SAXS measurements on the ectodomain suggested that a dimer defines the minimal physical unit of an unliganded DR6 molecule in solution.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Minipig and beagle animal model genomes aid species selection in pharmaceutical discovery and development

Improving drug attrition remains a challenge in pharmaceutical discovery and development. A major cause of early attrition is the demonstration of safety signals which can negate any therapeutic index previously established. Safety attrition needs to be put in context of clinical translation (i.e. human relevance) and is negatively impacted by differences between animal models and human. In order to minimize such an impact, an earlier assessment of pharmacological target homology across animal model species will enhance understanding of the context of animal safety signals and aid species selection during later regulatory toxicology studies. Here we sequenced the genomes of the Sus scrofa Göttingen minipig and the Canis familiaris beagle, two widely used animal species in regulatory safety studies. Comparative analyses of these new genomes with other key model organisms, namely mouse, rat, cynomolgus macaque, rhesus macaque, two related breeds (S. scrofa Duroc and C. familiaris boxer) and human reveal considerable variation in gene content. Key genes in toxicology and metabolism studies, such as the UGT2 family, CYP2D6, and SLCO1A2, displayed unique duplication patterns. Comparisons of 317 known human drug targets revealed surprising variation such as species-specific positive selection, duplication and higher occurrences of pseudogenized targets in beagle (41 genes) relative to minipig (19 genes). These data will facilitate the more effective use of animals in biomedical research. - Highlights: • Genomes of the minipig and beagle dog, two species used in pharmaceutical studies. • First systematic comparative genome analysis of human and six experimental animals. • Key drug toxicology genes display unique duplication patterns across species. • Comparison of 317 drug targets show species-specific evolutionary patterns.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Evaluating Cloud Properties at Scott Base: Comparing Ceilometer Observations With ERA5, JRA55, and MERRA2 Reanalyses Using an Instrument Simulator

This study compares CL51 ceilometer observations made at Scott Base, Antarctica, with statistics from the ERA5, JRA55, and MERRA2 reanalyses. To enhance the comparison we use a lidar instrument simulator to derive cloud statistics from the reanalyses which account for instrumental factors. The cloud occurrence in the three reanalyses is slightly overestimated above 3 km, but displays a larger underestimation below 3 km relative to observations. Unlike previous studies, we see no relationship between relative humidity and cloud occurrence biases, suggesting that the cloud biases do not result from the representation of moisture. We also show that the seasonal variation of cloud occurrence and cloud fraction, defined as the vertically integrated cloud occurrence, are small in both the observations and the reanalyses. We also examine the quality of the cloud representation for a set of weather states derived from ERA5 surface winds. The variability associated with grouping cloud occurrence based on weather state is much larger than the seasonal variation, highlighting weather state is a strong control of cloud occurrence. All the reanalyses continue to display underestimates below 3 km and overestimates above 3 km for each weather state. But the variability in ERA5 statistics matches the changes in the observations better than the other reanalyses. We also use a machine learning scheme to estimate the quantity of supercooled liquid water cloud from the ceilometer observations. Ceilometer low-level supercooled liquid water cloud occurrences are considerably larger than values derived from the reanalyses, further highlighting the poor representation of low-level clouds in the reanalyses.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗