Tyler O'Neal, Staff Editor

British Antarctic Survey demos new link between greenhouse gasses, sea-level rise

A new study provides the first evidence that rising greenhouse gases have a long-term warming effect on the Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica.  Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) say that while others have proposed this link, no one has been able to demonstrate it.

Ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Amundsen Sea is one of the fastest-growing and most concerning contributions to global sea-level rise.  If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet were to melt, global sea levels could rise by up to three meters.  The patterns of ice loss suggest that the ocean may have been warming in the Amundsen Sea over the past one hundred years, but scientific observations of the region only began in 1994.                        

In the study - published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters - oceanographers used advanced supercomputer modeling to simulate the response of the ocean to a range of possible changes in the atmosphere between 1920 and 2013.

The simulations show the Amundsen Sea generally became warmer over the century. This warming corresponds with simulated trends in wind patterns in the region which increase temperatures by driving warm water currents towards and beneath the ice. Rising greenhouse gases are known to make these wind patterns more likely, and so the trend in winds is thought to be caused in part by human activity. 

This study supports theories that ocean temperatures in the Amundsen Sea have been rising since before records began.  It also provides the missing link between ocean warming and wind trends which are known to be partly driven by greenhouse gasses.  Ocean temperatures around the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will probably continue to rise if greenhouse gas emissions increase, with consequences for ice melt and global sea levels.  These findings suggest, however, that this trend could be curbed if emissions are sufficiently reduced and wind patterns in the region are stabilized.

Dr. Kaitlin Naughten, an ocean-ice modeler at BAS and lead author of this study, says,

“Our simulations show how the Amundsen Sea responds to long-term trends in the atmosphere, specifically the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds.  This raises concerns for the future because we know these winds are affected by greenhouse gases.  However, it should also give us hope, because it shows that sea-level rise is not out of our control.”

Professor Paul Holland, ocean and ice scientist at BAS and a co-author of the study, says,

“Changes in the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds are a well-established climate response to the effect of greenhouse gasses.  However, the Amundsen Sea is also subject to very strong natural climate variability.  The simulations suggest that both natural and anthropogenic changes are responsible for the ocean-driven ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.”

Schlumberger, AVEVA advance cloud solutions for oil & gas production operations

Tyler O'Neal, Staff Editor

Industry leaders to integrate AVEVA PI System with Agora edge technologies and cloud-based production solutions enabled by the DELFI environment from Schlumberger

Schlumberger and AVEVA have announced an agreement to integrate edge, AI, and cloud digital solutions to help operators optimize oil and gas production. The companies will work together to streamline how energy operators acquire, process, and action field data for enhanced wellsite efficiency and performance. The initial focus of the collaboration includes linking edge systems to applications in the DELFI cognitive E&P environment to better manage equipment health and optimize performance.

“This partnership brings together our edge and cloud solutions with the AVEVA PI System to seamlessly liberate access to data accelerating insights and action,” said Rajeev Sonthalia, president, Digital & Integration, Schlumberger. “By integrating our domain expertise, secure edge technology, and digital applications in the DELFI environment with AVEVA, we will enable customers to increase efficiency and transform their production operations.” pr 2021 0930 slb aveva max ec17b

“Digital transformation of critical infrastructure requires a strategic vision that transcends technology to drive efficiency, achieve profitable business outcomes and deliver sustainability,” said Andrew McCloskey, Chief Technology Officer, AVEVA. “Recent macroeconomic events have highlighted the need for agility throughout all industries. Our collaboration with Schlumberger will drive operational agility and engineering efficiency, while also enabling swifter delivery of new products and services to make assets and operations run more smoothly.”

The collaboration will bring to market the IoT and cloud capabilities of both companies. This includes the data management platform capabilities of the AVEVA PI System and Schlumberger domain expertise and analytics capabilities provided by Agora edge AI and IoT solutions and the DELFI environment. The companies also plan joint technology integrations, sales and service support, and go-to-market activity.

Danish scientist develops Monte Carlo simulations that help reduce yogurt spoilage by yeast

Tyler O'Neal, Staff Editor

Models to characterize and accurately predict yeast growth have the potential to reduce economic losses due to food waste and influence management decisions in the yogurt industry, according to a new report in the Journal of Dairy Science

Spoilage of yogurt by yeast poses a problem for the dairy industry that includes economic losses from the wasted product. Understanding the effects of factors such as storage conditions, yeast species and bioprotective cultures on yeast spoilage can help yogurt producers make decisions that improve quality and minimize loss. In an article appearing in the Journal of Dairy Science, published by Elsevier, scientists from the University of Copenhagen, Chr. Hansen A/S and Cornell University developed predictive models that evaluate the effects of a bioprotective culture on yogurt spoilage.

Between 11% and 25% of dairy products are wasted globally, in part due to fungal spoilage. One method to reduce fungal spoilage is to add food cultures known to have bioprotective effects that delay the growth of unwanted microorganisms during shelf life. The authors of this study were the first to develop Monte Carlo simulation models to estimate yogurt spoilage caused by yeast that included the initial contamination level, different yeast species, storage conditions, and the addition of food cultures with bioprotective effects. Scientists from the University of Copenhagen, Chr. Hansen A/S, and Cornell University developed predictive models to evaluate the effects of a bioprotective culture on yogurt spoilage (Credit: iStock.com/Fascinadora).

“These predictive models allowed for the prediction of yogurt spoilage caused by different yeast species, as well as the effect of including bioprotective culture in a yogurt product to reduce yeast spoilage,” said first author Line Nielsen, Ph.D., Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark. “Such models can help yogurt producers understand how different parameters influence product quality and use these results to support decision making in yogurt quality management.”

The models from this study are able to predict the amount of spoiled product when four common spoilage yeast strains are present in a production (Debaryomyces hansenii, Yarrowia lipolytica, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Kluyveromyces) at different storage temperatures, with or without a bioprotective culture containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus over a 30-day storage period. Although the researchers found the effect of the bioprotective culture was most pronounced at 7 degrees Celsius for all yeasts compared to 16 degrees Celsius, the yeast strain had the largest effect on the efficacy of the bioprotective culture. The Monte Carlo models were validated with actual data from a European dairy.

Dr. Nielsen added, “If a dairy has a problem with a yeast strain known to have a similar growth-inhibition pattern in the presence of a bioprotective culture as one of the yeast strains tested in this study, the data from this strain can be used in the model to predict an expected spoilage level relevant for the specific dairy; therefore, the predictive model can be used as a tool that allows the industry to better evaluate the potential of improving control of fungal spoilage by using bioprotective cultures at specific production settings.”

The study presents a valuable tool to assist in management decisions that can help to reduce economic losses due to food waste. Additionally, the methods used for model development can be used further for creating new and improved models.