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Sample records for sak leung lai-wan

  1. An evaluation of sex-age-kill (SAK) model performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millspaugh, Joshua J.; Skalski, John R.; Townsend, Richard L.; Diefenbach, Duane R.; Boyce, Mark S.; Hansen, Lonnie P.; Kammermeyer, Kent

    2009-01-01

    The sex-age-kill (SAK) model is widely used to estimate abundance of harvested large mammals, including white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Despite a long history of use, few formal evaluations of SAK performance exist. We investigated how violations of the stable age distribution and stationary population assumption, changes to male or female harvest, stochastic effects (i.e., random fluctuations in recruitment and survival), and sampling efforts influenced SAK estimation. When the simulated population had a stable age distribution and λ > 1, the SAK model underestimated abundance. Conversely, when λ < 1, the SAK overestimated abundance. When changes to male harvest were introduced, SAK estimates were opposite the true population trend. In contrast, SAK estimates were robust to changes in female harvest rates. Stochastic effects caused SAK estimates to fluctuate about their equilibrium abundance, but the effect dampened as the size of the surveyed population increased. When we considered both stochastic effects and sampling error at a deer management unit scale the resultant abundance estimates were within ±121.9% of the true population level 95% of the time. These combined results demonstrate extreme sensitivity to model violations and scale of analysis. Without changes to model formulation, the SAK model will be biased when λ ≠ 1. Furthermore, any factor that alters the male harvest rate, such as changes to regulations or changes in hunter attitudes, will bias population estimates. Sex-age-kill estimates may be precise at large spatial scales, such as the state level, but less so at the individual management unit level. Alternative models, such as statistical age-at-harvest models, which require similar data types, might allow for more robust, broad-scale demographic assessments.

  2. Study on preservation of sweet apricot kernel (SAK) by γ-irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Jide; Xu Fang

    1992-01-01

    This paper introduces the study on effect of insecticide and sterilization of SAK by 60 Co γ irradiation. The results declare that the proper dose kill the insect eggs on the surface of SAK is 3.5 kGy, the preserving period under ambient temperature is up to 7 months, the intactness rate is 100%, and the SAK can be safely stored through the summer. By the irradiation of 3.5 kGy, the sanitary quality of SAK can be notably improved and the amount of microbes can decrease by at least 99%. There are no remarkable changes of the main nutrition components of irradiated SAK

  3. New derivative of staphylokinase SAK-RGD-K2-Hirul exerts thrombolytic effects in the arterial thrombosis model in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szemraj, Janusz; Zakrzeska, Agnieszka; Brown, George; Stankiewicz, Adrian; Gromotowicz, Anna; Grędziński, Tomasz; Chabielska, Ewa

    2011-01-01

    SAK-RGD-K2-Hir and SAK-RGD-K2-Hirul are recombinant proteins that are derivatives of r-SAK (recombinant staphylokinase). They are characterized by their fibrin-specific plasminogen activation properties and their antithrombin and antiplatelet activities. The difference between these proteins is the presence of the antithrombotic fragment (hirudin or hirulog) in the C-terminal portion of the r-SAK. The aim of the present study was to examine the thrombolytic potentials of SAK-RGD-K2-Hir and SAK-RGD-K2-Hirul in an electrically induced carotid artery thrombosis model in rats and to compare the potentials to that of r-SAK. We determined that a bolus injection of SAK-RGD-K2-Hirul was more effective than one of r-SAK in the improvement and maintenance of carotid patency and in arterial thrombus weight reduction; however, it had the same potency as SAK-RGD-K2-Hir. The bleeding time, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were significantly prolonged in the animals that were treated with either dose (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg) of SAK-RGD-K2-Hir or SAK-RGD-K2-Hirul, whereas no changes were observed in the plasma fibrinogen concentration or the α2 plasmin inhibitor level. r-SAK alone did not change the bleeding time or coagulation parameters. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate the thrombolytic activity of intravenous bolus injection of the novel thrombolytic agent SAK-RGD-K2-Hirul in rats. Although this protein compares favorably with r-SAK, we were unable to show the presence of any beneficial effects of SAK-RGD-K2-Hirul over those of SAK-RGD-K2-Hir. Furthermore, our results suggest that high doses of SAK-RGD-K2-Hirul bear the risk of bleeding.

  4. Wan Long

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Bulletin of Materials Science. Wan Long. Articles written in Bulletin of Materials Science. Volume 32 Issue 5 October 2009 pp 549-554 Composites. High-temperature oxidation behaviour of Ti3Si(1–)AlC2 in air · Liu Xiaopan Wan Long Bu Zhongheng Nie Daojun · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF.

  5. Peeter Saks maksab karmavõlga / Paavo Kangur

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Kangur, Paavo, 1966-

    2006-01-01

    Investeerimispanga Suprema Securities juhatuse esimees Peeter Saks oma sportlasekarjäärist, muudatustest investeerimispanga juhtkonnas ning panga tegevusest sportlaste toetamisel. Kommenteerib mäesuusataja Tiiu Nurmberg

  6. Sakīna: contribución a su estudio

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tornero, Emilio

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This article explores the postkoranic evolution of the term sakīna. First, it examines what previous research has said about that. It then presents, translates, and analizes five texts—which had not been taken into consideration previously— pertaining to the Islamic and philosophical fields in which this term occurs. The texts have been taken from Ibn Ḥabīb, al-Tawḥīdī, the Arabic translation of the Golden Verses, and the two Commentaries on the Golden Verses attributed respectively to Iamblichus and Proclus. The article shows how the Koranic sakīna has evolved in these texts: it connotes pacification of violent animals in Ibn Habib, in al-Tawhidi it denotes a state close to Divinity of characters similar to Sufis: in the Golden Verses, the term sakīna is used to translate daímōn, thanks to which evils originating from innate discord among humans are eliminated; finally, the Commentaries on the Golden Verses contain explanations of this term that are both religious and rationalist.Estudio del término sakīna en su evolución postcoránica en el que se muestra, en primer lugar, lo que la investigación ha dicho sobre él, para, a continuación, presentar, traducir y analizar cinco textos pertenecientes al ámbito islámico y al filosófico en donde aparece dicho término y que no habían sido tenidos en cuenta hasta ahora. Estos textos proceden de: Ibn Ḥabīb, al-Tawḥīdī, traducción árabe de los Versos áureos, y Comentarios de Jámblico y de Proclo a estos Versos áureos. La sakīna coránica evoluciona en estos autores pasando a connotar una pacificación en los animales violentos en Ibn Habib y un estado cercano a la divinidad de caracteres próximos al de los sufíes en al-Tawhidi, mientras que en los Versos áureos se emplea sakīna para traducir daímōn, con sus efectos de eliminación de los males originados por la discordia innata a los hombres. En los Comentarios a los Versos áureos se dan explicaciones, de

  7. WAN-MING LIU

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Sadhana. WAN-MING LIU. Articles written in Sadhana. Volume 41 Issue 7 July 2016 pp 713-719. Integrated fleet assignment and aircraft routing based on delay propagation · WAN-MING LIU XING-HUI ZHU YAN-LONG QI · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF. Airlines' expensive resources, especially aircraft ...

  8. Dose-effective investigation of intraarterial r-Sak in canine model with acute cerebral infarctions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Sheng; Shi Haibin; Zhang Peng; Wang Chenghu; Zhou Chunguo; Li Linsun

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To compare the effect and complications of intraarterial thrombolysis with different doses of recombinant-staphylokinase (r-Sak) in canine model with acute cerebral infarction, and then to find out the most properly appropriate effective dose. Methods: The model with left cerebral embolism was established with interventional technique in 24 beagle adult dogs. They were randomly divided into 4 groups including control group(saline, 10 ml), group of low dose(r-Sak, 5 000 u/kg), middle dose(r-Sak, 10 000 u/kg) and high dose(r-Sak, 20 000 u/kg). Angiography and intraarterial thrombolysis were performed within 30 minutes after the embolization. Microcatheter was superselectively inserted into left carotid artery. Five hour's later with a repeated angiography at half, 1 and 2 hours after thrombolysis to observe the recanalization. Blood samples were collected at a series of time pre-and post-thrombolysis to test the plasma levels of PT, APTT and D-dimer. These canines were sacrificed, and their cerebri were taken out for pathologic study by the end of 24 hours. Results: The rates of efficacy within 2 hours after thrombolysis were 10.0% (1/10) in control group, 40.0% (4/10) in low dose group, 90.9% (10/11) in middle dose group and 100% (9/9) in high dose group. The rates of complete recanalization were 0, 10% (1/10), 36.4% (4/11) and 66.7% (6/9), correspondingly and respectively. There were statistically obvious differences between the 3 groups (P 0.05). Death occurred in 1 canine(high dose group) within 24 hours after thrombolysis with hemorrhagic lesion in parietal lobe of brain. No other severe complications ocurred. Conclusions: (1) Intraarterial thrombolysis with r-Sak within 5 hours after onset of thrombosis is effective and feasible. Intraarterial r-Sak shows strong thrombolytic effect for white thrombus including a few platelets. There is relative high rate of recanalization with no less than 10 000U/kg of r-Sak but accompanied with high risk of

  9. Sandia reactor kinetics codes: SAK and PK1D

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pickard, P.S.; Odom, J.P.

    1978-01-01

    The Sandia Kinetics code (SAK) is a one-dimensional coupled thermal-neutronics transient analysis code for use in simulation of reactor transients. The time-dependent cross section routines allow arbitrary time-dependent changes in material properties. The one-dimensional heat transfer routines are for cylindrical geometry and allow arbitrary mesh structure, temperature-dependent thermal properties, radiation treatment, and coolant flow and heat-transfer properties at the surface of a fuel element. The Point Kinetics 1 Dimensional Heat Transfer Code (PK1D) solves the point kinetics equations and has essentially the same heat-transfer treatment as SAK. PK1D can address extended reactor transients with minimal computer execution time

  10. UTVÄRDERING AV UTVALDA SD-WAN PRODUKTER

    OpenAIRE

    Åkerblom, Jacob

    2016-01-01

    Denna jämförelsestudie ämnar att undersöka marknadens leverantörer av nätverksutrustning de- finierade som Software Defined Wide Area Networks(SD-WAN). SD-WAN är en innovativ teknik som applicerar virtualisering och Software defined networking koncept i Wide Area Networks (WAN) för att skapa kostnadseffektiva nätverk. Studien har utförts på företaget Curitiba som idag arbetar med konsulttjänster inom utvalda WAN-optimering och SD-WAN-produkter. Arbetets syfte är att utvärdera SD-WAN-lösningar...

  11. Aplikasi Penyusunan Laporan Keuangan Berbasis SAK Etap Pada Bagus Agriseta Mandiri

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mega Indah Puspita Sari

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyze the arrangement of existing financial report in Bagus Agriseta Mandiri and to conduct the implementation of financial report arrangement that is suitable with SAK ETAP in UKM Bagus Agriseta Mandiri. In this study, the researcher uses case study or field study research that is aimed to learn intensively on the background of problems, situation and the position of the event occurs in nowadays, to solve the problems occurs in company, also the environmental interaction of current social unit in its way (given. The result of this study shows that company only makes loss and profit report, but in its presentation, it still not appropriate with SAK ETAP and financial balance report, cash flow and company equity is not presented yet because of the company less comprehending the standard of arranging financial report. By the existence of SAK ETAP it is expected to create the uniformity in implementing accounting treatment and the presentation of financial report so that it can result appropriate information toward the need of users.

  12. Diseño de red WAN

    OpenAIRE

    Spadaro, Gustavo Fabián

    2012-01-01

    Diseño de una Red WAN, para un operador de nivel internacional, con cobertura mundial, para brindar servicios de VPN, internet para empresas. Disseny d'una Xarxa WAN, per a un operador de nivell internacional, amb cobertura mundial, per brindar serveis de VPN, internet per a empreses. WAN Network Design for an international operator with global coverage, to provide VPN services, Internet for companies.

  13. Riverbed WAN-kiihdytys

    OpenAIRE

    Pääkkönen, Pasi

    2015-01-01

    Insinöörityön tavoitteena on tutustua Riverbed:n Steelhead WAN-kiihdyttimen ominaisuuksiin ja hyötyihin. Työn tilaajana on Cygate Oy, joka tarjoaa asiakkailleen tietoverkkojen suunnitteluun, ylläpitoon ja kehittämiseen liittyviä palveluja. Työn teoriaosuudessa käydään läpi yleisimpiä tietoverkkojen ongelmia ja WAN-kiihdytyksen, sekä erityisesti Riverbedin, niihin tarjoamia ratkaisuja. Tuodaan esiin Riverbedin erilaisia käyttö- ja konfigurointimahdollisuuksia sekä yksinkertaista käyttökoke...

  14. Modeling the Energy Performance of LoRaWAN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casals, Lluís; Mir, Bernat; Vidal, Rafael; Gomez, Carles

    2017-10-16

    LoRaWAN is a flagship Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology that has highly attracted much attention from the community in recent years. Many LoRaWAN end-devices, such as sensors or actuators, are expected not to be powered by the electricity grid; therefore, it is crucial to investigate the energy consumption of LoRaWAN. However, published works have only focused on this topic to a limited extent. In this paper, we present analytical models that allow the characterization of LoRaWAN end-device current consumption, lifetime and energy cost of data delivery. The models, which have been derived based on measurements on a currently prevalent LoRaWAN hardware platform, allow us to quantify the impact of relevant physical and Medium Access Control (MAC) layer LoRaWAN parameters and mechanisms, as well as Bit Error Rate (BER) and collisions, on energy performance. Among others, evaluation results show that an appropriately configured LoRaWAN end-device platform powered by a battery of 2400 mAh can achieve a 1-year lifetime while sending one message every 5 min, and an asymptotic theoretical lifetime of 6 years for infrequent communication.

  15. Modeling the Energy Performance of LoRaWAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lluís Casals

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available LoRaWAN is a flagship Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN technology that has highly attracted much attention from the community in recent years. Many LoRaWAN end-devices, such as sensors or actuators, are expected not to be powered by the electricity grid; therefore, it is crucial to investigate the energy consumption of LoRaWAN. However, published works have only focused on this topic to a limited extent. In this paper, we present analytical models that allow the characterization of LoRaWAN end-device current consumption, lifetime and energy cost of data delivery. The models, which have been derived based on measurements on a currently prevalent LoRaWAN hardware platform, allow us to quantify the impact of relevant physical and Medium Access Control (MAC layer LoRaWAN parameters and mechanisms, as well as Bit Error Rate (BER and collisions, on energy performance. Among others, evaluation results show that an appropriately configured LoRaWAN end-device platform powered by a battery of 2400 mAh can achieve a 1-year lifetime while sending one message every 5 min, and an asymptotic theoretical lifetime of 6 years for infrequent communication.

  16. A Myb transcription factor of Phytophthora sojae, regulated by MAP kinase PsSAK1, is required for zoospore development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Zhang

    Full Text Available PsSAK1, a mitogen-activated protein (MAP kinase from Phytophthora sojae, plays an important role in host infection and zoospore viability. However, the downstream mechanism of PsSAK1 remains unclear. In this study, the 3'-tag digital gene expression (DGE profiling method was applied to sequence the global transcriptional sequence of PsSAK1-silenced mutants during the cysts stage and 1.5 h after inoculation onto susceptible soybean leaf tissues. Compared with the gene expression levels of the recipient P. sojae strain, several candidates of Myb family were differentially expressed (up or down in response to the loss of PsSAK1, including of a R2R3-type Myb transcription factor, PsMYB1. qRT-PCR indicated that the transcriptional level of PsMYB1 decreased due to PsSAK1 silencing. The transcriptional level of PsMYB1 increased during sporulating hyphae, in germinated cysts, and early infection. Silencing of PsMYB1 results in three phenotypes: a no cleavage of the cytoplasm into uninucleate zoospores or release of normal zoospores, b direct germination of sporangia, and c afunction in zoospore-mediated plant infection. Our data indicate that the PsMYB1 transcription factor functions downstream of MAP kinase PsSAK1 and is required for zoospore development of P. sojae.

  17. Diseño de una red WAN

    OpenAIRE

    Labella Sanz, Gabriel

    2010-01-01

    Disseny d'una xarxa WAN, formada per una xarxa d'Accés HFC, una xarxa de Commutació ATM i una xarxa de Transport SDH. Diseño de una red WAN, formada por una red de Acceso HFC, una red de Conmutación ATM y una red de Transporte SDH. WAN network design consisting of a HFC access network, an ATM switching network and a SDH transport network.

  18. Modeling the Energy Performance of LoRaWAN

    OpenAIRE

    Casals, Lluís; Mir, Bernat; Vidal, Rafael; Gomez, Carles

    2017-01-01

    LoRaWAN is a flagship Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology that has highly attracted much attention from the community in recent years. Many LoRaWAN end-devices, such as sensors or actuators, are expected not to be powered by the electricity grid; therefore, it is crucial to investigate the energy consumption of LoRaWAN. However, published works have only focused on this topic to a limited extent. In this paper, we present analytical models that allow the characterization of LoRaWAN...

  19. PENGARUH PEMBELAJARAN AKUNTANSI BERBASIS SAK IFRS DAN SELF-EFFICACY TERHADAP KESIAPAN MAHASISWA MENJADI GURU AKUNTANSI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raeni Raeni

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The research was inspired by students’ readiness to be Accounting teachers with the rapid progress of science and technology and also free-market for workers. The objective of the study was to test the influence of Accounting learning based on SAK IFRS and self-efficacy toward students’ readiness to be Accounting teachers. The population of the research were Accounting education students in classess of 2010 until 2012. Thus, it used proportionate stratified random sampling. The respondents were 85 students in class 2010, 123 students in class 2011 and 154 students in class 2012. Then, the data were analyzed by percentage descriptive and doubled linear regression. The result of regression analysis showed that 1 Accounting learning based on SAK IFRS and self-efficacy contibuted positively and significantly for 52.4% toward students’ readiness to be Accounting students, 2 there was a positive and significant influence of Accounting learning based on SAK IFRS for 26.2% toward students’ readiness to be Accounting teachers, 3 there was a positive and significant influence of self-efficacy for 16.32% toward students’ readiness to be Accounting teachers. The familiarity level for learning Accounting based on SAK IFRS was high with the progress of science and technology and also full adoption from IFRS.

  20. PENGARUH PEMBELAJARAN AKUNTANSI BERBASIS SAK IFRS DAN SELF-EFFICACY TERHADAP KESIAPAN MAHASISWA MENJADI GURU AKUNTANSI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raeni Raeni

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The research was inspired by students’ readiness to be Accounting teachers with the rapid progress of science and technology and also free-market for workers. The objective of the study was to test the influence of Accounting learning based on SAK IFRS and self-efficacy toward students’ readiness to be Accounting teachers. The population of the research were Accounting education students in classess of 2010 until 2012. Thus, it used proportionate stratified random sampling. The respondents were 85 students in class 2010, 123 students in class 2011 and 154 students in class 2012. Then, the data were analyzed by percentage descriptive and doubled linear regression. The result of regression analysis showed that 1 Accounting learning based on SAK IFRS and self-efficacy contibuted positively and significantly for 52.4% toward students’ readiness to be Accounting students, 2 there was a positive and significant influence of Accounting learning based on SAK IFRS for 26.2% toward students’ readiness to be Accounting teachers, 3 there was a positive and significant influence of self-efficacy for 16.32% toward students’ readiness to be Accounting teachers. The familiarity level for learning Accounting based on SAK IFRS was high with the progress of science and technology and also full adoption from IFRS.

  1. A Spatio-Temporal Enhancement Method for medium resolution LAI (STEM-LAI), International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation

    KAUST Repository

    Houborg, Rasmus

    2015-12-12

    Satellite remote sensing has been used successfully to map leaf area index (LAI) across landscapes, but advances are still needed to exploit multi-scale data streams for producing LAI at both high spatial and temporal resolution. A multi-scale Spatio-Temporal Enhancement Method for medium resolution LAI (STEM-LAI) has been developed to generate 4-day time-series of Landsat-scale LAI from existing medium resolution LAI products. STEM-LAI has been designed to meet the demands of applications requiring frequent and spatially explicit information, such as effectively resolving rapidly evolving vegetation dynamics at sub-field (30 m) scales. In this study, STEM-LAI is applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) based LAI data and utilizes a reference-based regression tree approach for producing MODIS-consistent, but Landsat-based, LAI. The Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) is used to interpolate the downscaled LAI between Landsat acquisition dates, providing a high spatial and temporal resolution improvement over existing LAI products. STARFM predicts high resolution LAI by blending MODIS and Landsat based information from a common acquisition date, with MODIS data from a prediction date. To demonstrate its capacity to reproduce fine-scale spatial features observed in actual Landsat LAI, the STEM-LAI approach is tested over an agricultural region in Nebraska. The implementation of a 250 m resolution LAI product, derived from MODIS 1 km data and using a scale consistent approach based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), is found to significantly improve accuracies of spatial pattern prediction, with the coefficient of efficiency (E) ranging from 0.77–0.94 compared to 0.01–0.85 when using 1 km LAI inputs alone. Comparisons against an 11-year record of in-situ measured LAI over maize and soybean highlight the utility of STEM-LAI in reproducing observed LAI dynamics (both characterized by r2 = 0

  2. Sakārtojuma nevienādības

    OpenAIRE

    Popmane, Daiga

    2008-01-01

    Darbā tiek apskatīta viena no nevienādību teorijas sastāvdaļām – sakārtojuma nevienādības, kā arī daži to lietojumi. Darbā ir aplūkoti arī vairāki uzdevumi no dažādu gadu matemātikas olimpiādēm.

  3. Forgotten evidence: A mixed methods study of why sexual assault kits (SAKs) are not submitted for DNA forensic testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Rebecca; Fehler-Cabral, Giannina; Bybee, Deborah; Shaw, Jessica

    2017-10-01

    Throughout the United States, hundreds of thousands of sexual assault kits (SAKs) (also termed "rape kits") have not been submitted by the police for forensic DNA testing. DNA evidence can help sexual assault investigations and prosecutions by identifying offenders, revealing serial offenders through DNA matches across cases, and exonerating those who have been wrongly accused. In this article, we describe a 5-year action research project conducted with 1 city that had large numbers of untested SAKs-Detroit, Michigan-and our examination into why thousands of rape kits in this city were never submitted for forensic DNA testing. This mixed methods study combined ethnographic observations and qualitative interviews to identify stakeholders' perspectives as to why rape kits were not routinely submitted for testing. Then, we quantitatively examined whether these factors may have affected police practices regarding SAK testing, as evidenced by predictable changes in SAK submission rates over time. Chronic resource scarcity only partially explained why the organizations that serve rape victims-the police, crime lab, prosecution, and victim advocacy-could not test all rape kits, investigate all reported sexual assaults, and support all rape survivors. SAK submission rates significantly increased once criminal justice professionals in this city had full access to the FBI DNA forensic database Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but even then, most SAKs were still not submitted for DNA testing. Building crime laboratories' capacities for DNA testing and training police on the utility of forensic evidence and best practices in sexual assault investigations can help remedy, and possibly prevent, the problem of untested rape kits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. Role of the Talaromyces marneffei (Penicillium marneffei) sakA gene in nitrosative stress response, conidiation and red pigment production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nimmanee, Panjaphorn; Tam, Emily W T; Woo, Patrick C Y; Vanittanakom, Pramote; Vanittanakom, Nongnuch

    2017-04-01

    Stress-activated MAPK pathways are systems used to regulate the stress adaptation of most fungi. It has been shown that in Talaromyces marneffei (Penicillium marneffei), a pathogenic dimorphic fungus, the sakA gene is involved, not only in tolerance against oxidative and heat stresses, but also in playing a role in asexual development, yeast cell generation in vitro and survival inside macrophage cell lines. In this study, the role of the T. marneffei sakA gene on the nitrosative stress response and the regulation of gene expression were investigated. The susceptibility of the sakA mutant to NaNO2 was investigated using drop dilution assay and the expression of genes of interest were determined by RT-PCR, comparing them to the wild-type and complemented strains. The results demonstrated that the T. marneffei sakA gene played a role in the stress response to NaNO2, the expression of genes functioning in conidial development (brlA, abaA and wetA) and red pigment biosynthesis (pks3, rp1, rp2 and rp3). These findings suggest that T. marneffei sakA is broadly involved in a wide variety of cell activities, including stress response, cell morphogenesis, asexual development and pigmentation. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. A Spatio-Temporal Enhancement Method for medium resolution LAI (STEM-LAI), International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation

    KAUST Repository

    Houborg, Rasmus; McCabe, Matthew; Gao, Feng

    2015-01-01

    .01–0.85 when using 1 km LAI inputs alone. Comparisons against an 11-year record of in-situ measured LAI over maize and soybean highlight the utility of STEM-LAI in reproducing observed LAI dynamics (both characterized by r2 = 0.86) over a range of plant

  6. Acute Treatment with T-Type Calcium Channel Enhancer SAK3 Reduces Cognitive Impairments Caused by Methimazole-Induced Hypothyroidism Via Activation of Cholinergic Signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Husain, Noreen; Yabuki, Yasushi; Shinoda, Yasuharu; Fukunaga, Kohji

    2018-01-01

    Hypothyroidism is a common disorder that is associated with psychological disturbances such as dementia, depression, and psychomotor disorders. We recently found that chronic treatment with the T-type calcium channel enhancer SAK3 prevents the cholinergic neurodegeneration induced by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of methimazole (MMI; 75 mg/kg), thereby improving cognition. Here, we evaluated the acute effect of SAK3 on cognitive impairments and its mechanism of action following the induction of hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism was induced by 2 injections of MMI (75 mg/kg, i.p.) administered once per week. Four weeks after the final MMI treatment, MMI-treated mice showed reduced serum thyroxine (T4) levels and cognitive impairments without depression-like behaviors. Although acute SAK3 (1.0 mg/kg, p.o.) administration failed to ameliorate the decreased T4 levels and histochemical destruction of the glomerular structure, acute SAK3 (1.0 mg/kg, p.o.) administration significantly reduced cognitive impairments in MMI-treated mice. Importantly, the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-selective inhibitor methyllycaconitine (MLA; 12 mg/kg, i.p.) and T-type calcium channel-specific blocker NNC 55-0396 (25 mg/kg, i.p.) antagonized the acute effect of SAK3 on memory deficits in MMI-treated mice. We also confirmed that acute SAK3 administration does not rescue reduced olfactory marker protein or choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity levels in the olfactory bulb or medial septum. Taken together, these results suggest that SAK3 has the ability to improve the cognitive decline caused by hypothyroidism directly through activation of nAChR signaling and T-type calcium channels. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  7. LAI inversion algorithm based on directional reflectance kernels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, S; Chen, J M; Zhu, Q; Li, X; Chen, M; Sun, R; Zhou, Y; Deng, F; Xie, D

    2007-11-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is an important ecological and environmental parameter. A new LAI algorithm is developed using the principles of ground LAI measurements based on canopy gap fraction. First, the relationship between LAI and gap fraction at various zenith angles is derived from the definition of LAI. Then, the directional gap fraction is acquired from a remote sensing bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) product. This acquisition is obtained by using a kernel driven model and a large-scale directional gap fraction algorithm. The algorithm has been applied to estimate a LAI distribution in China in mid-July 2002. The ground data acquired from two field experiments in Changbai Mountain and Qilian Mountain were used to validate the algorithm. To resolve the scale discrepancy between high resolution ground observations and low resolution remote sensing data, two TM images with a resolution approaching the size of ground plots were used to relate the coarse resolution LAI map to ground measurements. First, an empirical relationship between the measured LAI and a vegetation index was established. Next, a high resolution LAI map was generated using the relationship. The LAI value of a low resolution pixel was calculated from the area-weighted sum of high resolution LAIs composing the low resolution pixel. The results of this comparison showed that the inversion algorithm has an accuracy of 82%. Factors that may influence the accuracy are also discussed in this paper.

  8. Discussion on data access services of WAN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Aigui; Wang Lu; Wu Wenjing; Chen Gang

    2007-01-01

    Traditional storage system has been unable to meet the demand of computing. WAN storage systems face many problems since the complexity of WAN. This paper in-depth discusses on data interoperability, data prediction, active data service and semantic-based data access according to the characteristics of high energy physics applications. To eliminate isolated island, improve performance and simplify usage, it will be better to meet the demands of high energy physics applications. (authors)

  9. Evaluation of the MODIS LAI product using independent lidar-derived LAI: A case study in mixed conifer forest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jennifer L. R. Jensen; Karen S. Humes; Andrew T. Hudak; Lee A. Vierling; Eric Delmelle

    2011-01-01

    This study presents an alternative assessment of the MODIS LAI product for a 58,000 ha evergreen needleleaf forest located in the western Rocky Mountain range in northern Idaho by using lidar data to model (R2=0.86, RMSE=0.76) and map LAI at higher resolution across a large number of MODIS pixels in their entirety. Moderate resolution (30 m) lidar-based LAI estimates...

  10. SOLVENT-BASED ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY PROCESSES TO DEVELOP WEST SAK ALASKA NORTH SLOPE HEAVY OIL RESOURCES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    David O. Ogbe; Tao Zhu

    2004-01-01

    A one-year research program is conducted to evaluate the feasibility of applying solvent-based enhanced oil recovery processes to develop West Sak and Ugnu heavy oil resources found on the Alaska North Slope (ANS). The project objective is to conduct research to develop technology to produce and market the 300-3000 cp oil in the West Sak and Ugnu sands. During the first phase of the research, background information was collected, and experimental and numerical studies of vapor extraction process (VAPEX) in West Sak and Ugnu are conducted. The experimental study is designed to foster understanding of the processes governing vapor chamber formation and growth, and to optimize oil recovery. A specially designed core-holder and a computed tomography (CT) scanner was used to measure the in-situ distribution of phases. Numerical simulation study of VAPEX was initiated during the first year. The numerical work completed during this period includes setting up a numerical model and using the analog data to simulate lab experiments of the VAPEX process. The goal was to understand the mechanisms governing the VAPEX process. Additional work is recommended to expand the VAPEX numerical study using actual field data obtained from Alaska North Slope.

  11. High Throughput WAN Data Transfer with Hadoop-based Storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amin, A.; Bockelman, B.; Letts, J.; Levshina, T.; Martin, T.; Pi, H.; Sfiligoi, I.; Thomas, M.; Wüerthwein, F.

    2011-12-01

    Hadoop distributed file system (HDFS) is becoming more popular in recent years as a key building block of integrated grid storage solution in the field of scientific computing. Wide Area Network (WAN) data transfer is one of the important data operations for large high energy physics experiments to manage, share and process datasets of PetaBytes scale in a highly distributed grid computing environment. In this paper, we present the experience of high throughput WAN data transfer with HDFS-based Storage Element. Two protocols, GridFTP and fast data transfer (FDT), are used to characterize the network performance of WAN data transfer.

  12. High Throughput WAN Data Transfer with Hadoop-based Storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amin, A; Thomas, M; Bockelman, B; Letts, J; Martin, T; Pi, H; Sfiligoi, I; Wüerthwein, F; Levshina, T

    2011-01-01

    Hadoop distributed file system (HDFS) is becoming more popular in recent years as a key building block of integrated grid storage solution in the field of scientific computing. Wide Area Network (WAN) data transfer is one of the important data operations for large high energy physics experiments to manage, share and process datasets of PetaBytes scale in a highly distributed grid computing environment. In this paper, we present the experience of high throughput WAN data transfer with HDFS-based Storage Element. Two protocols, GridFTP and fast data transfer (FDT), are used to characterize the network performance of WAN data transfer.

  13. IMPLEMENTASI VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK - WAN DALAM DUNIA BISNIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erma Suryani

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Dalam dunia bisnis, biasanya sebuah organisasi ingin membangun Wide Area Network (WAN untuk menghubungkan beberapa kantor cabangnya. Sebelum munculnya Virtual Private Network (VPN, mereka umumnya menggunakan ” leased line” yang mahal sehingga hanya perusahaan besar yang dapat memilikinya.VPN - WAN memberi solusi alternatif karena dapat mengurangi biaya pembuatan infrastruktur jaringan dan memotong biaya operasional dengan memanfaatkan failitas internet sebagai media komunikasinya. Perusahaan cukup menghubungi  Internet Service Provider (ISP terdekat untuk mendapatkan layanan ini.Setiap paket informasi yang dikirim dapat diakses, diawasi atau bahkan dimanipulasi oleh pengguna. Supaya komunikasi berjalan aman maka diperlukan protokol tambahan khusus yang dirancang untuk mengamankan data yang dikirim.  Dewasa ini sudah banyak perusahaan seperti : perusahaan manufaktur, distribusi dan retail; pertambangan minyak dan gas, telekomunikasi, finansial, pemerintahan serta industri transportasi yang menggunakan VPN karena fasilitas –fasilitas yang ditawarkan berupa remote access client, internetworking LAN to LAN serta akses yang terkontrol dengan biaya yang murah.  Uji coba yang dilakukan Miercom(LAB penyedia testing kinerja perangkat keras terhadap  Cisco 1841 membuktikan bahwa Cisco 1841 dapat  menopang suatu komunikasi dua arah, interkoneksi IP WAN kapasitas E1 dengan enkripsi 3DES yang dapat menunjang throughput sampai dengan 2 Mbps dalam koneksi E1 IP-WAN. Penggunaan  VPN akan meningkatkan efektivitas, efisiensi kerja serta skalabilitas perusahaan. Keuntungan lain yang didapat dari VPN adalah pada biaya pulsa yang jauh lebih murah dibandingkan dengan menggunakan” leased line”.Kata Kunci: VPN, WAN,  paket informasi, ISP,  remote access client, skalabilitas.

  14. The Therapeutic Effect of Zuogui Wan in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Qianjin; Niu, Xin; Liu, Xinshe; Xu, Kaixia; Yang, Xiangzhu; Wang, Huifeng

    2014-01-01

    In this experiment, we established an animal model of gestational diabetes mellitus rats using streptozotocin. Using the rat model of GDM, the pregnant rats in 1-19d were divided into three groups: (1) Zuogui Wan gestational diabetes mellitus group (group I, n = 12), (2) gestational diabetes mellitus rats as the control group (group II, n = 11), and (3) rats of normal pregnancy group (group III, n = 11). Compared with gestational diabetes mellitus rats as the control group, Zuogui Wan can change the indexes of fasting blood glucose, body weight, total cholesterol, insulin, and metabolism cage index significantly in Zuogui Wan gestational diabetes mellitus group. We can conclude that Zuogui Wan has the therapeutic effect on gestational diabetes mellitus. PMID:25136475

  15. The Aspergillus fumigatus SchASCH9 kinase modulates SakAHOG1 MAP kinase activity and it is essential for virulence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves de Castro, Patrícia; Dos Reis, Thaila Fernanda; Dolan, Stephen K; Oliveira Manfiolli, Adriana; Brown, Neil Andrew; Jones, Gary W; Doyle, Sean; Riaño-Pachón, Diego M; Squina, Fábio Márcio; Caldana, Camila; Singh, Ashutosh; Del Poeta, Maurizio; Hagiwara, Daisuke; Silva-Rocha, Rafael; Goldman, Gustavo H

    2016-11-01

    The serine-threonine kinase TOR, the Target of Rapamycin, is an important regulator of nutrient, energy and stress signaling in eukaryotes. Sch9, a Ser/Thr kinase of AGC family (the cAMP-dependent PKA, cGMP- dependent protein kinase G and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C family), is a substrate of TOR. Here, we characterized the fungal opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus Sch9 homologue (SchA). The schA null mutant was sensitive to rapamycin, high concentrations of calcium, hyperosmotic stress and SchA was involved in iron metabolism. The ΔschA null mutant showed increased phosphorylation of SakA, the A. fumigatus Hog1 homologue. The schA null mutant has increased and decreased trehalose and glycerol accumulation, respectively, suggesting SchA performs different roles for glycerol and trehalose accumulation during osmotic stress. The schA was transcriptionally regulated by osmotic stress and this response was dependent on SakA and MpkC. The double ΔschA ΔsakA and ΔschA ΔmpkC mutants were more sensitive to osmotic stress than the corresponding parental strains. Transcriptomics and proteomics identified direct and indirect targets of SchA post-exposure to hyperosmotic stress. Finally, ΔschA was avirulent in a low dose murine infection model. Our results suggest there is a complex network of interactions amongst the A. fumigatus TOR, SakA and SchA pathways. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Exposure to titanium dioxide and other metallic oxide nanoparticles induces cytotoxicity on human neural cells and fibroblasts

    OpenAIRE

    Leung, Solomon

    2008-01-01

    James C K Lai1, Maria B Lai1, Sirisha Jandhyam1, Vikas V Dukhande1, Alok Bhushan1, Christopher K Daniels1, Solomon W Leung21Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, and Biomedical Research Institute; 2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Biomedical Research Institute, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USAAbstract: The use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in various industrial applications (eg, production of paper, plast...

  17. Scalability analysis of large-scale LoRaWAN networks in ns-3

    OpenAIRE

    Abeele, Floris Van den; Haxhibeqiri, Jetmir; Moerman, Ingrid; Hoebeke, Jeroen

    2017-01-01

    As LoRaWAN networks are actively being deployed in the field, it is important to comprehend the limitations of this Low Power Wide Area Network technology. Previous work has raised questions in terms of the scalability and capacity of LoRaWAN networks as the number of end devices grows to hundreds or thousands per gateway. Some works have modeled LoRaWAN networks as pure ALOHA networks, which fails to capture important characteristics such as the capture effect and the effects of interference...

  18. Solución de conectividad ante fallos para una red WAN empresarial

    OpenAIRE

    Martín Manjón-Cabeza, José María

    2014-01-01

    El proyecto propone una solución bajo demanda y de bajo coste para poder mantener la disponibilidad de las comunicaciones de las distintas sedes de una empresa hacia el resto de la WAN corporativa ante un fallo de alguno de sus enlaces principales de la WAN contratada a la operadora. El projecte proposa una solució a la carta i de baix cost per poder mantenir la disponibilitat de les comunicacions de les diferents seus d'una empresa cap a la resta de la WAN corporativa davant una fallida d...

  19. Using blockchain to build trusted LoRaWAN sharing server

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Lin

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose – With the rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT market and requirement, low power wide area (LPWA technologies have become popular. In various LPWA technologies, Narrow Band IoT (NB-IoT and long range (LoRa are two main leading competitive technologies. Compared with NB-IoT networks, which are mainly built and managed by mobile network operators, LoRa wide area networks (LoRaWAN are mainly operated by private companies or organizations, which suggests two issues: trust of the private network operators and lack of network coverage. This study aims to propose a conceptual architecture design of a blockchain built-in solution for LoRaWAN network servers to solve these two issues for LoRaWAN IoT solution. Design/methodology/approach – The study proposed modeling, model analysis and architecture design. Findings – The proposed solution uses the blockchain technology to build an open, trusted, decentralized and tamper-proof system, which provides the indisputable mechanism to verify that the data of a transaction has existed at a specific time in the network. Originality/value – To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that integrates blockchain technology and LoRaWAN IoT technology.

  20. How to design some computer WAN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Chengjun; Huang Hongmei

    2001-01-01

    The author introduces a way of how to construct computer WAN, depending on the present condition of enterprise, under the social surrounding in which the technology of internet is rapidly spread and developed at present, and gives a detailed dispose of main network equipment

  1. How to design some computer WAN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Chengjun; Huang Hongmei

    2000-01-01

    The authors introduce a way of how to construct computer WAN, depending on the present condition of enterprise, under the social surrounding in which the technology of internet is rapidly spread and developed at present. And gives the detailed dispose of main network equipment

  2. Signal Propagation Delay as a Barrier to Control Applications in WAN

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Thomas Phillip; Patel, A.; Pedersen, Jens Myrup

    With the advent in WAN of delay sensitive technical applications, such as remote control, signal propagation delay becomes a major problem. The extent of the problem is analysed by lower bounding the delay in relation to different transmission media. Requirements for reliability and bandwidth are...... are considered. The consequences of this bounding for communication network planning and provisioning are discussed in relation to mitigating the effects of signal propagation delay as a barrier to the penetration of control applications into WAN......With the advent in WAN of delay sensitive technical applications, such as remote control, signal propagation delay becomes a major problem. The extent of the problem is analysed by lower bounding the delay in relation to different transmission media. Requirements for reliability and bandwidth...

  3. On the functions and grammatical status of the Latvian modal particle lai

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Axel Holvoet

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available PAR MODĀLĀS PARTIKULAS lai FUNKCIJĀM UN GRAMATISKO STATUSUKopsavilkumsLatviešu valodas gramatikās partikula lai parasti tiek minēta tikai kā analītisko imperatīva formu sastāvdaļa (lai nāk, lai neaizmirstam. Šai rakstā tiek aplūkoti trīs partikulas lai lietošanas tipi: (1 teikumos ar pamudinājuma vai vēlējuma nozīmi (Lai viņi nāk, (2 deontiskajos jautājumos (Ko lai es daru! Ko lai es būtu darījis!, un (3 teikumos ar vērtējuma (neaprobēšanas vai šaubu nozīmi (Viņš lai būtu palīdzējis slepkavām?. Autors cenšas parādīt, ka pirmā (dažreiz arī otrā tipa teikumos partikulai lai piemīt teikuma partikulas īpašības, kamēr otrā un trešā tipa teikumos iezīmējas tendence šai partikulai veidot ar verbu ciešāku sakopojumu, kas gan nelīdzinās analītisko verbu formu statusam, bet zināmā mērā atgādina savienojumus ar modālajiem verbiem. ‘Formveidojošas partikulas’ statusa, ko partikulai lai piedēvē gramatikās, šim vārdam nav nekur.

  4. Assimilation of LAI time-series in crop production models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kooistra, Lammert; Rijk, Bert; Nannes, Louis

    2014-05-01

    Agriculture is worldwide a large consumer of freshwater, nutrients and land. Spatial explicit agricultural management activities (e.g., fertilization, irrigation) could significantly improve efficiency in resource use. In previous studies and operational applications, remote sensing has shown to be a powerful method for spatio-temporal monitoring of actual crop status. As a next step, yield forecasting by assimilating remote sensing based plant variables in crop production models would improve agricultural decision support both at the farm and field level. In this study we investigated the potential of remote sensing based Leaf Area Index (LAI) time-series assimilated in the crop production model LINTUL to improve yield forecasting at field level. The effect of assimilation method and amount of assimilated observations was evaluated. The LINTUL-3 crop production model was calibrated and validated for a potato crop on two experimental fields in the south of the Netherlands. A range of data sources (e.g., in-situ soil moisture and weather sensors, destructive crop measurements) was used for calibration of the model for the experimental field in 2010. LAI from cropscan field radiometer measurements and actual LAI measured with the LAI-2000 instrument were used as input for the LAI time-series. The LAI time-series were assimilated in the LINTUL model and validated for a second experimental field on which potatoes were grown in 2011. Yield in 2011 was simulated with an R2 of 0.82 when compared with field measured yield. Furthermore, we analysed the potential of assimilation of LAI into the LINTUL-3 model through the 'updating' assimilation technique. The deviation between measured and simulated yield decreased from 9371 kg/ha to 8729 kg/ha when assimilating weekly LAI measurements in the LINTUL model over the season of 2011. LINTUL-3 furthermore shows the main growth reducing factors, which are useful for farm decision support. The combination of crop models and sensor

  5. Comparing the Dry Season In-Situ Leaf Area Index (LAI Derived from High-Resolution RapidEye Imagery with MODIS LAI in a Namibian Savanna

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel J. Mayr

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The Leaf Area Index (LAI is one of the most frequently applied measures to characterize vegetation and its dynamics and functions with remote sensing. Satellite missions, such as NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS operationally produce global datasets of LAI. Due to their role as an input to large-scale modeling activities, evaluation and verification of such datasets are of high importance. In this context, savannas appear to be underrepresented with regards to their heterogeneous appearance (e.g., tree/grass-ratio, seasonality. Here, we aim to examine the LAI in a heterogeneous savanna ecosystem located in Namibia’s Owamboland during the dry season. Ground measurements of LAI are used to derive a high-resolution LAI model with RapidEye satellite data. This model is related to the corresponding MODIS LAI/FPAR (Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation scene (MOD15A2 in order to evaluate its performance at the intended annual minimum during the dry season. Based on a field survey we first assessed vegetation patterns from species composition and elevation for 109 sites. Secondly, we measured in situ LAI to quantitatively estimate the available vegetation (mean = 0.28. Green LAI samples were then empirically modeled (LAImodel with high resolution RapidEye imagery derived Difference Vegetation Index (DVI using a linear regression (R2 = 0.71. As indicated by several measures of model performance, the comparison with MOD15A2 revealed moderate consistency mostly due to overestimation by the aggregated LAImodel. Model constraints aside, this study may point to important issues for MOD15A2 in savannas concerning the underlying MODIS Land Cover product (MCD12Q1 and a potential adjustment by means of the MODIS Burned Area product (MCD45A1.

  6. State of the Art in LP-WAN Solutions for Industrial IoT Services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Iborra, Ramon; Cano, Maria-Dolores

    2016-05-17

    The emergence of low-cost connected devices is enabling a new wave of sensorization services. These services can be highly leveraged in industrial applications. However, the technologies employed so far for managing this kind of system do not fully cover the strict requirements of industrial networks, especially those regarding energy efficiency. In this article a novel paradigm, called Low-Power Wide Area Networking (LP-WAN), is explored. By means of a cellular-type architecture, LP-WAN-based solutions aim at fulfilling the reliability and efficiency challenges posed by long-term industrial networks. Thus, the most prominent LP-WAN solutions are reviewed, identifying and discussing the pros and cons of each of them. The focus is also on examining the current deployment state of these platforms in Spain. Although LP-WAN systems are at early stages of development, they represent a promising alternative for boosting future industrial IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) networks and services.

  7. Radioisotopic 51Cr-leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay. I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsang, P.H.; Tangnavarad, K.; Lesnick, G.; Holland, J.F.; Bekesi, J.G.; Perloff, M.

    1980-01-01

    A simplified radioisotopic leukocyte adherence inhibition assay ( 51 Cr-LAI assay) was used to determine tumor-directed immune responses in patients with cancer of the breast. Essential steps in development of this assay are the standardization of conditions for optimal 51 Cr uptake by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and the inclusion of autologous or normal AB serum in the incubation media. A dextrose salt mixture (GNK) was found to enhance intracellular uptake of 51 Cr significantly (8-fold) without affecting viability of the cells or without causing selective loss of lymphocyte subpopulations. The presence of 10% autologous or normal AB serum prevented non-specific LAI responses to unrelated tumor antigens. Experimental results are presented and it is seen that this short term (4 h) 51 Cr-LAI assay provides reproducible and specific results analogous to those using tube-LAI assay. The test has the advantages of being accurate, sensitive and free from technical bias. (Auth.)

  8. Enhancing LoRaWAN Security through a Lightweight and Authenticated Key Management Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Iborra, Ramon; Sánchez-Gómez, Jesús; Pérez, Salvador; Fernández, Pedro J; Santa, José; Hernández-Ramos, José L; Skarmeta, Antonio F

    2018-06-05

    Luckily, new communication technologies and protocols are nowadays designed considering security issues. A clear example of this can be found in the Internet of Things (IoT) field, a quite recent area where communication technologies such as ZigBee or IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN) already include security features to guarantee authentication, confidentiality and integrity. More recent technologies are Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LP-WAN), which also consider security, but present initial approaches that can be further improved. An example of this can be found in Long Range (LoRa) and its layer-two supporter LoRa Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), which include a security scheme based on pre-shared cryptographic material lacking flexibility when a key update is necessary. Because of this, in this work, we evaluate the security vulnerabilities of LoRaWAN in the area of key management and propose different alternative schemes. Concretely, the application of an approach based on the recently specified Ephemeral Diffie⁻Hellman Over COSE (EDHOC) is found as a convenient solution, given its flexibility in the update of session keys, its low computational cost and the limited message exchanges needed. A comparative conceptual analysis considering the overhead of different security schemes for LoRaWAN is carried out in order to evaluate their benefits in the challenging area of LP-WAN.

  9. Use of pipe saks on pipeline construction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghio, Alberto F.M.; Caciatori, Angelo [Galvao Engenharia S.A., Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Ruschi, Allan A.; Santos, Felipe A. dos; Barros, Horacio B. de; Loureiro, Regis R. [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2009-07-01

    The use of new technologies applied to pipeline construction and assembling, aimed at enhancing productivity has been searched by PETROBRAS, throughout its subcontractors, assemblers, by transference in the mentioned constructions. Along the construction of Cacimbas Catu Pipeline, Spread 1 A, placed between the Cacimbas Gas Treatment Station (Linhares, ES) and the future Compression Station of Sao Mateus (ES), one, by means of surveys, noticed that the length of flooded or prone to flooding areas was way superior to the ones foreseen in the basic design. One of the broadly used methods for assuring buoyancy control is concreting the pipes. Such method deeply impacts work's logistics in for instance, the pipe stringing work; in this one, a maximum load of two pipes can be transported until the area to applied, what leads to lower productivity and higher risk due to the increase of trips by heavy load trucks. As an alternative to regular concrete, the Pipe Sak System was adopted and such method improved productivity and decreased discontinuities. (author)

  10. Enhancing LoRaWAN Security through a Lightweight and Authenticated Key Management Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramon Sanchez-Iborra

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Luckily, new communication technologies and protocols are nowadays designed considering security issues. A clear example of this can be found in the Internet of Things (IoT field, a quite recent area where communication technologies such as ZigBee or IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN already include security features to guarantee authentication, confidentiality and integrity. More recent technologies are Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LP-WAN, which also consider security, but present initial approaches that can be further improved. An example of this can be found in Long Range (LoRa and its layer-two supporter LoRa Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN, which include a security scheme based on pre-shared cryptographic material lacking flexibility when a key update is necessary. Because of this, in this work, we evaluate the security vulnerabilities of LoRaWAN in the area of key management and propose different alternative schemes. Concretely, the application of an approach based on the recently specified Ephemeral Diffie–Hellman Over COSE (EDHOC is found as a convenient solution, given its flexibility in the update of session keys, its low computational cost and the limited message exchanges needed. A comparative conceptual analysis considering the overhead of different security schemes for LoRaWAN is carried out in order to evaluate their benefits in the challenging area of LP-WAN.

  11. [Clinical observation on idiopathic tinnitus treated with acupuncture, buzhong yiqi tang and cizhu wan].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Surong; Tan, Xuming; Fei, Lanbo; Xiang, Xiande

    2018-04-12

    To observe the differences in the clinical therapeutic effects on idiopathic tinnitus between the combined therapy with acupuncture and the modified formula of buzhong yiqi tang and cizhu wan and the simple administration of the modified formula of buzhong yiqi tang and cizhu wan . A total of 60 patients were randomized into a combined treatment group and an herbal medicine group, 30 cases in each one and 2 cases dropped out in the herbal medicine group. In the combined treatment group, acupuncture was given at the local acupoints for tinnitus, such as Yifeng (TE 17), penetrating needling technique from Ermen (TE 21) to Tinggong (SI 19) and Tinghui (GB 2) combined with the scalp acupuncture [the vertigo-auditory area, Baihui (GV 20)] and the oral administration of the modified formula of buzhong yiqi tang and cizhu wan . In the herbal medicine group, the oral administration of the modified formula of buzhong yiqi tang and cizhu wan was only applied. The treatment was given once a day in each group, 5 times a week for acupuncture and 7 times a week for the oral administration of herbal medicine. Totally, the treatment for 6 weeks was required in the two groups. Before and after treatment, the tinnitus severity score (TSS) and the score of tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) were observed and the clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. After treatment, the TSS and THI scores reduced as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (all P tang and cizhu wan achieve the superior therapeutic effects on idiopathic tinnitus as compared with the simple oral administration of the modified formula of buzhong yiqi tang and cizhu wan .

  12. A New Global LAI Product and Its Use for Terrestrial Carbon Cycle Estimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, J. M.; Liu, R.; Ju, W.; Liu, Y.

    2014-12-01

    For improving the estimation of the spatio-temporal dynamics of the terrestrial carbon cycle, a new time series of the leaf area index (LAI) is generated for the global land surface at 8 km resolution from 1981 to 2012 by combining AVHRR and MODIS satellite data. This product differs from existing LAI products in the following two aspects: (1) the non-random spatial distribution of leaves with the canopy is considered, and (2) the seasonal variation of the vegetation background is included. The non-randomness of the leaf spatial distribution in the canopy is considered using the second vegetation structural parameter named clumping index (CI), which quantifies the deviation of the leaf spatial distribution from the random case. Using the MODIS Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function product, a global map of CI is produced at 500 m resolution. In our LAI algorithm, CI is used to convert the effective LAI obtained from mono-angle remote sensing into the true LAI, otherwise LAI would be considerably underestimated. The vegetation background is soil in crop, grass and shrub but includes soil, grass, moss, and litter in forests. Through processing a large volume of MISR data from 2000 to 2010, monthly red and near-infrared reflectances of the vegetation background is mapped globally at 1 km resolution. This new LAI product has been validated extensively using ground-based LAI measurements distributed globally. In carbon cycle modeling, the use of CI in addition to LAI allows for accurate separation of sunlit and shaded leaves as an important step in terrestrial photosynthesis and respiration modeling. Carbon flux measurements over 100 sites over the globe are used to validate an ecosystem model named Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS). The validated model is run globally at 8 km resolution for the period from 1981 to 2012 using the LAI product and other spatial datasets. The modeled results suggest that changes in vegetation structure as quantified

  13. Gap fraction based estimation of LAI in Scots pine stands subjected to experimental removal of branches and stems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stenberg, P.; Nilson, T.; Smolander, H.; Voipio, P.

    2003-01-01

    We compared estimates of leaf area index obtained by the LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer (LAI PCA ) to direct estimates of LAI ('true' LAI) obtained through allometric relationships. This was done for two Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands, where LAI was gradually reduced by removing branches and whole trees. LAI (defined on a hemisurface area basis) decreased from 2.24 to 0.50 in the branch removal experiment and from 1.58 to 0.29 in the tree removal experiment. The aim of the study was to analyse the variation in the ratio of the LAI-2000 estimate to the true LAI (LAI PCA /LAI) with changes in stand structure and total leaf area. In the tree removal plot, which had a smaller proportion of woody (branch) area, LAI PCA /LAI remained fairly stable (0.63-0.69) and was smaller than that in the branch removal plot, where LAI PCA /LAI increased from 0.76 to 1.16 along with the decrease in leaf area and a subsequent increase in woody (stem) area. The ratio of LAI PCA to the plant area index (PAI) differed less between plots but remained higher in the branch removal plot (increasing from 0.56 to 0.69) than in the tree removal plot, where it varied between 0.55 and 0.60. Results were analysed with the help of a theoretical canopy radiation model, which can be inverted to give LAI based on the gap fraction values measured by the LAI-2000 and stand structural parameters. Model-inverted LAI agreed well with directly measured LAI, suggesting that the model is a useful tool for correcting bias in the LAI-2000 estimates because of grouping of leaf area and the contribution of woody area. (author)

  14. Constructing seasonal LAI trajectory by data-model fusion for global evergreen needle-leaf forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, R.; Chen, J.; Mo, G.

    2010-12-01

    For decades, advancements in optical remote sensors made it possible to produce maps of a biophysical parameter--the Leaf Area Index (LAI), which is critically necessary in regional and global modeling of exchanges of carbon, water, energy and other substances, across large areas in a fast way. Quite a few global LAI products have been generated since 2000, e.g. GLOBCARBON (Deng et al., 2006), MODIS Collection 5 (Shabanov et al., 2007), CYCLOPES (Baret et al., 2007), etc. Albeit these progresses, the basic physics behind the technology restrains it from accurate estimation of LAI in winter, especially for northern high-latitude evergreen needle-leaf forests. Underestimation of winter LAI in these regions has been reported in literature (Yang et al., 2000; Cohen et al., 2003; Tian et al., 2004; Weiss et al., 2007; Pisek et al., 2007), and the distortion is usually attributed to the variations of canopy reflectance caused by understory change (Weiss et al., 2007) as well as by the presence of ice and snow on leaves and ground (Cohen, 2003; Tian et al., 2004). Seasonal changes in leaf pigments can also be another reason for low LAI retrieved in winter. Low conifer LAI values in winter retrieved from remote sensing make them unusable for surface energy budget calculations. To avoid these drawbacks of remote sensing approaches, we attempt to reconstruct the seasonal LAI trajectory through model-data fusion. A 1-degree LAI map of global evergreen needle-leaf forests at 10-day interval is produced based on the carbon allocation principle in trees. With net primary productivity (NPP) calculated by the Boreal Ecosystems Productivity Simulator (BEPS) (Chen et al., 1999), carbon allocated to needles is quantitatively evaluated and then can be further transformed into LAI using the specific leaf area (SLA). A leaf-fall scheme is developed to mimic the carbon loss caused by falling needles throughout the year. The seasonally maximum LAI from remote sensing data for each pixel

  15. Current temporal asymmetry and the role of tides: Nan-Wan Bay vs. the Gulf of Elat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashkenazy, Yosef; Fredj, Erick; Gildor, Hezi; Gong, Gwo-Ching; Lee, Hung-Jen

    2016-05-01

    Nan-Wan Bay in Taiwan and the Gulf of Elat in Israel are two different coastal environments, and as such, their currents are expected to have different statistical properties. While Nan-Wan Bay is shallow, has three open boundaries, and is directly connected to the open ocean, the Gulf of Elat is deep, semi-enclosed, and connected to the Red Sea via the Straits of Tiran. Surface currents have been continuously measured with fine temporal (less than or equal to 1 h) and spatial resolution (less than or equal to 1 km) for more than a year in both environments using coastal radars (CODARs) that cover a domain of roughly 10 × 10 km. These measurements show that the currents in Nan-Wan Bay are much stronger than those in the Gulf of Elat and that the mean current field in Nan-Wan Bay exhibits cyclonic circulation, which is stronger in the summer; in the Gulf of Elat, the mean current field is directed southward and is also stronger during the summer. We have compared the statistical properties of the current speeds in both environments and found that both exhibit large spatial and seasonal variations in the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution. However, we have found fundamental and significant differences when comparing the temporal asymmetry of the current speed (i.e., the ratio between the time during which the current speed increases and the total time). While the Nan-Wan Bay currents are significantly asymmetric, those of the Gulf of Elat are not. We then extracted the tidal component of the Nan-Wan Bay currents and found that it is strongly asymmetric, while the asymmetry of tidally filtered currents is much weaker. We thus conclude that the temporal asymmetry of the Nan-Wan Bay currents reported here is due to the strong tides in the region. We show that the asymmetry ratio in Nan-Wan Bay varies spatially and seasonally: (i) the currents increase rapidly and decay slowly in the northern part of the domain and vice versa in the southern part, and (ii) the

  16. Estimation of Leaf Area Index (LAI) Through the Acquisition of Ground Truth Data in Yosemite National Park

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basson, G.; Hawk, A.; Lue, E.; Ottman, D.; Schiffman, B.; Ghosh, M.; Melton, F.; Schmidt, C.; Skiles, J.

    2007-12-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is an important indicator of ecosystem health. Remote sensing offers the only feasible method of estimating LAI at global and regional scales. Land managers can efficiently monitor changes in vegetation by using NASA data products such as the MODIS LAI 1km product. To increase confidence in use of the MODIS LAI product in Yosemite National Park, we investigated the accuracy of remotely sensed LAI data and created LAI maps using three optical in-situ instruments: the LAI-2000 instrument, digital hemispheric photography (DHP), and the Tracing Radiation and Architecture of Canopies (TRAC) instrument. We compared our in-situ data with three spectral vegetation indices derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery: Reduced Simple Ratio (RSR), Simple Ratio (SR), and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to produce models which created LAI maps at 30m and 1km resolution. The strongest correlations occurred between DHP LAI values and RSR. Pixel values from the 1km LAI map were then compared to pixel values from a MODIS LAI map. A strong correlation exists between our in-situ data and MODIS LAI values which confirms its accuracy for use by the National Park Service as a decision support tool in Yosemite. The MODIS LAI product is particularly useful because of its high temporal resolution of 1-2 days and can be used to monitor current and future vegetation changes. The model created using the in-situ data can also be applied to Landsat data to provide thirty years of historical LAI values.

  17. Implementación de una red WAN en una escudería de F1

    OpenAIRE

    García Muñoz, Luis Eduardo

    2013-01-01

    TFC en el que se detalla la implementación de una red WAN en una escudería de Fórmula 1. TFC en què es detalla la implementació d'una xarxa WAN en una escuderia de Fórmula 1. Bachelor thesis for the Telecommunication Technologies program on Telematics.

  18. Implantación de switching y ToIP sobre una red WAN

    OpenAIRE

    Pique Palacin, Ivan

    2013-01-01

    Este proyecto tiene como objeto el diseño y la implementación de servicios de comunicaciones de LAN (Switching) y Telefonía IP (ToIP), todos ellos integrados sobre una red WAN nacional ya existente y funcionando, gestionada por un ISP. Aquest projecte té com a objecte el disseny i la implementació de serveis de comunicacions de LAN (Switching) i telefonia IP (ToIP), tots ells integrats sobre una xarxa WAN nacional ja existent i funcionant, gestionada per un ISP. Bachelor thesis for the ...

  19. Retrieving Leaf Area Index (LAI) Using Remote Sensing: Theories, Methods and Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Guang; Moskal, L Monika

    2009-01-01

    The ability to accurately and rapidly acquire leaf area index (LAI) is an indispensable component of process-based ecological research facilitating the understanding of gas-vegetation exchange phenomenon at an array of spatial scales from the leaf to the landscape. However, LAI is difficult to directly acquire for large spatial extents due to its time consuming and work intensive nature. Such efforts have been significantly improved by the emergence of optical and active remote sensing techniques. This paper reviews the definitions and theories of LAI measurement with respect to direct and indirect methods. Then, the methodologies for LAI retrieval with regard to the characteristics of a range of remotely sensed datasets are discussed. Remote sensing indirect methods are subdivided into two categories of passive and active remote sensing, which are further categorized as terrestrial, aerial and satellite-born platforms. Due to a wide variety in spatial resolution of remotely sensed data and the requirements of ecological modeling, the scaling issue of LAI is discussed and special consideration is given to extrapolation of measurement to landscape and regional levels.

  20. Estudio de las características, funcionamiento, ventajas y técnicas utilizadas en los optimizadores WAN

    OpenAIRE

    Suarez Armijos, Javier Naufredo

    2012-01-01

    En la actualidad existe la necesidad de conectarse a redes de área amplia WAN, ya sea por parte de usuarios móviles o usuarios que se encuentran en sucursales remotas que lamentablemente no pueden acceder a la red WAN de forma eficiente ya que existe perdidas de paquetes por la interferencia, latencia entre otros factores que hacen que la red WAN tenga muchos inconvenientes, principalmente de velocidad. Muchos usuarios que no pueden trabajar desde sus oficinas o desde sus casas desean poderlo...

  1. The Efficacy of Jing Wan Hong Ointment for Nerve Injury Diabetic Foot Ulcer and Its Mechanisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shumei Jin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Jing Wan Hong ointment contains 30 kinds of Chinese herbs, with functions of activating blood circulation to disperse blood stasis, clearing heat, eliminating dampness, and reducing swelling by detoxification. Therefore, Jing Wan Hong ointment may facilitate the healing of ulcers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and mechanisms of Jing Wan Hong ointment for healing diabetic foot ulceration in Wistar rats induced by streptozotocin and sciatic nerve damage. The results showed that Jing Wan Hong ointment had a marked effect on foot ulcers in diabetic rats induced by initial nerve injury. These effects were manifested by reducing the foot ulcer size and Wagner grade after seven days of treatment. The diabetic rats with foot ulcers were almost healed after 21 days of treatment. Moreover, the mechanisms of this effect seem to be dependent on increased expression of PDGF mRNA, but there was no influence on the expression of TGF-β, VEGF, and FLT-1 mRNA.

  2. State of the Art in LP-WAN Solutions for Industrial IoT Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramon Sanchez-Iborra

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The emergence of low-cost connected devices is enabling a new wave of sensorization services. These services can be highly leveraged in industrial applications. However, the technologies employed so far for managing this kind of system do not fully cover the strict requirements of industrial networks, especially those regarding energy efficiency. In this article a novel paradigm, called Low-Power Wide Area Networking (LP-WAN, is explored. By means of a cellular-type architecture, LP-WAN–based solutions aim at fulfilling the reliability and efficiency challenges posed by long-term industrial networks. Thus, the most prominent LP-WAN solutions are reviewed, identifying and discussing the pros and cons of each of them. The focus is also on examining the current deployment state of these platforms in Spain. Although LP-WAN systems are at early stages of development, they represent a promising alternative for boosting future industrial IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things networks and services.

  3. Integración del sistema SoloWAN de optimización de tráfico en redes WAN como un servicio dentro de una plataforma IaaS basada en OpenStack

    OpenAIRE

    Vega García, Carlos

    2016-01-01

    El trabajo consiste en la integración del software SoloWAN de optimización de tráfico en redes WAN, desarrollado en el Center for Open Middleware (COM) de la UPM, como un servicio dentro de una plataforma IaaS basada en OpenStack. Para alcanzar este propósito, se ha llevado a cabo un proceso de desarrollo partiendo del estudio de la plataforma OpenStack, analizando sus características, entendiendo los nodos que de los que está compuesta, así como los diferentes servicios que ofrece. S...

  4. Downscaling of coarse resolution LAI products to achieve both high spatial and temporal resolution for regions of interest

    KAUST Repository

    Houborg, Rasmus; McCabe, Matthew; Gao, Feng

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a flexible tool for spatio-temporal enhancement of coarse resolution leaf area index (LAI) products, which is readily adaptable to different land cover types, landscape heterogeneities and cloud cover conditions. The framework integrates a rule-based regression tree approach for estimating Landsat-scale LAI from existing 1 km resolution LAI products, and the Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) to intelligently interpolate the downscaled LAI between Landsat acquisitions. Comparisons against in-situ records of LAI measured over corn and soybean highlights its utility for resolving sub-field LAI dynamics occurring over a range of plant development stages.

  5. Downscaling of coarse resolution LAI products to achieve both high spatial and temporal resolution for regions of interest

    KAUST Repository

    Houborg, Rasmus

    2015-11-12

    This paper presents a flexible tool for spatio-temporal enhancement of coarse resolution leaf area index (LAI) products, which is readily adaptable to different land cover types, landscape heterogeneities and cloud cover conditions. The framework integrates a rule-based regression tree approach for estimating Landsat-scale LAI from existing 1 km resolution LAI products, and the Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) to intelligently interpolate the downscaled LAI between Landsat acquisitions. Comparisons against in-situ records of LAI measured over corn and soybean highlights its utility for resolving sub-field LAI dynamics occurring over a range of plant development stages.

  6. Evaluating the potential of GeoEye data in retrieving LAI at watershed scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aquilino, Mariella; Novelli, Antonio; Tarantino, Eufemia; Iacobellis, Vito; Gentile, Francesco

    2014-10-01

    LAI is defined as one sided green leaf area per unit ground area in broadleaf canopies and is an important input parameter to monitor crop growth conditions and to improve the performance of crop yield models. Because direct measurements of LAI are usually time-consuming and require continuous updates, remote sensing is an alternative to estimate this attribute over large areas as watershed scale. The primary objective of this work was to derive a reliable LAI estimation model from VHR satellite data to be compared with moderate resolution satellite products in order to improve LAI estimation performance for next validation activities. Due to lack of contemporaneous satellite and on-site sensor data acquisitions and intrinsic complexity of physical models, in our study case the semi-empirical approach with the CLAIR model was applied. It is based on an inverse exponential relationship between LAI and the WDVI (Weighted Difference Vegetation Index) related to different land covers. LAI values were generated from multispectral GeoEye-1 sensor data covering a time space of 5 years (2009-2013) to study crop phenological stages on the study area of the Carapelle watershed located in the North of Puglia region (Southern Italy). Data were preliminarily pre-processed (geometric and radiometric correction), classified (ISODATA method) and texture based analyzed in order to extract the vegetated areas (mainly cereal crops). Finally, the resulted maps were compared with moderate resolution satellite data by reaching a possible correspondence.

  7. Network Information Management: The Key To Providing High WAN Availability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tysdal, Craig

    1996-01-01

    Discusses problems associated with increasing corporate network complexity as a result of the proliferation of client/server applications at remote locations, and suggests the key to providing high WAN (wide area network) availability is relational databases used in an integrated management approach. (LRW)

  8. Estimation of leaf area index for cotton canopies using the LI-COR LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hicks, S.K.; Lascano, R.J.

    1995-01-01

    Measurement of leaf area index (LAI) is useful for understanding cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth, water use, and canopy light interception. Destructive measurement is time consuming and labor intensive. Our objective was to evaluate sampling procedures using the Li-Cor (Lincoln, NE) LAI 2000 plant canopy analyzer (PCA) for nondestructive estimation of cotton LAI on the southern High Plains of Texas. We evaluated shading as a way to allow PCA measurements in direct sunlight and the influence of solar direction when using this procedure. We also evaluated a test of canopy homogeneity (information required for setting PCA field of view), determined the number of below-canopy measurements required, examined the influence of leaf wilting on PCA LAI determinations, and tested an alternative method (masking the sensor's two outer rings) for calculating LAI from PCA measurements. The best agreement between PCA and destructively measured LAI values was obtained when PCA observations were made either during uniformly overcast conditions or around solar noon using the shading method. Heterogeneous canopies with large gaps between rows required both a restricted (45 degrees) azimuthal field of view and averaging the LAI values for two transects, made with the field of view parallel and then perpendicular to the row direction. This method agreed well (r2 = 0.84) with destructively measured LAI in the range of 0.5 to 3.5 and did not deviate from a 1:1 relationship. The PCA underestimated LAI by greater than or equal 20% when measurements were made on canopies wilted due to water stress. Masking the PCA sensor's outer rings did not improve the relationship between estimated and measured LAI in the range of LAI sampled

  9. Introduction of the WAN accelerator in JAEA network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirayama, Takashi; Kannari, Masaaki; Sato, Tomohiko

    2012-06-01

    In pursuance of 'The Optimization Plan on the network of JAEA', which aims to ensure network reliability and information security and to improve convenience in using the network, we are engaged in the optimization of inter-institute/center network bandwidth. This is a record of an introduction of WAN Accelerator into the network to Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center which bandwidth is limited due to a geographically constraint. (author)

  10. Digital cover photography for estimating leaf area index (LAI) in apple trees using a variable light extinction coefficient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poblete-Echeverría, Carlos; Fuentes, Sigfredo; Ortega-Farias, Samuel; Gonzalez-Talice, Jaime; Yuri, Jose Antonio

    2015-01-28

    Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the key biophysical variables required for crop modeling. Direct LAI measurements are time consuming and difficult to obtain for experimental and commercial fruit orchards. Devices used to estimate LAI have shown considerable errors when compared to ground-truth or destructive measurements, requiring tedious site-specific calibrations. The objective of this study was to test the performance of a modified digital cover photography method to estimate LAI in apple trees using conventional digital photography and instantaneous measurements of incident radiation (Io) and transmitted radiation (I) through the canopy. Leaf area of 40 single apple trees were measured destructively to obtain real leaf area index (LAI(D)), which was compared with LAI estimated by the proposed digital photography method (LAI(M)). Results showed that the LAI(M) was able to estimate LAI(D) with an error of 25% using a constant light extinction coefficient (k = 0.68). However, when k was estimated using an exponential function based on the fraction of foliage cover (f(f)) derived from images, the error was reduced to 18%. Furthermore, when measurements of light intercepted by the canopy (Ic) were used as a proxy value for k, the method presented an error of only 9%. These results have shown that by using a proxy k value, estimated by Ic, helped to increase accuracy of LAI estimates using digital cover images for apple trees with different canopy sizes and under field conditions.

  11. Retrieval of Leaf Area Index (LAI and Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR from VIIRS Time-Series Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiqiang Xiao

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Long-term high-quality global leaf area index (LAI and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR products are urgently needed for the study of global change, climate modeling, and many other problems. As the successor of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS sensor, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS will continue to provide global environmental measurements. This paper aims to generate longer time series Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS LAI and FAPAR products after the era of the MODIS sensor. To ensure spatial and temporal consistencies between GLASS LAI/FAPAR values retrieved from different satellite observations, the GLASS LAI/FAPAR retrieval algorithms were adapted in this study to retrieve LAI and FAPAR values from VIIRS surface reflectance time-series data. After reprocessing of the VIIRS surface reflectance to remove remaining effects of cloud contamination and other factors, a database generated from the GLASS LAI product and the reprocessed VIIRS surface reflectance for all Benchmark Land Multisite Analysis and Intercomparison of Products (BELMANIP sites was used to train general regression neural networks (GRNNs. The reprocessed VIIRS surface reflectance data from an entire year were entered into the trained GRNNs to estimate the one-year LAI values, which were then used to calculate FAPAR values. A cross-comparison indicates that the LAI and FAPAR values retrieved from VIIRS surface reflectance were generally consistent with the GLASS, MODIS and Geoland2/BioPar version 1 (GEOV1 LAI/FAPAR values in their spatial patterns. The LAI/FAPAR values retrieved from VIIRS surface reflectance achieved good agreement with the GLASS LAI/FAPAR values (R2 = 0.8972 and RMSE = 0.3054; and R2 = 0.9067 and RMSE = 0.0529, respectively. However, validation of the LAI and FAPAR values derived from VIIRS reflectance data is now limited by the scarcity of LAI/FAPAR ground measurements.

  12. How consistent are global long-term satellite LAI products in terms of interannual variability and trend?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, C.; Ryu, Y.; Fang, H.

    2016-12-01

    Proper usage of global satellite LAI products requires comprehensive evaluation. To address this issue, the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Land Product Validation (LPV) subgroup proposed a four-stage validation hierarchy. During the past decade, great efforts have been made following this validation framework, mainly focused on absolute magnitude, seasonal trajectory, and spatial pattern of those global satellite LAI products. However, interannual variability and trends of global satellite LAI products have been investigated marginally. Targeting on this gap, we made an intercomparison between seven global satellite LAI datasets, including four short-term ones: MODIS C5, MODIS C6, GEOV1, MERIS, and three long-term products ones: LAI3g, GLASS, and GLOBMAP. We calculated global annual LAI time series for each dataset, among which we found substantial differences. During the overlapped period (2003 - 2011), MODIS C5, GLASS and GLOBMAP have positive correlation (r > 0.6) between each other, while MODIS C6, GEOV1, MERIS, and LAI3g are highly consistent (r > 0.7) in interannual variations. However, the previous three datasets show negative trends, all of which use MODIS C5 reflectance data, whereas the latter four show positive trends, using MODIS C6, SPOT/VGT, ENVISAT/MERIS, and NOAA/AVHRR, respectively. During the pre-MODIS era (1982 - 1999), the three AVHRR-based datasets (LAI3g, GLASS and GLOBMAP) agree well (r > 0.7), yet all of them show oscillation related with NOAA platform changes. In addition, both GLASS and GLOBMAP show clear cut-points around 2000 when they move from AVHRR to MODIS. Such inconsistency is also visible for GEOV1, which uses SPOT-4 and SPOT-5 before and after 2002. We further investigate the map-to-map deviations among these products. This study highlights that continuous sensor calibration and cross calibration are essential to obtain reliable global LAI time series.

  13. [Hyperspectral Estimation of Apple Tree Canopy LAI Based on SVM and RF Regression].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Zhao-ying; Zhu, Xi-cun; Fang, Xian-yi; Wang, Zhuo-yuan; Wang, Ling; Zhao, Geng-Xing; Jiang, Yuan-mao

    2016-03-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is the dynamic index of crop population size. Hyperspectral technology can be used to estimate apple canopy LAI rapidly and nondestructively. It can be provide a reference for monitoring the tree growing and yield estimation. The Red Fuji apple trees of full bearing fruit are the researching objects. Ninety apple trees canopies spectral reflectance and LAI values were measured by the ASD Fieldspec3 spectrometer and LAI-2200 in thirty orchards in constant two years in Qixia research area of Shandong Province. The optimal vegetation indices were selected by the method of correlation analysis of the original spectral reflectance and vegetation indices. The models of predicting the LAI were built with the multivariate regression analysis method of support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF). The new vegetation indices, GNDVI527, ND-VI676, RVI682, FD-NVI656 and GRVI517 and the previous two main vegetation indices, NDVI670 and NDVI705, are in accordance with LAI. In the RF regression model, the calibration set decision coefficient C-R2 of 0.920 and validation set decision coefficient V-R2 of 0.889 are higher than the SVM regression model by 0.045 and 0.033 respectively. The root mean square error of calibration set C-RMSE of 0.249, the root mean square error validation set V-RMSE of 0.236 are lower than that of the SVM regression model by 0.054 and 0.058 respectively. Relative analysis of calibrating error C-RPD and relative analysis of validation set V-RPD reached 3.363 and 2.520, 0.598 and 0.262, respectively, which were higher than the SVM regression model. The measured and predicted the scatterplot trend line slope of the calibration set and validation set C-S and V-S are close to 1. The estimation result of RF regression model is better than that of the SVM. RF regression model can be used to estimate the LAI of red Fuji apple trees in full fruit period.

  14. Relation of MODIS EVI and LAI across time, vegetation types and hydrological regimes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexandridis, Thomas; Ovakoglou, George

    2015-04-01

    Estimation of the Leaf Area Index (LAI) of a landscape is considered important to describe the ecosystems activity and is used as an important input parameter in hydrological and biogeochemical models related to water and carbon cycle, desertification risk, etc. The measurement of LAI in the field is a laborious and costly process and is mainly done by indirect methods, such as hemispherical photographs that are processed by specialized software. For this reason there have been several attempts to estimate LAI with multispectral satellite images, using theoretical biomass development models, or empirical equations using vegetation indices and land cover maps. The aim of this work is to study the relation of MODIS EVI and LAI across time, vegetation type, and hydrological regime. This was achieved by studying 120 maps of EVI and LAI which cover a hydrological year and five hydrologically diverse areas: river Nestos in Greece, Queimados catchment in Brazil, Rijnland catchment in The Netherlands, river Tamega in Portugal, and river Umbeluzi in Mozambique. The following Terra MODIS composite datasets were downloaded for the hydrological year 2012-2013: MOD13A2 "Vegetation Indices" and MCD15A2 "LAI and FPAR", as well as the equivalent quality information layers (QA). All the pixels that fall in a vegetation land cover (according to the MERIS GLOBCOVER map) were sampled for the analysis, with the exception of those that fell at the border between two vegetation or other land cover categories, to avoid the influence of mixed pixels. Using linear regression analysis, the relationship between EVI and LAI was identified per date, vegetation type and study area. Results show that vegetation type has the highest influence in the variation of the relationship between EVI and LAI in each study area. The coefficient of determination (R2) is high and statistically significant (ranging from 0.41 to 0.83 in 90% of the cases). When plotting the EVI factor from the regression equation

  15. LAI inversion from optical reflectance using a neural network trained with a multiple scattering model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, James A.

    1992-01-01

    The inversion of the leaf area index (LAI) canopy parameter from optical spectral reflectance measurements is obtained using a backpropagation artificial neural network trained using input-output pairs generated by a multiple scattering reflectance model. The problem of LAI estimation over sparse canopies (LAI 1000 percent for low LAI. Minimization methods applied to merit functions constructed from differences between measured reflectances and predicted reflectances using multiple-scattering models are unacceptably sensitive to a good initial guess for the desired parameter. In contrast, the neural network reported generally yields absolute percentage errors of <30 percent when weighting coefficients trained on one soil type were applied to predicted canopy reflectance at a different soil background.

  16. Seamless live migration of virtual machines over the MAN/WAN

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Travostino, F.; Daspit, P.; Gommans, L.; Jog, C.; de Laat, C.; Mambretti, J.; Monga, I.; van Oudenaarde, B.; Raghunath, S.; Wang, P.Y.

    2006-01-01

    The “VM Turntable” demonstrator at iGRID 2005 pioneered the integration of Virtual Machines (VMs) with deterministic “lightpath” network services across a MAN/WAN. The results provide for a new stage of virtualization—one for which computation is no longer localized within a data center but rather

  17. Neuroprotective effect of Zhen Tian Wan on pial strip-induced ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ZTW significantly reduced the level of free radicals in pial stripped rats. ZTW can improve learning and memory function and it possess anti-oxidant activity. ZTW may be beneficial in the treatment of vascular dementia. Keywords: Zhen Tian Wan; pial strip; lesion; Memory; Morris water maze; free radicals ...

  18. High-throughput LC-MS method for the rapid characterization of multiple chemical constituents and metabolites of Da-Bu-Yin-Wan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xianna; Sun, Hui; Zhang, Aihua; Liu, Zhidong; Zou, Di; Song, Yanhua; Liu, Liang; Wang, Xijun

    2017-11-01

    Traditional Chinese medicine is the clinical experience accumulated by Chinese people against diseases. Da-Bu-Yin-Wan is a famous traditional Chinese medicine formula consisting of Phellodendri amurensis Rupr., Anemarrhenae asphodeloides Bge., Radix Rehmanniae Preparata and Chinemys reevesii. In this study, ultra high performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry with the control software of Masslynx (V4.1) was established for comprehensive screening and identification of the chemical constituents and serum metabolites of Da-Bu-Yin-Wan in vivo and in vitro. Consequently, 70 peaks in the methanol extract from Da-Bu-Yin-Wan and 38 peaks absorbed into rat blood were characterized. The 70 constituents in vitro included alkaloids, flavonoids, polysaccharide, limonoids, flavonoid, etc. And the 38 constituents consist of 22 absorbed prototypes and 16 metabolites of Da-Bu-Yin-Wan absorbed in vivo. We fully clarified the chemical constituents of Da-Bu-Yin-Wan and provided a scientific strategy for the screening and characterization of the chemical constituents and metabolites of traditional Chinese medicine in vitro and in vivo. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Multitemporal Monitoring of Plant Area Index in the Valencia Rice District with PocketLAI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Campos-Taberner

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Leaf area index (LAI is a key biophysical parameter used to determine foliage cover and crop growth in environmental studies in order to assess crop yield. Frequently, plant canopy analyzers (LAI-2000 and digital cameras for hemispherical photography (DHP are used for indirect effective plant area index (PAIeff estimates. Nevertheless, these instruments are expensive and have the disadvantages of low portability and maintenance. Recently, a smartphone app called PocketLAI was presented and tested for acquiring PAIeff measurements. It was used during an entire rice season for indirect PAIeff estimations and for deriving reference high-resolution PAIeff maps. Ground PAIeff values acquired with PocketLAI, LAI-2000, and DHP were well correlated (R2 = 0.95, RMSE = 0.21 m2/m2 for Licor-2000, and R2 = 0.94, RMSE = 0.6 m2/m2 for DHP. Complementary data such as phenology and leaf chlorophyll content were acquired to complement seasonal rice plant information provided by PAIeff. High-resolution PAIeff maps, which can be used for the validation of remote sensing products, have been derived using a global transfer function (TF made of several measuring dates and their associated satellite radiances.

  20. Bearing Witness to the Inhuman at M? Lai: Museum, Ritual, Pilgrimage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roy Tamashiro

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This article explores how the Son M? Memorial and Museum and its associated community activities and programs commemorate and memorialize the 1968 M? Lai Massacre and its aftermath. The museum provides space for reflection and bearing witness to the profound suffering in the Massacre. B'earing witness' means reliving or remembering and coming to know an experience, especially a traumatic one like M? Lai. Witness bearers are both those reporting first-hand experiences and memories, and those listening to and learning about the experiences. When locals and visitors alike participate in the activities and rituals at Son M?, in pilgrimages to M? Lai, or in touring the memorial and museum, an opportunity is available to recognize the “existential legitimacy” of the events, experiences, and memories. Bearing witness can open pathways to individual and societal healing as well as identity redefinition.

  1. GPS-free Geolocation using LoRa in Low-Power WANs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fargas, Bernat Carbones; Petersen, Martin Nordal

    2017-01-01

    Internet of Things (IoT) has been growing over the last few years in multiple applications and due to the high need GPS for tracking capabilities, an innovative opportunity arises. This paper reports on a design and implementation of a LoRaWAN tracking system which is capable exploiting transmitted...

  2. Estimation of Spatial Trends in LAI in Heterogeneous Semi-arid Ecosystems using Full Waveform Lidar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glenn, N. F.; Ilangakoon, N.; Spaete, L.; Dashti, H.

    2017-12-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is a key structural trait that is defined by the plant functional type (PFT) and controlled by prevailing climate- and human-driven ecosystem stresses. Estimates of LAI using remote sensing techniques are limited by the uncertainties of vegetation inter and intra-gap fraction estimates; this is especially the case in sparse, low stature vegetated ecosystems. Small footprint full waveform lidar digitizes the total amount of return energy with the direction information as a near continuous waveform at a high vertical resolution (1 ns). Thus waveform lidar provides additional data matrices to capture vegetation gaps as well as PFTs that can be used to constrain the uncertainties of LAI estimates. In this study, we calculated a radiometrically calibrated full waveform parameter called backscatter cross section, along with other data matrices from the waveform to estimate vegetation gaps across plots (10 m x 10 m) in a semi-arid ecosystem in the western US. The LAI was then estimated using empirical relationships with directional gap fraction. Full waveform-derived gap fraction based LAI showed a high correlation with field observed shrub LAI (R2 = 0.66, RMSE = 0.24) compared to discrete return lidar based LAI (R2 = 0.01, RMSE = 0.5). The data matrices derived from full waveform lidar classified a number of deciduous and evergreen tree species, shrub species, and bare ground with an overall accuracy of 89% at 10 m. A similar analysis was performed at 1m with overall accuracy of 80%. The next step is to use these relationships to map the PFTs LAI at 10 m spatial scale across the larger study regions. The results show the exciting potential of full waveform lidar to identify plant functional types and LAI in low-stature vegetation dominated semi-arid ecosystems, an ecosystem in which many other remote sensing techniques fail. These results can be used to assess ecosystem state, habitat suitability as well as to constrain model uncertainties in

  3. [Effect of Xinling Wan in treatment of stable angina pectoris: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo parallel-controlled, multicenter trial].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Jian-Wei; Gao, Xue-Min; Zou, Ting; Zhao, Tian-Meng; Wang, Dong-Hua; Wu, Zong-Gui; Ren, Chang-Jie; Wang, Xing; Geng, Nai-Zhi; Zhao, Ming-Jun; Liang, Qiu-Ming; Feng, Xing; Yang, Bai-Song; Shi, Jun-Ling; Hua, Qi

    2018-03-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Xinling Wan on patients with stable angina pectoris, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo parallel-controlled, multicenter clinical trial was conducted. A total of 232 subjects were enrolled and randomly divided into experiment group and placebo group. The experiment group was treated with Xinling Wan (two pills each time, three times daily) for 4 weeks, and the placebo group was treated with placebo. The effectiveness evaluation showed that Xinling Wan could significantly increase the total duration of treadmill exercise among patients with stable angina pectoris. FAS analysis showed that the difference value of the total exercise duration was between experiment group (72.11±139.32) s and placebo group (31.25±108.32) s. Xinling Wan could remarkably increase the total effective rate of angina pectoris symptom score, and the analysis showed that the total effective rate was 78.95% in experiment group and 42.61% in placebo group. The reduction of nitroglycerin dose was (2.45±2.41) tablets in experiment group and (0.50±2.24) tablets in placebo group on the basis of FAS analysis. The decrease of symptom integral was (4.68±3.49) in experiment group and (3.19±3.31) in placebo group based on FAS analysis. Besides, Xinling Wan could decrease the weekly attack time and the duration of angina pectoris. PPS analysis results were similar to those of FAS analysis. In conclusion, Xinling Wan has an obvious therapeutic effect in treating stable angina pectoris, with a good safety and a low incidence of adverse event and adverse reaction in experiment group. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  4. Geometrical and electronic structure of LaI3 molecule as determined by gas electron diffraction and quantum-chemical calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giricheva, N.I.; Shlykov, S.A.; Girichev, G.V.; Galanin, I.E.

    2006-01-01

    The saturated vapor over LaI 3 has been studied using the electron diffraction method with mass-spectral monitoring. It was determined that at a temperature 1142(10) K, along with monomer molecules, dimers are present in the vapor in the quantity of 0.7 mol.%. Effective configuration parameters of LaI 3 molecule were obtained: r g (La-I)=2.961(6) A, g (I-La-I)=116.5(9) deg, l(La-I)=0.106(1) A and l(I...I)=0.412(7) A. A small deviation of the valence angle g (I-La-I) from 120 deg can be totally caused by a contraction effect of the distance r g (I...I) of LaI 3 molecule with planar equilibrium configuration. The electronic structure of LaI 3 molecule was examined by the B3LYP/SDD method. In terms of the NBO-analysis, the participation of lanthanum 4f-AO in bonding orbitals La-I is noted. It is shown that the NBO-analysis describes the bond La-I in LaI 3 molecule as predominantly ionic one with a noticeable covalence component. The energy of the heterolytic bond breakage E(La-I) het =1216 kJ/mole was calculated [ru

  5. A Cost-Constrained Sampling Strategy in Support of LAI Product Validation in Mountainous Areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaofei Yin

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Increasing attention is being paid on leaf area index (LAI retrieval in mountainous areas. Mountainous areas present extreme topographic variability, and are characterized by more spatial heterogeneity and inaccessibility compared with flat terrain. It is difficult to collect representative ground-truth measurements, and the validation of LAI in mountainous areas is still problematic. A cost-constrained sampling strategy (CSS in support of LAI validation was presented in this study. To account for the influence of rugged terrain on implementation cost, a cost-objective function was incorporated to traditional conditioned Latin hypercube (CLH sampling strategy. A case study in Hailuogou, Sichuan province, China was used to assess the efficiency of CSS. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI, land cover type, and slope were selected as auxiliary variables to present the variability of LAI in the study area. Results show that CSS can satisfactorily capture the variability across the site extent, while minimizing field efforts. One appealing feature of CSS is that the compromise between representativeness and implementation cost can be regulated according to actual surface heterogeneity and budget constraints, and this makes CSS flexible. Although the proposed method was only validated for the auxiliary variables rather than the LAI measurements, it serves as a starting point for establishing the locations of field plots and facilitates the preparation of field campaigns in mountainous areas.

  6. Spatial and seasonal variations of leaf area index (LAI) in subtropical secondary forests related to floristic composition and stand characters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Wenjuan; Xiang, Wenhua; Pan, Qiong; Zeng, Yelin; Ouyang, Shuai; Lei, Pifeng; Deng, Xiangwen; Fang, Xi; Peng, Changhui

    2016-07-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is an important parameter related to carbon, water, and energy exchange between canopy and atmosphere and is widely applied in process models that simulate production and hydrological cycles in forest ecosystems. However, fine-scale spatial heterogeneity of LAI and its controlling factors have yet to be fully understood in Chinese subtropical forests. We used hemispherical photography to measure LAI values in three subtropical forests (Pinus massoniana-Lithocarpus glaber coniferous and evergreen broadleaved mixed forests, Choerospondias axillaris deciduous broadleaved forests, and L. glaber-Cyclobalanopsis glauca evergreen broadleaved forests) from April 2014 to January 2015. Spatial heterogeneity of LAI and its controlling factors were analysed using geostatistical methods and the generalised additive models (GAMs) respectively. Our results showed that LAI values differed greatly in the three forests and their seasonal variations were consistent with plant phenology. LAI values exhibited strong spatial autocorrelation for the three forests measured in January and for the L. glaber-C. glauca forest in April, July, and October. Obvious patch distribution pattern of LAI values occurred in three forests during the non-growing period and this pattern gradually dwindled in the growing season. Stem number, crown coverage, proportion of evergreen conifer species on basal area basis, proportion of deciduous species on basal area basis, and forest types affected the spatial variations in LAI values in January, while stem number and proportion of deciduous species on basal area basis affected the spatial variations in LAI values in July. Floristic composition, spatial heterogeneity, and seasonal variations should be considered for sampling strategy in indirect LAI measurement and application of LAI to simulate functional processes in subtropical forests.

  7. Leaf area index estimation in a pine plantation with LAI-2000 under direct sunlight conditions: relationship with inventory and hydrologic variables; Estimacion del indice de area foliar en pinares de repolacion con LAI-2000 bajo radiacion solar directa: relacion con variables de inventario e hidrologicas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molina, A.; Campo, A. D. del

    2011-07-01

    LAI is a key factor in light and rainfall interception processes in forest stands and, for this reason, is called to play an important role in global change adaptive silviculture. Therefore, it is necessary to develop practical and operative methodologies to measure this parameter as well as simple relationships with other silviculture variables. This work has studied 1) the feasibility of LAI-2000 sensor in estimating LAI-stand when readings are taken under direct sunlight conditions; and 2) the ability of LAI in studying rainfall partitioned into throughfall (T) in an Aleppo pine stand after different thinning intensities, as well as its relationships to basal area, (G), cover (FCC), and tree density (D). Results showed that the angular correction scheme applied to LAI-2000 direct-sunlight readings stabilized them for different solar angles, allowing a better operational use of LAI-2000 in Mediterranean areas, where uniform overcast conditions are difficult to meet and predict. Forest cover showed the highest predictive ability of LAI (R{sup 2} = 0.98; S = 0.28), then G (R{sup 2} = 0.96; S = 0.43) and D (R{sup 2} = 0.50; S = 0.28). In the hydrological plane, T increased with thinning intensity, being G the most explanatory variable (R{sup 2} = 0.81; S = 3.07) and LAI the one that showed the poorest relation with it (R{sup 2} = 0.69; S = 3.95). These results open a way for forest hydrologic modeling taking LAI as an input variable either estimated form LAI-2000 or deducted from inventory data. (Author) 36 refs.

  8. Estudio de las aplicaciones de gestión de la red WAN de un operador de telecomunicaciones

    OpenAIRE

    González Medina, Mariano

    2012-01-01

    Este proyecto se basa en analizar y estudiar exhaustivamente las aplicaciones de gestión de la red WAN de un operador de telecomunicaciones (OdT). Dichas aplicaciones se dividen en dos fases importantes: provisión y mantenimiento. Aquest projecte es basa en analitzar i estudiar exhaustivament les aplicacions de gestió de la xarxa WAN d'un operador de telecomunicacions (OdT). Aquestes aplicacions es divideixen en dues fases importants: provisió i manteniment.

  9. Moessbauer studies on ancient pottery from a neolithic site in Tung Wan, Hong Kong

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Yufang; Tang Chung

    1994-01-01

    Twelve ceramic sherds unearthed from different archaeological layers at a neolithic site in Tung Wan, Hong Kong, were studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Moessbauer spectroscopy. The results show that the firing techniques used for ancient pottery wares at different layers were very different. For the oldest sherds (4000-3000 B.C.) from layer No. 4, the original firing temperature was low and craftmanship was inferior. For the sherds (1650-250 B.C.) from layer No. 2, the original firing temperature was above 1000 C. In addition, the results indicate that the ancient pottery wares from the ruins might not have been manufactured in the Tung Wan region. (orig.)

  10. REMOTE-SENSING-BASED BIOPHYSICAL MODELS FOR ESTIMATING LAI OF IRRIGATED CROPS IN MURRY DARLING BASIN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Wittamperuma

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Remote sensing is a rapid and reliable method for estimating crop growth data from individual plant to crops in irrigated agriculture ecosystem. The LAI is one of the important biophysical parameter for determining vegetation health, biomass, photosynthesis and evapotranspiration (ET for the modelling of crop yield and water productivity. Ground measurement of this parameter is tedious and time-consuming due to heterogeneity across the landscape over time and space. This study deals with the development of remote-sensing based empirical relationships for the estimation of ground-based LAI (LAIG using NDVI, modelled with and without atmospheric correction models for three irrigated crops (corn, wheat and rice grown in irrigated farms within Coleambally Irrigation Area (CIA which is located in southern Murray Darling basin, NSW in Australia. Extensive ground truthing campaigns were carried out to measure crop growth and to collect field samples of LAI using LAI- 2000 Plant Canopy Analyser and reflectance using CROPSCAN Multi Spectral Radiometer at several farms within the CIA. A Set of 12 cloud free Landsat 5 TM satellite images for the period of 2010-11 were downloaded and regression analysis was carried out to analyse the co-relationships between satellite and ground measured reflectance and to check the reliability of data sets for the crops. Among all the developed regression relationships between LAI and NDVI, the atmospheric correction process has significantly improved the relationship between LAI and NDVI for Landsat 5 TM images. The regression analysis also shows strong correlations for corn and wheat but weak correlations for rice which is currently being investigated.

  11. BOREAS RSS-7 Landsat TM LAI IMages of the SSA and NSA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Nickeson, Jaime (Editor); Chen, Jing; Cihlar, Josef

    2000-01-01

    The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Remote Sensing Science (BOREAS RSS-7) team used Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images processed at CCRS to produce images of Leaf Area Index (LAI) for the BOREAS study areas. Two images acquired on 06-Jun and 09-Aug-1991 were used for the SSA, and one image acquired on 09-Jun-1994 was used for the NSA. The LAI images are based on ground measurements and Landsat TM Reduced Simple Ratio (RSR) images. The data are stored in binary image-format files.

  12. Behavioral activation for dementia caregivers: scheduling pleasant events and enhancing communications

    OpenAIRE

    Au, Alma; Gallagher-Thompson, Dolores; Wong, Meng-Kong; Leung, Jess; Chan, Wai-Chi; Chan, Chun Chung; Lu, Hui-Jing; Lai, Man Kin; Chan, Kevin

    2015-01-01

    Alma Au,1,2 Dolores Gallagher-Thompson,3 Meng-Kong Wong,4 Jess Leung,4 Wai-Chi Chan,5 Chun Chung Chan,6 Hui-Jing Lu,1 Man Kin Lai,1 Kevin Chan11Department of Applied Social Sciences, 2Institute of Active Aging, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Geriatric Education Centre, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; 4Department of Psychiatry, United Christian Hosp...

  13. A LAI inversion algorithm based on the unified model of canopy bidirectional reflectance distribution function for the Heihe River Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, B.; Li, J.; Fan, W.; Ren, H.; Xu, X.

    2017-12-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the important parameters of vegetation canopy structure, which can represent the growth condition of vegetation effectively. The accuracy, availability and timeliness of LAI data can be improved greatly, which is of great importance to vegetation-related research, such as the study of atmospheric, land surface and hydrological processes to obtain LAI by remote sensing method. Heihe River Basin is the inland river basin in northwest China. There are various types of vegetation and all kinds of terrain conditions in the basin, so it is helpful for testing the accuracy of the model under the complex surface and evaluating the correctness of the model to study LAI in this area. On the other hand, located in west arid area of China, the ecological environment of Heihe Basin is fragile, LAI is an important parameter to represent the vegetation growth condition, and can help us understand the status of vegetation in the Heihe River Basin. Different from the previous LAI inversion models, the BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) unified model can be applied for both continuous vegetation and discrete vegetation, it is appropriate to the complex vegetation distribution. LAI is the key input parameter of the model. We establish the inversion algorithm that can exactly retrieve LAI using remote sensing image based on the unified model. First, we determine the vegetation type through the vegetation classification map to obtain the corresponding G function, leaf and surface reflectivity. Then, we need to determine the leaf area index (LAI), the aggregation index (ζ) and the sky scattered light ratio (β) range and the value of the interval, entering all the parameters into the model to calculate the corresponding reflectivity ρ and establish the lookup table of different vegetation. Finally, we can invert LAI on the basis of the established lookup table. The principle of inversion is least squares method. We have produced 1 km

  14. 75 FR 8081 - Patrick J. Lais: Debarment Order

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-23

    ..., identified as ``Coated Aspirin,'' to customers in Kansas City, MO. In May 2000, this ``Coated Aspirin... during Mr. Lais's debarment, will be subject to civil money penalties (section 307(a)(6) of the act (21 U... pending drug product application during his period of debarment he will be subject to civil money...

  15. Leaf area index estimation in a pine plantation with LAI-2000 under direct sunlight conditions: relationship with inventory and hydrologic variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molina, A.; Campo, A. D. del

    2011-01-01

    LAI is a key factor in light and rainfall interception processes in forest stands and, for this reason, is called to play an important role in global change adaptive silviculture. Therefore, it is necessary to develop practical and operative methodologies to measure this parameter as well as simple relationships with other silviculture variables. This work has studied 1) the feasibility of LAI-2000 sensor in estimating LAI-stand when readings are taken under direct sunlight conditions; and 2) the ability of LAI in studying rainfall partitioned into throughfall (T) in an Aleppo pine stand after different thinning intensities, as well as its relationships to basal area, (G), cover (FCC), and tree density (D). Results showed that the angular correction scheme applied to LAI-2000 direct-sunlight readings stabilized them for different solar angles, allowing a better operational use of LAI-2000 in Mediterranean areas, where uniform overcast conditions are difficult to meet and predict. Forest cover showed the highest predictive ability of LAI (R 2 = 0.98; S = 0.28), then G (R 2 = 0.96; S = 0.43) and D (R 2 = 0.50; S = 0.28). In the hydrological plane, T increased with thinning intensity, being G the most explanatory variable (R 2 = 0.81; S = 3.07) and LAI the one that showed the poorest relation with it (R 2 = 0.69; S = 3.95). These results open a way for forest hydrologic modeling taking LAI as an input variable either estimated form LAI-2000 or deducted from inventory data. (Author) 36 refs.

  16. [Simulating of carbon fluxes in bamboo forest ecosystem using BEPS model based on the LAI assimilated with Dual Ensemble Kalman Filter].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xue Jian; Mao, Fang Jie; Du, Hua Qiang; Zhou, Guo Mo; Xu, Xiao Jun; Li, Ping Heng; Liu, Yu Li; Cui, Lu

    2016-12-01

    LAI is one of the most important observation data in the research of carbon cycle of forest ecosystem, and it is also an important parameter to drive process-based ecosystem model. The Moso bamboo forest (MBF) and Lei bamboo forest (LBF) were selected as the study targets. Firstly, the MODIS LAI time series data during 2014-2015 was assimilated with Dual Ensemble Kalman Filter method. Secondly, the high quality assimilated MBF LAI and LBF LAI were used as input dataset to drive BEPS model for simulating the gross primary productivity (GPP), net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and total ecosystem respiration (TER) of the two types of bamboo forest ecosystem, respectively. The modeled carbon fluxes were evaluated by the observed carbon fluxes data, and the effects of different quality LAI inputs on carbon cycle simulation were also studied. The LAI assimilated using Dual Ensemble Kalman Filter of MBF and LBF were significantly correlated with the observed LAI, with high R 2 of 0.81 and 0.91 respectively, and lower RMSE and absolute bias, which represented the great improvement of the accuracy of MODIS LAI products. With the driving of assimilated LAI, the modeled GPP, NEE, and TER were also highly correlated with the flux observation data, with the R 2 of 0.66, 0.47, and 0.64 for MBF, respectively, and 0.66, 0.45, and 0.73 for LBF, respectively. The accuracy of carbon fluxes modeled with assimilated LAI was higher than that acquired by the locally adjusted cubic-spline capping method, in which, the accuracy of mo-deled NEE for MBF and LBF increased by 11.2% and 11.8% at the most degrees, respectively.

  17. A 30+ Year AVHRR LAI and FAPAR Climate Data Record: Algorithm Description, Validation, and Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claverie, Martin; Matthews, Jessica L.; Vermote, Eric F.; Justice, Christopher O.

    2016-01-01

    In- land surface models, which are used to evaluate the role of vegetation in the context ofglobal climate change and variability, LAI and FAPAR play a key role, specifically with respect to thecarbon and water cycles. The AVHRR-based LAIFAPAR dataset offers daily temporal resolution,an improvement over previous products. This climate data record is based on a carefully calibratedand corrected land surface reflectance dataset to provide a high-quality, consistent time-series suitablefor climate studies. It spans from mid-1981 to the present. Further, this operational dataset is availablein near real-time allowing use for monitoring purposes. The algorithm relies on artificial neuralnetworks calibrated using the MODIS LAI/FAPAR dataset. Evaluation based on cross-comparisonwith MODIS products and in situ data show the dataset is consistent and reliable with overalluncertainties of 1.03 and 0.15 for LAI and FAPAR, respectively. However, a clear saturation effect isobserved in the broadleaf forest biomes with high LAI (greater than 4.5) and FAPAR (greater than 0.8) values.

  18. Forest Canopy LAI and Vertical FAVD Profile Inversion from Airborne Full-Waveform LiDAR Data Based on a Radiative Transfer Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Han Ma

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Forest canopy leaf area index (LAI is a critical variable for the modeling of climates and ecosystems over both regional and global scales. This paper proposes a physically based method to retrieve LAI and foliage area volume density (FAVD profile directly from full-waveform Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR data using a radiative transfer (RT model. First, a physical interaction model between LiDAR and a forest scene was built on the basis of radiative transfer theories. Next, FAVD profile of each laser shot of full-waveform LiDAR was inverted using the physical model. In addition, the missing LiDAR data, caused by high-density forest and LiDAR system limitations, were filled in based on the inverted FAVD and the ancillary CHM data. Finally, LAI of the study area was retrieved from the inverted FAVD at a 10-m resolution. CHM derived LAI based on the Beer-Lambert law was compared with the LAI derived from full-waveform data. Also, we compared the results with the field measured LAI. The values of correlation coefficient r and RMSE of the estimated LAI were 0.73 and 0.67, respectively. The results indicate that full-waveform LiDAR data is a reliable data source and represent a useful tool for retrieving forest LAI.

  19. Analysis of Latency and MAC-layer Performance for Class A LoRaWAN

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, René Brandborg; Kim, Dong Min; Nielsen, Jimmy Jessen

    2017-01-01

    We propose analytical models that allow to investigate the performance of Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) uplink in terms of latency, collision rate, and throughput under the constraints of the regulatory duty cycling, when assuming exponential inter-arrival times. Our models take into acc...

  20. A Fair Adaptive Data Rate Algorithm for LoRaWAN

    OpenAIRE

    Abdelfadeel, Khaled Q.; Cionca, Victor; Pesch, Dirk

    2018-01-01

    LoRaWAN exhibits several characteristics that can lead to an unfair distribution of the Data Extracted Rate (DER) among nodes. Firstly, the capture effect leads to a strong signal suppressing a weaker signal at the gateway and secondly, the spreading codes used are not perfectly orthogonal, causing packet loss if an interfering signal is strong enough. In these conditions, nodes experiencing higher attenuation are less likely to see their packets received correctly. We develop FADR, a Fair Ad...

  1. ISLSCP II Leaf Area Index (LAI) from Field Measurements, 1932-2000

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: Leaf Area Index (LAI) data from the scientific literature, covering the period from 1932-2000, have been compiled at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory...

  2. Combined Multi-Temporal Optical and Radar Parameters for Estimating LAI and Biomass in Winter Wheat Using HJ and RADARSAR-2 Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiuliang Jin

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Leaf area index (LAI and biomass are frequently used target variables for agricultural and ecological remote sensing applications. Ground measurements of winter wheat LAI and biomass were made from March to May 2014 in the Yangling district, Shaanxi, Northwest China. The corresponding remotely sensed data were obtained from the earth-observation satellites Huanjing (HJ and RADARSAT-2. The objectives of this study were (1 to investigate the relationships of LAI and biomass with several optical spectral vegetation indices (OSVIs and radar polarimetric parameters (RPPs, (2 to estimate LAI and biomass with combined OSVIs and RPPs (the product of OSVIs and RPPs (COSVI-RPPs, (3 to use multiple stepwise regression (MSR and partial least squares regression (PLSR to test and compare the estimations of LAI and biomass in winter wheat, respectively. The results showed that LAI and biomass were highly correlated with several OSVIs (the enhanced vegetation index (EVI and modified triangular vegetation index 2 (MTVI2 and RPPs (the radar vegetation index (RVI and double-bounce eigenvalue relative difference (DERD. The product of MTVI2 and DERD (R2 = 0.67 and RMSE = 0.68, p < 0.01 and that of MTVI2 and RVI (R2 = 0. 68 and RMSE = 0.65, p < 0.01 were strongly related to LAI, and the product of the optimized soil adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI and DERD (R2 = 0.79 and RMSE = 148.65 g/m2, p < 0.01 and that of EVI and RVI (R2 = 0. 80 and RMSE = 146.33 g/m2, p < 0.01 were highly correlated with biomass. The estimation accuracy of LAI and biomass was better using the COSVI-RPPs than using the OSVIs and RPPs alone. The results revealed that the PLSR regression equation better estimated LAI and biomass than the MSR regression equation based on all the COSVI-RPPs, OSVIs, and RPPs. Our results indicated that the COSVI-RPPs can be used to robustly estimate LAI and biomass. This study may provide a guideline for improving the estimations of LAI and biomass of winter wheat

  3. Digital Cover Photography for Estimating Leaf Area Index (LAI in Apple Trees Using a Variable Light Extinction Coefficient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Poblete-Echeverría

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Leaf area index (LAI is one of the key biophysical variables required for crop modeling. Direct LAI measurements are time consuming and difficult to obtain for experimental and commercial fruit orchards. Devices used to estimate LAI have shown considerable errors when compared to ground-truth or destructive measurements, requiring tedious site-specific calibrations. The objective of this study was to test the performance of a modified digital cover photography method to estimate LAI in apple trees using conventional digital photography and instantaneous measurements of incident radiation (Io and transmitted radiation (I through the canopy. Leaf area of 40 single apple trees were measured destructively to obtain real leaf area index (LAID, which was compared with LAI estimated by the proposed digital photography method (LAIM. Results showed that the LAIM was able to estimate LAID with an error of 25% using a constant light extinction coefficient (k = 0.68. However, when k was estimated using an exponential function based on the fraction of foliage cover (ff derived from images, the error was reduced to 18%. Furthermore, when measurements of light intercepted by the canopy (Ic were used as a proxy value for k, the method presented an error of only 9%. These results have shown that by using a proxy k value, estimated by Ic, helped to increase accuracy of LAI estimates using digital cover images for apple trees with different canopy sizes and under field conditions.

  4. Digital Cover Photography for Estimating Leaf Area Index (LAI) in Apple Trees Using a Variable Light Extinction Coefficient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poblete-Echeverría, Carlos; Fuentes, Sigfredo; Ortega-Farias, Samuel; Gonzalez-Talice, Jaime; Yuri, Jose Antonio

    2015-01-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the key biophysical variables required for crop modeling. Direct LAI measurements are time consuming and difficult to obtain for experimental and commercial fruit orchards. Devices used to estimate LAI have shown considerable errors when compared to ground-truth or destructive measurements, requiring tedious site-specific calibrations. The objective of this study was to test the performance of a modified digital cover photography method to estimate LAI in apple trees using conventional digital photography and instantaneous measurements of incident radiation (Io) and transmitted radiation (I) through the canopy. Leaf area of 40 single apple trees were measured destructively to obtain real leaf area index (LAID), which was compared with LAI estimated by the proposed digital photography method (LAIM). Results showed that the LAIM was able to estimate LAID with an error of 25% using a constant light extinction coefficient (k = 0.68). However, when k was estimated using an exponential function based on the fraction of foliage cover (ff) derived from images, the error was reduced to 18%. Furthermore, when measurements of light intercepted by the canopy (Ic) were used as a proxy value for k, the method presented an error of only 9%. These results have shown that by using a proxy k value, estimated by Ic, helped to increase accuracy of LAI estimates using digital cover images for apple trees with different canopy sizes and under field conditions. PMID:25635411

  5. Combined Use of Airborne Lidar and DBInSAR Data to Estimate LAI in Temperate Mixed Forests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ross F. Nelson

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine whether leaf area index (LAI in temperate mixed forests is best estimated using multiple-return airborne laser scanning (lidar data or dual-band, single-pass interferometric synthetic aperture radar data (from GeoSAR alone, or both in combination. In situ measurements of LAI were made using the LiCor LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer on 61 plots (21 hardwood, 36 pine, 4 mixed pine hardwood; stand age ranging from 12-164 years; mean height ranging from 0.4 to 41.2 m in the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, Virginia, USA. Lidar distributional metrics were calculated for all returns and for ten one meter deep crown density slices (a new metric, five above and five below the mode of the vegetation returns for each plot. GeoSAR metrics were calculated from the X-band backscatter coefficients (four looks as well as both X- and P-band interferometric heights and magnitudes for each plot. Lidar metrics alone explained 69% of the variability in LAI, while GeoSAR metrics alone explained 52%. However, combining the lidar and GeoSAR metrics increased the R2 to 0.77 with a CV-RMSE of 0.42. This study indicates the clear potential for X-band backscatter and interferometric height (both now available from spaceborne sensors, when combined with small-footprint lidar data, to improve LAI estimation in temperate mixed forests.

  6. Network protocol changes can improve DisCom WAN performance : evaluating TCP modifications and SCTP in the ASC tri-lab environment.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tolendino, Lawrence F.; Hu, Tan Chang

    2005-06-01

    The Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Distance Computing (DisCom) Wide Area Network (WAN) is a high performance, long distance network environment that is based on the ubiquitous TCP/IP protocol set. However, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the algorithms that govern its operation were defined almost two decades ago for a network environment vastly different from the DisCom WAN. In this paper we explore and evaluate possible modifications to TCP that purport to improve TCP performance in environments like the DisCom WAN. We also examine a much newer protocol, SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol) that claims to provide reliable network transport while also implementing multi-streaming, multi-homing capabilities that are appealing in the DisCom high performance network environment. We provide performance comparisons and recommendations for continued development that will lead to network communications protocol implementations capable of supporting the coming ASC Petaflop computing environments.

  7. Evaluation of Land Surface Models in Reproducing Satellite-Derived LAI over the High-Latitude Northern Hemisphere. Part I: Uncoupled DGVMs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ning Zeng

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Leaf Area Index (LAI represents the total surface area of leaves above a unit area of ground and is a key variable in any vegetation model, as well as in climate models. New high resolution LAI satellite data is now available covering a period of several decades. This provides a unique opportunity to validate LAI estimates from multiple vegetation models. The objective of this paper is to compare new, satellite-derived LAI measurements with modeled output for the Northern Hemisphere. We compare monthly LAI output from eight land surface models from the TRENDY compendium with satellite data from an Artificial Neural Network (ANN from the latest version (third generation of GIMMS AVHRR NDVI data over the period 1986–2005. Our results show that all the models overestimate the mean LAI, particularly over the boreal forest. We also find that seven out of the eight models overestimate the length of the active vegetation-growing season, mostly due to a late dormancy as a result of a late summer phenology. Finally, we find that the models report a much larger positive trend in LAI over this period than the satellite observations suggest, which translates into a higher trend in the growing season length. These results highlight the need to incorporate a larger number of more accurate plant functional types in all models and, in particular, to improve the phenology of deciduous trees.

  8. [Professor LAI Xinsheng's experience of acupuncture combined with medication for epilepsy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Yajing; Wu, Peilong; Wang, Yumei; He, Kejie; Zhang, Sujuan; Lai, Xinsheng

    2018-04-12

    Professor LAI Xinsheng 's experience of acupuncture combined with medication for epilepsy is summarized, which is explained from epilepsy's etiology and pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of acupuncture and medication, respectively. Besides, the theoretical foundation and use instruction of acupuncture technique " tong - yuan " for epilepsy are introduced. Professor LAI highly values the adherence to etiology and pathogenesis, pays attention to syndrome differentiation and searches for the primary disease cause. He proposes the wind, phlegm, stasis and deficiency are the pathogenesis of epilepsy, and points out acupuncture could be applied during attack stage and remittent stage, but electroacupuncture should be used with caution. Regulating spirit is the key for treating epilepsy. The combination of acupuncture and medication could regulate the governor vessel and guide qi to the origin, which have significant curative effect.

  9. A Dual Key-Based Activation Scheme for Secure LoRaWAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaehyu Kim

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT era, we are experiencing rapid technological progress. Billions of devices are connected to each other, and our homes, cities, hospitals, and schools are getting smarter and smarter. However, to realize the IoT, several challenging issues such as connecting resource-constrained devices to the Internet must be resolved. Recently introduced Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN technologies have been devised to resolve this issue. Among many LPWAN candidates, the Long Range (LoRa is one of the most promising technologies. The Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN is a communication protocol for LoRa that provides basic security mechanisms. However, some security loopholes exist in LoRaWAN’s key update and session key generation. In this paper, we propose a dual key-based activation scheme for LoRaWAN. It resolves the problem of key updates not being fully supported. In addition, our scheme facilitates each layer in generating its own session key directly, which ensures the independence of all layers. Real-world experimental results compared with the original scheme show that the proposed scheme is totally feasible in terms of delay and battery consumption.

  10. Leaf Area Index (LAI Estimation of Boreal Forest Using Wide Optics Airborne Winter Photos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pauline Stenberg

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available A new simple airborne method based on wide optics camera is developed for leaf area index (LAI estimation in coniferous forests. The measurements are carried out in winter, when the forest floor is completely snow covered and thus acts as a light background for the hemispherical analysis of the images. The photos are taken automatically and stored on a laptop during the flights. The R2 value of the linear regression of the airborne and ground based LAI measurements was 0.89.

  11. Bayesian object-based estimation of LAI and chlorophyll from a simulated Sentinel-2 top-of-atmosphere radiance image

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Laurent, V.C.E.; Schaepman, M.E.; Verhoef, W.; Weyermann, J.; Chavez Oyanadel, R.O.

    2014-01-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) and chlorophyll content (Cab) are important vegetation variables which can be monitored using remote sensing (RS). Physically-based approaches have higher transferability and are therefore better suited than empirically-based approaches for estimating LAI and Cab at global

  12. Effect of GuiXiong Xiaoyi Wan in Treatment of Endometriosis on Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhixing Jin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the effect of GuiXiong Xiaoyi Wan (GXXYW on the development of endometriosis in a rat model. Methods. Sprague-Dawley rats with surgically induced endometriosis were randomly treated with low-dose GXXYW, high-dose GXXYW, or vehicle (negative control for 28 days. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess cell proliferation in the lesions. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase- (TdT- mediated dUTP biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL method was performed to analyse the apoptosis induced by GuiXiong Xiaoyi Wan. The percentages of CD3+ lymphocytes, CD4+ lymphocytes, and CD8+ lymphocytes in the spleens of the rats were evaluated using flow cytometric analysis. Results. Treatment with GXXYW significantly decreased the lesion size, inhibited cell proliferation, and induced apoptosis in endometriotic tissue. The spleens of GXXYW-treated rats also demonstrated a significant increase in the percentage of CD4+ lymphocytes and a significant decrease in the percentage of CD8+ lymphocytes. Conclusions. These results suggest that, in a rat model, GXXYW may be effective in the suppression of the growth of endometriosis, possibly through the inhibition of cell proliferation, the induction of apoptosis of endometriotic cells, and the regulation of the immune system.

  13. Suicide Prevention in Schizophrenia: Do Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIs) have a Role?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pompili, Maurizio; Orsolini, Laura; Lamis, Dorian A; Goldsmith, David R; Nardella, Adele; Falcone, Giulia; Corigliano, Valentina; Luciano, Mario; Fiorillo, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    Suicide risk is a major cause of death among patients with schizophrenia. Death by suicide has been reported in approximately 5% of schizophrenia patients although this figure appears to be an underestimate of the problem. A number of risk factors are routinely reported as associated with suicide risk among these patients, some of which are modifiable by targeted therapeutic strategies. Clozapine is the only compound that gathered evidence as an effective treatment for reducing suicide risk in schizophrenia. Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIs) have a range of advantages in terms of efficacy, safety and tolerability in the treatment of schizophrenia, and one area of interest is whether LAI-treatment may decrease suicidality by indirectly acting on a range of risk factors for suicide specific to schizophrenia patients. This background encouraged the present review of research pertaining to LAIs in relation to modifiable risk factors for suicide in schizophrenia. We viewed our task as gathering, speculating and critically appraising the available research relevant to the topic, with the aim of formulating a hypothesis to be tested with further research. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  14. Mapping mangrove leaf area index at the species level using IKONOS and LAI-2000 sensors for the Agua Brava Lagoon, Mexican Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovacs, John M.; Wang, Jinfei; Flores-Verdugo, Francisco

    2005-01-01

    Using both IKONOS and in situ LAI-2000 sensor data, a map of estimated LAI, based on NDVI, was created for the Agua Brava Lagoon, Mexican Pacific. The LAI values were then aggregated according to four classes; red mangrove ( Rhizophora mangle), healthy white mangrove ( Laguncularia racemosa), poor condition white mangrove and dead mangrove. Of the live mangrove, calculated at approximately 85% of the forest, mean LAI values of 2.49, 1.74 and 0.85 were determined for the red, healthy white and poor condition white mangrove, respectively. Excluding the dead areas, an overall estimated mangrove LAI value of 1.81 was ascertained for the 71 km 2 of mapped mangrove forest. Although the results do suggest the technique as a very rapid and effective method for monitoring the condition of mangroves at the species level, potential limitations are also discussed.

  15. LAI and chlorophyll estimation for a heterogeneous grassland using hyperspectral measurements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Darvishzadeh, R.; Skidmore, A.K.; Schlerf, M.; Atzberger, C.; Corsi, F.; Cho, M.A.

    2008-01-01

    The study shows that leaf area index (LAI), leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) and canopy chlorophyll content (CCC) can be mapped in a heterogeneous Mediterranean grassland from canopy spectral reflectance measurements. Canopy spectral measurements were made in the field using a GER 3700

  16. A data fusion Kalman filter algorithm to estimate leaf area index evolution by using Modis LAI and PROBA-V top of canopy synthesis data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novelli, Antonio

    2016-08-01

    Leaf Area Index (LAI) is essential in ecosystem and agronomic studies, since it measures energy and gas exchanges between vegetation and atmosphere. In the last decades, LAI values have widely been estimated from passive remotely sensed data. Common approaches are based on semi-empirical/statistic techniques or on radiative transfer model inversion. Although the scientific community has been providing several LAI retrieval methods, the estimated results are often affected by noise and measurement uncertainties. The sequential data assimilation theory provides a theoretical framework to combine an imperfect model with incomplete observation data. In this document a data fusion Kalman filter algorithm is proposed in order to estimate the time evolution of LAI by combining MODIS LAI data and PROBA-V surface reflectance data. The reflectance data were linked to LAI by using the Reduced Simple Ratio index. The main working hypotheses were lacking input data necessary for climatic models and canopy reflectance models.

  17. Optimizing the ASC WAN: evaluating network performance tools for comparing transport protocols.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lydick, Christopher L.

    2007-07-01

    The Advanced Simulation & Computing Wide Area Network (ASC WAN), which is a high delay-bandwidth network connection between US Department of Energy National Laboratories, is constantly being examined and evaluated for efficiency. One of the current transport-layer protocols which is used, TCP, was developed for traffic demands which are different from that on the ASC WAN. The Stream Control Transport Protocol (SCTP), on the other hand, has shown characteristics which make it more appealing to networks such as these. Most important, before considering a replacement for TCP on any network, a testing tool that performs well against certain criteria needs to be found. In order to try to find such a tool, two popular networking tools (Netperf v.2.4.3 & v.2.4.6 (OpenSS7 STREAMS), and Iperf v.2.0.6) were tested. These tools implement both TCP and SCTP and were evaluated using four metrics: (1) How effectively can the tool reach a throughput near the bandwidth? (2) How much of the CPU does the tool utilize during operation? (3) Is the tool freely and widely available? And, (4) Is the tool actively developed? Following the analysis of those tools, this paper goes further into explaining some recommendations and ideas for future work.

  18. Design and Smartphone-Based Implementation of a Chaotic Video Communication Scheme via WAN Remote Transmission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Zhuosheng; Yu, Simin; Li, Chengqing; Lü, Jinhu; Wang, Qianxue

    This paper proposes a chaotic secure video remote communication scheme that can perform on real WAN networks, and implements it on a smartphone hardware platform. First, a joint encryption and compression scheme is designed by embedding a chaotic encryption scheme into the MJPG-Streamer source codes. Then, multiuser smartphone communications between the sender and the receiver are implemented via WAN remote transmission. Finally, the transmitted video data are received with the given IP address and port in an Android smartphone. It should be noted that, this is the first time that chaotic video encryption schemes are implemented on such a hardware platform. The experimental results demonstrate that the technical challenges on hardware implementation of secure video communication are successfully solved, reaching a balance amongst sufficient security level, real-time processing of massive video data, and utilization of available resources in the hardware environment. The proposed scheme can serve as a good application example of chaotic secure communications for smartphone and other mobile facilities in the future.

  19. THE WAN-IFRA DISCOURSE: ADVICE, APPLICATION, AND DISQUALIFICATION OF ORGANISATIONAL MODELS IN MEDIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joël Langonné

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Among the multiple exhortations made on the liberating - even saviour-type - role of the digital era over the past ten years in the field of journalism, one constant has remained: criticism of managerial models and dialectic of economic ones in the media which have defined the spheres of action, resulting in these discourses without ever sealing their fate. A fate that for several years now has been marked by a process in which journalists are being cast aside in favour of a managerial standpoint that broadly integrates 'convergence' as a tool of governance. This paper aims to question (as one of many mediations instituting convergence as a structuring model WAN-IFRA's discursive and ideological materiality. This international organisation of newspapers and news publishers has set its sights on convincing the print media of the necessity to switching to multiformat; to convergence. This work investigates the stability and/or instability of the WAN-IFRA discourse, as well as its ability to absorb other discourses. Lastly, through a cloud of prescriptive discourse it will indicate those discourses enforced by some managers in the media business.

  20. The WAN-IFRA discourse: advice, application, and disqualification of organisational models in media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joël Langonné

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Among the multiple exhortations made on the liberating - even saviour-type - role of the digital era over the past ten years in the field of journalism, one constant has remained: criticism of managerial models and dialectic of economic ones in the media which have defined the spheres of action, resulting in these discourses without ever sealing their fate. A fate that for several years now has been marked by a process in which journalists are being cast aside in favour of a managerial standpoint that broadly integrates 'convergence' as a tool of governance. This paper aims to question (as one of many mediations instituting convergence as a structuring model WAN-IFRA's discursive and ideological materiality. This international organisation of newspapers and news publishers has set its sights on convincing the print media of the necessity to switching to multiformat; to convergence. This work investigates the stability and/or instability of the WAN-IFRA discourse, as well as its ability to absorb other discourses. Lastly, through a cloud of prescriptive discourse it will indicate those discourses enforced by some managers in the media business.

  1. Construction Strategies of Social Security System for Wan-jiang Urban Belt’s Migrant Workers

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2011-01-01

    Theoretical debate and practice exploration on social security of migrant workers were introduced.The political direction and security layer on social security for migrant workers in Wan-jiang urban belt were analyzed:the first layer is to implement wage payment guarantee and employment injury insurance;the second layer is to emphasize serious disease insurance and endowment insurance;the third layer is unemployed insurance and social assistance.The primary strategy of building a social security system for migrant workers in Wan-jiang urban belt was put up:wage payment guarantee system that is united in certain regions should be promoted;employment injury insurance system that is undertaken by enterprises should be built;a social health care system for serious diseases should be set up;multi-layers endowment insurance system for migrant workers should be created;vocational training and training in how to start a business should be built as well as the unemployment insurance system;social assistant system based on the basic cost of living allowances should be set up.

  2. Solar radiation measurements and Leaf Area Index (LAI) from vegetal covers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wandelli, E.V.; Marques Filho, A. de O.

    1999-01-01

    A method by which a physical model of the solar radiation transfer in a vegetal medium is inverted to estimate the leaf area index (LAI) for different types of vegetation is presented here, as an alternative to the destructive experiments, which are a hard task to implement on the vegetation covers. Radiation data were obtained during the dry season — 1996, at the Embrapa Experimental Station, (BR 174 - km 54, 2° 31' S, 60° 01' W), Manaus, Brazil. The method yielded convergent values for the LAI between different adopted radiation classes with more stable estimates at time when there is a predominant diffuse radiation. The application of the inversion algorithm yields the following values for the leaf area index and respective annual foliage increments: 3.5 (0.35 yr. -1 ) for the intact secondary forest; 2.0 (0.5 yr -1 ) for the palm agroforestry system; and 1.6 (0.4 yr -1 ) for the multi-layer ones [pt

  3. Leaf Area Index (LAI) in different type of agroforestry systems based on hemispherical photographs in Cidanau Watershed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nur Khairiah, Rahmi; Setiawan, Yudi; Budi Prasetyo, Lilik; Ayu Permatasari, Prita

    2017-01-01

    Ecological functions of agroforestry systems have perceived benefit to people around Cidanau Watershed, especially in the protection of water quality. The main causes of the problems encountered in the Cidanau Watershed are associated with the human factors, especially encroachment and conversion of forest into farmland. The encroachment has made most forest in Cidanau Watershed become bare land. To preserve the ecological function of agroforestry systems in Cidanau Watershed, monitoring of the condition of the vegetation canopy in agroforestry systems is really needed. High intensity thinning of crown density due to deforestation can change stand leaf area index dramatically. By knowing LAI, we can assess the condition of the vegetation canopy in agroforestry systems. LAI in this research was obtained from Hemispherical Photographs analysis using the threshold method in HemiView Canopy Analysis Software. Our research results indicate that there are six types of agroforestry in Cidanau Watershed i.e. Sengon Agroforestry, Clove Agroforestry, Melinjo Agroforestry, Chocolate Agroforestry, Coffee Agroforestry, and Complex Agroforestry. Several factors potentially contribute to variations in the value of LAI in different types of agroforestry. The simple assumptions about differences ranges of LAI values on six types of agroforestry is closely related to leaf area and plant population density.

  4. Estimating the leaf area index (LAI) of black wattle from Landsat ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Regression analysis revealed that actual LAI had significant relationships with PAI and NDVI. The results indicate the potential of the Landsat ETM+ satellite imageries to estimate values of important canopy attributes of A. mearnsii that are related to stand productivity that may be used as inputs into process-based models ...

  5. Technical Knowledge, Cultural Practices and Social Boundaries: Wan-Nan Scholars and the Recasting of Jesuit Astronomy, 1600-1800

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Ping-Yi.

    Taking four Wan-nan Confucian scholars--Yang Kuang -hsien, Mei Wen-ting, Chiang Yung and Tai Chen--as examples, this dissertation studies how an immigrant Jesuit scientific community built and defended itself in a specialized institutional niche located at the Ch'ing court and how a defeated Chinese scientific tradition successfully survived by occupying a broader cultural space, with the Manchu emperor in between. Special attention is paid to how these four Confucian scholars constructed social boundaries between the Chinese and the Westerners in their astronomical discourses and how they domesticated Western astronomy in order to fit the Chinese cultural conditions situated in the power structure built by the Manchus. This inquiry begins with a brief introduction of Wan-nan and the Wan-nan school. I then discuss how the Jesuits legitimated their knowledge during the Ming -Ch'ing transition, and how Jesuit astronomy was situated within the power nexus between the Confucian literati and the emperors. The next chapter focuses on Yang Kuang-hsien and his challenges to the Jesuits. I examine his strategies and the power structure in which Yang carried out his challenge to the Jesuits. The fourth and fifth chapters investigate how Mei Wen-ting restructured the relationship between Confucianism and astronomy. The former chapter focuses on Mei's social networking and his ambivalence towards the Ming and Ch'ing dynasties, on the one hand, and towards Chinese and Western learning on the other. The latter chapter deals with how Mei Wen-ting recast Chinese astronomical tradition and Confucianism. In the sixth chapter, I will compare the fame of Chiang Yung and Tai Chen in order to demonstrate how astronomy was practiced in evidential studies after Mei Wen-ting, and how evidential studies itself conveyed an ideological construction of the other. Through integrating Western astronomy with indigenous tradition while exorcising the otherness contained within the cultural package

  6. American atrocity revisited: national identity, cascading frames, and the My Lai massacre

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rowling, C.M.; Sheets, P.; Jones, T.M.

    2015-01-01

    This study draws on the "cascading activation" model of press-state relations to explore U.S. political and news discourse surrounding the 1968 My Lai Massacre. We systematically analyze White House, military, congressional, and news communications and draw upon scholarship in social psychology to

  7. Spatial Heterogeneity of Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Its Temporal Course on Arable Land: Combining Field Measurements, Remote Sensing and Simulation in a Comprehensive Data Analysis Approach (CDAA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korres, Wolfgang; Montzka, Carsten; Fiener, Peter; Wilken, Florian; Stadler, Anja; Waldhoff, Guido; Schneider, Karl

    2016-01-01

    The ratio of leaf area to ground area (leaf area index, LAI) is an important state variable in ecosystem studies since it influences fluxes of matter and energy between the land surface and the atmosphere. As a basis for generating temporally continuous and spatially distributed datasets of LAI, the current study contributes an analysis of its spatial variability and spatial structure. Soil-vegetation-atmosphere fluxes of water, carbon and energy are nonlinearly related to LAI. Therefore, its spatial heterogeneity, i.e., the combination of spatial variability and structure, has an effect on simulations of these fluxes. To assess LAI spatial heterogeneity, we apply a Comprehensive Data Analysis Approach that combines data from remote sensing (5 m resolution) and simulation (150 m resolution) with field measurements and a detailed land use map. Test area is the arable land in the fertile loess plain of the Rur catchment on the Germany-Belgium-Netherlands border. LAI from remote sensing and simulation compares well with field measurements. Based on the simulation results, we describe characteristic crop-specific temporal patterns of LAI spatial variability. By means of these patterns, we explain the complex multimodal frequency distributions of LAI in the remote sensing data. In the test area, variability between agricultural fields is higher than within fields. Therefore, spatial resolutions less than the 5 m of the remote sensing scenes are sufficient to infer LAI spatial variability. Frequency distributions from the simulation agree better with the multimodal distributions from remote sensing than normal distributions do. The spatial structure of LAI in the test area is dominated by a short distance referring to field sizes. Longer distances that refer to soil and weather can only be derived from remote sensing data. Therefore, simulations alone are not sufficient to characterize LAI spatial structure. It can be concluded that a comprehensive picture of LAI spatial

  8. « Comme à l’époque de Suzie Wong ». Les mutations du red-light district de Wan Chai

    OpenAIRE

    Paris, Nicolas

    2011-01-01

    Le roman exotique Le monde de Suzie Wong et ses nombreuses adaptations immortalisent le red-light district de Wan Chai à Hong Kong à la fin des années 1950, mettant en scène marins américains, expatriés de l’Empire britannique et prostituées hongkongaises. Aujourd’hui, avec la mondialisation, Wan Chai est fréquenté par des migrantes de plusieurs pays d’Asie du Sud-Est. Pourtant, le red-light district est toujours associé dans la presse et les guides de voyage à « l’époque de Suzie Wong ». Ces...

  9. State of the Art in LP-WAN Solutions for Industrial IoT Services

    OpenAIRE

    Sanchez-Iborra, Ramon; Cano, Maria-Dolores

    2016-01-01

    The emergence of low-cost connected devices is enabling a new wave of sensorization services. These services can be highly leveraged in industrial applications. However, the technologies employed so far for managing this kind of system do not fully cover the strict requirements of industrial networks, especially those regarding energy efficiency. In this article a novel paradigm, called Low-Power Wide Area Networking (LP-WAN), is explored. By means of a cellular-type architecture, LP-WAN–base...

  10. Crop Classification and LAI Estimation Using Original and Resolution-Reduced Images from Two Consumer-Grade Cameras

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Zhang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Consumer-grade cameras are being increasingly used for remote sensing applications in recent years. However, the performance of this type of cameras has not been systematically tested and well documented in the literature. The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance of original and resolution-reduced images taken from two consumer-grade cameras, a RGB camera and a modified near-infrared (NIR camera, for crop identification and leaf area index (LAI estimation. Airborne RGB and NIR images taken over a 6.5-square-km cropping area were mosaicked and aligned to create a four-band mosaic with a spatial resolution of 0.4 m. The spatial resolution of the mosaic was then reduced to 1, 2, 4, 10, 15 and 30 m for comparison. Six supervised classifiers were applied to the RGB images and the four-band images for crop identification, and 10 vegetation indices (VIs derived from the images were related to ground-measured LAI. Accuracy assessment showed that maximum likelihood applied to the 0.4-m images achieved an overall accuracy of 83.3% for the RGB image and 90.4% for the four-band image. Regression analysis showed that the 10 VIs explained 58.7% to 83.1% of the variability in LAI. Moreover, spatial resolutions at 0.4, 1, 2 and 4 m achieved better classification results for both crop identification and LAI prediction than the coarser spatial resolutions at 10, 15 and 30 m. The results from this study indicate that imagery from consumer-grade cameras can be a useful data source for crop identification and canopy cover estimation.

  11. Fractal analysis of intraflow unidirectional delay over w-lan and w-wan environments

    OpenAIRE

    Pezaros, D. P.; Sifalakis, M.; Mathy, Laurent

    2007-01-01

    We have analysed unidirectional delay traces of a diverse set of IPv6 microflows routed over W-LAN and W-WAN environments. Using a number of time-domain and frequency-domain estimators we have examined the existence and intensity of long-range dependence in packet delay when viewed as time-series data. The correlation structures of packet delay on bulk TCP data path and UDP flows follow asymptotic decay while Hurst exponent estimates suggest from moderate to strong intensity(H->1).

  12. Effect of Rat Medicated Serum Containing Zuo Gui Wan and/or You Gui Wan on the Differentiation of Stem Cells Derived from Human First Trimester Umbilical Cord into Oocyte-Like Cells In Vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang Hu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Zuo Gui Wan (ZGW and You Gui Wan (YGW are two classic formulas used in clinical treatment of infertility in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM. However, the actions of the formulas remain to be proven at the cellular and molecular levels. In this study, we investigate whether the two formulas have any effect on germ cell formation and differentiation by culturing rat medicated serums containing YGW or ZGW with stem cells derived from human first trimester umbilical cord. Our results showed that while the normal rat serums had no significant effects, the rat medicated serums had significant effects on the differentiation of the stem cells into oocyte-like cells (OLCs based on (1 cell morphological changes that resembled purative cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs; (2 expressions of specific markers that were indicative of germ cell formation and oocyte development; and (3 estradiol production by the COC-like cells. Furthermore, ZGW medicated serums exhibited more obvious effects on specific gene expressions of germ cells, whereas YGW medicated serums showed stronger effects on estradiol production. Accordingly, our study provides evidence demonstrating for the first time that one of molecular and cellular actions of YGW or ZGW in treating human reproductive dysfunctions may be through an enhancement of neooogenesis.

  13. Scalla/xrootd WAN globalization tools: where we are.

    CERN Document Server

    Furano, F; CERN. Geneva. IT Department

    2010-01-01

    The Scalla/Xrootd software suite is a set of tools and suggested methods useful to build scalable, fault tolerant and high performance storage systems for POSIX-like data access. One of the most important recent development efforts has been to implement technologies able to deal with the characteristics of Wide Area Networks, and find solutions in order to allow data analysis applications to directly access remote data repositories in an efficient way. This contribution describes the current status of the various features and mechanisms implemented in the Scalla/Xrootd software suite, which allow to create and efficiently access 'global' data repositories, obtained by aggregating multiple sites through Wide Area Networks. One of these mechanisms is the ability of the clients to efficiently exploit high-latency high-throughput WANs and access remote repositories in read/write mode for analysis-like tasks. We will also discuss the possibilities of making distant data sub-repositories cooperate. The aim is to gi...

  14. Golden Girl: Mary Lai Reflects as She Marks Her 50th Anniversary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwanowski, Jay

    1996-01-01

    The career and administrative style of Mary M. Lai, who celebrates her 50th year as chief financial officer at Long Island University (New York), are discussed. Her perspectives on change in higher education and in the institution during that time, the administrator's role, current challenges for financial officers, and the college environment as…

  15. EPIC Forest LAI Dataset: LAI estimates generated from the USDA Environmental Policy Impact Climate (EPIC) model (a widely used, field-scale, biogeochemical model) on four forest complexes spanning three physiographic provinces in VA and NC.

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This data depicts calculated and validated LAI estimates generated from the USDA Environmental Policy Impact Climate (EPIC) model (a widely used, field-scale,...

  16. 13–18 metų našlaičių, gyvenančių globos įstaigoje ir pas globėjus, socializacijos ypatumai

    OpenAIRE

    Dailydaitė, Aušra

    2008-01-01

    Tyrimo tikslas: Nustatyti 13–18 metų našlaičių, gyvenančių globos įstaigoje ir pas globėjus, socializacijos ypatumus. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1. Nustatyti našlaičių, gyvenančių globos įstaigoje ir pas globėjus, socialinės adaptacijos ypatumus 2006 ir 2008 metais. 2. Išryškinti našlaičių, gyvenančių globos įstaigoje ir pas globėjus, vidinės būsenos ypatumus 2006 ir 2008 metais. 3. Išsiaiškinti našlaičių, gyvenančių globos įstaigoje ir pas globėjus, ateities perspektyvos suvokimo ypatu...

  17. Retrieval of LAI and leaf chlorophyll content from remote sensing data by agronomy mechanism knowledge to solve the ill-posed inverse problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhenhai; Nie, Chenwei; Yang, Guijun; Xu, Xingang; Jin, Xiuliang; Gu, Xiaohe

    2014-10-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) and LCC, as the two most important crop growth variables, are major considerations in management decisions, agricultural planning and policy making. Estimation of canopy biophysical variables from remote sensing data was investigated using a radiative transfer model. However, the ill-posed problem is unavoidable for the unique solution of the inverse problem and the uncertainty of measurements and model assumptions. This study focused on the use of agronomy mechanism knowledge to restrict and remove the ill-posed inversion results. For this purpose, the inversion results obtained using the PROSAIL model alone (NAMK) and linked with agronomic mechanism knowledge (AMK) were compared. The results showed that AMK did not significantly improve the accuracy of LAI inversion. LAI was estimated with high accuracy, and there was no significant improvement after considering AMK. The validation results of the determination coefficient (R2) and the corresponding root mean square error (RMSE) between measured LAI and estimated LAI were 0.635 and 1.022 for NAMK, and 0.637 and 0.999 for AMK, respectively. LCC estimation was significantly improved with agronomy mechanism knowledge; the R2 and RMSE values were 0.377 and 14.495 μg cm-2 for NAMK, and 0.503 and 10.661 μg cm-2 for AMK, respectively. Results of the comparison demonstrated the need for agronomy mechanism knowledge in radiative transfer model inversion.

  18. Effects of electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture plus Tao Hong Si Wu Wan in treating primary dysmenorrhea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Edwin Yong; Miao, Miranda Yi-mo; Kildea, Daniel George; Lao, Yi-Wen

    2014-02-01

    This study investigated the efficacies of electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture combined with Tao Hong Si Wu Wan in treating primary dysmenorrhea and compared the results with those obtained using conventional medical treatment. One treatment group, group 1, was administered Tao Hong Si Wu Wan (2625 mg) while the other, group 2, was administered a placebo (2625 mg) twice daily for 3 months. Electroacupuncture was used in both treatment groups: two sessions per menstrual cycle for three menstrual cycles. The reference group, group 3, was administered ibuprofen, 600 mg, twice daily, for five menstrual cycles. Uses of the herb, placebo and ibuprofen were blinded. A ridit analysis was used for testing and interpreting the effects of treatment. Pain intensity was determined using a qualitative grading method in a blinded manner. The ridit scores in groups 1 and 2 were significantly higher than those in reference group immediately after treatment and three months later. Twelve months after the treatment, group 1 had a higher ridit score than group 2. In comparison to the reference group, groups 1 and 2 achieved better menstrual pain relief both immediately and 3 months after treatment. In addition, group 1 had better long-term pain relief than group 2. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Fractal analysis of intraflow unidirectional\\ud delay over W-LAN and W-WAN environments

    OpenAIRE

    Pezaros, D.; Sifalakis, M.; Mathy, L.

    2007-01-01

    We have analysed unidirectional delay traces of a diverse\\ud set of IPv6 microflows routed over W-LAN and W-WAN\\ud environments. Using a number of time-domain and frequency-domain estimators we have examined the existence and intensity of long-range dependence in packet delay when viewed as time-series data. The correlation structures of packet delay on bulk TCP data path and UDP flows follow asymptotic decay while Hurst exponent estimates suggest from moderate to strong intensity(H->1).

  20. Discovery of a trachyte ignimbrite sequence at Hualālai, Hawaii

    OpenAIRE

    Shea, Thomas; Owen, Jacqueline

    2016-01-01

    Ignimbrites are common in many intraplate ocean islands but have been missing from the known geological record in Hawaii. During a recent field campaign, the remnants of a trachytic ignimbrite sequence have been discovered at Hualālai volcano, fortuitously preserved from subsequent basaltic lava flow cover. We provide a preliminary description of these deposits, as well as bulk and glass chemical analyses to determine their potential relationship with other nearby trachytes from Pu’u Wa’awa’a...

  1. Potential performances of remotely sensed LAI assimilation in WOFOST model based on an OSS experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Curnel, Y.; Wit, de A.J.W.; Duveiller, G.; Defourny, P.

    2011-01-01

    An Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) has been defined to assess the potentialities of assimilating winter wheat leaf area index (LAI) estimations derived from remote sensing into the crop growth model WOFOST. Two assimilation strategies are considered: one based on Ensemble Kalman Filter

  2. CoralWatch Data Analysis at Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, Hong Kong

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, A.; Hodgson, P.

    2015-12-01

    CoralWatch is a conservation organization that is based at the University of Queensland in Australia. Their development of the "Coral Health Chart" standardized the colour of corals for the further investigation of coral health and bleaching. The location of this project is in the NE part of Hong Kong in New Territories. The location faces ShenZhen, a heavily industrialized city, which is known for its pollution of the Pearl River. This area is protected by the Hong Kong Government and the WWF since 1996.Human activities have caused large amounts of greenhouse gasses to be released into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide has caused the global temperature to rise and made ocean waters more acidic due to ocean respiration. The ocean is a carbon sink for mankind and the effect of severe acidification is negatively affecting marine life. The increase of temperature diminishes the amount of diversity of marine life; the decreasing acidity of the water has eliminated many species of shellfish and sea anemone; the increase of marine exploitation has decreased the diversity of marine life. The release of toxic waste, mainly mercury, waste and plastic products has also polluted the oceans which negatively impact coral reefs and endanger marine life.The data has been collected by observing the colours and discolouration (bleaching) of the corals of approximately 40 colonies per month. The species of coral in Hoi Ha Wan include, Favites flexuosa, Goniopora columna,Leptastrea purpurea, Lithophyllon undulatum, Pavona decussata. and Platygyra acuta (AFCD,1). The evaluation of four years of coralwatch data has shown the bleaching of hard boulder corals in Hoi Ha Wan, Hong Kong, has halted and the reefs are being to show signs of regeneration. Local marine biologists credited the improved situation of the corals to protected status of the area.

  3. Improving Quality of Service and Reducing Power Consumption with WAN accelerator in Cloud Computing Environments

    OpenAIRE

    Shin-ichi Kuribayashi

    2013-01-01

    The widespread use of cloud computing services is expected to deteriorate a Quality of Service and toincrease the power consumption of ICT devices, since the distance to a server becomes longer than before. Migration of virtual machines over a wide area can solve many problems such as load balancing and power saving in cloud computing environments. This paper proposes to dynamically apply WAN accelerator within the network when a virtual machine is moved to a distant center, in order to preve...

  4. The ENET WAN of ENEA`S geographical network: Present situation and optimization; La rete geografica ENET dell`ENEA: Situazione attuale e proposte di ottimizzazione

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bongiovanni, Giancarlo [Rome, Univ. La Sapienza (Italy); Di Marco, Roberto Antonio [ENEA, Rome (Italy). Funzione Centrale Informatica; Marocco, Glaudio

    1997-10-01

    The wide area networks for data transmission are submitting to evolution process by technological progress and unrelated process to the network. The evolution process can be originated by the bottom up integration of different networks that were born to solve specific problems (i.e.: scientific calculations and business administration). The ENET WAN of ENEA had been submitted to the same evolution progress. In this thesis the author analyze all the problems about WAN with emphasis in ENET WAN. The purpose of this research is the analysis of the present situation in particularly links, efficiency, expenses and throughput. The goal is to suggest alternative solutions to optimized the network and to amplify the throughput by new technology. The research suggests in particularly two new wide area networks: ENET{sub C}-LAN95 e ENET{sub S}ERV96. The first one is a mix interconnection solution, that is basis on the public network C-LAN, with the transportation protocol Frame Relay, and on the private links Numerical Direct Channels (CDN). The second one is also a mix interconnection solution, but it is based on two new network services that are supplied by two new public networks just introduce in Italian telecommunications market since `96. Frame Relay and ATM are the transportation protocol employed.

  5. Factors influencing biosafety level and lai among the staff of medical laboratories

    OpenAIRE

    Anna Kozajda; Karolina Bródka; Irena Szadkowska-Stańczyk

    2013-01-01

    Background: The aim of the study was to assess the biological risks of medical laboratory employees with particular focus on laboratory acquired infection (LAI), activities having the greatest risk, accidents with biological material, post exposure procedure, preventive measures and workers' knowledge about biological exposure. Materials and Methods: The study involved 9 laboratories. A questionnaire survey was attended by 123 employees and 9 heads of these units with the use of two questionn...

  6. On personality traits of Zhou En-lai%浅谈周恩来的人格特质

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    赵世成

    2013-01-01

    Zhou En-lai's personality traits, embodied not only the traditional virtues of the Chinese people, but also embodies the Chinese Communists excellent quality. Inherit and carry forward the great spirit of personality of Zhou En-lai, are great practical significance to comprehensively improve the quality of spiritual culture and the construction of harmonious society.%周恩来的人格特质,既是中华民族传统美德的具体体现,也是中国共产党人优秀品质的具体体现。继承和发扬周恩来伟大的人格精神,对于全面提高精神文化素质和构建和谐社会都有重大的现实意义。

  7. A Morte e a Iniciação Feminina nos Lais de Maria de França

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Dias da Silveira

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available O estudo dos significados da morte na construção de práticas sociais inclui a análise de imagens que são construídas e transformadas coletivamente ao longo de séculos em uma sociedade. A considerar esse processo de longa duração, o presente ensaio tem como eixo a relação entre morte e feminino e pretende estabelecer o entrelaçamento da perspectiva histórica com a literária e a antropológica. Serão tratadas as representações do imaginário feminino sobre a morte na literatura medieval, especificamente, no a lai de Yonec de Maria de França (séc. XII, no qual é possível identificar uma estrutura narrativa mais antiga, de feições míticas. Nesse lai, o significado da morte está relacionado a estágios iniciáticos do mundo feminino, envolvendo elementos de um imaginário forjado da sobrevivência de tradições pré-cristãs, bem como da religiosidade popular medieval e das experiências de mulheres naquela sociedade. O estudo do lai de Yonec poderá evidenciar a riqueza desse universo apresentado pela voz de uma mulher.

  8. Scalla/xrootd WAN globalization tools: Where we are

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furano, Fabrizio; Hanushevsky, Andrew

    2010-01-01

    The Scalla/Xrootd software suite is a set of tools and suggested methods useful to build scalable, fault tolerant and high performance storage systems for POSIX-like data access. One of the most important recent development efforts has been to implement technologies able to deal with the characteristics of Wide Area Networks, and find solutions in order to allow data analysis applications to directly access remote data repositories in an efficient way. This contribution describes the current status of the various features and mechanisms implemented in the Scalla/Xrootd software suite, which allow to create and efficiently access 'global' data repositories, obtained by aggregating multiple sites through Wide Area Networks. One of these mechanisms is the ability of the clients to efficiently exploit high-latency high-throughput WANs and access remote repositories in read/write mode for analysis-like tasks. We will also discuss the possibilities of making distant data sub-repositories cooperate. The aim is to give a unique view of their content, and eventually allow external systems to coordinate and trigger data movements among them. Experience in using Scalla/Xrootd remote data repositories is also reported.

  9. Scalla/xrootd WAN globalization tools: Where we are

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furano, Fabrizio; Hanushevsky, Andrew

    2010-04-01

    The Scalla/Xrootd software suite is a set of tools and suggested methods useful to build scalable, fault tolerant and high performance storage systems for POSIX-like data access. One of the most important recent development efforts has been to implement technologies able to deal with the characteristics of Wide Area Networks, and find solutions in order to allow data analysis applications to directly access remote data repositories in an efficient way. This contribution describes the current status of the various features and mechanisms implemented in the Scalla/Xrootd software suite, which allow to create and efficiently access 'global' data repositories, obtained by aggregating multiple sites through Wide Area Networks. One of these mechanisms is the ability of the clients to efficiently exploit high-latency high-throughput WANs and access remote repositories in read/write mode for analysis-like tasks. We will also discuss the possibilities of making distant data sub-repositories cooperate. The aim is to give a unique view of their content, and eventually allow external systems to coordinate and trigger data movements among them. Experience in using Scalla/Xrootd remote data repositories is also reported.

  10. Scalla/xrootd WAN globalization tools: Where we are

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Furano, Fabrizio [Conseil Europeen Recherche Nucl. (CERN) (Switzerland); Hanushevsky, Andrew, E-mail: furano@cern.c, E-mail: abh@slac.stanford.ed [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, CA (United States)

    2010-04-01

    The Scalla/Xrootd software suite is a set of tools and suggested methods useful to build scalable, fault tolerant and high performance storage systems for POSIX-like data access. One of the most important recent development efforts has been to implement technologies able to deal with the characteristics of Wide Area Networks, and find solutions in order to allow data analysis applications to directly access remote data repositories in an efficient way. This contribution describes the current status of the various features and mechanisms implemented in the Scalla/Xrootd software suite, which allow to create and efficiently access 'global' data repositories, obtained by aggregating multiple sites through Wide Area Networks. One of these mechanisms is the ability of the clients to efficiently exploit high-latency high-throughput WANs and access remote repositories in read/write mode for analysis-like tasks. We will also discuss the possibilities of making distant data sub-repositories cooperate. The aim is to give a unique view of their content, and eventually allow external systems to coordinate and trigger data movements among them. Experience in using Scalla/Xrootd remote data repositories is also reported.

  11. A dense camera network for cropland (CropInsight) - developing high spatiotemporal resolution crop Leaf Area Index (LAI) maps through network images and novel satellite data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimm, H.; Guan, K.; Luo, Y.; Peng, J.; Mascaro, J.; Peng, B.

    2017-12-01

    Monitoring crop growth conditions is of primary interest to crop yield forecasting, food production assessment, and risk management of individual farmers and agribusiness. Despite its importance, there are limited access to field level crop growth/condition information in the public domain. This scarcity of ground truth data also hampers the use of satellite remote sensing for crop monitoring due to the lack of validation. Here, we introduce a new camera network (CropInsight) to monitor crop phenology, growth, and conditions that are designed for the US Corn Belt landscape. Specifically, this network currently includes 40 sites (20 corn and 20 soybean fields) across southern half of the Champaign County, IL ( 800 km2). Its wide distribution and automatic operation enable the network to capture spatiotemporal variations of crop growth condition continuously at the regional scale. At each site, low-maintenance, and high-resolution RGB digital cameras are set up having a downward view from 4.5 m height to take continuous images. In this study, we will use these images and novel satellite data to construct daily LAI map of the Champaign County at 30 m spatial resolution. First, we will estimate LAI from the camera images and evaluate it using the LAI data collected from LAI-2200 (LI-COR, Lincoln, NE). Second, we will develop relationships between the camera-based LAI estimation and vegetation indices derived from a newly developed MODIS-Landsat fusion product (daily, 30 m resolution, RGB + NIR + SWIR bands) and the Planet Lab's high-resolution satellite data (daily, 5 meter, RGB). Finally, we will scale up the above relationships to generate high spatiotemporal resolution crop LAI map for the whole Champaign County. The proposed work has potentials to expand to other agro-ecosystems and to the broader US Corn Belt.

  12. An Enhanced LoRaWAN Security Protocol for Privacy Preservation in IoT with a Case Study on a Smart Factory-Enabled Parking System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Ilsun; Kwon, Soonhyun; Choudhary, Gaurav; Sharma, Vishal; Seo, Jung Taek

    2018-06-08

    The Internet of Things (IoT) utilizes algorithms to facilitate intelligent applications across cities in the form of smart-urban projects. As the majority of devices in IoT are battery operated, their applications should be facilitated with a low-power communication setup. Such facility is possible through the Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN), but at a constrained bit rate. For long-range communication over LPWAN, several approaches and protocols are adopted. One such protocol is the Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), which is a media access layer protocol for long-range communication between the devices and the application servers via LPWAN gateways. However, LoRaWAN comes with fewer security features as a much-secured protocol consumes more battery because of the exorbitant computational overheads. The standard protocol fails to support end-to-end security and perfect forward secrecy while being vulnerable to the replay attack that makes LoRaWAN limited in supporting applications where security (especially end-to-end security) is important. Motivated by this, an enhanced LoRaWAN security protocol is proposed, which not only provides the basic functions of connectivity between the application server and the end device, but additionally averts these listed security issues. The proposed protocol is developed with two options, the Default Option (DO) and the Security-Enhanced Option (SEO). The protocol is validated through Burrows⁻Abadi⁻Needham (BAN) logic and the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool. The proposed protocol is also analyzed for overheads through system-based and low-power device-based evaluations. Further, a case study on a smart factory-enabled parking system is considered for its practical application. The results, in terms of network latency with reliability fitting and signaling overheads, show paramount improvements and better performance for the proposed protocol compared with the two

  13. An Enhanced LoRaWAN Security Protocol for Privacy Preservation in IoT with a Case Study on a Smart Factory-Enabled Parking System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilsun You

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The Internet of Things (IoT utilizes algorithms to facilitate intelligent applications across cities in the form of smart-urban projects. As the majority of devices in IoT are battery operated, their applications should be facilitated with a low-power communication setup. Such facility is possible through the Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN, but at a constrained bit rate. For long-range communication over LPWAN, several approaches and protocols are adopted. One such protocol is the Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN, which is a media access layer protocol for long-range communication between the devices and the application servers via LPWAN gateways. However, LoRaWAN comes with fewer security features as a much-secured protocol consumes more battery because of the exorbitant computational overheads. The standard protocol fails to support end-to-end security and perfect forward secrecy while being vulnerable to the replay attack that makes LoRaWAN limited in supporting applications where security (especially end-to-end security is important. Motivated by this, an enhanced LoRaWAN security protocol is proposed, which not only provides the basic functions of connectivity between the application server and the end device, but additionally averts these listed security issues. The proposed protocol is developed with two options, the Default Option (DO and the Security-Enhanced Option (SEO. The protocol is validated through Burrows–Abadi–Needham (BAN logic and the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA tool. The proposed protocol is also analyzed for overheads through system-based and low-power device-based evaluations. Further, a case study on a smart factory-enabled parking system is considered for its practical application. The results, in terms of network latency with reliability fitting and signaling overheads, show paramount improvements and better performance for the proposed protocol compared with

  14. Remote sensing of LAI, chlorophyll and leaf nitrogen pools of crop- and grasslands in five European landscapes

    KAUST Repository

    Boegh, E.; Houborg, Rasmus; Bienkowski, J.; Braban, C.F.; Dalgaard, T.; Van, Dijk, N.; Dragosits, U.; Holmes, E.; Magliulo, V.; Schelde, K.; Di, Tommasi, P.; Vitale, L.; Theobald, M.R.; Cellier, P.; Sutton, M.A.

    2013-01-01

    Leaf nitrogen and leaf surface area influence the exchange of gases between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, and play a significant role in the global cycles of carbon, nitrogen and water. The purpose of this study is to use field-based and satellite remote-sensing-based methods to assess leaf nitrogen pools in five diverse European agricultural landscapes located in Denmark, Scotland (United Kingdom), Poland, the Netherlands and Italy. REGFLEC (REGularized canopy reFLECtance) is an advanced image-based inverse canopy radiative transfer modelling system which has shown proficiency for regional mapping of leaf area index (LAI) and leaf chlorophyll (CHLl) using remote sensing data. In this study, high spatial resolution (10-20 m) remote sensing images acquired from the multispectral sensors aboard the SPOT (Satellite For Observation of Earth) satellites were used to assess the capability of REGFLEC for mapping spatial variations in LAI, CHLland the relation to leaf nitrogen (Nl) data in five diverse European agricultural landscapes. REGFLEC is based on physical laws and includes an automatic model parameterization scheme which makes the tool independent of field data for model calibration. In this study, REGFLEC performance was evaluated using LAI measurements and non-destructive measurements (using a SPAD meter) of leaf-scale CHLl and Nl concentrations in 93 fields representing crop- and grasslands of the five landscapes. Furthermore, empirical relationships between field measurements (LAI, CHLl and Nl and five spectral vegetation indices (the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, the Simple Ratio, the Enhanced Vegetation Index-2, the Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and the green chlorophyll index) were used to assess field data coherence and to serve as a comparison basis for assessing REGFLEC model performance. The field measurements showed strong vertical CHLl gradient profiles in 26% of fields which affected REGFLEC performance as well

  15. Remote sensing of LAI, chlorophyll and leaf nitrogen pools of crop- and grasslands in five European landscapes

    KAUST Repository

    Boegh, E.

    2013-10-07

    Leaf nitrogen and leaf surface area influence the exchange of gases between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, and play a significant role in the global cycles of carbon, nitrogen and water. The purpose of this study is to use field-based and satellite remote-sensing-based methods to assess leaf nitrogen pools in five diverse European agricultural landscapes located in Denmark, Scotland (United Kingdom), Poland, the Netherlands and Italy. REGFLEC (REGularized canopy reFLECtance) is an advanced image-based inverse canopy radiative transfer modelling system which has shown proficiency for regional mapping of leaf area index (LAI) and leaf chlorophyll (CHLl) using remote sensing data. In this study, high spatial resolution (10-20 m) remote sensing images acquired from the multispectral sensors aboard the SPOT (Satellite For Observation of Earth) satellites were used to assess the capability of REGFLEC for mapping spatial variations in LAI, CHLland the relation to leaf nitrogen (Nl) data in five diverse European agricultural landscapes. REGFLEC is based on physical laws and includes an automatic model parameterization scheme which makes the tool independent of field data for model calibration. In this study, REGFLEC performance was evaluated using LAI measurements and non-destructive measurements (using a SPAD meter) of leaf-scale CHLl and Nl concentrations in 93 fields representing crop- and grasslands of the five landscapes. Furthermore, empirical relationships between field measurements (LAI, CHLl and Nl and five spectral vegetation indices (the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, the Simple Ratio, the Enhanced Vegetation Index-2, the Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and the green chlorophyll index) were used to assess field data coherence and to serve as a comparison basis for assessing REGFLEC model performance. The field measurements showed strong vertical CHLl gradient profiles in 26% of fields which affected REGFLEC performance as well

  16. MODIS land cover and LAI collection 4 product quality across nine states in the western hemisphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warren B. Cohen; Thomas K. Maiersperger; David P. Turner; William D. Ritts; Dirk Pflugmacher; Robert E. Kennedy; Alan Kirschbaum; Steven W. Running; Marcos Costa; Stith T. Gower

    2006-01-01

    Global maps of land cover and leaf area index (LAI) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) reflectance data are an important resource in studies of global change, but errors in these must be characterized and well understood. Product validation requires careful scaling from ground and related measurements to a grain commensurate with MODIS...

  17. Autobiographie de A Lai: auto-thérapie de la souffrance par l’écriture autobiographique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yue Yue

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Connu par son obtention en 2005 du prix littéraire le plus prestigieux de la Chine pour son roman Chen'ai luoding (la poussière tombe qui pourtant mit du temps à s’imposer, le romancier d’expression chinoise A Lai, né en 1959, est l’un de ces auteurs tibétains sinophones par obligation. Il puise toujours son inspiration dans une souffrance qui l’accompagne depuis son enfance. En effet deux courts romans, respectivement publiés en 1987 et en 1988, et un long poème édité en 1989 témoignent d’un parcours douloureux jusqu’à la trentaine. L’expérience de A Lai est exceptionnelle dans la littérature d’expression chinoise, peu habituée à ce type d’auto-thérapie littéraire manifeste dans son œuvre romanesque et son œuvre poétique complémentaires et dont la dimension personnelle n’exclut pas l’intérêt d’un témoignage social.

  18. Uimin-Lai-Sutherland spin-3/2 chain model in terms of fermion creation and annihilation operators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirumyan, M.B.

    2002-01-01

    The Uimin-Lai-Sutherland spin-3/2 chain model is investigated. The representation of the su(2) algebra for the spin 3/2 is constructed in the linear space of the creation and annihilation operators of three fermions. Expressions are obtained for the Hamiltonian and energy spectrum as well as the corresponding Bethe equations are derived

  19. Uimin-Lai-Sutherland spin-3/2 chain model in terms of fermion creation and annihilation operators

    CERN Document Server

    Mirumyan, M B

    2002-01-01

    The Uimin-Lai-Sutherland spin-3/2 chain model is investigated. The representation of the su(2) algebra for the spin 3/2 is constructed in the linear space of the creation and annihilation operators of three fermions. Expressions are obtained for the Hamiltonian and energy spectrum as well as the corresponding Bethe equations are derived.

  20. Comparison of satellite-derived LAI and precipitation anomalies over Brazil with a thermal infrared-based Evaporative Stress Index for 2003-2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Martha C.; Zolin, Cornelio A.; Hain, Christopher R.; Semmens, Kathryn; Tugrul Yilmaz, M.; Gao, Feng

    2015-07-01

    Shortwave vegetation index (VI) and leaf area index (LAI) remote sensing products yield inconsistent depictions of biophysical response to drought and pluvial events that have occurred in Brazil over the past decade. Conflicting reports of severity of drought impacts on vegetation health and functioning have been attributed to cloud and aerosol contamination of shortwave reflectance composites, particularly over the rainforested regions of the Amazon basin which are subject to prolonged periods of cloud cover and episodes of intense biomass burning. This study compares timeseries of satellite-derived maps of LAI from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and precipitation from the Tropical Rainfall Mapping Mission (TRMM) with a diagnostic Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) retrieved using thermal infrared remote sensing over South America for the period 2003-2013. This period includes several severe droughts and floods that occurred both over the Amazon and over unforested savanna and agricultural areas in Brazil. Cross-correlations between absolute values and standardized anomalies in monthly LAI and precipitation composites as well as the actual-to-reference evapotranspiration (ET) ratio used in the ESI were computed for representative forested and agricultural regions. The correlation analyses reveal strong apparent anticorrelation between MODIS LAI and TRMM precipitation anomalies over the Amazon, but better coupling over regions vegetated with shorter grass and crop canopies. The ESI was more consistently correlated with precipitation patterns over both landcover types. Temporal comparisons between ESI and TRMM anomalies suggest longer moisture buffering timescales in the deeper rooted rainforest systems. Diagnostic thermal-based retrievals of ET and ET anomalies, such as used in the ESI, provide independent information on the impacts of extreme hydrologic events on vegetation health in comparison with VI and precipitation-based drought

  1. LoRaWAN-Based Energy-Efficient Surveillance by Drones for Intelligent Transportation Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vishal Sharma

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Urban networks aim at facilitating users for better experience and services through smart platforms such as the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS. ITS focuses on information acquisition, sensing, contrivance control, data processing and forwarding to ground devices via user-specific application-interfaces. The utility of ITS is further improved via the Internet of Things (IoT, which supports “Connectivity to All”. One of the key applications of IoT-ITS is urban surveillance. Current surveillance in IoT-ITS is performed via fixed infrastructure-based sensing applications which consume an excessive amount of energy leading to several overheads and failures in the network. Such issues can be overcome by the utilization of on-demand nodes, such as drones, etc. However, drones-assisted surveillance requires efficient communication setup as drones are battery operated and any extemporaneous maneuver during monitoring may result in loss of drone or complete failure of the network. The novelty in terms of network layout can be procured by the utilization of drones with LoRaWAN, which is the protocol designated for Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN. However, even this architectural novelty alone cannot ascertain the formation of fail-safe, highly resilient, low-overhead, and non-redundant network, which is additionally the problem considered in this paper. To resolve such problem, this paper uses drones as LoRaWAN gateway and proposes a communication strategy based on the area stress, resilient factor, and energy consumption that avail in the efficient localization, improved coverage and energy-efficient surveillance with lower overheads, lower redundancy, and almost zero-isolations. The proposed approach is numerically simulated and the results show that the proposed approach can conserve a maximum of 39.2% and a minimum of 12.6% of the total network energy along with an improvement in the area stress between 89.7% and 53.0% for varying

  2. The Cause of WanXi Folk Songs and music Characteristic%皖西民歌的成因及音乐特征

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    黄梅

    2014-01-01

    WanXi folk songs ,as an important branch of the Dabie Mountains , have distinct characteristics : both folk songs ,minor , and chant , chanting the words , rhythm and speed is relatively free . In the use of tuning , the symptoms of Pentatonic tuning is the most common ,following is five sound feather tuning and pentatonic Palace tuning , business transfer type , angle tuning barely , six sound and seven - tone style is rare . It different in pitch change and volume processing of each branches of WanXi folk songs . This form of music characterized and the body ,mainly due to the spread of WanXi folk songs birthplace and the main characteristics of the popular area .%皖西民歌作为大别山民歌的重要分支,具有鲜明的音乐特色:不论是山歌、小调,还是号子、诵词,音乐的节奏和速度都比较自由;在调式使用方面,最常见的为五声徵调式,其次是五声羽调式,再次是五声宫调式,商调式使用较少,而角调式几乎没有,六声及七声调式也很少见;在音高变化和音量处理方面,皖西民歌的各个支系皆有不同。这种音乐本体特征的形成,主要是受皖西民歌发源地和主要流传地的地域特征影响。

  3. NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR), Version 4

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains gridded daily Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) derived from the NOAA Climate Data...

  4. LAI, FAPAR and FCOVER products derived from AVHRR long time series: principles and evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verger, A.; Baret, F.; Weiss, M.; Lacaze, R.; Makhmara, H.; Pacholczyk, P.; Smets, B.; Kandasamy, S.; Vermote, E.

    2012-04-01

    Continuous and long term global monitoring of the terrestrial biosphere has draught an intense interest in the recent years in the context of climate and global change. Developing methodologies for generating historical data records from data collected with different satellite sensors over the past three decades by taking benefits from the improvements identified in the processing of the new generation sensors is a new central issue in remote sensing community. In this context, the Bio-geophysical Parameters (BioPar) service within Geoland2 project (http://www.geoland2.eu) aims at developing pre-operational infrastructures for providing global land products both in near real time and off-line mode with long time series. In this contribution, we describe the principles of the GEOLAND algorithm for generating long term datasets of three key biophysical variables, leaf area index (LAI), Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetic Active Radiation (FAPAR) and cover fraction (FCOVER), that play a key role in several processes, including photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration. LAI, FAPAR and FCOVER are produced globally from AVHRR Long Term Data Record (LTDR) for the 1981-2000 period at 0.05° spatial resolution and 10 days temporal sampling frequency. The proposed algorithm aims to ensure robustness of the derived long time series and consistency with the ones developed in the recent years, and particularly with GEOLAND products derived from VEGETATION sensor. The approach is based on the capacity of neural networks to learn a particular biophysical product (GEOLAND) from reflectances from another sensor (AVHRR normalized reflectances in the red and near infrared bands). Outliers due to possible cloud contamination or residual atmospheric correction are iteratively eliminated. Prior information based on the climatology is used to get more robust estimates. A specific gap filing and smoothing procedure was applied to generate continuous and smooth time series of decadal

  5. An Extended Fourier Approach to Improve the Retrieved Leaf Area Index (LAI in a Time Series from an Alpine Wetland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xingwen Quan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available An extended Fourier approach was presented to improve the retrieved leaf area index (LAIr of herbaceous vegetation in a time series from an alpine wetland. The retrieval was performed from the Aqua MODIS 8-day composite surface reflectance product (MYD09Q1 from day of year (DOY 97 to 297 using a look-up table (LUT based inversion of a two-layer canopy reflectance model (ACRM. To reduce the uncertainty (the ACRM inversion is ill-posed, we used NDVI and NIR images to reduce the influence of the soil background and the priori information to constrain the range of sensitive ACRM parameters determined using the Sobol’s method. Even so the uncertainty caused the LAIr versus time curve to oscillate. To further reduce the uncertainty, a Fourier model was fitted using the periodically LAIr results, obtaining LAIF. We note that the level of precision of the LAIF potentially may increase through removing singular points or decrease if the LAIr data were too noisy. To further improve the precision level of the LAIr, the Fourier model was extended by considering the LAIr uncertainty. The LAIr, the LAI simulated using the Fourier model, and the LAI simulated using the extended Fourier approach (LAIeF were validated through comparisons with the field measured LAI. The R2 values were 0.68, 0.67 and 0.72, the residual sums of squares (RSS were 3.47, 3.42 and 3.15, and the root-mean-square errors (RMSE were 0.31, 0.30 and 0.29, respectively, on DOY 177 (early July 2011. In late August (DOY 233, the R2 values were 0.73, 0.77 and 0.79, the RSS values were 38.96, 29.25 and 27.48, and the RMSE values were 0.94, 0.81 and 0.78, respectively. The results demonstrate that the extended Fourier approach has the potential to increase the level of precision of estimates of the time varying LAI.

  6. A Generic Algorithm to Estimate LAI, FAPAR and FCOVER Variables from SPOT4_HRVIR and Landsat Sensors: Evaluation of the Consistency and Comparison with Ground Measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenjuan Li

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available The leaf area index (LAI and the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by green vegetation (FAPAR are essential climatic variables in surface process models. FCOVER is also important to separate vegetation and soil for energy balance processes. Currently, several LAI, FAPAR and FCOVER satellite products are derived moderate to coarse spatial resolution. The launch of Sentinel-2 in 2015 will provide data at decametric resolution with a high revisit frequency to allow quantifying the canopy functioning at the local to regional scales. The aim of this study is thus to evaluate the performances of a neural network based algorithm to derive LAI, FAPAR and FCOVER products at decametric spatial resolution and high temporal sampling. The algorithm is generic, i.e., it is applied without any knowledge of the landcover. A time series of high spatial resolution SPOT4_HRVIR (16 scenes and Landsat 8 (18 scenes images acquired in 2013 over the France southwestern site were used to generate the LAI, FAPAR and FCOVER products. For each sensor and each biophysical variable, a neural network was first trained over PROSPECT+SAIL radiative transfer model simulations of top of canopy reflectance data for green, red, near-infra red and short wave infra-red bands. Our results show a good spatial and temporal consistency between the variables derived from both sensors: almost half the pixels show an absolute difference between SPOT and LANDSAT estimates of lower that 0.5 unit for LAI, and 0.05 unit for FAPAR and FCOVER. Finally, downward-looking digital hemispherical cameras were completed over the main land cover types to validate the accuracy of the products. Results show that the derived products are strongly correlated with the field measurements (R2 > 0.79, corresponding to a RMSE = 0.49 for LAI, RMSE = 0.10 (RMSE = 0.12 for black-sky (white sky FAPAR and RMSE = 0.15 for FCOVER. It is concluded that the proposed generic algorithm provides a good

  7. [Plasma metabonomics of Guifu Dihuang Wan in the treatment of yang deficiency].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Ya; Jing, Yuan; Chen, Jie-Yu; Li, Fei; Cheng, Jing-Ru; Bi, Jian-Lu; Luo, Ren; Zhao, Xiao-Shan

    2016-11-20

    To assess the effect of Guifu Dihuang Wan (GFDHW) in the treatment of yang deficiency and explore the underlying molecular mechanism. Sixty-two participants without diseases were randomized into control group (n=31) and experimental group (n=31) and were given lifestyle intervention additional GFDHW treatment for a month. NMR technology was used for metabonomics analysis. Intervention with GFDHW resulted in significantly decreased conversion scores of yang deficiency in the experimental group compared with the control group (P<0.005). The concentrations of lactate, valine, proline, arginine and 3-hydroxybutyrate were increased in the plasma of yang-deficient subjects after lifestyle intervention. GFDHW treatment with lifestyle intervention significantly increased the concentrations of lactate, valine, proline, arginine and 3-hydroxybutyrate and also the levels of alanine, glutamine, alpha glucose, isoleucine, betaine and propylene glycol. GFDHW treatment improves yang deficiency possibly by increasing the concentrations of alanine, glutamine, alpha glucose, isoleucine, betaine and propylene glycol and promoting energy metabolism of the body.

  8. Staphylokinase has distinct modes of interaction with antimicrobial peptides, modulating its plasminogen-activation properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Leonard T.; Vogel, Hans J.

    2016-01-01

    Staphylokinase (Sak) is a plasminogen activator protein that is secreted by many Staphylococcus aureus strains. Sak also offers protection by binding and inhibiting specific antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Here, we evaluate Sak as a more general interaction partner for AMPs. Studies with melittin, mCRAMP, tritrpticin and bovine lactoferricin indicate that the truncation of the first ten residues of Sak (SakΔN10), which occurs in vivo and uncovers important residues in a bulge region, improves its affinity for AMPs. Melittin and mCRAMP have a lower affinity for SakΔN10, and in docking studies, they bind to the N-terminal segment and bulge region of SakΔN10. By comparison, lactoferricin and tritrpticin form moderately high affinity 1:1 complexes with SakΔN10 and their cationic residues form several electrostatic interactions with the protein’s α-helix. Overall, our work identifies two distinct AMP binding surfaces on SakΔN10 whose occupation would lead to either inhibition or promotion of its plasminogen activating properties. PMID:27554435

  9. Architecture of the Black Moshannon forest canopy measured by hemispherical photographs and a LI-COR LAI-2000 sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Y. S. Wang; J. Welles; D. R. Miller; D. E. Anderson; G. Heisler; M. McManus

    1991-01-01

    Non-destructive measurements of light penetration were made at 10 heights in the canopy on twelve different sites in the PA oak forest where the Blackmo 88 spray-micrometeorological experiment was conducted. Vertical profiles of Leaf Area Index, LAI, were calculated from these measurements, and the data were used to define the spatial variability of the forest canopy...

  10. KOHESI GRAMATIKAL PENGACUAN DALAM CERPEN PEMBELAAN BAH BELA KARYA MOH. WAN ANWAR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asep Muhyidin

    2016-08-01

      Referent Cohesion in Pembelaan Bah Bela a Short Story by Moh. Anwar. From the prespective of oral communication discourse is understood as a communication process between an addresser and an addressee. From written communication perspective, on the other hand, discourse is thought as the expression of the addresser. An integrated discourse is the one that is cohesive and coherent. It is complete when the sentenses constituting it support the topic, and integrated when the sentences are systematic and well-structured. Well structured idea is indicated by the use of cohesive devices. A short story has been chosen to investigate as it is short yet requires a high level of cohesion and coherence to allow it to be a complete reading. This article investigate “Pembelaan Bah Bela” one of best short stories by Moh. Wan Anwar. It tells about a Jawara culture in Banten. All the sentences in the short stories are analyzed. The investigation serves to show how cohesive devices work to construct a discourse Keywords: referent cohesion, text analysis, short story

  11. [Professor LAI Xinsheng's clinical experience in the treatment of premature ovarian failure with tongyuan acupuncture technique and Chinese herbal medicine].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaozhe; Zhang, Sujuan

    2017-03-12

    In the treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF), professor LAI Xinsheng focuses on the determination of syndrome to seek for etiology, associating with the differentiation of meridian and collateral and that of zangfu organs. Professor LAI believes that POF is mainly manifested as amenorrhea and infertility, localized in the kidney, with the dysfunction of liver, spleen and heart. It is impacted by many pathological factors, such as cold blockage, qi stagnation, blood stagnation, blood deficiency, yin deficiency, etc., which leads to the damage of the thoroughfare vessel and the conception vessel and the blockage of menstrual flow. On the basis of four diagnostic Methods and syndrome differentiation, there are four common syndromes of POF, named qi and blood deficiency, qi and blood stagnation, liver and kidney deficiency and yang deficiency of spleen and kidney. Tongyuan acupuncture technique is summarized by Professor LAI Xinsheng on the basis of yinyang theory. It is an effective and scientific method for acupoint selection along the meridians. The acupoints on the back, communicating with the governor vessel and mind regulation, acting on the brain are selected to promote yang qi of the governor vessel. The back- shu points of five zang organs are selected to regulate the functions of internal organs. The acupoints on the abdomen and the conception vessel are selected to conduce qi to the primary so as to improve reproductive function. In the guidance of tongyuan acupuncture technique, the acupoint prescription is formed and the Chinese herbal medicines are selected in combination to improve ovarian function and regulate menstruation. Hence, the satisfactory therapeutic effects have been achieved.

  12. Método para estimativa do IAF de árvores isoladas ou de plantações com dossel fechado Method to estimate the LAI for isolated trees and continuous canopy crops

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurício A. Coelho Filho

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available RESUMO Objetivou-se, com o presente trabalho, descrever e testar um método simplificado de baixo custo (IAF-LUX para estimativa do índice de área foliar (IAF em comparação com um equipamento comercial (LAI-2000, Li-Cor®. Ambos foram avaliados em um seringal e em árvores de lima ácida "Tahiti"; posteriormente, os dois métodos foram comparados com medidas destrutivas de área foliar realizadas em uma árvore adulta de lima ácida 'Tahiti'; notou-se, então, que os desvios dos resultados pelo IAF-LUX em relação aos do LAI-2000 foram no máximo de 7,4% na seringueira e de 3,6% em lima ácida "Tahiti". A estimativa da área foliar total utilizando-se o LAI 2000, mostrou boa concordância com as medidas diretas; resultados semelhantes foram obtidos com o IAF-LUX (5% de erro. Para as condições em que foi desenvolvido o trabalho os métodos com base em medida de radiação apresentaram boa precisão na estimativa da área foliar total das árvores de lima ácida, ficando patente que este método pode substituir vantajosamente as outras técnicas usadas, em comparação pelo baixo custo do equipamento, pela facilidade de operação no campo e análise dos dados.ABSTRACT This paper aimed to describe and evaluate a low-cost simplified method (IAF-LUX method for leaf area index (LAI estimation, in comparison with well-tested commercial equipment (LAI-2000, Li-Cor®, being both applied for a rubber tree plantation and for a 'Tahiti' acid lime orchard. Later, the results of the both methods were also compared with destructive measurements of leaf area carried out in other 'Tahiti' acid lime adult tree. Considering LAI-2000 as reference, the proposed IAF-LUX method showed deviations of 7.4% for rubber tree and 3.6% for acid lime 'Tahiti'. Comparing the IAF-LUX with destructive measurements, a deviation of 5.0% was observed in acid lime, while LAI-2000 showed deviation of 7.0%. Based on these results, it is concluded that the IAF-LUX method may be

  13. Model of Management (Mo.Ma) for the patient with schizophrenia: crisis control, maintenance, relapse prevention, and recovery with long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brugnoli, Roberto; Rapinesi, Chiara; Kotzalidis, Georgios D; Marcellusi, Andrea; Mennini, Francesco S; De Filippis, Sergio; Carrus, Dario; Ballerini, Andrea; Francomano, Antonio; Ducci, Giuseppe; Del Casale, Antonio; Girardi, Paolo

    2016-01-01

    Schizophrenia is a severe mental disease that affects approximately 1% of the population with a relevant chronic impact on social and occupational functioning and daily activities. People with schizophrenia are 2-2.5 times more likely to die early than the general population. Non-adherence to antipsychotic medications, both in chronic and first episode schizophrenia, is one of the most important risk factors for relapse and hospitalization, that consequently contributes to increased costs due to psychiatric hospitalization. Atypical long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics can improve treatment adherence and decrease re-hospitalization rates in patients with schizophrenia since its onset. The primary goals in the management of schizophrenia are directed not only at symptom reduction in the short and long term, but also at maintaining physical and mental functioning, improving quality of life, and promoting patient recovery. To propose a scientific evidence-based integrated model that provides an algorithm for recovery of patients with schizophrenia and to investigate the effectiveness and safety of antipsychotics LAI in the treatment, maintenance, relapse prevention, and recovery of schizophrenia. After an accurate literature review we identified, collected and analyzed the crucial points in taking care schizophrenia patients, through which we defined the steps described in the model of management and the choice of the better treatment option. Results. In the management model we propose, the choice of a second generation long acting antipsychotic, could allow from the earliest stages of illness better patient management, especially for young individuals with schizophrenia onset, a better recovery and significant reductions of relapse and health care costs. LAI formulations of antipsychotics are valuable, because they help patients to remain adherent to their medication through regular contact with healthcare professionals and to prevent covert non-adherence. The

  14. [Construction of the eukaryotic recombinant vector and expression of the outer membrane protein LipL32 gene from Leptospira serovar Lai].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Bi; Bao, Lang; Zhong, Qi; Shang, Zheng-ling; Zhang, Hui-dong; Zhang, Ying

    2008-02-01

    To construct the eukaryotic experssion vector of LipL32 gene from Leptospira serovar Lai and express the recombinant plasmid in COS-7 cell. The LipL32 gene was amplified from Leptospira strain 017 genomic DNA by PCR and cloned into pcDNA3.1, through restriction nuclease enzyme digestion. Then the recombinant plasmid was transformed into E.coli DH5alpha. After identified by nuclease digestion, PCR and sequencing analysis, the recombinant vector was transfected into COS-7 cell with lipsome. The expression of the target gene was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. The eukaryotic experssion vector pcDNA3.1-LipL32 was successfully constructed and stably expressed in COS-7 cell. The eukaryotic recombinant vector of outer membrane protein LipL32 gene from Leptospira serovar Lai can be expressed in mammalian cell, which provides an experimental basis for the application of the Leptospira DNA vaccine.

  15. Demand Side Management Using the Internet of Energy Based on LoRaWAN Technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shahryari, Kolsoom; Anvari-Moghaddam, Amjad; Shahryari, Shadi

    2017-01-01

    into cloud because of a long range, low power, wide area and low bit rate wireless telecommunication system which is called LoRaWAN. All devices in fog domain are connected by long range wide area network (LoRa) into a smart gateway. The gateway which bridges fog domain and cloud, is introduced......The smart grid, as a communication network, allows numerous connected devices such as sensors, relays and actuators to interact and cooperate with each other. An Internet-based solution for electricity that provides bidirectional flow of information and power is internet of energy (IoE) which...... is an extension of smart grid concept. A large number of connected devices and the huge amount of data generated by IoE and issues related to data transmission, process and storage, force IoE to be integrated by cloud computing. Furthermore, in order to enhance the performance and reduce the volume of transmitted...

  16. The Immunomodulatory Effect of You-Gui-Wan on Dermatogoides-pteronyssinus-Induced Asthma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Jen Lin

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The traditional Chinese medicine You-Gui-Wan (YGW contains ten species of medicinal plants and has been used to improve health in remissive states of asthma for hundreds of years in Asia. However, little is known about the immunomodulatory mechanisms in vivo. Therefore, this study investigated the pathologic and immunologic responses to YGW in mice that had been repeatedly exposed to Dermatogoides-pteronyssinus (Der p. YGW reduced Der-p-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and total IgE in serum. It also inhibited eosinophil infiltration by downregulating the protein expression of IL-5 in serum and changed the Th2-bios in BALF by upregulating IL-12. Results of the collagen assay and histopathologic examination showed that YGW reduced airway remodeling in the lung. In addition, after YGW treatment there was a relative decrease in mRNA expression of TGF-β1, IL-13, eotaxin, RANTES, and MCP-1 in lung in the YGW group. The results of EMSA and immunohistochemistry revealed that YGW inhibited NF-κB expression in epithelial lung cells. YGW exerts its regulative effects in chronic allergic asthmatic mice via its anti-inflammatory activity and by inhibiting the progression of airway remodeling.

  17. Estudio de la arquitectura y el nivel de desarrollo de la red LoRaWAN y de los dispositivos LoRa.

    OpenAIRE

    Ordóñez Monfort, Ignacio

    2017-01-01

    Es realitza un estudi sobre les diverses definicions del IoT que es concreta en una sèrie de requisits essencials del IoT i les característiques de les xarxes de connexió sobre les que sustentar-lo. Es realitza posteriorment un estudi en profunditat de les característiques de LoRA/LoRaWAN, que poden limitar o afavorir el seu ús com xarxa d'implementació del IoT, valorant de manera individualitzada cadascuna d'elles. Finalment, es realitza una analisi sobre el nivell de desenvolupament, madur...

  18. Expression and characterization of an iron-regulated hemin-binding protein, HbpA, from Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asuthkar, Swapna; Velineni, Sridhar; Stadlmann, Johannes; Altmann, Friedrich; Sritharan, Manjula

    2007-09-01

    In an earlier study, based on the ferric enterobactin receptor FepA of Escherichia coli, we identified and modeled a TonB-dependent outer membrane receptor protein (LB191) from the genome of Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai. Based on in silico analysis, we hypothesized that this protein was an iron-dependent hemin-binding protein. In this study, we provide experimental evidence to prove that this protein, termed HbpA (hemin-binding protein A), is indeed an iron-regulated hemin-binding protein. We cloned and expressed the full-length 81-kDa recombinant rHbpA protein and a truncated 55-kDa protein from L. interrogans serovar Lai, both of which bind hemin-agarose. Assay of hemin-associated peroxidase activity and spectrofluorimetric analysis provided confirmatory evidence of hemin binding by HbpA. Immunofluorescence studies by confocal microscopy and the microscopic agglutination test demonstrated the surface localization and the iron-regulated expression of HbpA in L. interrogans. Southern blot analysis confirmed our earlier observation that the hbpA gene was present only in some of the pathogenic serovars and was absent in Leptospira biflexa. Hemin-agarose affinity studies showed another hemin-binding protein with a molecular mass of approximately 44 kDa, whose expression was independent of iron levels. This protein was seen in several serovars, including nonpathogenic L. biflexa. Sequence analysis and immunoreactivity with specific antibodies showed this protein to be LipL41.

  19. Predicting new indications of compounds with a network pharmacology approach: Liuwei Dihuang Wan as a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yin-Ying; Bai, Hong; Zhang, Run-Zhi; Yan, Hong; Ning, Kang; Zhao, Xing-Ming

    2017-11-07

    With the ever increasing cost and time required for drug development, new strategies for drug development are highly demanded, whereas repurposing old drugs has attracted much attention in drug discovery. In this paper, we introduce a new network pharmacology approach, namely PINA, to predict potential novel indications of old drugs based on the molecular networks affected by drugs and associated with diseases. Benchmark results on FDA approved drugs have shown the superiority of PINA over traditional computational approaches in identifying new indications of old drugs. We further extend PINA to predict the novel indications of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) with Liuwei Dihuang Wan (LDW) as a case study. The predicted indications, including immune system disorders and tumor, are validated by expert knowledge and evidences from literature, demonstrating the effectiveness of our proposed computational approach.

  20. Jiao Tai Wan Attenuates Hepatic Lipid Accumulation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaoyi Huang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Jiao Tai Wan (JTW, a Chinese herbal formula containing Rhizoma Coptidis and Cortex Cinnamomi, has been used for diabetic treatment for many years. The aim of this study was to determine the main components in JTW and to investigate the effects of JTW on hepatic lipid accumulation in diabetic rats and humans. JTW extract was prepared and the main components were assayed by HPLC. An animal model of diabetes mellitus was established and JTW was administered intragastrically. In the clinical study, diabetic patients with poor glycemic control were treated with JTW. Blood glucose and lipid parameters, liver histology, hepatic triglyceride content and lipogenic gene expression were examined. Our data demonstrated that JTW significantly improved hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and hepatic lipid accumulation in diabetic rats. This was accompanied by the down-regulation of acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC and fatty acid synthase (FAS protein expressions, and the up-regulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK and phosphorylated-ACC (pACC protein expressions in the liver tissues. Diabetic patients also exhibited decreases in their hepatic triglyceride content. The results suggest that JTW attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation in diabetic rats and humans. These beneficial effects are possibly associated with the inhibition of lipogenic gene expression in the liver.

  1. Remote sensing of LAI, chlorophyll and leaf nitrogen pools of crop- and grasslands in five European landscapes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bøgh, Eva; Houborg, R; Bienkowski, J

    2013-01-01

    Leaf nitrogen and leaf surface area influence the exchange of gases between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, and they play a significant role in the global cycles of carbon, nitrogen and water. Remote sensing data from satellites can be used to estimate leaf area index (LAI), leaf......). Predictabilities of SVIs and REGFLEC simulations generally improved when constrained to single land use categories (wheat, maize, barley, grass) across the European landscapes, reflecting sensitivity to canopy structures. Predictability further improved when constrained to local (10 × 10 km2) landscapes, thereby...

  2. Comparison of Landsat 8 OLI and Landsat 7 ETM+ for estimating grassland LAI using model inversion and spectral indices: case study of Mpumalanga, South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Masemola, Cecilia

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available the radiative transfer model (RTM) and spectral indices approaches for estimating LAI on rangeland systems in South Africa. The RTM was inverted using artificial neural network (ANN) and lookup table (LUT) algorithms. The accuracy of the models was higher...

  3. Expression of recombinant staphylokinase in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moussa Manal

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Currently, the two most commonly used fibrinolytic agents in thrombolytic therapy are recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA and streptokinase (SK. Whereas SK has the advantage of substantially lower costs when compared to other agents, it is less effective than either rt-PA or related variants, has significant allergenic potential, lacks fibrin selectivity and causes transient hypotensive effects in high dosing schedules. Therefore, development of an alternative fibrinolytic agent having superior efficacy to SK, approaching that of rt-PA, together with a similar or enhanced safety profile and advantageous cost-benefit ratio, would be of substantial importance. Pre-clinical data suggest that the novel fibrinolytic recombinant staphylokinase (rSAK, or related rSAK variants, could be candidates for such development. However, since an efficient expression system for rSAK is still lacking, it has not yet been fully developed or evaluated for clinical purposes. This study’s goal was development of an efficient fermentation process for the production of a modified, non-glycosylated, biologically active rSAK, namely rSAK-2, using the well-established single cell yeast Hansenula polymorpha expression system. Results The development of an efficient large scale (80 L Hansenula polymorpha fermentation process of short duration for rSAK-2 production is described. It evolved from an initial 1mL HTP methodology by successive scale-up over almost 5 orders of magnitude and improvement steps, including the optimization of critical process parameters (e.g. temperature, pH, feeding strategy, medium composition, etc.. Potential glycosylation of rSAK-2 was successfully suppressed through amino acid substitution within its only N-acetyl glycosylation motif. Expression at high yields (≥ 1g rSAK-2/L cell culture broth of biologically active rSAK-2 of expected molecular weight was achieved. Conclusion The optimized production process

  4. Internal molecular dynamics of LaI3. I. Potential energy function of vibrational modes in harmonic and anharmonic approximations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giricheva, N.I.; Girichev, G.V.; Smorodin, S.V.

    2007-01-01

    Scanning of potential energy surface in the LaI 3 molecule along normal coordinates are realized using the B3LYP/SDD,SDD method. The most anharmonicity is shown to have a potential function of non-planar oscillation ν 2 (A 2 ''). Effect of anharmonicity on the value of mean-square oscillation amplitudes and oscillation spectrum of the molecule is established. It is noted that the account of anharmonicity of potential functions leads to decreasing mean-square oscillation amplitudes [ru

  5. Transforming Pinus pinaster forest to recreation site: preliminary effects on LAI, some forest floor, and soil properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Öztürk, Melih; Bolat, İlyas

    2014-04-01

    This study investigates the effects of forest transformation into recreation site. A fragment of a Pinus pinaster plantation forest was transferred to a recreation site in the city of Bartın located close to the Black Sea coast of northwestern Turkey. During the transformation, some of the trees were selectively removed from the forest to generate more open spaces for the recreationists. As a result, Leaf Area Index (LAI) decreased by 0.20 (about 11%). Additionally, roads and pathways were introduced into the site together with some recreational equipment sealing parts of the soil surface. Consequently, forest environment was altered with a semi-natural landscape within the recreation site. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of forest transformation into recreation site particularly in terms of the LAI parameter, forest floor, and soil properties. Preliminary monitoring results indicate that forest floor biomass is reduced by 26% in the recreation site compared to the control site. Soil temperature is increased by 15% in the recreation site where selective removal of trees expanded the gaps allowing more light transmission. On the other hand, the soil bulk density which is an indicator of soil compaction is unexpectedly slightly lower in the recreation site. Organic carbon (C(org)) and total nitrogen (N(total)) together with the other physical and chemical parameter values indicate that forest floor and soil have not been exposed to much disturbance. However, subsequent removal of trees that would threaten the vegetation, forest floor, and soil should not be allowed. The activities of the recreationists are to be concentrated on the paved spaces rather than soil surfaces. Furthermore, long-term monitoring and management is necessary for both the observation and conservation of the site.

  6. A RVI/LAI-reference curve to detect N stress and guide N fertigation using combined information from spectral reflectance and leaf area measurements in potato

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhenjiang, Zhou; Plauborg, Finn; Thomsen, Anton Gårde

    2017-01-01

    More user-friendly methods are needed to detect crop N status/stress and guide the timing of in-season N application. In the current study, a reference curve method of detecting N stress was proposed to remedy practical problems of methods that require leaf sampling or maintaining a N sufficient...... was applied during the season. The total N ranged from 0 to180 kg N ha−1. RVI and LAI from the economically optimum 180 kg N ha−1 treatments were used to derive the reference curve. RVI and LAI from 180 kg N ha−1 treatment had a high (R2 = 0.97) correlation and were best fitted with a 2nd order polynomial...... function, which was independent of season. The treatments where N fertigation was stopped before reaching 180 kg N ha−1 started to deviate from the 95% confidence interval of the reference curve about 10 days after N-fertigation was stopped. This corresponded to 10–20 kg ha−1 difference in total plant N...

  7. Investigating And Evaluating Of Network Failures And Performance Over Distributed WAN In Application Protocol Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enoch Okoh Kofi

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The Experiment was done to find out network failures and application performance relationship over distributed Wide Area Net WAN. In order to access related application over the cloud there must be an internet connectivity which will help the respective workstations to access the remote server for applications being deployed over the network. Bandwidth improvement helps in reducing utilization over the network and it also helps in improving Application Efficiency of these Applications in terms of Response Time. Routers were configured under Enhance Interior Gateway Routing Protocol EIGRP to reduce utilization and to ensure load sharing over the network. Three scenarios were modeled and their performance efficiency was evaluated. A modeled computer Network with and without a fail Router under different scenarios and such Network was simulated with emphasis on the Application Performance. The Experiment was done for fifty workstations under three scenarios and these three scenarios were accessed and evaluated on experimental basis using Riverbed modeler to show the Effect of Application Network performance. The performance results show that increasing the bandwidth reduces utilization and also with the failure of one communication bandwidth users can still access Network Application with a minimal cost.

  8. Effects of field high temperature on grain yield and quality of a subtropical type japonica rice—Pon-Lai rice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Chien Wu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Typical japonica type rice is sensitive to high temperature. Pon-Lai rice is a special japonica type with adaptation to the subtropical climate in Taiwan. Facing climate change, rising temperatures would damage the yield and quality of rice production. This research was conducted using Pon-Lai rice in the field of a subtropical climate. We conducted 2 experiments, including a year-round experiment and collection of samples from different districts for building different temperature conditions. We analyzed the correlation between rising temperature and rice yield or quality. In our results, the critical period of temperature effect is 0–15 days after heading (H15. The threshold of high temperature damage in yield and appearance quality was 25–27 °C. Grain weight decreased about 2–6%, while the temperature of H15 was raised 1 °C above the thresholds. Perfect grain ratio and chalky grain ratio decreased and increased, respectively, while the temperature of H15 was raised above the thresholds. However, the high temperature in H15 affected the physicochemical characteristics. In addition, we found positive correlation between grain length to width ratio and perfect grain ratio. Grain length to width ratio could be an index of temperature effects for grain quality. In our study, when the temperature was below 30 °C, a rising temperature of H15 could damage rice yield and appearance quality, and change grain shape. Our results could provide reference for dealing with the warming future in other temperate rice-cultivated countries.

  9. The MWA archive infrastructure: archiving terabytes of data over dedicated WAN connections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wicenec, Andreas; Pallot, Dave; Checcucci, Alessio; Kitaeff, Slava; Vinsen, Kevin; Wu, Chen

    2012-09-01

    The Murchison Wide Field Array (MWA) is being upgraded from 32 tiles to 128 tiles of 16 dual-polarization dipole antennas. In the course of this project the software and the data infrastructure are also undergoing a major overhaul in order to cope with a more continuous and remote operational model; and the substantial increase in data rate (400 MB/s from the correlator plus 160 MB/s from the real time imaging pipeline). During the course of 2012/13 the data collected by the MWA will be transported via a dedicated 40 Gbit WAN network link between the Murchison Radio Observatory (MRO) and Perth (700 km). However, this network will not be available for some time; and until then, the data will be transported using disk arrays instead. Once in Perth, the data will be ingested into a tape library. The archiving process itself consists of various steps executed either at the MRO site or in Perth, and makes use of a modied version of the archiving system from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). This includes the extraction of meta-data from the original raw data and the ingestion and generation of the appropriate data links for the MWA archive. The MWA correlator generates a collection of small les all belonging to the same observation. In order to optimise the network transfer and the storage of those les they are transparently packed into larger containers at the MRO site and subsequently handled as one big le. This paper describes the setup of the MWA archiving infrastructure.

  10. The perception of volcanic risk in Kona communities from Mauna Loa and Hualālai volcanoes, Hawai'i

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregg, Chris E.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Johnston, David M.; Paton, Douglas; Swanson, D.A.

    2004-01-01

    Volcanic hazards in Kona (i.e. the western side of the island of Hawai'i) stem primarily from Mauna Loa and Huala??lai volcanoes. The former has erupted 39 times since 1832. Lava flows were emplaced in Kona during seven of these eruptions and last impacted Kona in 1950. Huala??lai last erupted in ca. 1800. Society's proximity to potential eruptive sources and the potential for relatively fast-moving lava flows, coupled with relatively long time intervals since the last eruptions in Kona, are the underlying stimuli for this study of risk perception. Target populations were high-school students and adults ( n =462). Using these data, we discuss threat knowledge as an influence on risk perception, and perception as a driving mechanism for preparedness. Threat knowledge and perception of risk were found to be low to moderate. On average, fewer than two-thirds of the residents were aware of the most recent eruptions that impacted Kona, and a minority felt that Mauna Loa and Huala??lai could ever erupt again. Furthermore, only about one-third were aware that lava flows could reach the coast in Kona in less than 3 h. Lava flows and ash fall were perceived to be among the least likely hazards to affect the respondent's community within the next 10 years, whereas vog (volcanic smog) was ranked the most likely. Less than 18% identified volcanic hazards as amongst the most likely hazards to affect them at home, school, or work. Not surprisingly, individual preparedness measures were found on average to be limited to simple tasks of value in frequently occurring domestic emergencies, whereas measures specific to infrequent hazard events such as volcanic eruptions were seldom adopted. Furthermore, our data show that respondents exhibit an 'unrealistic optimism bias' and infer that responsibility for community preparedness for future eruptions primarily rests with officials. We infer that these respondents may be less likely to attend to hazard information, react to warnings as

  11. The determination of multiple resistance, inheritance and cytochrome P450 activity in bifenthrinresistant Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae)

    OpenAIRE

    AY, Recep; YORULMAZ, Sibel

    2010-01-01

    In this study, multiple resistance, inheritance and cytochrome P450 enzyme activity were determined in Tetranychus urticae Koch (SAK) population after 20 selections for bifenthrin resistance. Selection study and LC50, 60 levels of SAK population of T. urticae were determined by dry film method. LC50 level of the SAK population selected twenty times with bifenthrin was increased from 984.49 to 11914.40 µl l-1 distiled water. Selected population showing 21.84 fold resistances was named ...

  12. Pojan syntymä sielussa ja läpimurtautuminen jumaluuteen : Mestari Eckhartin käsitys jumalallisesta ykseydestä

    OpenAIRE

    Mustonen, Anni

    2011-01-01

    Tämän tutkielman tarkoituksena on tutkia mestari Eckhartin (1260 1327) ykseyden mystiikkaa. Tutkimuskysymyksiä on kaksi: (1) Miten Eckhart kuvaa käsitystään unio mysticasta? Tarkastelen kysymystä Eckhart-tutkimuksen piirissä tehdyn jaottelun mukaan, jossa unio ymmärretään joko Pojan syntymänä sielussa (saks. Geburt) ja läpimurtautumisena (saks. Durchbruch) tun-temattomaan jumaluuteen (saks. Gotheit/Gottheit). Toinen tutkimuskysymykseni on jatkumoa edelliselle ja kuuluu: (2) Millainen on Jumal...

  13. Diseño de la infraestructura física y lógica para una red de área local y extensa (LAN y WAN) de una PYME

    OpenAIRE

    Durán Nieto, Raúl

    2015-01-01

    En la actualidad, las comunicaciones entre los distintos lugares (WAN) y los localizados en un mismo punto (LAN) permiten el crecimiento y aumento de productividad en las empresas. Las infraestructuras deben adaptarse para la llegada de las nuevas tecnologías y por ello la elección idónea de una infraestructura, tanto física como lógica, evitaría la aparición de problemas y costes a la empresa. Para garantizar la información y comunicación las instalaciones deben responder a un...

  14. The effects of pre-harvest napthalene acetic acid and aminoethoxyvinylglycine treatments on storage performance of ‘ Ak Sakı’ apple cultivar grown in Erzincan conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burhan OZTÜRK

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine the effects of pre-harvest aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG, 150, 225 ve 300 mg/L and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA, 20 mg/L treatments in different doses on storage performance of ‘Ak Sakı’ apple cultivar (Malus domestica Borkh. in 2012. The changes on some fruit quality parameters were measured at 2±1 oC temperature and with 90±5 % relative humidity at 45 days interval during storage. The lowest weight loss was obtained from 300 mg/L AVG treated fruits during the storage. In the all analysis date, the highest L* value was obtained from 300 mg/L AVG treated fruits, and the lowest hue angle value was reported from the fruits of control treatment. The flesh firmness was determined that the best kept in the 225 and 300 mg/L AVG treated fruits during the storage. The flesh firmness significantly reduced with NAA treatment at the end of storage. The highest soluble solids concentration (SSC was obtain from control fruit during the storage, whereas the lowest SSC was observed in fruit treated with 300 mg/L AVG. In the all analysis date, the highest titratable acidity was obtained in fruits treated with 225 and 300 mg/L AVG. The starch degradation was delayed with AVG treatments.

  15. Global Application of TaiWan Ionospheric Model to Single-Frequency GPS Positioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macalalad, E.; Tsai, L. C.; Wu, J.

    2012-04-01

    Ionospheric delay is one the major sources of error in GPS positioning and navigation. This error in both pseudorange and phase ranges vary depending on the location of observation, local time, season, solar cycle and geomagnetic activity. For single-frequency receivers, this delay is usually removed using ionospheric models. Two of them are the Klobuchar, or broadcast, model and the global ionosphere map (GIM) provided by the International GNSS Service (IGS). In this paper, a three dimensional ionospheric electron (ne) density model derived from FormoSat3/COSMIC GPS Radio Occultation measurements, called the TaiWan Ionosphere Model, is used. It was used to calculate the slant total electron content (STEC) between receiver and GPS satellites to correct the pseudorange single-frequency observations. The corrected pseudorange for every epoch was used to determine a more accurate position of the receiver. Observations were made in July 2, 2011(Kp index = 0-2) in five randomly selected sites across the globe, four of which are IGS stations (station ID: cnmr, coso, irkj and morp) while the other is a low-cost single-frequency receiver located in Chungli City, Taiwan (ID: isls). It was illustrated that TEC maps generated using TWIM exhibited a detailed structure of the ionosphere, whereas Klobuchar and GIM only provided the basic diurnal and geographic features of the ionosphere. Also, it was shown that for single-frequency static point positioning TWIM provides more accurate and more precise positioning than the Klobuchar and GIM models for all stations. The average %error of the corrections made by Klobuchar, GIM and TWIM in DRMS are 3.88%, 0.78% and 17.45%, respectively. While the average %error in VRMS for Klobuchar, GIM and TWIM are 53.55%, 62.09%, 66.02%, respectively. This shows the capability of TWIM to provide a good global 3-dimensional ionospheric model.

  16. The new pLAI (lux regulon based auto-inducible expression system for recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nocadello Salvatore

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background After many years of intensive research, it is generally assumed that no universal expression system can exist for high-level production of a given recombinant protein. Among the different expression systems, the inducible systems are the most popular for their tight regulation. However, induction is in many cases less favorable due to the high cost and/or toxicity of inducers, incompatibilities with industrial scale-up or detrimental growth conditions. Expression systems using autoinduction (or self-induction prove to be extremely versatile allowing growth and induction of recombinant proteins without the need to monitor cell density or add inducer. Unfortunately, almost all the actual auto inducible expression systems need endogenous or induced metabolic changes during the growth to trigger induction, both frequently linked to detrimental condition to cell growth. In this context, we use a simple modular approach for a cell density-based genetic regulation in order to assemble an autoinducible recombinant protein expression system in E. coli. Result The newly designed pLAI expression system places the expression of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli under control of the regulatory genes of the lux regulon of Vibrio fischeri's Quorum Sensing (QS system. The pLAI system allows a tight regulation of the recombinant gene allowing a negligible basal expression and expression only at high cell density. Sequence optimization of regulative genes of QS of V. fischeri for expression in E. coli upgraded the system to high level expression. Moreover, partition of regulative genes between the plasmid and the host genome and introduction of a molecular safety lock permitted tighter control of gene expression. Conclusion Coupling gene expression to cell density using cell-to-cell communication provides a promising approach for recombinant protein production. The system allows the control of expression of the target recombinant gene

  17. Environmental regulatory failure and metal contamination at the Giap Lai pyrite mine, Northern Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Håkan Tarras-Wahlberg, N; Nguyen, Lan T

    2008-03-01

    The causes for the failure in enforcement of environmental regulations at the Giap Lai pyrite mine in northern Vietnam are considered and the environmental impacts that are associated with this mine are evaluated. It is shown that sulphide-rich tailings and waste rock in the mining area represent significant sources of acid rock drainage (ARD). The ARD is causing elevated metal levels in downstream water bodies, which in turn, represent a threat to both human health and to aquatic ecosystems. Metal concentrations in impacted surface waters have increased after mine closure, suggesting that impacts are becoming progressively more serious. No post-closure, remediation measures have been applied at the mine, in spite of the existence of environmental legislation and both central and regional institutions charged with environmental supervision and control. The research presented here provides further emphasis for the recommendation that, while government institutions may need to be strengthened, and environmental regulations need to be in place, true on the ground improvement in environmental quality in Vietnam and in many other developing countries require an increased focus on promoting public awareness of industrial environmental issues.

  18. A prototype Infrastructure for Cloud-based distributed services in High Availability over WAN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bulfon, C.; De Salvo, A.; Graziosi, C.; Carlino, G.; Doria, A; Pardi, S; Sanchez, A.; Carboni, M; Bolletta, P; Puccio, L.; Capone, V; Merola, L

    2015-01-01

    In this work we present the architectural and performance studies concerning a prototype of a distributed Tier2 infrastructure for HEP, instantiated between the two Italian sites of INFN-Romal and INFN-Napoli. The network infrastructure is based on a Layer-2 geographical link, provided by the Italian NREN (GARR), directly connecting the two remote LANs of the named sites. By exploiting the possibilities offered by the new distributed file systems, a shared storage area with synchronous copy has been set up. The computing infrastructure, based on an OpenStack facility, is using a set of distributed Hypervisors installed in both sites. The main parameter to be taken into account when managing two remote sites with a single framework is the effect of the latency, due to the distance and the end-to-end service overhead. In order to understand the capabilities and limits of our setup, the impact of latency has been investigated by means of a set of stress tests, including data I/O throughput, metadata access performance evaluation and network occupancy, during the life cycle of a Virtual Machine. A set of resilience tests has also been performed, in order to verify the stability of the system on the event of hardware or software faults.The results of this work show that the reliability and robustness of the chosen architecture are effective enough to build a production system and to provide common services. This prototype can also be extended to multiple sites with small changes of the network topology, thus creating a National Network of Cloud-based distributed services, in HA over WAN. (paper)

  19. A prototype Infrastructure for Cloud-based distributed services in High Availability over WAN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulfon, C.; Carlino, G.; De Salvo, A.; Doria, A.; Graziosi, C.; Pardi, S.; Sanchez, A.; Carboni, M.; Bolletta, P.; Puccio, L.; Capone, V.; Merola, L.

    2015-12-01

    In this work we present the architectural and performance studies concerning a prototype of a distributed Tier2 infrastructure for HEP, instantiated between the two Italian sites of INFN-Romal and INFN-Napoli. The network infrastructure is based on a Layer-2 geographical link, provided by the Italian NREN (GARR), directly connecting the two remote LANs of the named sites. By exploiting the possibilities offered by the new distributed file systems, a shared storage area with synchronous copy has been set up. The computing infrastructure, based on an OpenStack facility, is using a set of distributed Hypervisors installed in both sites. The main parameter to be taken into account when managing two remote sites with a single framework is the effect of the latency, due to the distance and the end-to-end service overhead. In order to understand the capabilities and limits of our setup, the impact of latency has been investigated by means of a set of stress tests, including data I/O throughput, metadata access performance evaluation and network occupancy, during the life cycle of a Virtual Machine. A set of resilience tests has also been performed, in order to verify the stability of the system on the event of hardware or software faults. The results of this work show that the reliability and robustness of the chosen architecture are effective enough to build a production system and to provide common services. This prototype can also be extended to multiple sites with small changes of the network topology, thus creating a National Network of Cloud-based distributed services, in HA over WAN.

  20. Specificity of Structural Assessment of Knowledge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trumpower, David L.; Sharara, Harold; Goldsmith, Timothy E.

    2010-01-01

    This study examines the specificity of information provided by structural assessment of knowledge (SAK). SAK is a technique which uses the Pathfinder scaling algorithm to transform ratings of concept relatedness into network representations (PFnets) of individuals' knowledge. Inferences about individuals' overall domain knowledge based on the…

  1. A network pharmacology approach to investigate the pharmacological effects of Guizhi Fuling Wan on uterine fibroids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Liuting; Yang, Kailin; Liu, Huiping; Zhang, Guomin

    2017-11-01

    To investigate the pharmacological mechanism of Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW) in the treatment of uterine fibroids, a network pharmacology approach was used. Information on GFW compounds was collected from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) databases, and input into PharmMapper to identify the compound targets. Genes associated with uterine fibroids genes were then obtained from the GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man databases. The interaction data of the targets and other human proteins was also collected from the STRING and IntAct databases. The target data were input into the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery for gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses. Networks of the above information were constructed and analyzed using Cytoscape. The following networks were compiled: A compound-compound target network of GFW; a herb-compound target-uterine fibroids target network of GWF; and a compound target-uterine fibroids target-other human proteins protein-protein interaction network, which were subjected to GO and pathway enrichment analyses. According to this approach, a number of novel signaling pathways and biological processes underlying the effects of GFW on uterine fibroids were identified, including the negative regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the Ras, wingless-type, epidermal growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathways. This network pharmacology approach may aid the systematical study of herbal formulae and make TCM drug discovery more predictable.

  2. First record of the Two-striped Box Crab Calappa bilineata Ng, Lai & Aungtonya, 2002 (Brachyura: Calappidae from St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muntasir Akash

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available As part of survey of a BS (hons study tour conducted by the Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, two specimens of box crab were caught with a beach seine net from the northern beach in front of the Hotel Prince Heaven (20038’07.50”N & 92019’34.68”E on new moon of 07th December 2012.  Those box crabs were identified as the Two Striped Box Crab Calappa bilineata Ng, Lai & Aungtonya, 2002 which is turned out as a new record for Bangladesh and a record for the northern part of the Bay of Bengal. 

  3. Clinical utility of the Chinese Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD-Symptoms and Normal-behaviors questionnaire (SWAN when compared with DISC-IV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chan GFC

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Grace Fong-Chun Chan,1 Kelly Yee-Ching Lai,2 Ernest Siu-Luen Luk,3 Se-Fong Hung,2 Patrick Wing-Leung Leung4 1Department of Psychiatry, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, 2Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3Private practice, 4Clinical and Health Psychology Centre, Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD is a common and impairing child and adolescent psychiatric disorder. Early identification and prompt treatment are essential. Rating scales are commonly used by clinicians and researchers to assess ADHD children. Objective: In the current study, we aimed to examine the clinical utility of the Chinese version of the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behaviors (SWAN questionnaire. We validated its subscale scores against the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version IV (DISC-IV and looked into its ability to identify ADHD in a psychiatric clinic setting. We also tested age and gender effects on SWAN scores. Specific subscale cutoff scores of SWAN were subsequently determined.Method: A total of 290 children aged 6–12 years old studying in local mainstream primary schools were recruited from a clinic setting and interviewed with the parent version of DISC-IV. Their parents and teachers completed the corresponding version of SWAN.Results: Both parent and teacher versions of SWAN were found to have good concurrent validity with DISC-IV. It could identify ADHD well in a clinic sample. Gender-specific cutoff scores were determined. Sensitivities and specificities were found to be satisfactory. SWAN was also found to perform equally well in identifying ADHD in those with and without comorbid Autistic Spectrum Disorder.Conclusion: SWAN was proven to be a useful tool to aid the assessment of ADHD in a clinic sample. Keywords: ADHD, SWAN, DISC-IV, validity

  4. Factors influencing biosafety level and LAI among the staff of medical laboratories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozajda, Anna; Bródka, Karolina; Szadkowska-Stańczyk, Irena

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the study was to assess the biological risks of medical laboratory employees with particular focus on laboratory acquired infection (LAI), activities having the greatest risk, accidents with biological material, post exposure procedure, preventive measures and workers' knowledge about biological exposure. The study involved 9 laboratories. A questionnaire survey was attended by 123 employees and 9 heads of these units with the use of two questionnaires for laboratory workers and the managers. 32.5% of the respondents (40 persons) had an accident at least once. Needlestick or a broken glass injury covered 18.7% respondents (23 persons), while splashing the skin, mucous membranes or conjunctivae related to 22.8% (28 persons). Among the employees who had an accident, only 45% of the respondents (18 persons) reported this to the manager. Microbes dominant in the biological material were known only to 57 respondents (46.3%), less than half could correctly give an example of a disease (57 persons, 46.3%). More than half of the respondents admitted that they do not know all of the possible routes of infection while working in the laboratory (68 persons, 55.3%). In the study population, a high incidence of accidents was observed, usually during blood sampling and transfer of biological material. Condition of the workers' equipment with personal protective measures and laboratory facilities in devices to reduce the risk of infection and procedures for handling the potentially infectious material should be considered as insufficient. Lack of basic knowledge of the employees about biohazards at workplaces was shown.

  5. Exposure to titanium dioxide and other metallic oxide nanoparticles induces cytotoxicity on human neural cells and fibroblasts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James C K Lai

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available James C K Lai1, Maria B Lai1, Sirisha Jandhyam1, Vikas V Dukhande1, Alok Bhushan1, Christopher K Daniels1, Solomon W Leung21Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, and Biomedical Research Institute; 2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Biomedical Research Institute, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USAAbstract: The use of titanium dioxide (TiO2 in various industrial applications (eg, production of paper, plastics, cosmetics, and paints has been expanding thereby increasing the occupational and other environmental exposure of these nanoparticles to humans and other species. However, the health effects of exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles have not been systematically assessed even though recent studies suggest that such exposure induces inflammatory responses in lung tissue and cells. Because the effects of such nanoparticles on human neural cells are unknown, we have determined the putative cytotoxic effects of these nanoparticles on human astrocytes-like astrocytoma U87 cells and compared their effects on normal human fibroblasts. We found that TiO2 micro- and nanoparticles induced cell death on both human cell types in a concentration-related manner. We further noted that zinc oxide (ZnO nanoparticles were the most effective, TiO2 nanoparticles the second most effective, and magnesium oxide (MgO nanoparticles the least effective in inducing cell death in U87 cells. The cell death mechanisms underlying the effects of TiO2 micro- and nanoparticles on U87 cells include apoptosis, necrosis, and possibly apoptosis-like and necrosis-like cell death types. Thus, our findings may have toxicological and other pathophysiological implications on exposure of humans and other mammalian species to metallic oxide nanoparticles.Keywords: cytotoxicity of titanium dioxide micro- and nanoparticles, cytotoxicity of zinc oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles, human neural cells

  6. Implementación del nuevo modelo de infraestructura de telecomunicaciones para despliegue de servicios tecnológicos desde el data center virtual a todas las localidades del Ministerio de Educación, WAN Educativa

    OpenAIRE

    Ortiz Garcés, Ivan Patricio

    2015-01-01

    El presente artículo aborda el proyecto tecnológico enmarcado en el Nuevo Modelo de Gestión del Sistema Educativo del país, que consiste en implementar el Nuevo Modelo de Infraestructura de Telecomunicaciones para despliegue de servicios tecnológicos desde el Data Center Virtual a todas las localidades del Ministerio de Educación, - WAN EDUCATIVA-. El proyecto define el modelo de conectividad adecuado para integrar a todos los usuarios de las localidades a nivel nacional a l...

  7. Quality Control of the Traditional Patent Medicine Yimu Wan Based on SMRT Sequencing and DNA Barcoding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Jing; Xu, Zhichao; Xin, Tianyi; Shi, Linchun; Song, Jingyuan

    2017-01-01

    Substandard traditional patent medicines may lead to global safety-related issues. Protecting consumers from the health risks associated with the integrity and authenticity of herbal preparations is of great concern. Of particular concern is quality control for traditional patent medicines. Here, we establish an effective approach for verifying the biological composition of traditional patent medicines based on single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and DNA barcoding. Yimu Wan (YMW), a classical herbal prescription recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, was chosen to test the method. Two reference YMW samples were used to establish a standard method for analysis, which was then applied to three different batches of commercial YMW samples. A total of 3703 and 4810 circular-consensus sequencing (CCS) reads from two reference and three commercial YMW samples were mapped to the ITS2 and psbA-trnH regions, respectively. Moreover, comparison of intraspecific genetic distances based on SMRT sequencing data with reference data from Sanger sequencing revealed an ITS2 and psbA-trnH intergenic spacer that exhibited high intraspecific divergence, with the sites of variation showing significant differences within species. Using the CCS strategy for SMRT sequencing analysis was adequate to guarantee the accuracy of identification. This study demonstrates the application of SMRT sequencing to detect the biological ingredients of herbal preparations. SMRT sequencing provides an affordable way to monitor the legality and safety of traditional patent medicines. PMID:28620408

  8. Da-Bu-Yin-Wan and Qian-Zheng-San to Neuroprotect the Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Gang Gong

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Da-Bu-Yin-Wan (DBYW and Qian-Zheng-San (QZS, two classic traditional Chinese medicinal formulas, were clinically employed to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD. Our previous studies demonstrated neuroprotective effects of them on mitochondrial function in PD mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP. The purpose of this research was to investigate their possible mechanisms in the light of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP channels. The neuroprotective effect of DBYW and QZS on dopamine (DA neurons in substantia nigra (SN in the MPTP-induced PD mice was investigated by behavioral test (pole test and immunohistochemistry. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP level in the midbrain tissue was detected by firefly luciferase method. MitoKATP channel subunits SUR1 and Kir6.2 mRNA and protein expressions were tested by real-time PCR (RT-PCR and Western blot. It was observed that DBYW and/or QZS served to ameliorate MPTP-induced behavioral impairment and prevent the loss of substantia nigra dopamine neurons, as well as increase ATP level in the midbrain tissue and downregulate SUR1 expression at mRNA and protein levels with no marked influence on Kir6.2. We concluded that DBYW and QZS exhibit neuroprotective effects probably through the regulation of ATP level and mitoKATP channel subunit expressions.

  9. Marine environmental impact assessment of abalone, Haliotis discus hannai, cage farm in Wan-do, Republic of Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Hyun-Taik; Jung, Rae-Hong; Cho, Yoon-Sik; Hwang, Dong-Woon; Yi, Yong-Min

    2015-12-01

    To assess the marine environmental impacts of abalone, Haliotis discus hannai, cage farms in Wan-do, we monitored the benthic environment on top of the sediment underneath cage farm stations and reference stations. We applied two methods for this assessment. One was the A- and B-investigation of the MOM system (Modeling-On fish farm-Monitoring) developed in Norway. The other was a general environmental monitoring method which is widely used. In this study, we found benthic animals in all samples that belonged to condition 1 which were based on group 1(presence of macrofauna) of the B-investigation method. The values of redox potential (group 2-pH, redox potential) in all samples were above +65 mV belonging to condition 1. Based on sensory results (group 3-gas, color, odor, thickness of deposits), five out of seven experiment samples showed condition 1 while stations 2 and 7 showed condition 2, which have been cultured for 10 years in semi-closed waters. As group 2 takes precedence over group 3, the level of the conditions for B-investigation results consequently showed condition 1 in all stations. We found that pollutants and trace metals in the sediment underneath cage farms were lower than the pollution standard. This led us to conclude that the environmental impacts of the cage farms in this study were not significant.

  10. Novel mitogen-activated protein kinase MpkC of Aspergillus fumigatus is required for utilization of polyalcohol sugars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, Guadalupe; Romans, Angela; Nguyen, C Kim; May, Gregory S

    2006-11-01

    The genome of Aspergillus fumigatus has four genes that encode mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), sakA/hogA, mpkA, mpkB, and mpkC. The functions of the MpkB and MpkC MAPKs are unknown for A. fumigatus and the closely related and genetically amenable species Aspergillus nidulans. mpkC deletion mutants of A. fumigatus were made and their phenotypes characterized. The mpkC deletion mutants were viable and had normal conidial germination and hyphal growth on minimal or complete media. This is in contrast to deletion mutants with deletions in the closely related MAPK gene sakA/hogA that we previously reported had a nitrogen source-dependent germination phenotype. Similarly, the growth of the mpkC deletion mutants was wild type on high-osmolarity medium. Consistent with these two MAP kinase genes regulating different cellular responses, we determined that the mpkC deletion mutants were unable to grow on minimal medium with sorbitol or mannitol as the sole carbon source. This result implicates MpkC signaling in carbon source utilization. Changes in mRNA levels for sakA and mpkC were measured in response to hypertonic stress, oxidative stress, and a shift from glucose to sorbitol to determine if there was overlap in the SakA and MpkC signaling pathways. These studies demonstrated that SakA- and MpkC-dependent patterns of change in mRNA levels are distinct and have minimal overlap in response to these environmental stresses.

  11. An extract of a formula used in the traditional chinese medicine (Buzhong Yi Qi Wan) alters the labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giani, Tania Santos; Paoli, Severo de; Brandao-Neto, Jose; Medeiros, Aldo da Cunha; Presta, Giuseppe Antonio; Maiworm, Adalgisa Ieda; Santos Filho, Sebastiao David; Fonseca, Adenilson de Souza da; Bernardo-Filho, Mario

    2007-01-01

    Buzhong Yi Qi Wan (Buzhong) is a medicinal herb widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat the digestive and circulatory systems. Red blood cell and plasma proteins labeled with technetium-99m ( 99m Tc) are used in nuclear medicine. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of an aqueous Buzhong extract on the labeling of blood constituents with 99m Tc. Heparinized blood (Wistar rats) was incubated in vitro with different Buzhong extract concentrations and 99m Tc-labeling was performed. Plasma (P) and blood cells (BC) were separated and soluble (SF-P, SF-BC) and insoluble (IF-P, IF-BC) fractions were isolated. The radioactivity on blood constituents was determined and the percentage of incorporated radioactivity (%ATI) was calculated. Buzhong extract at the highest concentrations used altered significantly (p 99 mTc. (author)

  12. Factors influencing biosafety level and lai among the staff of medical laboratories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Kozajda

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: The aim of the study was to assess the biological risks of medical laboratory employees with particular focus on laboratory acquired infection (LAI, activities having the greatest risk, accidents with biological material, post exposure procedure, preventive measures and workers' knowledge about biological exposure. Materials and Methods: The study involved 9 laboratories. A questionnaire survey was attended by 123 employees and 9 heads of these units with the use of two questionnaires for laboratory workers and the managers. Results: 32.5% of the respondents (40 persons had an accident at least once. Needlestick or a broken glass injury covered 18.7% respondents (23 persons, while splashing the skin, mucous membranes or conjunctivae related to 22.8% (28 persons. Among the employees who had an accident, only 45% of the respondents (18 persons reported this to the manager. Microbes dominant in the biological material were known only to 57 respondents (46.3%, less than half could correctly give an example of a disease (57 persons, 46.3%. More than half of the respondents admitted that they do not know all of the possible routes of infection while working in the laboratory (68 persons, 55.3%. Conclusions: In the study population, a high incidence of accidents was observed, usually during blood sampling and transfer of biological material. Condition of the workers' equipment with personal protective measures and laboratory facilities in devices to reduce the risk of infection and procedures for handling the potentially infectious material should be considered as insufficient. Lack of basic knowledge of the employees about biohazards at workplaces was shown. Med Pr 2013;64(4:473–486

  13. Effect of Rat Medicated Serum Containing You Gui Wan on Mouse Oocyte In Vitro Maturation and Subsequent Fertilization Competence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Hui Jiang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available You Gui Wan (YGW is a classic herbal formula in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM used for the clinical treatment of infertility. This study was to explore whether YGW has an impact on mouse oocyte maturation in vitro and subsequent fertilization competence. Rat medicated serum containing YGW was prepared by orally administrating YGW. Mouse immature oocytes were cultured with YGW medicated serum and compared to those cultured with or without normal rat serum or follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH. YGW medicated serum significantly increased the percentages of matured oocytes when compared to the groups with or without normal rat serum (P < 0.01. Furthermore, YGW medicated serum increased the rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF when compared to the groups treated with FSH and with or without normal rat serum (P < 0.001. YGW medicated serum also had significant effects on the mRNA expressions of PKA, CREB, MAPK, PKC, PKG, and MPF and the concentrations of cAMP, cGMP, and NO in matured oocytes. These results indicate that YGW can promote mouse oocyte maturation and IVF in vitro. Signaling pathways, such as the cAMP/PKA/MAPK, the PKC-MAPK, and the NO-cGMP-PKG pathway, which are similar to those induced by FSH, may be responsible for this action.

  14. Carbamylated monomeric allergoids as a therapeutic option for sublingual immunotherapy of dust mite- and grass pollen-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: a systematic review of published trials with a meta-analysis of treatment using Lais® tablets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mösges, R; Ritter, B; Kayoko, G; Allekotte, S

    2010-10-01

    Lais® allergoid tablets contain allergens that are modified by carbamylation. Due to their modified chemical structure, they are suitable for sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) (13, 16, 17, 24). Based on their small molecule size of 12 to 40 kDa, they can be easily absorbed via the oral mucosa (1). In this review, we studied the efficacy of SLIT with carbamylated monomeric allergoid tablets in the treatment of grass pollen- and dust mite-induced allergic rhinoconjunctivitis on the basis of symptom and medication score improvements. Following a selective internet and databank search, six trials-some placebo-controlled-regarding the treatment of grass pollen- (n = 266) and dust mite-induced (n = 241) allergic rhinoconjunctivitis were used to draw conclusions regarding the clinical efficacy of allergoid tablets. The primary endpoints in these trials were decreases in the need for allergy medications and/or reductions in the occurrence of rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms. Data was recorded from patient diaries regarding their symptoms and medications used and conclusions were then drawn about the effectiveness and tolerabieity of Lais® tablets. The average improvement in symptom score in three trials of grass pollen allergy treatment was 34% in comparison to the placebo group. The treatment of dust mite-induced rhinoconjunctivitis produced an average symptom score improvement of 22% compared to the placebo or control groups. The intake of symptomatic rescue medication during allergoid tablet therapy declined. Treatment of grass pollen allergies and dust mite-induced rhinoconjunctivitis showed an average medication score improvement of 49% and 24%, respectively. Few side effects were documented in the trials and predominantly local effects were observed. Severe systemic side effects did not occur. On the basis of the trial results summarized in this review, we suggest that SLIT using Lais® sublingual tablets is an effective and well-tolerated form of treatment.

  15. Novel Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase MpkC of Aspergillus fumigatus Is Required for Utilization of Polyalcohol Sugars▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, Guadalupe; Romans, Angela; Nguyen, C. Kim; May, Gregory S.

    2006-01-01

    The genome of Aspergillus fumigatus has four genes that encode mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), sakA/hogA, mpkA, mpkB, and mpkC. The functions of the MpkB and MpkC MAPKs are unknown for A. fumigatus and the closely related and genetically amenable species Aspergillus nidulans. mpkC deletion mutants of A. fumigatus were made and their phenotypes characterized. The mpkC deletion mutants were viable and had normal conidial germination and hyphal growth on minimal or complete media. This is in contrast to deletion mutants with deletions in the closely related MAPK gene sakA/hogA that we previously reported had a nitrogen source-dependent germination phenotype. Similarly, the growth of the mpkC deletion mutants was wild type on high-osmolarity medium. Consistent with these two MAP kinase genes regulating different cellular responses, we determined that the mpkC deletion mutants were unable to grow on minimal medium with sorbitol or mannitol as the sole carbon source. This result implicates MpkC signaling in carbon source utilization. Changes in mRNA levels for sakA and mpkC were measured in response to hypertonic stress, oxidative stress, and a shift from glucose to sorbitol to determine if there was overlap in the SakA and MpkC signaling pathways. These studies demonstrated that SakA- and MpkC-dependent patterns of change in mRNA levels are distinct and have minimal overlap in response to these environmental stresses. PMID:16998074

  16. An extract of a formula used in the traditional chinese medicine (Buzhong Yi Qi Wan alters the labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tania Santos Giani

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Buzhong Yi Qi Wan (Buzhong is a medicinal herb widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat the digestive and circulatory systems. Red blood cell and plasma proteins labeled with technetium-99m (99mTc are used in nuclear medicine. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of an aqueous Buzhong extract on the labeling of blood constituents with 99mTc. Heparinized blood (Wistar rats was incubated in vitro with different Buzhong extract concentrations and 99mTc-labeling was performed. Plasma (P and blood cells (BC were separated and soluble (SF-P, SF-BC and insoluble (IF-P, IF-BC fractions were isolated. The radioactivity on blood constituents was determined and the percentage of incorporated radioactivity (%ATI was calculated. Buzhong extract at the highest concentrations used altered significantly (pBuzhong Yi Qi Wan (Buzhong é uma fórmula utilizada na Medicina Tradicional Chinesa para tratamento de distúrbios nos sistemas digestório e circulatório. Constituintes sangüíneos marcados com tecnécio-99m (99mTc são usados na medicina nuclear. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos do extrato de Buzhong na marcação de constituintes sangüíneos com 99mTc. Amostras de sangue de ratos Wistar foram incubadas com diferentes concentrações do extrato de Buzhong e a marcação de constituintes sangüíneos com 99mTc foi realizado. Plasma e células sangüíneas foram separados, frações solúveis e insolúveis do plasma e das células sangüíneas foram isoladas. A radioatividade nos constituintes sangüíneos foi contada e as porcentagens de radioatividade incorporada (%ATI, determinada. Extrato de Buzhong nas maiores concentrações utilizadas altera significativamente (p<0.05 a %ATI nos constituintes sangüíneos. Substâncias presentes no extrato de Buzhong poderiam alterar a membrana celular e/ou gerar radicais livres, que têm propriedades oxidantes, modificando a marcação dos constituintes sangüíneos com

  17. Power Spectrum Density of Stochastic Oscillating Accretion Disk GB ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    J., 672, 40. Harko, T., Mocanu, G. R. 2012, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 421, 3102. Jauncey, D. L., Macquart, J. P. 2001, Astron. Astrophys., 370, L9. Kato, S. 2001, Publ. Astron. Soc. Jpn., 53, 1. Leung, C. S., Wei, J. Y., Harko, T. et al. 2011a, J. Astrophys. Astr., 32, 189. Leung, C. S., Wei, J. Y., Kovacs, Z. et al. 2011b, Res. Astron.

  18. Vietnam and ASEAN: Should They Integrate?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-01

    NOTES 1 Suiwah Leung, " Viet Nam : Economy," Europaworld Web. Accessed on August 30, 2013, http://www.europaworld.com/entry/vn.ec. 2 Ibid...2013, 1278. 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid. 12 Suiwah Leung, " Viet Nam : Economy". 13 Overview, ASEAN. Accessed on September 20, 2013, http...provide are commonly found in fertilizers, cosmetics , livestock, and plant imports. 48 Therefore, the Vietnamese Ministries of Agriculture and

  19. Biogeochemical characteristics of Kuan-Tzu-Ling, Chung-Lun and Bao-Lai hot springs in southern Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maity, Jyoti Prakash; Liu, Chia-Chuan; Nath, Bibhash; Bundschuh, Jochen; Kar, Sandeep; Jean, Jiin-Shuh; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Liu, Jiann-Hong; Atla, Shashi B; Chen, Chien-Yen

    2011-01-01

    Hot springs are the important natural sources of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. Kuan-Tzu-Ling (KTL), Chung-Lun (CL) and Bao-Lai (BL) are well-known hot springs in southern Taiwan. Fluid and mud (sediments) samples were collected from the eruption points of three hot springs for detailed biogeochemical characterization. The fluid sample displays relatively high concentrations of Na(+) and Cl(-) compared with K(+), Mg(2+), Ca(2+), NO(2) (-), and SO(4) (2-), suggesting a possible marine origin. The concentrations of Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, V and Zn were significantly higher in the mud sediments compared with fluids, whereas high concentrations of As, Ba, Cu, Se, Sr and Rb were observed in the fluids. This suggests that electronegative elements were released during sediment-water interactions. High As concentration in the fluids was observed to be associated with low redox (Eh) conditions. The FTIR spectra of the humic acid fractions of the sediments showed the presence of possible functional groups of secondary amines, ureas, urethanesm (amide), and silicon. The sulfate-reducing deltaproteobacterium 99% similar to Desulfovibrio psychrotolerans (GU329907) were rich in the CL hot spring while mesophilic, proteolytic, thiosulfate- and sulfur-reducing bacterium that 99% similar to Clostridium sulfidigenes (GU329908) were rich in the BL hot spring.

  20. Evaluation of the feasibility of security technologies in teleradiology as biometric fingerprint scanners for data exchange over a satellite WAN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soegner, Peter I.; Helweg, Gernot; Holzer, Heimo; zur Nedden, Dieter

    2000-05-01

    We evaluated the feasibility of fingerprint-scanners in combination with smart cards for personal identification and transmission of encrypted TCP/IP-data-packages via satellite between the university-hospital of Innsbruck and the rural hospital of Reutte. The aim of our study was the proof of the userfriendliness of the SkymedTM technology for security purpose in teleradiology. We examined the time of the personal identification process, the time for the necessary training and the personal satisfaction. The images were sent from the local PACS in Reutte via a Data-Encryption-and-Transmission- Box via satellite from Reutte to Innsbruck. We used an asymmetric bandwidth of 512 kbit/s from Reutte to Innsbruck and 128 kbit/s in the opposite direction. Window NT 4.0- operating PCs were used for the electronical patient record, the medical inquiry of the referring physician and the final report of the radiologist. The images were reported on an UNIX-PACS viewing station. After identification through fingerprint-scanners in combination with the smart card the radiologist was able to open the electronic patient record (EPR) from Reutte and sign with his digital signature his confirmed final report before it was send back to Reutte. The used security technology enables encrypted communication over a WAN, which fulfill data-protection.

  1. Identification of the Chemical Constituents in Simiao Wan and Rat Plasma after Oral Administration by GC-MS and LC-MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunshuang Fan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Simiao Wan (SMW, an important multiherbal formula used in traditional Chinese medicine, is extensively used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. However, the knowledge of the bioactive components of SMW remains unclear. Thus, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS were used to analyze the chemical constituents of volatile and nonvolatile extracts of SMW, as well as its absorbed components in rat plasma after oral SMW administration. Identification of several compounds was enabled by comparison of retention times, MS spectra, and MS/MS spectral data with the standard substance and reference materials reported in the literature. In the volatile extracts, GC-MS identified 26 compounds in vitro, three of which observed in blood by GC-MS. In the nonvolatile extracts, LC-MS identified 49 compounds in SMW; 18 compounds containing 7 prototype compounds, 5 metabolites, and 6 unknown compounds were absorbed by blood. The proposed GC-MS and LC-MS method was appropriate not only for the rapid screening and identification of multiple components of an SMW extract but also for screening its bioactive constituents in vivo. The proposed method could be a promising tool for the quality control of other Chinese herbal medicines.

  2. Hu-Lu-Ba-Wan Attenuates Diabetic Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetic Rats through PKC-α/NADPH Oxidase Signaling Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lishan Zhou

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Hu-Lu-Ba-Wan (HLBW is a Chinese herbal prescription used to treat kidney deficiency. The aim of this study was to explore the effect and mechanism of HLBW on diabetic nephropathy (DN in type 2 diabetic rats. The rat model of DN was established by being fed a high-fat diet and intravenous injection of streptozotocin. Then, HLBW decoction was administered for 16 weeks. Blood glucose level, lipid profile, renal function, 24-hour total urinary protein, and albumin content were examined. Renal morphology and superoxide anion levels were evaluated. The activity of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH and protein kinase C-alpha (PKC-α related genes expression in renal tissue were also determined. Our data demonstrated that HLBW significantly improved hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and proteinuria in diabetic rats compared with those of control group. HLBW also alleviated glomerular expansion and fibrosis, extracellular matrix accumulation and effacement of the foot processes. Additionally, HLBW reduced superoxide anion level, NADPH oxidase activity, the protein and mRNA expressions of p47phox, and the protein expression of phosphorylated PKC-α in renal tissue. These results suggest that HLBW is effective in the treatment of DN in rats. The underlying mechanism may be related to the attenuation of renal oxidative stress via PKC-α/NADPH oxidase signaling pathway.

  3. The absence of fan activism in the queer fandom of Ho Denise Wan See (HOCC in Hong Kong

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheuk Yin Li

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The queer fandom of female Hong Kong pop singer Ho Denise Wan See (HOCC from 2009 to mid-2011 is dealt with through the qualitative methodology of in-depth interviews and media ethnography. HOCC, an idiosyncratic cultural producer who dabbles in the politics of ambiguity, creates texts that invite queer interpretations from fans and from queer activists in Hong Kong. Via analyses informed by both queer studies and audience studies, the various creative practices of fans in reshaping their sexual identities via popular culture are explored. These practices are highly political and empowering to a queer audience. However, the intensive rewriting of meanings as queer symbolic creativity and tactics in cultural politics fail to transform into formal institutional politics and more confrontational queer activism. This is so for several reasons. Internally, the hierarchical structure of fan organization, fan proximity to the culture industry, and the top-down encouragement of social charity as the only channel of activism have all reduced the possibility of transforming fans' queer sensibilities into institutional queer politics. Furthermore, Hong Kong, under the influence of three major discourses that seek to discipline and regulate sexualities—traditional Chinese ethics, the British colonial legacy, and the postcolonial revival of rightist Christianity—has a long social history of heterosexist discrimination and a preference for normalizing when striving for queer citizenship. This empirical study examines relations between cultural specificity and fan agency in a non-Western context.

  4. Basic Research in Electronics (JSEP) Joint Services Electronics Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-12-31

    34 IEEE J. Quantum Electronics, vol. 2E-22, pp. 544-551, April 1986. 41. T. Tamir and F.Y. Kou, "Classification of leaky waves supported by multilayered...34Photoemisslon from Single Electrodynamically Levitated Microparticles," Rev. Sci. Inst. §. 1088 (1985). 7. K.M. Leung, "P-Polarized Nonlinear...for a Single Electrodynamically Levitated Micropartcle," Rev. Sci. Inst., §L 2250 (1986). 10. S. Arnold, K.M. Leung and A.B. Pluchino, "The Optical

  5. Targeting the oxidative stress response system of fungi with safe, redox-potent chemosensitizing agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong H. eKim

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The cellular antioxidation system is a target in the antifungal action of amphotericin B (AMB and itraconazole (ITZ, in filamentous fungi. The sakAΔ mutant of Aspergillus fumigatus, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK gene deletion mutant in the antioxidation system, was found to be more sensitive to AMB or ITZ than other A. fumigatus strains, a wild type and a mpkCΔ mutant (MAPK gene deletion mutant in polyalcohol sugar utilization system. The sakAΔ mutant showed no growth at 0.5 μg mL-1 of ITZ or reduced growth at 1.0 to 2.0 μg mL-1 of AMB, while the other strains exhibited robust growth. Complete fungal kill (≥ 99.9% by ITZ or AMB was achieved by much lower dosages for the sakAΔ mutant than for the other strains. SakA and MpkC appear to have overlapping roles in marshalling the oxidative stress response under treatment by an organic peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH, or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2. The SakA signalling pathway was found to be responsible for fungal tolerance to AMB or ITZ toxicity. It appears msnA, an Aspergillus ortholog to Saccharomyces cerevisiae MSN2 (encoding a stress-responsive C2H2-type zinc-finger regulator and sakA and/or mpkC (upstream MAPKs are in the same stress response network under t-BuOOH-, H2O2- or AMB-triggered toxicity. Of note is that ITZ-sensitive yeast pathogens (Candida krusei and Cryptococcus neoformans were also sensitive to t-BuOOH, showing a connection between ITZ toxicity and oxidative stress response. This was shown by enhanced antifungal activity of AMB or ITZ when co-applied with redox-potent natural compounds, 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, thymol or salicylaldehyde, as chemosensitizing agents. Hence, redox compounds, which target the antioxidation system in fungi, possess a potent chemosensitizing capacity to enhance efficacy of conventional drugs inducing oxidative stress. Such chemosensitization can reduce costs and alleviate negative side effects associated with current

  6. Assessment of effects of a formula used in the traditional Chinese medicine (Buzhong Yi Qi Wan on the morphologic and osmotic fragility of red blood cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tania S. Giani

    Full Text Available Buzhong Yi Qi Wan (BYQW is a combination of some medicinal herbs widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat blood, spleen and stomach disorders. Morphometric analysis and osmotic fragility assay have been used to evaluate changes on membrane integrity of red blood cells. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of an aqueous BYQW extract on the morphology and osmotic fragility of red blood cells. Blood samples were treated with BYQW extract, quantitative/qualitative morphological analysis and osmotic fragility assay were carried out against control groups treated with saline. The data obtained indicated no modification on morphology but osmotic fragility assay suggested a significant (p<0.05 increasing of hemolysis in red blood cells isolated from blood treated with aqueous BYQW extract. In conclusion, the aqueous BYQW extract could affect the membrane integrity decreasing the osmotic resistance but without altering the shape of red blood cells.

  7. From centriole biogenesis to cellular function: centrioles are essential for cell division at critical developmental stages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues-Martins, Ana; Riparbelli, Maria; Callaini, Giuliano; Glover, David M; Bettencourt-Dias, Monica

    2008-01-01

    Centrioles are essential for the formation of cilia, flagella and centrosome organization. Abnormalities in centrosome structure and number in many cancers can be associated with aberrant cell division and genomic instability.(1,2) Canonical centriole duplication occurs in coordination with the cell division cycle, such that a single new "daughter" centriole arises next to each "mother" centriole. If destroyed, or eliminated during development, centrioles can form de novo.(3-5) Here we discuss our recent data demonstrating a molecular pathway that operates in both de novo and canonical centriole biogenesis involving SAK/PLK4, SAS-6 and SAS-4.(6) We showed that centriole biogenesis is a self-assembly process locally triggered by high SAK/PLK4 activity that may or not be associated with an existing centriole. SAS-6 acts downstream of SAK/PLK4 to organize nine precentriolar units, which we call here enatosomes, fitting together laterally and longitudinally, specifying a tube-like centriole precursor.(7,8) The identification of mutants impaired in centriole biogenesis has permitted the study of the physiological consequences of their absence in the whole organism. In Drosophila, centrioles are not necessary for somatic cell divisions.(9,10) However, we show here that mitotic abnormalities arise in syncytial SAK/PLK4-derived mutant embryos resulting in lethality. Moreover male meiosis fails in both SAK/PLK4 and DSAS-4 mutant spermatids that have no centrioles. These results show diversity in the need for centrioles in cell division. This suggests that tissue specific constraints selected for different contributions of centrosome-independent and dependent mechanisms in spindle function. This heterogeneity should be taken into account both in reaching an understanding of spindle function and when designing drugs that target cell division.

  8. AL FIKR AL BALAGHI FI AL MA’ĂNI ‘INDA AS SAKĂKI FI KITABIHI MIFTAHUL ULUM DIRĂSAH BALAGHIYYAH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Talqis Nurdianto

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Miftāhul ‘Ulūm, written by al-Sakākī, especially the third part, was the beginning of a new phase in the development of Arabic rhetoric. Al-Sakākī divided the rhetoric into three fields of study, which are  (1 Ma’ānī, (2 Bayān, (3 Badī’. However, his style is influenced by philosophers, theologians and their verbal lexicon, which are difficult to take, especially for the ordinary recipient. Al-Sakākī described that his book containing several types of literature, namely, ‘ilm ṣarf in complete version and its conclusion, derivation science, and the grammatical study in the completeness of Ma’ānī and Bayān. The meaning of Makna is the study of completeness and conclusion. Therefore, books and prose, and poem require al-‘Arūḍ and al-Qawāfī include Ṣarf, Grammar, Ma’ānī, Bayān, limitation, reasoning, al’Arūḍ, and al-Qawāfī. He argued that the fields of study were influential in delivering knowledge to the student in order to reach the goal of the author towards his book.This research was an analytical descriptive study of al-Sakākī rhetoric that focused on the normative aspect represented by rhetorical rule and aesthetic aspects. Those aspects were shown by the feeling. Al-Sakākī rhetoric thought is a method based on mental division and has conducted in the construction of many factors, which the most important of them are philosophy and logic. Keywords: thought, rhetoric, meanings, sakkaki, study

  9. Si Shen Wan Regulates Phospholipase Cγ-1 and PI3K/Akt Signal in Colonic Mucosa from Rats with Colitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duan-yong Liu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study explored the feasible pathway of Si Shen Wan (SSW in inhibiting apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs by observing activation of phospholipase Cγ-1 (PLC-γ1 and PI3K/Akt signal in colonic mucosa from rats with colitis. Experimental colitis was induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS in the Sprague-Dawley rats. After SSW was administrated for 7 days after TNBS infusion, western blot showed an increment in levels of PI3K, p-Akt, and IL-23 and a decrement in levels of PLC-γ1 and HSP70 in colonic mucosal injury induced by TNBS. Meanwhile, assessments by ELISA revealed an increment in concentrations of IL-2, IL-6, and IL-17 and a reduction in level of TGF-β after TNBS challenge. Impressively, treatment with SSW for 7 days significantly attenuated the expressions of PI3K and p-Akt and the secretion of IL-2, IL-6, IL-17, and IL-23 and promoted the activation of PLC-γ1, HSP70, and TGF-β. Our previous studies had demonstrated that SSW restored colonic mucosal ulcers by inhibiting apoptosis of IECs. The present study demonstrated that the effect of SSW on inhibiting apoptosis of IECs was realized probably by activation of PLC-γ1 and suppression of PI3K/Akt signal pathway.

  10. An extract of a formula used in the traditional chinese medicine (Buzhong Yi Qi Wan) alters the labeling of blood constituents with technetium-99m

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Giani, Tania Santos; Paoli, Severo de; Brandao-Neto, Jose; Medeiros, Aldo da Cunha [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias da Saude. Programa de Pos-graduacao em Ciencias da Saude]. E-mail: tgiani@gmail.com; Presta, Giuseppe Antonio; Maiworm, Adalgisa Ieda; Santos Filho, Sebastiao David; Fonseca, Adenilson de Souza da [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes. Lab. de Radiofarmacia Experimental; Bernardo-Filho, Mario [Instituto Nacional de Cancer (INCa), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisa Basica

    2007-09-15

    Buzhong Yi Qi Wan (Buzhong) is a medicinal herb widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat the digestive and circulatory systems. Red blood cell and plasma proteins labeled with technetium-99m ({sup 99m}Tc) are used in nuclear medicine. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of an aqueous Buzhong extract on the labeling of blood constituents with {sup 99m}Tc. Heparinized blood (Wistar rats) was incubated in vitro with different Buzhong extract concentrations and {sup 99m}Tc-labeling was performed. Plasma (P) and blood cells (BC) were separated and soluble (SF-P, SF-BC) and insoluble (IF-P, IF-BC) fractions were isolated. The radioactivity on blood constituents was determined and the percentage of incorporated radioactivity (%ATI) was calculated. Buzhong extract at the highest concentrations used altered significantly (p<0.05) the %ATI in blood constituents. Substances present in the Buzhong extract could alter the cellular membrane and/or generation of free radicals that have oxidant properties modifying the labeling of blood constituents with {sup 99}mTc. (author)

  11. Sociālais medijs "Instagram" kā mārketinga komunikācijas kanāls: "ArtJam", "Paviljons" un "Yayoi" piemēri

    OpenAIRE

    Ezergaile, Elizabete

    2016-01-01

    Bakalaura darba "Sociālais medijs "Instagram” kā mārketinga komunikācijas kanāls: “ArtJam”, “Paviljons” un “Yayoi” piemēri" mērķis ir noskaidrot, kādā veidā un kādiem mērķiem iepriekš minētie zīmoli izmanto sociālo mediju “Instagram” kā mārketinga komunikācijas kanālu un kādus rezultātus komunikācija šajā kanālā ir sniegusi konkrētajiem zīmoliem. Teorijas daļā aplūkotas teorētiskās nostādnes par mārketingu, mārketinga komunikāciju, sociālajiem medijiem, sociālo mediju mārketingu, sociāli medi...

  12. Searching for Synergistic Bronchodilators and Novel Therapeutic Regimens for Chronic Lung Diseases from a Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Yuanyuan; Cheng, Binfeng; Zhou, Mengge; Fang, Runping; Jiang, Min; Hou, Wenbin; Bai, Gang

    2014-01-01

    Classical Chinese pharmacopeias describe numerous excellent herbal formulations, and each prescription is an outstanding pool of effective compounds for drug discovery. Clarifying the bioactivity of the combined mechanisms of the ingredients in complex traditional Chinese medicine formulas is challenging. A classical formula known as Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan, used clinically as a treatment for prevalent chronic lung disease, was investigated in this work. A mutually enhanced bioactivity-guided ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) characterization system was proposed, coupled with a dual-luciferase reporter assay for β2AR-agonist cofactor screening. Arctiin, arctigenin, descurainoside and descurainolide B, four lignin compounds that showed synergistic bronchodilation effects with ephedrine, were revealed. The synergistic mechanism of arctigenin with the β2ARagonist involved with the reduction of free Ca2+ was clarified by a dual-luciferase reporter assay for intracellular calcium and the Ca2+ indicator fluo-4/AM to monitor changes in the fluorescence. The relaxant and contractile responses of airway smooth muscle are regulated by crosstalk between the intracellular cAMP and calcium signaling pathways. Our data indicated the non-selective βAR agonist ephedrine as the principal bronchodilator of the formula, whereas the lignin ingredients served as adjuvant ingredients. A greater understanding of the mechanisms governing the control of these pathways, based on conventional wisdom, could lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets or new agents for the treatment of asthma and COPD. PMID:25397687

  13. Searching for synergistic bronchodilators and novel therapeutic regimens for chronic lung diseases from a traditional Chinese medicine, Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanyuan Hou

    Full Text Available Classical Chinese pharmacopeias describe numerous excellent herbal formulations, and each prescription is an outstanding pool of effective compounds for drug discovery. Clarifying the bioactivity of the combined mechanisms of the ingredients in complex traditional Chinese medicine formulas is challenging. A classical formula known as Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan, used clinically as a treatment for prevalent chronic lung disease, was investigated in this work. A mutually enhanced bioactivity-guided ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS characterization system was proposed, coupled with a dual-luciferase reporter assay for β2AR-agonist cofactor screening. Arctiin, arctigenin, descurainoside and descurainolide B, four lignin compounds that showed synergistic bronchodilation effects with ephedrine, were revealed. The synergistic mechanism of arctigenin with the β2ARagonist involved with the reduction of free Ca2+ was clarified by a dual-luciferase reporter assay for intracellular calcium and the Ca2+ indicator fluo-4/AM to monitor changes in the fluorescence. The relaxant and contractile responses of airway smooth muscle are regulated by crosstalk between the intracellular cAMP and calcium signaling pathways. Our data indicated the non-selective βAR agonist ephedrine as the principal bronchodilator of the formula, whereas the lignin ingredients served as adjuvant ingredients. A greater understanding of the mechanisms governing the control of these pathways, based on conventional wisdom, could lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets or new agents for the treatment of asthma and COPD.

  14. HPLC法测定清肺消炎丸中三种抗炎成分含量%Determination of content of three anti-inflammatory ingredients in Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan by using HPLC method

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    崔庆新; 廖承美; 陈志凯; 马芳; 陶瑾

    2016-01-01

    采用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)对清肺消炎丸中牛蒡子苷、牛蒡子苷元和绿原酸进行定量测定.色谱柱:Symmetry ® C18柱.流动相:牛蒡子苷、牛蒡子苷元采用甲醇-水(体积比为50∶50),检测波长280 nm;绿原酸采用乙腈-0.4%的磷酸(体积比为13∶87),检测波长327 nm.结果表明,清肺消炎丸中含牛蒡子苷407 mg/g,牛蒡子苷元0.19 mg/g,绿原酸0.076 mg/g.牛蒡子苷、牛蒡子苷元和绿原酸进样量分别在1.94~9.70μg、0.20~1.00μg、0.05~0.25μg 范围内与峰面积的线性关系良好.牛蒡子苷、牛蒡子苷元和绿原酸的回收率分别为102.59%(RSD=1.69%,n=5),98.17%(RSD=1.52%,n=5)和9833%(RSD=1.46%,n=5).该方法简单、精确、灵敏、专属性强、重复性好,可定量测定清肺消炎丸中抗炎物质含量.%By using the method of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)to quantitatively determine the content of arctii,arctigenin and chlorogenic acid in Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan.The chromatographic column is Symmetry ® C18 color table.The mobile phase for arctii and arctigenin is methanol-water (50:50 ),the detection wavelength is 280 nm;for the chlorogenic acid was acetonitrile-0.4% phosphoric acid (13:87),the detection wavelength is 327 nm.The contents of arctii,arctigenin and chlorogenic acid were 4.07 mg/g(n=3), 0.1 9 mg/g (n=3)and 0.076 mg/g(n=3)respectively in Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan.It shows that there is a good linear relationship between the peak area and sample size of arctii,arctigenin and chlorogenic in the range of 194-9.70 μg,0.20 - 1.00 μg and 0.05 -0.25 μg,respectively.The recovery rates were arctii 102.59%(RSD=1.69%,n = 5 ),arctigenin 98.1 7 %(RSD= 1.52%,n = 5 )and chlorogenic acid 98.33% (RSD= 1. 46%,n=5).The method used in this study is simple,accurate,sensitive,and has strong specificity and good repeatability.And it can be used to quantitatively determine the content of the material in

  15. Reliability and validity of a 20-s alternative to the wingate anaerobic test in team sport male athletes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Attia

    Full Text Available The intent of this study was to evaluate relative and absolute reliability of the 20-s anaerobic test (WAnT20 versus the WAnT30 and to verify how far the various indices of the 30-s Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT30 could be predicted from the WAnT20 data in male athletes. The participants were Exercise Science majors (age: 21.5±1.6 yrs, stature: 0.183±0.08 m, body mass: 81.2±10.9 kg who participated regularly in team sports. In Phase I, 41 participants performed duplicate WAnT20 and WAnT30 tests to assess reliability. In Phase II, 31 participants performed one trial each of the WAnT20 and WAnT30 to determine the ability of the WAnT20 to predict components of the WAnT30. In Phase III, 31 participants were used to cross-validate the prediction equations developed in Phase II. Respective intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC for peak power output (PPO (ICC = 0.98 and 0.95 and mean power output (MPO (ICC 0.98 and 0.90 did not differ significantly between WAnT20 and WAnT30. ICCs for minimal power output (POmin and fatigue index (FI were poor for both tests (range 0.53 to 0.76. Standard errors of the means (SEM for PPO and MPO were less than their smallest worthwhile changes (SWC in both tests; however, POmin and FI values were "marginal," with SEM values greater than their respective SWCs for both tests values. Stepwise regression analysis showed that MPO had the highest coefficient of predictability (R = 0.97, with POmin and FI considerable lower (R = 0.71 and 0.41 respectively. Cross-validation showed insignificant bias with limits of agreement of 0.99±1.04, 6.5±92.7 W, and 1.6±9.8% between measured and predicted MPO, POmin, and FI, respectively. WAnT20 offers a reliable and valid test of leg anaerobic power in male athletes and could replace the classic WAnT30.

  16. À la recherche d’innovations dans l’enseignement du FLE destinées aux étudiants sinophones en mobilité interuniversitaire : le cas de Taïwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LEE Hsin-I

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Un nombre croissant d’étudiants sinophones vient en France pour poursuivre ses études. Afin de préciser les problèmes rencontrés, nous avons effectué des enquêtes auprès d’un échantillon de 90 étudiants taïwanais de diverses disciplines, durant les années universitaires 2013 et 2014, avant le départ et pendant le séjour en France. La question linguistique est souvent un problème majeur, mais elle n’est pas la seule. Les étudiants vont également faire l’expérience des différences culturelles. De plus, l’adaptation à la méthodologie universitaire soulève des difficultés. Notre conclusion consiste à proposer dans l’enseignement du FLE à Taïwan des innovations pédagogiques destinées à mieux préparer en amont les étudiants et ainsi leur permettre de mieux s’adapter au système éducatif français.

  17. The effect of bi-directional reflectance distribution function on the estimation of vegetation indices and leaf area index (LAI): A case study of the vegetation in succession stages after forest fire in northwestern Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, K.; Matsuyama, H.; Tsuzuki, H.; Sweda, T.

    2006-01-01

    The effect of the dependence of the satellite data on sun/sensor geometry must be considered in the case of monitoring vegetation from satellites. Vegetation structure causes uneven scattering of sunlight, which is expressed by bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). The purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of BRDF of monitoring vegetation using the reflectance of visible and near-infrared bands. We investigated the vegetation in succession stages after forest fire (main species: spruce) in the northwestern Canada. BRF (Bidirectional Reflectance Factor) was measured in the seven sites of some succession stages, along with the measurements of leaf area index (LAI) and biomass. The main results obtained in this study are summarized as follows. (1) In each site, the difference of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) value around 0.1-0.2 was caused by BRDF when the sensor angle was changed from -15deg to 15 deg, being equivalent to the standard image of IKONOS. Also, LAI estimated by NDVI varied from 22% to 65% of the average. (2) The robustness of other vegetation indices to BRDF was compared. The reflectance of the near-infrared band normalized by the sum of other bands (nNIR), and Global Environmental Monitoring Index (GEMI) were investigated along with NDVI. It is clarified that nNIR was most robust in the site where vegetation existed. GEMI was most robust in the sites of scarce vegetation, while NDVI was strongly affected by BRDF in such sites

  18. Application of TaiWan Ionosphere Model to Single-Frequency Ionospheric Delay Correction for GPS Static Position Positioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macalalad, E. P.; Tsai, L.; Wu, J.

    2011-12-01

    Ionospheric delay is one of the major sources of error in GPS positioning and navigation. This error in both pseudorange and phase ranges can vary depending on the location of observation, local time, season, solar cycle and geomagnetic activity. This effect can be practically removed using dual-frequency receivers. However, these types of receivers are very expensive and thus, impractical for most users. Therefore, for single-frequency receivers, ionosphere is usually modeled to attempt to remove this effect analytically. Numerous ionosphere models have been introduced in the past. Some of which are the Klobuchar (or broadcast) model and the global ionosphere map (GIM) provided by the International GNSS Service (IGS). In this paper, another model, called the TaiWan Ionosphere Model (TWIM) was used to correct this effect. TWIM is a three dimensional ionospheric electron (ne) density model derived from FormoSat3/COSMIC GPS Radio Occultation measurements, was used to calculate ionospheric delay for GPS single-frequency positioning. The ne profiles were used to calculate the slant TEC (STEC) between a receiver and each GPS satellite and correct the pseudorange single-frequency observations. The corrected pseudorange for every epoch was used to calculate the position of the receiver. Observations were made in a low-latitude location near one of the peaks of the equatorial anomaly. It was shown that TEC maps generated using TWIM exhibited detailed structure of the ionosphere, whereas Klobuchar and GIM only provided the basic diurnal and geographic features of the ionosphere. Also, it was shown that for static point positioning TWIM provides more accurate and more precise positioning than the Klobuchar and GIM models. That is, on the average, the horizontal accuracy, represented by the circular error probable (CEP), distance RMS (DRMS) and twice the DRMS (2DRMS), were better by 15-18% as compared with the CEP, DRMS and 2DRMS of uncorrected, Klobuchar and GIM. Moreover

  19. Association of adult weight gain and nonalcoholic fatty liver in a cross-sectional study in Wan Song Community, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W.-J. Zhang

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Our objective was to examine associations of adult weight gain and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. Cross-sectional interview data from 844 residents in Wan Song Community from October 2009 to April 2010 were analyzed in multivariate logistic regression models to examine odds ratios (OR and 95% confidence intervals (CI between NAFLD and weight change from age 20. Questionnaires, physical examinations, laboratory examinations, and ultrasonographic examination of the liver were carried out. Maximum rate of weight gain, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, and alanine transaminase were higher in the NAFLD group than in the control group. HDL-C in the NAFLD group was lower than in the control group. As weight gain increased (measured as the difference between current weight and weight at age 20 years, the OR of NAFLD increased in multivariate models. NAFLD OR rose with increasing weight gain as follows: OR (95%CI for NAFLD associated with weight gain of 20+ kg compared to stable weight (change <5 kg was 4.23 (2.49-7.09. Significantly increased NAFLD OR were observed even for weight gains of 5-9.9 kg. For the “age 20 to highest lifetime weight” metric, the OR of NAFLD also increased as weight gain increased. For the “age 20 to highest lifetime weight” metric and the “age 20 to current weight” metric, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR increased as weight gain increased (P<0.001. In a stepwise multivariate regression analysis, significant association was observed between adult weight gain and NAFLD (OR=1.027, 95%CI=1.002-1.055, P=0.025. We conclude that adult weight gain is strongly associated with NAFLD.

  20. SuHeXiang Wan essential oil alleviates amyloid beta induced memory impairment through inhibition of tau protein phosphorylation in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Songhee; Hur, Jinyoung; Jeong, Ha Jin; Koo, Byung-Soo; Pak, Sok Cheon

    2011-01-01

    SuHeXiang Wan (SHXW), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used orally for the treatment of seizures, infantile convulsions and stroke. Previously, we reported the effects of a modified SHXW essential oil in terms of sedative effect, anticonvulsant activity and antioxidative activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of SHXW essential oil in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). SHXW essential oil was extracted from nine herbs. The mouse AD model was induced by a single injection of amyloid β protein (Aβ(1-42)) into the hippocampus. The animals were divided into four groups, the negative control group injected with Aβ(42-1), the Aβ group injected with Aβ(1-42), the SHXW group inhaled SHXW essential oil and received Aβ(1-42) injection, and the positive control group administered with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 10 mg/kg) and with subsequent Aβ(1-42) injection. Mice were analyzed by behavioral tests and immunological examination in the hippocampus. An additional in vitro investigation was performed to examine whether SHXW essential oil inhibits Aβ(1-42) induced neurotoxicity in a human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y cells. Pre-inhalation of SHXW essential oil improved the Aβ(1-42) induced memory impairment and suppressed Aβ(1-42) induced JNK, p38 and Tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus. SHXW essential oil suppressed Aβ-induced apoptosis and ROS production via an up-regulation of HO-1 and Nrf2 expression in SH-SY5Y cells. The present study suggests that SHXW essential oil may have potential as a therapeutic inhalation drug for the prevention and treatment of AD.

  1. Subunits of the Snf1 kinase heterotrimer show interdependence for association and activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbing, Karin; Rubenstein, Eric M; McCartney, Rhonda R; Schmidt, Martin C

    2006-09-08

    The Snf1 kinase and its mammalian orthologue, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), function as heterotrimers composed of a catalytic alpha-subunit and two non-catalytic subunits, beta and gamma. The beta-subunit is thought to hold the complex together and control subcellular localization whereas the gamma-subunit plays a regulatory role by binding to and blocking the function of an auto-inhibitory domain (AID) present in the alpha-subunit. In addition, catalytic activity requires phosphorylation by a distinct upstream kinase. In yeast, any one of three Snf1-activating kinases, Sak1, Tos3, or Elm1, can fulfill this role. We have previously shown that Sak1 is the only Snf1-activating kinase that forms a stable complex with Snf1. Here we show that the formation of the Sak1.Snf1 complex requires the beta- and gamma-subunits in vivo. However, formation of the Sak1.Snf1 complex is not necessary for glucose-regulated phosphorylation of the Snf1 activation loop. Snf1 kinase purified from cells lacking the beta-subunits do not contain any gamma-subunit, indicating that the Snf1 kinase does not form a stable alphagamma dimer in vivo. In vitro kinase assays using purified full-length and truncated Snf1 proteins demonstrate that the kinase domain, which lacks the AID, is significantly more active than the full-length Snf1 protein. Addition of purified beta- and gamma-subunits could stimulate the kinase activity of the full-length alpha-subunit but only when all three subunits were present, suggesting an interdependence of all three subunits for assembly of a functional complex.

  2. Populaarsemad raamatud : [Sõnum] / Ita Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Ita, 1921-2003

    1996-01-01

    Aasta populaarseimad raamatud läti kirjanduses: Vizma Belshevica 'Bille', Regina Ezera 'Lohe Muna' ja Karlis Levinshi 'Muinasjutujärve ääres'; populaarseimad publitsistikaraamatud on Guntis Ulmanise 'Sinult ju palju ei nõuta' ja Dainis Ivansi 'Juhuslik sõdalane'

  3. Towards an Integrative Framework of Conflict-handling Behaviour

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xin; Worm, Verner; Xie, Peihong

    2018-01-01

    Following in the footsteps of Frances Brew and the late Kwok Leung (1958–2015), we attempt to further integrate the Western dual-concern model of conflict and the Chinese dual-motive model of harmony. Our integrative framework of conflict-handling behaviour is designed to be more comprehensive in...... to take a further step in the process of universalization of an indigenous Chinese theory.......Following in the footsteps of Frances Brew and the late Kwok Leung (1958–2015), we attempt to further integrate the Western dual-concern model of conflict and the Chinese dual-motive model of harmony. Our integrative framework of conflict-handling behaviour is designed to be more comprehensive...

  4. [Construction of eukaryotic recombinant vector and expression in COS7 cell of LipL32-HlyX fusion gene from Leptospira serovar Lai].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Bi; Bao, Lang; Zhong, Qi; Zhang, Huidong; Zhang, Ying

    2009-04-01

    This study was conducted to construct eukaryotic recombinant vector of LipL32-HlyX fusion gene from Leptospira serovar Lai and express it in mammalian cell. Both of LipL32 gene and HlyX gene were amplified from Leptospira strain O17 genomic DNA by PCR. Then with the two genes as template, LipL32-HlyX fusion gene was obtained by SOE PCR (gene splicing by overlap extension PCR). The fusion gene was then cloned into pcDNA3.1 by restriction nuclease digestion. Having been transformed into E. coli DH5alpha, the recombiant plasmid was identified by restriction nuclease digestion, PCR analysis and sequencing. The recombinant plasmid was then transfected into COS7 cell whose expression was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. RT-PCR amplified a fragment about 2000 bp and Western blotting analysis found a specific band about 75 KD which was consistent with the expected fusion protein size. In conclusion, the successful construction of eukaryotic recombinant vector containing LipL32-HlyX fusion gene and the effective expression in mammalian have laid a foundation for the application of Leptospira DNA vaccine.

  5. Effect of paclobutrazol on three different aquatic macrophytes under ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effect of paclobutrazol on three different aquatic macrophytes under in vitro monoculture or polyculture conditions. Kitti Bodhipadma, Sompoch Noichinda, Thanaphol Maneeruang, Koravisd Nathalang, Luepol Punnakanta, David WM Leung ...

  6. Mengukur Tingkat Kesesuaian antara Standar Akuntansi Keuangan dengan International Financial Reporting Standards per 1 Januari 2008

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosinta Ria Panggabean

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available International accounting topic was rare to adress between accounting practices, especially International Accounting Standard. It occured due to the restrictive source and difficulty in finding the source. However, recently the standard has been an addressed issue since Indonesia Chartered of Accountant (IAI plans to comply the Indonesia Accounting Standard (SAK with the International Financialreporting(IFRSon1stJanuary2012.The purpose of the research is to measure the compliance of the (SAK per 1st January 2008 with the IFRS per 1st January 2008 and attain the association between those two standards. Hence, the difference between the two standards and the neccessary steps to be taken for complying can be obtained. The methodology will be used in the paper are Jaccard’s Coefficients, Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient,Euclidean Distances.The sample for the paper will be 43 accounting issues adressed on both standards that have been chosen and investigated. The paper concludes that there are significant equalities (75% between SAK per 1st January 2008 and IFRS 1st January 2008. (using Jaccard’s Coefficients. Due to several problems that have been found in the research, the author wish that the further researchers could widen the research’s samples, so the result will be more accurate and comprehensive. 

  7. Effects of temperature on gene expression patterns in Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai as assessed by whole-genome microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, Miranda; Bulach, Dieter M; Powell, David R; Haake, David A; Matsunaga, James; Paustian, Michael L; Zuerner, Richard L; Adler, Ben

    2006-10-01

    Leptospirosis is an important zoonosis of worldwide distribution. Humans become infected via exposure to pathogenic Leptospira spp. from infected animals or contaminated water or soil. The availability of genome sequences for Leptospira interrogans, serovars Lai and Copenhageni, has opened up opportunities to examine global transcription profiles using microarray technology. Temperature is a key environmental factor known to affect leptospiral protein expression. Leptospira spp. can grow in artificial media at a range of temperatures reflecting conditions found in the environment and the mammalian host. Therefore, transcriptional changes were compared between cultures grown at 20 degrees C, 30 degrees C, 37 degrees C, and 39 degrees C to represent ambient temperatures in the environment, growth under laboratory conditions, and temperatures in healthy and febrile hosts. Data from direct pairwise comparisons of the four temperatures were consolidated to examine transcriptional changes at two generalized biological conditions representing mammalian physiological temperatures (37 degrees C and 39 degrees C) versus environmental temperatures (20 degrees C and 30 degrees C). Additionally, cultures grown at 30 degrees C then shifted overnight to 37 degrees C were compared with those grown long-term at 30 degrees C and 37 degrees C to identify genes potentially expressed in the early stages of infection. Comparison of data sets from physiological versus environmental experiments with upshift experiments provided novel insights into possible transcriptional changes at different stages of infection. Changes included differential expression of chemotaxis and motility genes, signal transduction systems, and genes encoding proteins involved in alteration of the outer membrane. These findings indicate that temperature is an important factor regulating expression of proteins that facilitate invasion and establishment of disease.

  8. The Performances of MODIS-GPP and -ET Products in China and Their Sensitivity to Input Data (FPAR/LAI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhengjia Liu

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The aims are to validate and assess the performances of MODIS gross primary production (MODIS-GPP and evapotranspiration (MODIS-ET products in China’s different land cover types and their sensitivity to remote sensing input data. In this study, MODIS-GPP and -ET are evaluated using flux derived/measured data from eight sites of ChinaFLUX. Results show that MODIS-GPP generally underestimates GPP (R2 is 0.58, bias is −6.7 gC/m2/8-day and RMSE is 19.4 gC/m2/8-day at all sites and MODIS-ET overestimates ET (R2 is 0.36, bias is 6 mm/8-day and RMSE is 11 mm/8-day when comparing with derived GPP and measured ET, respectively. For evergreen forests, MODIS-GPP gives a poor performance with R2 varying from 0.03 to 0.44; in contrast, MODIS-ET provides more reliable results. In croplands, MODIS-GPP can explain 80% of GPP variance, but it overestimates flux derived GPP in non-growing season and underestimates flux derived GPP in growing season; similar overestimations also presented in MODIS-ET. For grasslands and mixed forests, MODIS-GPP and -ET perform good estimating accuracy. By designing four experimental groups and taking GPP simulation as an example, we suggest that the maximum light use efficiency of croplands should be optimized, and the differences of meteorological data have little impact on GPP estimation, whereas remote sensing leaf area index/fraction of photo-synthetically active radiation (LAI/FPAR can greatly affect GPP/ET estimations for all land cover types. Thus, accurate remote sensing parameters are important for achieving reliable estimations.

  9. Guizhi Fuling Wan, a Traditional Chinese Herbal Formula, Sensitizes Cisplatin-Resistant Human Ovarian Cancer Cells through Inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Han

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to explore the possible mechanisms that Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW enhances the sensitivity of the SKOV3/DDP ovarian cancer cells and the resistant xenograft tumours to cisplatin. Rat medicated sera containing GFW were prepared by administering GFW to rats, and the primary bioactive constituents of the sera were gallic acid, paeonol, and paeoniflorin analysed by HPLC/QqQ MS. Cell counting kit-8 analysis was shown that coincubation of the sera with cisplatin/paclitaxel enhanced significantly the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin or paclitaxel in SKOV3/DDP cells. The presence of the rat medicated sera containing GFW resulted in an increase in rhodamine 123 accumulation by flow cytometric assays and a decrease in the protein levels of P-gp, phosphorylation of AKT at Ser473, and mTOR in a dose-dependent manner in SKOV3/DDP cells by western blot analysis, but the sera had no effect on the protein levels of PI3K p110α and total AKT. The low dose of GFW enhanced the anticancer efficacy of cisplatin and paclitaxel treatment in resistant SKOV3/DDP xenograft tumours. GFW could sensitize cisplatin-resistant SKOV3/DDP cells by inhibiting the protein level and function of P-gp, which may be medicated through inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

  10. Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, ameliorates Pseudomonas aeruginosa–induced acute lung inflammation by regulation of PI3K/AKT and Ras/MAPK pathways

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanyuan Hou

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Gram-negative pathogen–induced nosocomial infections and resistance are a most serious menace to global public health. Qingfei Xiaoyan Wan (QF, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM formula, has been used clinically in China for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections, acute or chronic bronchitis and pulmonary infection. In this study, the effects of QF on Pseudomonas aeruginosa–induced acute pneumonia in mice were evaluated. The mechanisms by which four typical anti-inflammatory ingredients from QF, arctigenin (ATG, cholic acid (CLA, chlorogenic acid (CGA and sinapic acid (SPA, regulate anti-inflammatory signaling pathways and related targets were investigated using molecular biology and molecular docking techniques. The results showed that pretreatment with QF significantly inhibits the release of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6 and chemokines (IL-8 and RANTES, reduces leukocytes recruitment into inflamed tissues and ameliorates pulmonary edema and necrosis. In addition, ATG was identified as the primary anti-inflammatory agent with action on the PI3K/AKT and Ras/MAPK pathways. CLA and CGA enhanced the actions of ATG and exhibited synergistic NF-κB inactivation effects possibly via the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway. Moreover, CLA is speculated to target FGFR and MEK firstly. Overall, QF regulated the PI3K/AKT and Ras/MAPK pathways to inhibit pathogenic bacterial infections effectively.

  11. Validation of Leaf Area Index measurements based on the Wireless Sensor Network platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Q.; Li, X.; Liu, Q.

    2017-12-01

    The leaf area index (LAI) is one of the important parameters for estimating plant canopy function, which has significance for agricultural analysis such as crop yield estimation and disease evaluation. The quick and accurate access to acquire crop LAI is particularly vital. In the study, LAI measurement of corn crops is mainly through three kinds of methods: the leaf length and width method (LAILLW), the instruments indirect measurement method (LAII) and the leaf area index sensor method(LAIS). Among them, LAI value obtained from LAILLW can be regarded as approximate true value. LAI-2200,the current widespread LAI canopy analyzer,is used in LAII. LAIS based on wireless sensor network can realize the automatic acquisition of crop images,simplifying the data collection work,while the other two methods need person to carry out field measurements.Through the comparison of LAIS and other two methods, the validity and reliability of LAIS observation system is verified. It is found that LAI trend changes are similar in three methods, and the rate of change of LAI has an increase with time in the first two months of corn growth when LAIS costs less manpower, energy and time. LAI derived from LAIS is more accurate than LAII in the early growth stage,due to the small blade especially under the strong light. Besides, LAI processed from a false color image with near infrared information is much closer to the true value than true color picture after the corn growth period up to one and half months.

  12. Determination of Leaf Area Index, Total Foliar N, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index for Arctic Ecosystems Dominated by Cassiope tetragona

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Campioli, M; Street, LE; Michelsen, Anders

    2009-01-01

    have not been accurately quantified. We address this knowledge gap by (i) direct measurements of LAI and TFN for C. tetragona, and (ii) determining TFN-LAI and LAI–normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) relationships for typical C. tetragona tundras in the subarctic (Sweden) and High Arctic...... leaf N and biomass. The LAI-NDVI and TFN-LAI relationships showed high correlation and can be used to estimate indirectly LAI and TFN. The LAI-NDVI relationship for C. tetragona vegetation differed from a generic LAI-NDVI relationship for arctic tundra, whereas the TFN-LAI relationship did not. Overall...

  13. 77 FR 32115 - Ocean Transportation Intermediary License Applicants

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-31

    ... Individual), Lar D. Westerberg, CEO, Application Type: Add NVO Service. Jo-Sak Shipping USA, Inc. (NVO & OFF... Service. Waterline International Logistics, Inc. (NVO & OFF), 24178 Alicia Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA...

  14. Validity and Reliability of the 30-s Continuous Jump for Anaerobic Power and Capacity Assessment in Combat Sport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Drazen Čular

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Cycling test such Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT is used to measure anaerobic power (AP, but not anaerobic capacity (AC, i.e., the metabolic energy demand. However, in sports that do not involve cycling movements (Karate, the continuous jump for 30 s (vertical jumps for 30 s has been extensively used to measure anaerobic performance in all young athletes. Limited information’s are available concerning its validity and reliability especially in children. As such, the current study aimed to test validity and reliability of a continuous jumps test (the CJ30s, using WAnT as a reference. Thirteen female Karate kids (age: 11.07 ± 1.32 years; mass: 41.76 ± 15.32 kg; height: 152 ± 11.52 cm; training experience: 4.38 ± 2.14 years were tested on three separate sessions. The first and second sessions were used to assess the reliability using Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC of CJ30s, whereas on the third session WAnT was administered. Following CJ30s and WAnT, we assessed AP (1/CJ30s, as jump height [JH], fatigue index [FI], and blood lactate [BL]; 2/WAnT, as mechanical power [P], FI, and BL and AC as the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC. Large/highly significant correlations were found between CJ30s and WAnT EPOCs (r = 0.730, P = 0.003, and BLs (r = 0.713, P = 0.009. Moderate/significant correlations were found between CJ30s and WAnT FIs (r = 0.640, P = 0.014, CJ30s first four jumps mean JH and WAnT peak P (r = 0.572, P = 0.032, and CJ30s mean JH and WAnT mean P (r = 0.589, P = 0.021. CJ30s showed excellent and moderate reliability (ICC for AP (maximal JH 0.884, mean JH 0.742, FI 0.657, BL 0.653 and AC (EPOC 0.788, respectively. Correlations observed especially in terms of AC between CJ30s and WAnT provide evidence that former may adequately assess anaerobic performance for the young combat athlete. CJ30 is a reliable test and allow an easy assessment of AP and AC in karate children.

  15. Graafika Filharmoonias : Harry Liivrand soovitab / Harry Liivrand

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Liivrand, Harry, 1961-

    2004-01-01

    Alustatakse regulaarse kunstinäituse programmiga Estonia Kontserdisaalis. Avatakse graafikanäitus "Lähenemised" (koostaja Vappu Vabar). Osalevad Marje Üksine, Reti Saks, Maria-Kristiina Ulas, Kelli Kagovere, Naima Neidre jt

  16. 78 FR 58458 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Quogue Canal, Southampton, NY

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-24

    ... INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, call or email Ms. Judy Leung-Yee, Project Officer, First Coast Guard District, telephone (212) 668-7165, email [email protected] . If you have...

  17. 77 FR 6012 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Hutchinson River (Eastchester Creek), Bronx, NY

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-07

    ... INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, call or email Ms. Judy Leung-Yee, Project Officer, First Coast Guard District, [email protected] , or telephone (212) 668-7165. If you have...

  18. Daylighting for energy conservation in an existing building under tropical climate conditions: a case study of Lai Sue Thai building Ramkhamhaeng University

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lerdlekha Tanachaikhan

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Daylighting using skylight has been shown to have a high potential in reducing electrical lighting energy, and could provide a more pleasant atmosphere of a daylit space. However, in hot climates, the main constraint of daylighting is the solar heat gain that contributes to major heat load for an air-conditioning system. If the balance between the beneficial light gain used to offset lighting energy requirement and heat gain from daylight is well considered, significant energy savings can be obtained. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the potential of daylighting for energy conservation in the tropics through theoretical analysis (simulation study and experimental observation. Lai Sue Thai Building (an existing and educational building located at Ramkhamkaeng University was selected as a case study. From analysis, use of daylight could reduce electrical energy in this building by up to 76% compared to the initial condition where fully lighting was supplied. Window orientation would also play an important role. Moreover, heat gain through windows due to daylighting can be controlled by overhangs and the appropriate Window-to-Wall ratio that would be about 30% for this building. An experimental study was also carried out to validate the results in a selected room. About 49% and 37% of Relative Root Mean Square Error (RRMSE were observed in light and heat measurements, respectively

  19. Eduard Odinets : "Olen eestlane, kelle emakeel on vene keel" / Eduard Odinets ; interv. Erik Kalda

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Odinets, Eduard, 1976-

    2006-01-01

    Ilmunud ka: Severnoje Poberezhje Ilmunud ka: Severnoje Poberezhje : Subbota 3. juuni lk. 3. Riigikogu sotsiaaldemokraatide fraktsiooni nõunik oma poliitikukarjäärist. Arvamust avaldab Katrin Saks ja Meelis Goldberg (Severnoje Pob.)

  20. 76 FR 35978 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Long Island, New York Inland Waterway From East Rockaway Inlet...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-21

    ... INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, call or e-mail Mr. Judy Leung-Yee, Project Officer, First Coast Guard District, [email protected] , or telephone (212) 668-7165. If you have...

  1. 77 FR 46286 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Mystic River, Mystic, CT

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-03

    ... INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, call or email Ms. Judy K. Leung-Yee, Project Officer, First Coast Guard District, telephone (212) 668-7165, [email protected] . If you have questions...

  2. Modulation of long-latency afferent inhibition by the amplitude of sensory afferent volley.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turco, Claudia V; El-Sayes, Jenin; Fassett, Hunter J; Chen, Robert; Nelson, Aimee J

    2017-07-01

    Long-latency afferent inhibition (LAI) is the inhibition of the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) motor-evoked potentials (MEP) by the sensory afferent volley following electrical stimulation of a peripheral nerve. It is unknown how the activation of sensory afferent fibers relates to the magnitude of LAI. This study investigated the relationship between LAI and the sensory nerve action potentials (SNAP) from the median nerve (MN) and the digital nerves (DN) of the second digit. LAI was obtained by delivering nerve stimulation 200 ms before a TMS pulse delivered over the motor cortex. Experiment 1 assessed the magnitude of LAI following stimulation of the contralateral MN or DN using nerve stimulus intensities relative to the maximum SNAP (SNAP max ) of that nerve and two TMS intensities (0.5- and 1-mV MEP). Results indicate that MN LAI is maximal at ~50% SNAP max , when presumably all sensory afferents are recruited for TMS of 0.5-mV MEP. For DN, LAI appears at ~50% SNAP max and does not increase with further recruitment of sensory afferents. Experiment 2 investigated the magnitude of LAI following ipsilateral nerve stimulation at intensities relative to SNAP max Results show minimal LAI evoked by ipsilateral MN and no LAI following ipsilateral DN stimulation. Implications for future studies investigating LAI include adjusting nerve stimulation to 50% SNAP max to obtain maximal LAI. Additionally, MN LAI can be used as a marker for neurological disease or injury by using a nerve stimulation intensity that can evoke a depth of LAI capable of increasing or decreasing. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first investigation of the relationship between long-latency afferent inhibition (LAI) and the sensory afferent volley. Differences exist between median and digital nerve LAI. For the median nerve, LAI increases until all sensory fibers are presumably recruited. In contrast, digital nerve LAI does not increase with the recruitment of additional sensory fibers but

  3. Sociālais tīkls “Instagram” kā mārketinga komunikācijas instruments: "Nike", "airBaltic" un "Qoo Qoo fashion" piemēru analīze

    OpenAIRE

    Bāre, Madara

    2014-01-01

    Bakalaura darba „Sociālais tīkls „Instagram” kā mārketinga komunikācija instruments: „Nike”, „airBaltic” un „QooQoo fashion” piemēru analīze” mērķis ir noskaidrot, kā uzņēmumi izmanto Instagram mārketinga komunikācijas mērķu sasniegšanai. Darbs sastāv no teorētiskās daļas par mārketingu, mārketinga komunikāciju, sociālo mediju mārketingu un foto dalīšanās vietnēm. Metodoloģijas daļas, kurā iekļauta aptauja, kontentanalīze, daļēji strukturētā intervija un no empīriskās daļas, kurā tiek anal...

  4. International conference "Cultural Plurality in Estonia : Policies and Solutions"

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    2000-01-01

    Ettekandjad: Katrin Saks, Mall Hellam, Mati Luik, Kirsti Häkkinen, Vello Pettai, Ivi Proos, Katri Raik, NiinaOrhimenko, Ib Ostergaard Rasmussen, Urve Läänemets, Jüri Valge, Aleksander Dusman, Raivo Juurak, Rein Ruutsoo

  5. A prime-boost approach to HIV preventive vaccine using a recombinant canarypox virus expressing glycoprotein 160 (MN) followed by a recombinant glycoprotein 160 (MN/LAI). The AGIS Group, and l'Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pialoux, G; Excler, J L; Rivière, Y; Gonzalez-Canali, G; Feuillie, V; Coulaud, P; Gluckman, J C; Matthews, T J; Meignier, B; Kieny, M P

    1995-03-01

    The safety and the immunogenicity of a recombinant canarypox live vector expressing the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp160 gene from the MN isolate, ALVAC-HIV (vCP125), followed by booster injections of a soluble recombinant hybrid envelope glycoprotein MN/LAI (rgp160), were evaluated in vaccinia-immune, healthy adults at low risk for acquiring HIV-1 infection. Volunteers (n = 20) received vCP125 (10(6) TCID50) at 0 and 1 month, followed randomly by rgp160 formulated in alum or in Freund's incomplete adjuvant (FIA) at 3 and 6 months. Local and systemic reactions were mild or moderate and resolved within the first 72 hr after immunization. No significant biological changes in routine tests were observed in any volunteer. Two injections of vCP125 did not elicit antibodies. Neutralizing antibodies (NA) against the HIV-1 MN isolate were detected in 65 and 90% of the subjects after the first and the second rgp 160 booster injections, respectively. Six months after the last boost, only 55% were still positive. Seven of 14 sera with the highest NA titers against MN weakly cross-neutralized the HIV-1 SF2 isolate; none had NA against the HIV-1 LAI or against a North American primary isolate. Specific lymphocyte T cell proliferation to rgp 160 was detected in 25% of the subjects after vCP125 and in all subjects after the first booster injection and 12 months after the first injection. An envelope-specific cytotoxic lymphocyte activity was found in 39% of the volunteers and characterized for some of them as CD3+, CD8+, MHC class I restricted. The adjuvant formulation did not influence significantly the immune responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  6. The Application of First‑Trimester Volumetry in Predicting Pregnancy ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rawal MY, Malhotra N. Ultrasonography in Early Intrauterine pregnancy. ... Leung KY, Ma Teresa, Lau BY, Chen M. First trimester ultrasound volumetry: .... Ghosh A, Tang MH, Lam YH, Fung E, Chan V. Ultrasound measurement of placental ...

  7. Cost-Utility Analysis of Depot Atypical Antipsychotics for Chronic Schizophrenia in Croatia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jukic, Vlado; Jakovljevic, Miro; Filipcic, Igor; Herceg, Miroslav; Silic, Ante; Tomljanovic, Tatjana; Zilbershtein, Roman; Jensen, Rasmus C D; Hemels, Michiel E H; Einarson, Thomas R

    As a nation with a developing economy, Croatia is faced with making choices between pharmaceutical products, including depot injectable antipsychotics. We conducted a pharmacoeconomic analysis to determine the cost-effectiveness of atypical depots in Croatia. A 1-year decision-analytic framework modeled drug use. We determined the average direct cost to the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance of using depot formulations of paliperidone palmitate long-acting injectable (PP-LAI), risperidone LAI (RIS-LAI), or olanzapine LAI (OLZ-LAI). An expert panel plus literature-derived clinical rates populated the core model, along with costs adjusted to 2012 by using the Croatian consumer price index. Clinical outcomes included quality-adjusted life-years, hospitalization rates, emergency room treatment rates, and relapse days. Robustness of results was examined with one-way sensitivity analyses on important inputs; overall, all inputs were varied over 10,000 simulations in a Monte Carlo analysis. Costs (quality-adjusted life-years) per patient were €5061 (0.817) for PP-LAI, €5168 (0.807) for RIS-LAI, and €6410 (0.812) for OLZ-LAI. PP-LAI had the fewest relapse days, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Results were sensitive against RIS-LAI with respect to drug costs and adherence rates, but were generally robust overall, dominating OLZ-LAI in 77.3% and RIS-LAI in 56.8% of the simulations. PP-LAI dominated the other drugs because it had the lowest cost and best clinical outcomes. Compared with depots of olanzapine and risperidone and oral olanzapine, PP-LAI was the cost-effective atypical LAI for treating chronic schizophrenia in Croatia. Using depot paliperidone in place of either olanzapine or risperidone would reduce the overall costs of caring for these patients. Copyright © 2013, International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc.

  8. Harmonisasi SAK dan Aturan Pajak: Mungkinkah?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heri Sukendar Sukendar

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper is intended to illustrate the fact that the case today, especially in Indonesia's commitment to convergency of IFRS, where the decision was certainly not out of global importance that in order to improve the information from the financial statements of companies in Indonesia. In addition, the IFRS Convergence is one of the Indonesian government agreements as a member of the G20 forum, the results of the meeting of G20 leaders in Washington DC forum, 15 November 2008. On the other hand, the tax rules that apply are still using the old accounting standards and do not follow the development of increasingly different. Previous differences between GAAP and tax rules are limited to the "deductible and non-deductible" which is resolved through fiscal reconciliation mechanism with positive correction and correction negatipnya. The widening gap today would be a separate issue for IAI as the organization of the accounting profession. Tax Accountant compartment formation in March 2014 is a serious evidence of the organization as an anticipation, particularly in an effort to bridge the gap widening

  9. Security Analysis of a Software Defined Wide Area Network Solution

    OpenAIRE

    Rajendran, Ashok

    2016-01-01

    Enterprise wide area network (WAN) is a private network that connects the computers and other devices across an organisation's branch locations and the data centers. It forms the backbone of enterprise communication. Currently, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) is commonly used to provide this service. As a recent alternative to MPLS, software-dened wide area networking (SD-WAN) solutions are being introduced as an IP based cloud-networking service for enterprises. SD-WAN virtualizes the n...

  10. METHANE HYDRATE PRODUCTION FROM ALASKAN PERMAFROST

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richard Sigal; Kent Newsham; Thomas Williams; Barry Freifeld; Timothy Kneafsey; Carl Sondergeld; Shandra Rai; Jonathan Kwan; Stephen Kirby; Robert Kleinberg; Doug Griffin

    2005-02-01

    Natural-gas hydrates have been encountered beneath the permafrost and considered a nuisance by the oil and gas industry for years. Engineers working in Russia, Canada and the USA have documented numerous drilling problems, including kicks and uncontrolled gas releases, in arctic regions. Information has been generated in laboratory studies pertaining to the extent, volume, chemistry and phase behavior of gas hydrates. Scientists studying hydrate potential agree that the potential is great--on the North Slope of Alaska alone, it has been estimated at 590 TCF. However, little information has been obtained on physical samples taken from actual rock containing hydrates. The work scope drilled and cored a well The Hot Ice No. 1 on Anadarko leases beginning in FY 2003 and completed in 2004. An on-site core analysis laboratory was built and utilized for determining the physical characteristics of the hydrates and surrounding rock. The well was drilled from a new Anadarko Arctic Platform that has a minimal footprint and environmental impact. The final efforts of the project are to correlate geology, geophysics, logs, and drilling and production data and provide this information to scientists developing reservoir models. No gas hydrates were encountered in this well; however, a wealth of information was generated and is contained in this report. The Hot Ice No. 1 well was drilled from the surface to a measured depth of 2300 ft. There was almost 100% core recovery from the bottom of surface casing at 107 ft to total depth. Based on the best estimate of the bottom of the methane hydrate stability zone (which used new data obtained from Hot Ice No. 1 and new analysis of data from adjacent wells), core was recovered over its complete range. Approximately 580 ft of porous, mostly frozen, sandstone and 155 of conglomerate were recovered in the Ugnu Formation and approximately 215 ft of porous sandstone were recovered in the West Sak Formation. There were gas shows in the bottom

  11. Monitoring and mapping leaf area index of rubber and oil palm in small watershed area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rusli, N; Majid, M R

    2014-01-01

    Existing conventional methods to determine LAI are tedious and time consuming for implementation in small or large areas. Thus, raster LAI data which are available free were downloaded for 4697.60 km 2 of Sungai Muar watershed area in Johor. The aim of this study is to monitor and map LAI changes of rubber and oil palm throughout the years from 2002 to 2008. Raster datasets of LAI value were obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website of available years from 2002 to year 2008. These data, were mosaicked and subset utilizing ERDAS Imagine 9.2. Next, the LAI raster dataset was multiplied by a scale factor of 0.1 to derive the final LAI value. Afterwards, to determine LAI values of rubber and oil palms, the boundaries of each crop from land cover data of the years 2002, 2006 and 2008 were exploited to overlay with LAI raster dataset. A total of 5000 sample points were generated utilizing the Hawths Tool (extension in ARcGIS 9.2) within these boundaries area and utilized for extracting LAI value of oil palm and rubber. In integration, a wide range of literature review was conducted as a guideline to derive LAI value of oil palm and rubber which range from 0 to 6. The results show, an overall mean LAI value from year 2002 to 2008 as decremented from 4.12 to 2.5 due to land cover transition within these years. In 2002, the mean LAI value of rubber and oil palm is 2.65 and 2.53 respectively. Meanwhile in 2006, the mean LAI value for rubber and oil palm is 2.54 and 2.82 respectively. In 2008, the mean LAI value for both crops is 0.85 for rubber and 1.04 for oil palm. In conclusion, apart from the original function of LAI which is related to the growth and metabolism of vegetation, the changes of LAI values from year 2002 to 2008 also capable to explain the process of land cover changes in a watershed area

  12. Indirect estimations and spatial variation in leaf area index of coniferous, deciduous and mixed forest stands in Forsmark and Laxemar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tagesson, Torbern

    2006-12-01

    Two sites in Sweden are investigated for a potential deep repository of the nuclear waste, the Laxemar investigation area (57 deg 5 min N, 16 deg 7 min E) and the Forsmark investigation area (60 deg 4 min N, 18 deg 2 min E). In the characterisation of these sites, development of site descriptive models is an important part. Leaves are the main surface were an exchange of matter and energy between the atmosphere and the biosphere takes place, and leaf area index (LAI) of the vegetation cover is an important variable correlated to a number of ecophysiological parameters and hereby an important parameter in ecosystem models. In the investigation areas, LAI of boreal and temperate ecosystems were therefore estimated indirectly through optical measurements using the LAI-2000 (LI-COR, Cambridge UK) and TRAC (Tracing Radiation and Architecture of Canopies). On average, measured maximum LAI was 3.40 in Laxemar and 3.43 in Forsmark; minimum LAI was 1.65 in Laxemar and 1.97 in Forsmark. Forest inventory data showed that LAI is positively correlated with basal area, stand height, stand volume and breast height tree diameter. For the coniferous stands, there was also a linearly negative relationship with age. In the Laxemar investigation area, there were no significant relationships for LAI with a satellite derived kNN (kNearest Neighbor) data set with stand height, stand volume and stand age. The kNN data set can therefore not be used to extrapolate measured LAI over the Laxemar investigation area. There were significant relationships between LAI and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for coniferous, deciduous and mixed forest stands in the Laxemar investigation area. A NDVI image could be used to extrapolate LAI over the entire investigation area. For the Forsmark investigation area, effective LAI for all stands were correlated to NDVI and this relationship could then be used for extrapolation. The effective LAI image was afterwards corrected for average

  13. Indirect estimations and spatial variation in leaf area index of coniferous, deciduous and mixed forest stands in Forsmark and Laxemar

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tagesson, Torbern [Dept. of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Analysis, Lund Univ., Lund (Sweden)

    2006-12-15

    Two sites in Sweden are investigated for a potential deep repository of the nuclear waste, the Laxemar investigation area (57 deg 5 min N, 16 deg 7 min E) and the Forsmark investigation area (60 deg 4 min N, 18 deg 2 min E). In the characterisation of these sites, development of site descriptive models is an important part. Leaves are the main surface were an exchange of matter and energy between the atmosphere and the biosphere takes place, and leaf area index (LAI) of the vegetation cover is an important variable correlated to a number of ecophysiological parameters and hereby an important parameter in ecosystem models. In the investigation areas, LAI of boreal and temperate ecosystems were therefore estimated indirectly through optical measurements using the LAI-2000 (LI-COR, Cambridge UK) and TRAC (Tracing Radiation and Architecture of Canopies). On average, measured maximum LAI was 3.40 in Laxemar and 3.43 in Forsmark; minimum LAI was 1.65 in Laxemar and 1.97 in Forsmark. Forest inventory data showed that LAI is positively correlated with basal area, stand height, stand volume and breast height tree diameter. For the coniferous stands, there was also a linearly negative relationship with age. In the Laxemar investigation area, there were no significant relationships for LAI with a satellite derived kNN (kNearest Neighbor) data set with stand height, stand volume and stand age. The kNN data set can therefore not be used to extrapolate measured LAI over the Laxemar investigation area. There were significant relationships between LAI and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for coniferous, deciduous and mixed forest stands in the Laxemar investigation area. A NDVI image could be used to extrapolate LAI over the entire investigation area. For the Forsmark investigation area, effective LAI for all stands were correlated to NDVI and this relationship could then be used for extrapolation. The effective LAI image was afterwards corrected for average

  14. Light Diffusion in the Tropical Dry Forest of Costa Rica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvo-Rodriguez, S.; Sanchez-Azofeifa, G. A.

    2016-06-01

    Leaf Area Index (LAI) has been defined as the total leaf area (one-sided) in relation to the ground. LAI has an impact on tree growth and recruitment through the interception of light, which in turn affects primary productivity. Even though many instruments exist for estimating LAI from ground, they are often laborious and costly to run continuously. Measurements of LAI from the field using traditional sensors (e.g., LAI-2000) require multiple visits to the field under very specific sky conditions, making them unsuitable to operate in inaccessible areas and forests with dense vegetation, as well as areas where persistent sunny conditions are the norm like tropical dry forests. With this context, we proposed a methodology to characterize light diffusion based on NDVI and LAI measurements taken from the field in two successional stages in the tropical dry forest of Santa Rosa National Park in Costa Rica. We estimate a "K" coefficient to characterize light diffusion by the canopy, based on field NDVI measurements derived from optical phenology instruments and MODIS NDVI. From the coefficients determined, we estimated LAI values and compared them with ground measurements of LAI. In both successional stages ground measurements of LAI had no significant difference to the tower-derived LAI and the estimated LAI from MODIS NDVI.

  15. Clinical profile of cyanotic congenital heart disease in neonatal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ashraf Abou-Taleb

    2016-02-01

    Feb 1, 2016 ... rate was 100% in cases of pulmonary atresia and hypoplastic left heart syndrome ..... [10] Patton C, Hey E. How effectively can clinical examination pick up .... [33] Jacobs EGJ, Leung MP, Karlberg J. Distribution of symptomatic.

  16. Cytosine deletion at AP2-box region of HSP70 promoter and its ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    of thermotolerance in cells (Leung et al. 1996). ... region of HSP70 significantly affected cellular thermotol- erance ... The double PCR-RFLP using ScrFI confirmed the occur- ... suade of HSP70 on defense of proteins related to respiration.

  17. The effects of Jiao-Tai-Wan on sleep, inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity-resistant rats with chronic partial sleep deprivation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Xin; Huang, Wenya; Lu, Fuer; Fang, Ke; Wang, Dingkun; Zhao, Shuyong; Jia, Jiming; Xu, Lijun; Wang, Kaifu; Wang, Nan; Dong, Hui

    2017-03-23

    Jiao-Tai-Wan (JTW), composed of Rhizome Coptidis and Cortex Cinnamomi, is a classical traditional Chinese prescription for treating insomnia. Several in vivo studies have concluded that JTW could exert its therapeutical effect in insomnia rats. However, the specific mechanism is still unclear. The present study aimed to explore the effect of JTW on sleep in obesity-resistant (OR) rats with chronic partial sleep deprivation (PSD) and to clarify its possible mechanism. JTW was prepared and the main components contained in the granules were identified by 3D-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (3D-HPLC) assay. The Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats underwent 4 h PSD by environmental noise and the treatment with low and high doses of JTW orally for 4 weeks, respectively. Then sleep structure was analyzed by electroencephalographic (EEG). Inflammation markers including high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were examined in the rat plasma. Meanwhile, metabolic parameters as body weight increase rate, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS) levels and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were measured. The expressions of clock gene cryptochromes (Cry1 and Cry2) and inflammation gene nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in peripheral blood monocyte cells (PBMC) were also determined. The result showed that the administration of JTW significantly increased total sleep time and total slow wave sleep (SWS) time in OR rats with PSD. Furthermore, the treatment with JTW reversed the increase in the markers of systemic inflammation and insulin resistance caused by sleep loss. These changes were also associated with the up-regulation of Cry1 mRNA and Cry 2 mRNA and the down-regulation of NF-κB mRNA expression in PBMC. This study suggests that JTW has the beneficial effects of improving sleep, inflammation and insulin sensitivity. The mechanism appears to be related to the modulation of circadian clock and

  18. Remote Sensing of Leaf Area Index from LiDAR Height Percentile Metrics and Comparison with MODIS Product in a Selectively Logged Tropical Forest Area in Eastern Amazonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yonghua Qu

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Leaf area index (LAI is an important parameter to describe the capacity of forests to intercept light and thus affects the microclimate and photosynthetic capacity of canopies. In general, tropical forests have a higher leaf area index and it is a challenge to estimate LAI in a forest with a very dense canopy. In this study, it is assumed that the traditional Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR-derived fractional vegetation cover (fCover has weak relationship with leaf area index in a dense forest. We propose a partial least squares (PLS regression model using the height percentile metrics derived from airborne LiDAR data to estimate the LAI of a dense forest. Ground inventory and airborne LiDAR data collected in a selectively logged tropical forest area in Eastern Amazonia are used to map LAI from the plot level to the landscape scale. The results indicate that the fCover, derived from the first return or the last return, has no significant correlations with the ground-based LAI. The PLS model evaluated by the leave-one-out validation shows that the estimated LAI is significantly correlated with the ground-based LAI with an R2 of 0.58 and a root mean square error (RMSE of 1.13. A data comparison indicates that the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS LAI underestimates the landscape-level LAI by about 22%. The MODIS quality control data show that in the selected tile, the cloud state is not the primary factor affecting the MODIS LAI performance; rather, the LAI from the main radiative transfer (RT algorithm contributes much to the underestimation of the LAI in the tropical forest. In addition, the results show that the LiDAR-based LAI has a better response to the logging activities than the MODIS-based LAI, and that the leaf area reduction caused by logging is about 13%. In contrast, the MODIS-based LAI exhibits no apparent spatial correlation with the LiDAR-based LAI. It is suggested that the main algorithm of MODIS should be

  19. Accumulation of Arsenic Speciation and In Vivo Toxicity Following Oral Administration of a Chinese Patent Medicine Xiao-Er-Zhi-Bao-Wan in Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiaoyang Luo

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Realgar-containing traditional Chinese medicines such as Xiao-Er-Zhi-Bao-Wan (XEZBW, have been widely used for thousands of years. However, events associated with arsenic-induced ailments have increasingly become a public concern. To address the toxicity of XEZBW, we studied the histopathology and blood biochemistry of rats exposed to XEZBW using technology like high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled mass spectrometry to determine arsenic speciation. Our results demonstrated that dimethylarsinic acid (DMA increased from 18.57 ± 7.45 to 22.74 ± 7.45 ng/g in rat kidney after oral administration for 7 and 14 days, which was 10-fold higher than the levels observed in controls. Trivalent arsenite As(III showed a large increase on day 7 (26.99 ± 1.98 ng/g, followed by a slight decrease on day 14 (13.67 ± 6.48 ng/g. Total arsenic levels on day 7 (185.52 ± 24.56 ng/g and day 14 (198.57 ± 26.26 ng/g were nearly twofold higher than that in the control group (92.77 ± 14.98 ng/g. Histopathological analysis showed mild injury in the liver and kidney of rats subjected to oral administration of realgar for 14 days. As in the XEZBW groups, a mild injury in these organs was observed after administration for 14 days. This study inferred that the toxicity of arsenic was concentration- and time-dependent. The accumulation of DMA, a byproduct of choline metabolism, was responsible for inducing higher toxicity. Therefore, we concluded that measuring the levels of DMA, instead of total arsenic, might be more suitable for evaluating the toxicity of realgar-containing traditional Chinese medicines.

  20. Cost Effectiveness of Paliperidone Long-Acting Injectable Versus Other Antipsychotics for the Maintenance Treatment of Schizophrenia in France.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druais, Sylvain; Doutriaux, Agathe; Cognet, Magali; Godet, Annabelle; Lançon, Christophe; Levy, Pierre; Samalin, Ludovic; Guillon, Pascal

    2016-04-01

    French clinical recommendations suggest prescribing long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics to patients with a maintenance treatment indication in schizophrenia. Despite this, and due to their relatively high acquisition and administration costs, LAIs are still underused in clinical practice in France, thus highlighting the need for pharmacoeconomic evaluations. Our objective was to estimate the cost effectiveness of paliperidone LAI (or paliperidone palmitate), a once-monthly second-generation LAI antipsychotic, compared with the most common antipsychotic medications for the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in France. A Markov model was developed to simulate the progression of a cohort of schizophrenic patients through four health states (stable treated, stable non-treated, relapse and death) and to consider up to three lines of treatment to account for changes in treatment management. Paliperidone LAI was compared with risperidone LAI, aripiprazole LAI, olanzapine LAI, haloperidol LAI (or haloperidol decanoate) and oral olanzapine. Costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and number of relapses were assessed over 5 years based on 3-month cycles with a discount rate of 4% and from a French health insurance perspective. Patients were considered to be stabilised after a schizophrenic episode and would enter the model at an initiation phase, followed by a prevention of relapse phase if successful. Data (e.g. relapse or discontinuation rates) for the initiation phase came from randomised clinical trials, whereas relapse rates in the prevention phase were derived from hospitalisation risks based on real-life French data to capture adherence effects. Safety and utility data were derived from international publications. Additionally, costs were retrieved from French health insurance databases and publications. Finally, expert opinion was used for validation purposes or in case of gaps in data. The robustness of results was assessed through deterministic and

  1. Reval Hotel Lietuva Vilniuses : Konstitucijos pr. 20 / Piret Lindpere

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Lindpere, Piret, 1963-

    2004-01-01

    Vilniuse hotelli "Lietuva" renoveerimine. Arhitektuurse projekti koostaja Rootsi arhitektuuribüroo AB SWECO (arhitektid Aare Saks, Nils Palm. Sisekujundus: Vaikla Disain AS (Katrin ja Argo Vaikla, Liis Lindvere, Peeter Loo). Kommenteerivad Argo ja Katrin Vaikla. 3 ill

  2. On Zweier Sequence Spaces and de la Vall\\'{e}e-Poussin mean of order $\\alpha$

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bipan Hazarika

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of this paper is to study some geometrical properties such as order continuous, the Fatou property and the Banach-Saks property of the new space $[\\mathcal{Z}_{\\lambda}^{\\alpha}]_{\\infty}(p.$

  3. FLIP: Federation support for Long range low power Internet of things Protocols

    OpenAIRE

    Delbruel, Stéphane; Small, Nicolas; Hughes, Danny

    2017-01-01

    There is growing interest in the Internet of Things (IoT) and especially Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN), which are rapidly being rolled-out globally. Within the LPWAN market, LoRaWAN is considered a leading solution which has achieved significant success. Despite the rapid uptake of LoRaWAN, scalability concerns arising from interference and contention are also growing. While the current LoRaWAN protocol includes basic techniques to deal with these problems, recent research has shown th...

  4. The Use of Pocket Electronic Dictionaries by Thai University Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atipat Boonmoh

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available

    ABSTRACT: This article reports on a small-scale study of Thai-speaking learners using pocket electronic dictionaries (PEDs to read an English news article. It investigates how the subjects use their PEDs for reading comprehension. Thirty-nine undergraduate students completed a questionnaire survey. Of these, four were chosen to participate in the experiment. Observations and interviews were utilized to ascertain how the subjects used their PEDs. The findings showed superficial and partial reading of the dictionary entries. It also revealed several factors that may hinder dictionary look-up success. On the basis of this research, guidelines for buying PEDs and for teaching PED skills are proposed.

    OPSOMMING: Die gebruik van sak- elektroniese woordeboeke deur Thaise universiteitstudente. Hierdie artikel doen verslag van 'n kleinskaalse studie van Thaisprekende aanleerders wat sak- elektroniese woordeboeke (SEW's gebruik om 'n Engelse nuusartikel te lees. Dit ondersoek hoe die proefpersone hul SAW's gebruik vir leesbegrip. Nege-en-dertig voorgraadse studente het 'n vraelysopname voltooi. Uit hulle is vier gekies om aan die eksperiment deel te neem. Waarnemings en onderhoude is aangewend om te bepaal hoe die proefpersone hul SEW's gebruik het. Die bevindings het oppervlakkige en gedeeltelike lees van die woordeboekinskrywings getoon. Dit het ook verskeie faktore uitgewys wat woordeboekopsoeksukses mag belemmer. Op grond van hierdie navorsing word riglyne vir die koop van SEW's en vir die onderrig van SEWvaardighede voorgestel.

    Sleutelwoorde: WOORDEBOEKGEBRUIK, SAK- ELEKTRONIESE WOORDEBOEK, WOORDEBOEKRAADPLEGING, EENTALIGE WOORDEBOEK, TWEETALIGE WOORDEBOEK

  5. Targeting the Oxidative Stress Response System of Fungi with Redox-Potent Chemosensitizing Agents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong H.; Chan, Kathleen L.; Faria, Natália C. G.; Martins, M. de L.; Campbell, Bruce C.

    2012-01-01

    The cellular antioxidant system is a target in the antifungal action of amphotericin B (AMB) and itraconazole (ITZ), in filamentous fungi. The sakAΔ mutant of Aspergillus fumigatus, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) gene deletion mutant in the antioxidant system, was found to be more sensitive to AMB or ITZ than other A. fumigatus strains, a wild type and a mpkCΔ mutant (a MAPK gene deletion mutant in the polyalcohol sugar utilization system). Complete fungal kill (≥99.9%) by ITZ or AMB was also achieved by much lower dosages for the sakAΔ mutant than for the other strains. It appears msnA, an Aspergillus ortholog to Saccharomyces cerevisiae MSN2 (encoding a stress-responsive C2H2-type zinc-finger regulator) and sakA and/or mpkC (upstream MAPKs) are in the same stress response network under tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH)-, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)- or AMB-triggered toxicity. Of note is that ITZ-sensitive yeast pathogens were also sensitive to t-BuOOH, showing a connection between ITZ sensitivity and antioxidant capacity of fungi. Enhanced antifungal activity of AMB or ITZ was achieved when these drugs were co-applied with redox-potent natural compounds, 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, thymol or salicylaldehyde, as chemosensitizing agents. We concluded that redox-potent compounds, which target the antioxidant system in fungi, possess a chemosensitizing capacity to enhance efficacy of conventional drugs. PMID:22438852

  6. The structural change of lanthanum diiodide upon hydrogenation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryazanov, M.; Simon, A.; Mattausch, Hj.; Kremer, R.K.

    2004-01-01

    Slowly heating LaI 2 under 1 atm hydrogen to 650 deg. C leads to LaI 2 H, analyzed as LaI 2 H 0.95(3) , accompanied by a structural change from tetragonal to hexagonal. Sharp reflections in the XRD pattern can be indexed in P6 3 /mmc with a=4.2158(7) A and c=15.508(3) A, however, diffuse reflections indicate a polytypic intergrowth of MoS 2 and NbS 2 type structures. The earlier determined miscibility gap between LaI 2 and LaI 2 H x (x∼0.5) is closely related to the change of the structure. The Pauli paramagnetism for LaI 2 , χ P = 43(2)x10 -6 cm 3 /mol, derived from measurements on LaI 2 and LaI 2 H is in good agreement with the value estimated from band structure calculations

  7. GENERAL SURGERY

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Results: Overall morbidity was 24% (n = 112), with bile leaks occurring in 25 ... biliary stenting (n = 8) and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (n = 3). ..... Lam CM, Lo CM, Liu CL, Fan ST. ... Lau JY, Leung KL, Chung SC, Lau WY.

  8. The development and work procedures to super speed network for the growing demands for the network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nosaki, Nobuhisa; Aoki, Kazuhisa

    2001-01-01

    Following the recently growing demands for the network, the modification of Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) to super speed network have been reviewed in the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC). Though the modification of the LAN to super speed network is being developed this year in Heisei 13 fiscal year, it of the WAN was developed in Heisei 12 fiscal year. In spite of various issues, technical reviews and etc., there are a lot of benefits and merit for the super speed network of the WAN and though the modification of it and reduction of the running cost are contradictory to each other, both of those have been achieved in the JNC. This paper introduces the development and work procedures for the WAN. (author)

  9. Convergence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Ole Brun; Nielsen, Jens Frederik Dalsgaard; Schiøler, Henrik

    2002-01-01

    Convergence trends between the WAN Internet area, characterized by best effort service provision, and the real time LAN domain, with requirements for guaranteed services, are identified and discussed. A bilateral evolution is identified, where typical bulk service applications from WAN, such as m......Convergence trends between the WAN Internet area, characterized by best effort service provision, and the real time LAN domain, with requirements for guaranteed services, are identified and discussed. A bilateral evolution is identified, where typical bulk service applications from WAN...... with the emergence of remote service provision, such as supervision and control of decentralized heating facilities and wind based electrical power production. The reliability issue is addressed from a structural viewpoint, where the concept of Structural QoS (SQoS) is defined to support reliability modelling...

  10. Leaf Area Index Estimation Using Chinese GF-1 Wide Field View Data in an Agriculture Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Xiangqin; Gu, Xingfa; Meng, Qingyan; Yu, Tao; Zhou, Xiang; Wei, Zheng; Jia, Kun; Wang, Chunmei

    2017-07-08

    Leaf area index (LAI) is an important vegetation parameter that characterizes leaf density and canopy structure, and plays an important role in global change study, land surface process simulation and agriculture monitoring. The wide field view (WFV) sensor on board the Chinese GF-1 satellite can acquire multi-spectral data with decametric spatial resolution, high temporal resolution and wide coverage, which are valuable data sources for dynamic monitoring of LAI. Therefore, an automatic LAI estimation algorithm for GF-1 WFV data was developed based on the radiative transfer model and LAI estimation accuracy of the developed algorithm was assessed in an agriculture region with maize as the dominated crop type. The radiative transfer model was firstly used to simulate the physical relationship between canopy reflectance and LAI under different soil and vegetation conditions, and then the training sample dataset was formed. Then, neural networks (NNs) were used to develop the LAI estimation algorithm using the training sample dataset. Green, red and near-infrared band reflectances of GF-1 WFV data were used as the input variables of the NNs, as well as the corresponding LAI was the output variable. The validation results using field LAI measurements in the agriculture region indicated that the LAI estimation algorithm could achieve satisfactory results (such as R² = 0.818, RMSE = 0.50). In addition, the developed LAI estimation algorithm had potential to operationally generate LAI datasets using GF-1 WFV land surface reflectance data, which could provide high spatial and temporal resolution LAI data for agriculture, ecosystem and environmental management researches.

  11. The Design and Implementation of the Leaf Area Index Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiuhong Li

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The quick and accurate acquisition of crop growth parameters on a large scale is important for agricultural management and food security. The combination of photographic and wireless sensor network (WSN techniques can be used to collect agricultural information, such as leaf area index (LAI, over long distances and in real time. Such acquisition not only provides farmers with photographs of crops and suggestions for farmland management, but also the collected quantitative parameters, such as LAI, can be used to support large scale research in ecology, hydrology, remote sensing, etc. The present research developed a Leaf Area Index Sensor (LAIS to continuously monitor the growth of crops in several sampling points, and applied 3G/WIFI communication technology to remotely collect (and remotely setup and upgrade crop photos in real-time. Then the crop photos are automatically processed and LAI is estimated based on the improved leaf area index of Lang and Xiang (LAILX algorithm in LAIS. The research also constructed a database of images and other information relating to crop management. The leaf length and width method (LAILLW can accurately measure LAI through direct field harvest. The LAIS has been tested in several exemplary applications, and validation with LAI from LAILLW. The LAI acquired by LAIS had been proved reliable.

  12. Challenges in Utilising Key Leader Engagement in Civil-Military Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    experience from Afghanistan represented different organisations: Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ( Sida ...with Swedish civil and military personnel • Extensive experience from several missions, focus on Afghanistan • Organisations: SwAF, Sida , SAK and

  13. Arvutijuhtimisega korter annab omanikule kontrolli / Siiri Suutre

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Suutre, Siiri

    2007-01-01

    Järgmisel aastal valmib Tallinnas Juurdeveo 19 maja, kus korteriomanikel on pidev virtuaalne juurdepääs oma kodule. Projekteerijad Harry Klaar ja Kätlin Saks arhitektuuribüroost On Arhitektid. Tehnoloogiline lahendus AS Eltron ja Yoga Intelligence AS

  14. Second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics in schizophrenia: patient functioning and quality of life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Montemagni C

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Cristiana Montemagni,1,2 Tiziana Frieri,1,2 Paola Rocca1,2 1Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Psychiatry, University of Turin, 2Department of Mental Health, Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL Torino 1 (TO1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy Abstract: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs were developed to make treatment easier, improve adherence, and/or signal the clinician when nonadherence occurs. Second-generation antipsychotic LAIs (SGA-LAIs combine the advantages of SGA with a long-acting formulation. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the available literature concerning the impact of SGA-LAIs on patient functioning and quality of life (QOL. Although several studies regarding schizophrenia patients’ functioning and QOL have been performed, the quantity of available data still varies greatly depending on the SGA-LAI under investigation. After reviewing the literature, it seems that SGA-LAIs are effective in ameliorating patient functioning and/or QOL of patients with schizophrenia, as compared with placebo. However, while methodological design controversy exists regarding the superiority of risperidone LAI versus oral antipsychotics, the significant amount of evidence in recently published research demonstrates the beneficial influence of risperidone LAI on patient functioning and QOL in stable patients and no benefit over oral treatment in unstable patients. However, the status of the research on SGA-LAIs is lacking in several aspects that may help physicians in choosing the correct drug therapy. Meaningful differences have been observed between SGA-LAIs in the onset of their clinical efficacy and in the relationships between symptoms and functioning scores. Moreover, head-to-head studies comparing the effects of SGA-LAIs on classical measures of psychopathology and functioning are available mainly on risperidone LAI, while those comparing olanzapine LAI with other

  15. Assimilation of Remotely Sensed Leaf Area Index into the Community Land Model with Explicit Carbon and Nitrogen Components using Data Assimilation Research Testbed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ling, X.; Fu, C.; Yang, Z. L.; Guo, W.

    2017-12-01

    Information of the spatial and temporal patterns of leaf area index (LAI) is crucial to understand the exchanges of momentum, carbon, energy, and water between the terrestrial ecosystem and the atmosphere, while both in-situ observation and model simulation usually show distinct deficiency in terms of LAI coverage and value. Land data assimilation, combined with observation and simulation together, is a promising way to provide variable estimation. The Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) developed and maintained by the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) provides a powerful tool to facilitate the combination of assimilation algorithms, models, and real (as well as synthetic) observations to better understanding of all three. Here we systematically investigated the effects of data assimilation on improving LAI simulation based on NCAR Community Land Model with the prognostic carbon-nitrogen option (CLM4CN) linked with DART using the deterministic Ensemble Adjustment Kalman Filter (EAKF). Random 40-member atmospheric forcing was used to drive the CLM4CN with or without LAI assimilation. The Global Land Surface Satellite LAI data (GLASS LAI) LAI is assimilated into the CLM4CN at a frequency of 8 days, and LAI (and leaf carbon / nitrogen) are adjusted at each time step. The results show that assimilating remotely sensed LAI into the CLM4CN is an effective method for improving model performance. In detail, the CLM4-CN simulated LAI systematically overestimates global LAI, especially in low latitude with the largest bias of 5 m2/m2. While if updating both LAI and leaf carbon and leaf nitrogen simultaneously during assimilation, the analyzed LAI can be corrected, especially in low latitude regions with the bias controlled around ±1 m2/m2. Analyzed LAI could also represent the seasonal variation except for the Southern Temperate (23°S-90°S). The obviously improved regions located in the center of Africa, Amazon, the South of Eurasia, the northeast of

  16. A Pilot Study of Cultural/Racial Differences in Patient Perspectives on Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics for the Treatment of Schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potkin, Steven G; Bera, Rimal; Eramo, Anna; Lau, Gina

    Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics improve treatment outcomes in patients with schizophrenia but are often reserved for only the most severely affected or nonadherent. Studies show cultural/racial differences in prescribing. This pilot study examined prescriber-patient interactions and cultural/racial differences in perceptions of LAIs among patients. A linguist analyzed 120 prescriber-patient conversations representing selected patient cultural/racial subgroups (European American, African American, Latino American; n=40 each) to identify similarities and differences in conceptualization and attitudes toward LAIs. Of 35 LAI-naive patients offered LAIs, 9% (3/35) responded favorably, 46% (16/35) were neutral/passive, and 46% (16/35) had concerns or viewed LAIs as unfavorable. Among LAI-naive patients, favorable or neutral/passive responses were reported for 50% (7/14) of European Americans, 63% (10/16) of African Americans, and 40% (2/5) of Latino Americans. The majority of LAI-naive patients (57% [20/35]) accepted LAI prescriptions, including 53% (17/32) of those who initially were neutral/passive or refused treatment (European American, 42% [5/12]; African American, 53% [8/15]; Latino American, 80% [4/5]). Fifty-seven percent (68/120) of patients expressed treatment goals. Goals of positive/negative symptom control were associated with positive attitudes toward LAIs while patients with goals focused on control of anxiety and insomnia tended to have negative attitudes toward LAIs. Latino-American patients who expressed treatment goals seemed more focused on discomfort control (67% [12/18]); goals of European Americans and African Americans were more equally distributed. Equal numbers of LAI-naive patients had unfavorable/concerned or neutral/passive attitudes toward treatment; relatively few patients responded favorably. The limited sample size precludes cultural/racial-specific conclusions.

  17. Climate change and urbanization threaten water resources in South ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    2014-08-14

    Aug 14, 2014 ... JAGP: Have you found that climate-related pressures are related to ... SAK: We found that urbanization and climate change have put extra stress on water ... JAGP: Will the research team continue to work together on water ...

  18. Vertical Jumping Tests versus Wingate Anaerobic Test in Female Volleyball Players: The Role of Age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pantelis Theodoros Nikolaidis

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Single and continuous vertical jumping tests, as well as the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT, are commonly used to assess the short-term muscle power of female volleyball players; however, the relationship among these tests has not been studied adequately. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship of single and continuous vertical jumps with the WAnT in female volleyball players. Seventy adolescent (age 16.0 ± 1.0 years, body mass 62.5 ± 7.1 kg, height 170.4 ± 6.1 cm, body fat 24.2% ± 4.3% and 108 adult female volleyball players (age 24.8 ± 5.2 years, body mass 66.5 ± 8.7 kg, height 173.2 ± 7.4 cm, body fat 22.0% ± 5.1% performed the squat jump (SJ, countermovement jump (CMJ, Abalakov jump (AJ, 30 s Bosco test and WAnT (peak power, Ppeak; mean power, Pmean. Mean power in the Bosco test was correlated (low to large magnitude with Pmean of the WAnT (r = 0.27, p = 0.030 in adolescents versus r = 0.56, p < 0.001 in adults. SJ, CMJ and AJ also correlated with Ppeak (0.28 ≤ r ≤ 0.46 in adolescents versus 0.58 ≤ r ≤ 0.61 in adults and with Pmean (0.43 ≤ r ≤ 0.51 versus 0.67 ≤ r ≤ 0.71, respectively of the WAnT (p < 0.05. In summary, the impact of the Bosco test and WAnT on muscle power varied, especially in the younger age group. Single jumping tests had larger correlations with WAnT in adults than in adolescent volleyball players. These findings should be taken into account by volleyball coaches and fitness trainers during the assessment of short-term muscle power of their athletes.

  19. A pilot study for the integration of cytometry reports in digital cytology telemedicine applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giansanti, Daniele; Cerroni, Fabio; Amodeo, Rachele; Filoni, Marco; Giovagnoli, Maria Rosaria

    2010-01-01

    Up to date, tele-pathology in the three different forms of application, "dynamic", "static" and "virtual microscopy" has been mainly based on tele-hystology remote consulting. Today the diffusion of specialized WAN connections is guiding the research of new applications of tele-pathology. A specific analysis has been conducted, focused on digital cytology, in the biomedical laboratory of Sant'Andrea Hospital to investigate the technologies potentially useful to integrate in the LAN/WAN for telemedicine applications. Among the possible tools useful to be integrated in the LAN/WAN for telemedicine applications, the cytometry equipment available in the technical unity of cytometry has been considered important. The study finally provides a proposal for a tele-consulting architecture for the integration of cytometry reports both in the hospital LAN and the WAN for possible cooperative diagnosis and second opinion support.

  20. A pilot study for the integration of cytometry reports in digital cytology telemedicine applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniele Giansanti

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Up to date, tele-pathology in the three different forms of application, "dynamic", "static" and "virtual microscopy" has been mainly based on tele-hystology remote consulting. Today the diffusion of specialized WAN connections is guiding the research of new applications of tele-pathology. A specific analysis has been conducted, focused on digital cytology, in the biomedical laboratory of Sant'Andrea Hospital to investigate the technologies potentially useful to integrate in the LAN/WAN for telemedicine applications. Among the possible tools useful to be integrated in the LAN/WAN for telemedicine applications, the cytometry equipment available in the technical unity of cytometry has been considered important. The study finally provides a proposal for a tele-consulting architecture for the integration of cytometry reports both in the hospital LAN and the WAN for possible cooperative diagnosis and second opinion support.

  1. Modifying Geometric-Optical Bidirectional Reflectance Model for Direct Inversion of Forest Canopy Leaf Area Index

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Congrong Li

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Forest canopy leaf area index (LAI inversion based on remote sensing data is an important method to obtain LAI. Currently, the most widely-used model to achieve forest canopy structure parameters is the Li-Strahler geometric-optical bidirectional reflectance model, by considering the effect of crown shape and mutual shadowing, which is referred to as the GOMS model. However, it is difficult to retrieve LAI through the GOMS model directly because LAI is not a fundamental parameter of the model. In this study, a gap probability model was used to obtain the relationship between the canopy structure parameter nR2 and LAI. Thus, LAI was introduced into the GOMS model as an independent variable by replacing nR2 The modified GOMS (MGOMS model was validated by application to Dayekou in the Heihe River Basin of China. The LAI retrieved using the MGOMS model with optical multi-angle remote sensing data, high spatial resolution images and field-measured data was in good agreement with the field-measured LAI, with an R-square (R2 of 0.64, and an RMSE of 0.67. The results demonstrate that the MGOMS model obtained by replacing the canopy structure parameter nR2 of the GOMS model with LAI can be used to invert LAI directly and precisely.

  2. Quantifying seasonal variation of leaf area index using near-infrared digital camera in a rice paddy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Y.; Ryu, Y.; Kim, J.

    2017-12-01

    Digital camera has been widely used to quantify leaf area index (LAI). Numerous simple and automatic methods have been proposed to improve the digital camera based LAI estimates. However, most studies in rice paddy relied on arbitrary thresholds or complex radiative transfer models to make binary images. Moreover, only a few study reported continuous, automatic observation of LAI over the season in rice paddy. The objective of this study is to quantify seasonal variations of LAI using raw near-infrared (NIR) images coupled with a histogram shape-based algorithm in a rice paddy. As vegetation highly reflects the NIR light, we installed NIR digital camera 1.8 m above the ground surface and acquired unsaturated raw format images at one-hour intervals between 15 to 80 º solar zenith angles over the entire growing season in 2016 (from May to September). We applied a sub-pixel classification combined with light scattering correction method. Finally, to confirm the accuracy of the quantified LAI, we also conducted direct (destructive sampling) and indirect (LAI-2200) manual observations of LAI once per ten days on average. Preliminary results show that NIR derived LAI agreed well with in-situ observations but divergence tended to appear once rice canopy is fully developed. The continuous monitoring of LAI in rice paddy will help to understand carbon and water fluxes better and evaluate satellite based LAI products.

  3. Estimation and Validation of RapidEye-Based Time-Series of Leaf Area Index for Winter Wheat in the Rur Catchment (Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Ali

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Leaf Area Index (LAI is an important variable for numerous processes in various disciplines of bio- and geosciences. In situ measurements are the most accurate source of LAI among the LAI measuring methods, but the in situ measurements have the limitation of being labor intensive and site specific. For spatial-explicit applications (from regional to continental scales, satellite remote sensing is a promising source for obtaining LAI with different spatial resolutions. However, satellite-derived LAI measurements using empirical models require calibration and validation with the in situ measurements. In this study, we attempted to validate a direct LAI retrieval method from remotely sensed images (RapidEye with in situ LAI (LAIdestr. Remote sensing LAI (LAIrapideye were derived using different vegetation indices, namely SAVI (Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. Additionally, applicability of the newly available red-edge band (RE was also analyzed through Normalized Difference Red-Edge index (NDRE and Soil Adjusted Red-Edge index (SARE. The LAIrapideye obtained from vegetation indices with red-edge band showed better correlation with LAIdestr (r = 0.88 and Root Mean Square Devation, RMSD = 1.01 & 0.92. This study also investigated the need to apply radiometric/atmospheric correction methods to the time-series of RapidEye Level 3A data prior to LAI estimation. Analysis of the the RapidEye Level 3A data set showed that application of the radiometric/atmospheric correction did not improve correlation of the estimated LAI with in situ LAI.

  4. A Review of Laboratory-Acquired Infections in the Asia-Pacific: Understanding Risk and the Need for Improved Biosafety for Veterinary and Zoonotic Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jarunee Siengsanan-Lamont

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available A rapid review was performed to determine (1 the number and causes of reported laboratory-acquired infections (LAI in the Asia-Pacific region; (2 their significance and threat to the community; (3 the primary risk factors associated with LAIs; (4 the consequences in the event of a LAI or pathogen escape; and (5 to make general recommendations regarding biosafety practices for diagnosis and research in the Asia-Pacific region. A search for LAI and zoonoses in the Asia-Pacific region using online search engines revealed a relatively low number of reports. Only 27 LAI reports were published between 1982 and 2016. The most common pathogens associated with LAIs were dengue virus, Arthroderma spp., Brucella spp., Mycobacterium spp., Rickettsia spp., and Shigella spp. Seventy-eight percent (21 out of 27 LAI reports occurred in high-income countries (i.e., Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan where laboratories were likely to comply with international biosafety standards. Two upper-middle income countries (China (2, and Malaysia (2 and one lower-middle income country (India (2 reported LAI incidents. The majority of the reports (fifty-two percent (14/27 of LAIs occurred in research laboratories. Five LAI reports were from clinical or diagnostic laboratories that are considered at the frontier for zoonotic disease detection. Governments and laboratories in the Asia-Pacific region should be encouraged to report LAI cases as it provides a useful tool to monitor unintended release of zoonotic pathogens and to further improve laboratory biosafety. Non-reporting of LAI events could pose a risk of disease transmission from infected laboratory staff to communities and the environment. The international community has an important and continuing role to play in supporting laboratories in the Asia-Pacific region to ensure that they maintain the safe working environment for the staff and their families, and the wider community.

  5. A lattice calculation of the hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to (g-2)μ

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Della Morte, Michele; Francis, Anthony; Gerardin, A.

    2018-01-01

    We present results of calculations of the hadronic vacuum polarisation contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment. Specifically, we focus on controlling the infrared regime of the vacuum polarisation function. Our results are corrected for finite-size effects by combining the Gounaris-Sak...

  6. GENETIC DIVERSITY OF Fusarium WILT RACES OF PIGEONPEA ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ACSS

    by twelve SSR primers with an average of 2.25 alleles per marker. All isolates amplified a single ... difficult for the non-specialist (Windels, 1991;. Bluhm et al., 2002). ..... Leung, H., Nelson, R.J. and Leach, J.E. 1993. Population structure of plant ...

  7. Treatment patterns in Medicaid patients with schizophrenia initiated on a first- or second-generation long-acting injectable versus oral antipsychotic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pilon D

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Dominic Pilon,1 Kruti Joshi,2 Neeta Tandon,2 Marie-Hélène Lafeuille,1 Rhiannon L Kamstra,1 Bruno Emond,1 Patrick Lefebvre2 1Groupe d’analyse, Ltée, Montréal, QC, Canada; 2Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Titusville, NJ, USA Background: Poor antipsychotic (AP adherence is a key issue in patients with schizophrenia. First-generation antipsychotic (FGA and second-generation antipsychotic (SGA long-acting injectable therapies (LAI may improve adherence compared to oral antipsychotics (OAP. The objective of the study was to compare treatment adherence and persistence in Medicaid patients with schizophrenia initiated on first-generation long-acting injectable therapies (FGA-LAI or second-generation long-acting injectable therapies (SGA-LAI versus OAP.Methods: Adults with schizophrenia initiated on FGA-LAI, SGA-LAI, or OAP on or after January 2010 were identified using a six-state Medicaid database (January 2009– March 2015. Outcomes were assessed during the 12 months following treatment initiation. Index medication adherence was assessed using the proportion of days covered ≥80%, while persistence was assessed as no gap of ≥30, ≥60, or ≥90 days between days of supply. Outcomes were compared between FGA/SGA-LAI and OAP cohorts using chi-squared tests and adjusted odds ratios (OR.Results: During follow-up, AP polypharmacy was more common in FGA-LAI patients (N=1,089; 36%; P=0.029 and less common in SGA-LAI patients (N=2,209; 27%; P<0.001 versus OAP patients (N=20,478; 33%. After adjustment, SGA-LAI patients had 24% higher odds of adherence at 12 months (OR: 1.24; P<0.001, in contrast to FGA-LAI patients who had 48% lower odds of adherence (OR: 0.52; P<0.001 relative to OAP patients. SGA-LAI patients were more likely to be persistent (no gap ≥60 days at 12 months than OAP patients (37% vs 30%; P<0.001, but not FGA-LAI patients (31% vs 30%; P=0.776. In comparison to OAP patients, SGA-LAI patients had 46% higher adjusted odds of

  8. Expression of recombinant staphylokinase, a fibrin-specific plasminogen activator of bacterial origin, in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerszberg, Aneta; Wiktorek-Smagur, Aneta; Hnatuszko-Konka, Katarzyna; Łuchniak, Piotr; Kononowicz, Andrzej K

    2012-03-01

    One of the most dynamically developing sectors of green biotechnology is molecular farming using transgenic plants as natural bioreactors for the large scale production of recombinant proteins with biopharmaceutical and therapeutic values. Such properties are characteristic of certain proteins of bacterial origin, including staphylokinase. For many years, work has been carried out on the use of this protein in thrombolytic therapy. In this study, transgenic Solanum tuberosum plants expressing a CaMV::sak-mgpf-gusA gene fusion, were obtained. AGL1 A. tumefaciens strain was used in the process of transformation. The presence of the staphylokinase gene was confirmed by PCR in 22.5% of the investigated plants. The expression of the fusion transgene was detected using the β-glucuronidase activity assay in 32 putative transgenic plants. Furthermore, on the basis of the GUS histochemical reaction, the transgene expression pattern had a strong, constitutive character in seven of the transformants. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of a protein extract from the SAK/PCR-positive plants, revealed the presence of a119 kDa protein that corresponds to that of the fusion protein SAK-mGFP-GUSA. Western blot analysis, using an antibody against staphylokinase, showed the presence of the staphylokinase domain in the 119 kDa protein in six analyzed transformants. However, the enzymatic test revealed amidolytic activity characteristic of staphylokinase in the protein extract of only one plant. This is the first report on a Solanum tuberosum plant producing a recombinant staphylokinase protein, a plasminogen activator of bacterial origin.

  9. Sadhana | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Sadhana. WAN HASLINA HASSAN. Articles written in Sadhana. Volume 41 Issue 7 July 2016 pp 727-753. Comparison between hybridized algorithm of GA–SA and ABC, GA, DE and PSO for vertical-handover in heterogeneous wireless networks · SHIDROKH GOUDARZI WAN HASLINA HASSAN ...

  10. Relation of Knowledge and Performance in Boys' Tennis: Age and Expertise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McPherson, Sue L.; Thomas, Jerry R.

    1989-01-01

    Examined 10- to 13-year-old boys' development of knowledge structure and sport performance in tennis by comparing skills and knowledge of experts and novices. Experts focused on higher concepts and exhibited greater decision-making ability because of their more highly developed knowledge structure. (SAK)

  11. Author Index

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    user1

    Han, J. L. see Wu, Xue-Bing,. 209. Hardcastle, M. J. see Konar, C.,. 477. Harko, T. see Leung, C. S.,. 189 ... Kang, Hyesung see Ma, Renyi,. 301 ... Stochastic Differential Equation 189. Li, J. see Shen, Z. Q.,. 13. Li, M.-S. see Huang, W.-R.,. 277.

  12. Intermittent Theta Burst Over M1 May Increase Peak Power of a Wingate Anaerobic Test and Prevent the Reduction of Voluntary Activation Measured with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giboin, Louis-Solal; Thumm, Patrick; Bertschinger, Raphael; Gruber, Markus

    2016-01-01

    Despite the potential of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to improve performances in patients suffering from motor neuronal afflictions, its effect on motor performance enhancement in healthy subjects during a specific sport task is still unknown. We hypothesized that after an intermittent theta burst (iTBS) treatment, performance during the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) will increase and supraspinal fatigue following the exercise will be lower in comparison to a control treatment. Ten subjects participated in two randomized experiments consisting of a WAnT 5 min after either an iTBS or a control treatment. We determined voluntary activation (VA) of the right knee extensors with TMS (VATMS) and with peripheral nerve stimulation (VAPNS) of the femoral nerve, before and after the WAnT. T-tests were applied to the WAnT results and a two way within subject ANOVA was applied to VA results. The iTBS treatment increased the peak power and the maximum pedalling cadence and suppressed the reduction of VATMS following the WAnT compared to the control treatment. No behavioral changes related to fatigue (mean power and fatigue index) were observed. These results indicate for the first time that iTBS could be used as a potential intervention to improve anaerobic performance in a sport specific task.

  13. Indirect Field Measurement of Wine-Grape Vineyard Canopy Leaf Area Index

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Lee F.; Pierce, Lars L.; Skiles, J. W. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) indirect measurements were made at 12 study plots in California's Napa Valley commercial wine-grape vineyards with a LI-COR LI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer (PCA). The plots encompassed different trellis systems, biological varieties, and planting densities. LAI ranged from 0.5 - 2.25 sq m leaf area/ sq m ground area according to direct (defoliation) measurements. Indirect LAI reported by the PCA was significantly related to direct LAI (r(exp 2) = 0.78, p less than 001). However, the PCA tended to underestimate direct LAI by about a factor of two. Narrowing the instrument's conical field of view from 148 deg to 56 deg served to increase readings by approximately 30%. The PCA offers a convenient way to discern relative differences in vineyard canopy density. Calibration by direct measurement (defoliation) is recommended in cases where absolute LAI is desired. Calibration equations provided herein may be inverted to retrieve actual vineyard LAI from PCA readings.

  14. Identification of a novel prophage-like gene cluster actively expressed in both virulent and avirulent strains of Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Jin-Hong; Zhang, Qing; Zhang, Zhi-Ming; Zhong, Yi; Yang, Yang; Hu, Bao-Yu; Zhao, Guo-Ping; Guo, Xiao-Kui

    2008-06-01

    DNA microarray analysis was used to compare the differential gene expression profiles between Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai type strain 56601 and its corresponding attenuated strain IPAV. A 22-kb genomic island covering a cluster of 34 genes (i.e., genes LA0186 to LA0219) was actively expressed in both strains but concomitantly upregulated in strain 56601 in contrast to that of IPAV. Reverse transcription-PCR assays proved that the gene cluster comprised five transcripts. Gene annotation of this cluster revealed characteristics of a putative prophage-like remnant with at least 8 of 34 sequences encoding prophage-like proteins, of which the LA0195 protein is probably a putative prophage CI-like regulator. The transcription initiation activities of putative promoter-regulatory sequences of transcripts I, II, and III, all proximal to the LA0195 gene, were further analyzed in the Escherichia coli promoter probe vector pKK232-8 by assaying the reporter chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activities. The strong promoter activities of both transcripts I and II indicated by the E. coli CAT assay were well correlated with the in vitro sequence-specific binding of the recombinant LA0195 protein to the corresponding promoter probes detected by the electrophoresis mobility shift assay. On the other hand, the promoter activity of transcript III was very low in E. coli and failed to show active binding to the LA0195 protein in vitro. These results suggested that the LA0195 protein is likely involved in the transcription of transcripts I and II. However, the identical complete DNA sequences of this prophage remnant from these two strains strongly suggests that possible regulatory factors or signal transduction systems residing outside of this region within the genome may be responsible for the differential expression profiling in these two strains.

  15. Look-up-table approach for leaf area index retrieval from remotely sensed data based on scale information

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xiaohua; Li, Chuanrong; Tang, Lingli

    2018-03-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is a key structural characteristic of vegetation and plays a significant role in global change research. Several methods and remotely sensed data have been evaluated for LAI estimation. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of the look-up-table (LUT) approach for crop LAI retrieval from Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT)-5 data and establish an LUT approach for LAI inversion based on scale information. The LAI inversion result was validated by in situ LAI measurements, indicating that the LUT generated based on the PROSAIL (PROSPECT+SAIL: properties spectra + scattering by arbitrarily inclined leaves) model was suitable for crop LAI estimation, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of ˜0.31m2 / m2 and determination coefficient (R2) of 0.65. The scale effect of crop LAI was analyzed based on Taylor expansion theory, indicating that when the SPOT data aggregated by 200 × 200 pixel, the relative error is significant with 13.7%. Finally, an LUT method integrated with scale information was proposed in this article, improving the inversion accuracy with RMSE of 0.20 m2 / m2 and R2 of 0.83.

  16. Investigating the Relationship between X-Band SAR Data from COSMO-SkyMed Satellite and NDVI for LAI Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonino Maltese

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Monitoring spatial and temporal variability of vegetation is important to manage land and water resources, with significant impact on the sustainability of modern agriculture. Cloud cover noticeably reduces the temporal resolution of retrievals based on optical data. COSMO-SkyMed (the new Italian Synthetic Aperture RADAR-SAR opened new opportunities to develop agro-hydrological applications. Indeed, it represents a valuable source of data for operational use, due to the high spatial and temporal resolutions. Although X-band is not the most suitable to model agricultural and hydrological processes, an assessment of vegetation development can be achieved combing optical vegetation indices (VIs and SAR backscattering data. In this paper, a correlation analysis has been performed between the crossed horizontal-vertical (HV backscattering (s°HV and optical VIs (VIopt on several plots. The correlation analysis was based on incidence angle, spatial resolution and polarization mode. Results have shown that temporal changes of s°HV (Δs°HV acquired with high angles (off nadir angle; θ > 40° best correlates with variations of VIopt (ΔVI. The correlation between ΔVI and Δs°HV has been shown to be temporally robust. Based on this experimental evidence, a model to infer a VI from s° (VISAR at the time, ti + 1, once known, the VIopt at a reference time, ti, and Δs°HV between times, ti + 1 and ti, was implemented and verified. This approach has led to the development and validation of an algorithm for coupling a VIopt derived from DEIMOS-1 images and s°HV. The study was carried out over the Sele plain (Campania, Italy, which is mainly characterized by herbaceous crops. In situ measurements included leaf area index (LAI, which were collected weekly between August and September 2011 in 25 sites, simultaneously to COSMO-SkyMed (CSK and DEIMOS-1 imaging. Results confirm that VISAR obtained using the combined model is able to increase the feasibility

  17. Ethernet over SDH (EoS): Summary

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Cost effective way to support data customers. Use of integrated Ethernet eliminates the need for costly WAN interfaces (E1/E3/STM-1) on routers connecting to SDH/SONET; WAN bandwidth can be provided directly from customers' Ethernet switches, potentially eliminating routers at customer sites ...

  18. Comparison of winter wheat growth with multi-temporal remote sensing imagery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiaoyu, Song; Bei, Cui; Guijun, Yang; Haikuan, Feng

    2014-01-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is an important index for crop growth monitoring. This paper focused on estimation of winter wheat LAI dynamics in different growth stages based on Landsat TM data. In order to retrieve wheat LAI from remote sensing data, LAI measurements were initiated when Landsat satellite pass over the study region. Three Landsat5 TM images were acquired on April 15, May 17, and June 2, 2009, corresponding to jointing stage, flowering stage and milking stage of wheat. LAI was measured at each stage in thirty wheat fields distributed in Beijing suburb. Based on the TM images, spectral indices including NDVI, MSAVI, SAVI, RDVI, SR, ISR, MSR and NLI were calculated. Univariate correlation analysis was then conducted between LAI data and corresponding TM spectral variables. The analysis results indicated that TM ISR on April 15, TM Band4 on May17, and TM ISR on June 2 were very significantly correlated with LAI, and the coefficient values were 0.736, 0.548 and 0.493, respectively. LAI map of winter wheat for whole study area was produced based on optimal non-linear correlation models. The three LAI maps were used to winter wheat growth analysis and comparison of different growth stages. Study results indicated that from April 15 to May 17, LAI value for 14.88% of winter wheat fields (9131ha) increased less than 1, 64.43 % (39421 ha) increased between 1 to 2, 20.67 % (12685 ha) increased more than 2. LAI decreased from May 17 to June 2. 45.34% of winter wheat fields (27828 ha) decreased less than1, 45.20 % (27738 ha) decreased between 1 to 2, 9.33% (5725.42 ha) decreased more than 2

  19. COMPARING OPTICALAND DIRECT METHODS FOR LEAFAREA INDEX DETERMINATION IN A MAIZE CROP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arianna Facchi

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Leaf area index (LAI is a crucial variable in the modelling of many hydrological processes. Destructive sampling of LAI is extremely time-consuming, thus not suitable for monitoring temporal/spatial variations of the variable. In the last fifty years optical instruments retrieving LAI from more easily measurable variables (i.e. transmitted radiation through canopies have been developed. Several instruments are available on the market, but very few are the studies comparing LAI estimates in agricultural crops. In this paper three optical instruments are compared with destructive sampling for a maize crop located in Northern Italy. Determinations were carried out on three plots (replicates before and after successive thinning of plant populations. Destructively sampled LAI ranged from 4.9 m2m-2 (no thinning to 1.2 m2m- 2 (maximum thinning. Correlation analysis showed that estimates by the AccuPAR-80, the hemispherical camera (“effective” and “true” LAI and the LAI- 2000 (in the standard configuration, i.e. five zenithal rings, and excluding the fifth ring were well correlated with destructive measurements (R2≥0.95. Anyway, if for the AccuPAR-80 the regression line was close to the 1:1 line, the “true LAI” by hemispherical photography tended to overestimate destructively sampled LAI for low values while the “effective LAI” and the LAI-2000 to underestimate it for high values (in a minor way for the LAI-2000 when the fifth ring was removed. Results from the ANOVA and the Tukey T test for two-factor experiments with replicates showed that only the “effective LAI” retrieved by hemispherical photographs and the estimates provided by the LAI-2000 in the standard configuration (five rings were statistically different from destructive measurements.

  20. Event Based Simulator for Parallel Computing over the Wide Area Network for Real Time Visualization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundararajan, Elankovan; Harwood, Aaron; Kotagiri, Ramamohanarao; Satria Prabuwono, Anton

    As the computational requirement of applications in computational science continues to grow tremendously, the use of computational resources distributed across the Wide Area Network (WAN) becomes advantageous. However, not all applications can be executed over the WAN due to communication overhead that can drastically slowdown the computation. In this paper, we introduce an event based simulator to investigate the performance of parallel algorithms executed over the WAN. The event based simulator known as SIMPAR (SIMulator for PARallel computation), simulates the actual computations and communications involved in parallel computation over the WAN using time stamps. Visualization of real time applications require steady stream of processed data flow for visualization purposes. Hence, SIMPAR may prove to be a valuable tool to investigate types of applications and computing resource requirements to provide uninterrupted flow of processed data for real time visualization purposes. The results obtained from the simulation show concurrence with the expected performance using the L-BSP model.

  1. Enhancement on Wingate Anaerobic Test Performance With Hyperventilation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leithäuser, Renate M; Böning, Dieter; Hütler, Matthias; Beneke, Ralph

    2016-07-01

    Relatively long-lasting metabolic alkalizing procedures such as bicarbonate ingestion have potential for improving performance in long-sprint to middle-distance events. Within a few minutes, hyperventilation can induce respiratory alkalosis. However, corresponding performance effects are missing or equivocal at best. To test a potential performance-enhancing effect of respiratory alkalosis in a 30-s Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT). 10 men (mean ± SD age 26.6 ± 4.9 y, height 184.4 ± 6.1 cm, body-mass test 1 80.7 ± 7.7 kg, body-mass test 2 80.4 ± 7.2 kg, peak oxygen uptake 3.95 ± 0.43 L/min) performed 2 WAnTs, 1 with and 1 without a standardized 15-min hyperventilation program pre-WAnT in randomized order separated by 1 wk. Compared with the control condition, hyperventilation reduced (all P respiratory alkalosis can enhance WAnT cycling sprint performance well in the magnitude of what is seen after successful bicarbonate ingestion.

  2. Ebavõrdsus hukutab Eesti arengu / Katrin Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Katrin, 1956-

    2004-01-01

    Ilmunud ka: Pärnu Postimees, 22. jaan. 2004, lk. 11; Võrumaa Teataja, 24. jaan. 2004, lk. 2; Meie Maa, 24. jaan. 2004, lk. 2; Hiiu Leht, 27. jaan. 2004, lk. 2; Põhjarannik, 31. jaan. 2004, lk. 2; Severnoje Poberezhje, 31. jaan. 2004, lk. 2; Koit, 3. veebr. 2004, lk. 6; Hiiumaa, 3. veebr. 2004, lk. 2. Autor vaatleb riigi osa ebavõrduse ilmingute likvideerimisel Eestis ja leiab, et ebavõrdsus on meie arengu peamine takistus, mille kõrvaldamine on sotsiaaldemokraatide peamine eesmärk

  3. Kas holokaust võib korduda? / Elhonen Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Elhonen, 1927-

    2000-01-01

    Eestit külastas USA Kongressi Esindajatekoja välissuhete komisjoni liige Tom Lantos. Dokumentaalfilm "Viimased päevad" ("The Last Days") Eesti välisministeeriumi pressikeskuses. režissöör James Moll : Ameerika Ühendriigid 1998. Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation algatus. Filmi esitusel osalesid ka L. Meri ja T. H. Ilves.

  4. Pikk tee märkamiseni / Katrin Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Katrin, 1956-

    2008-01-01

    Õpilaste koolisuhetest ning koolivägivallast. Ilmunud ka Vooremaa 9. okt. 2008, lk. 2 ; Võrumaa Teataja 11. okt. 2008, lk. 2 ; Koit 11. okt. 2008, lk. 6 ; Meie Maa 13. okt. 2008, lk. 2 ; Pärnu Postimees 10. okt. 2008, lk. 15 ; Virumaa Teataja 15. okt. 2008, lk. 11

  5. Äraaetud hobused lastakse maha / Katrin Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Katrin, 1956-

    2008-01-01

    Tööaja direktiivi muutmise eelnõust, mis suurendaks töötajate tööaja piiranguid. Ilmunud ka Põhjarannik 19. juuni 2008, lk.2 ; Vooremaa 21. juuni 2008, lk. 2 ; Virumaa Teataja 27. juuni 2008, lk. 11 ; Pärnu Postimees 27. juuni 2008, lk. 15 ; Järva Teataja 1. juuli 2008, lk. 2 ; Koit 3. juuli 2008, lk. 6 ; Nädalaleht 20. juuni 2008, lk. 7

  6. Predictors of high-intensity running capacity in collegiate women during a soccer game.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormack, William P; Stout, Jeffrey R; Wells, Adam J; Gonzalez, Adam M; Mangine, Gerald T; Fragala, Maren S; Hoffman, Jay R

    2014-04-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to determine which physiological assessments best predicted high-intensity running (HIR) performance during a women's collegiate soccer game. A secondary purpose was to examine the relationships among physiological performance measures including muscle architecture on soccer performance (distance covered, HIR, and sprints during the game) during a competitive collegiate women's soccer game. Ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I women soccer players performed physiological assessments within a 2-week period before a competitive regulation soccer game performed during the spring season. Testing consisted of height, body mass, ultrasound measurement of dominant (DOMleg), and nondominant leg (NDOMleg) vastus lateralis for muscle thickness (MT) and pennation angle (PA), VO2max, running economy, and Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) for peak power (PP), mean power (MP), and fatigue rate (FR). During the game, distance run, HIR, and sprints were measured using a 10-Hz global positioning system. Stepwise regression revealed that VO2max, dominant leg thickness, and dominant leg PA were the strongest predictors of HIR distance during the game (R = 0.989, SEE = 115.5 m, p = 0.001). V[Combining Dot Above]O2max was significantly correlated with total distance run (r = 0.831; p = 0.003), HIR (r = 0.755; p = 0.012), WAnTPP (r = -0.737; p = 0.015), WAnTPP·kg (r = -0.706; p = 0.022), and WAnTFR (r = -0.713; p = 0.021). DOMlegMT was significantly correlated with WAnTFR (r = 0.893; p = 0.001). DOMlegPA was significantly correlated with WAnTFR (r = 0.740; p = 0.023). The NDOMlegPA was significantly correlated to peak running velocity (r = 0.781; p = 0.013) and WAnT MP·kg (r = 0.801; p = 0.01). Results of this study indicate that V[Combining Dot Above]O2max and muscle architecture are important characteristics of NCAA Division I women soccer players and may predict HIR distance during a competitive contest.

  7. A Comparison of Leaf Area Index Maps Derived from Multi-Sensor Optical Data Acquired over Agricultural Areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuseppe Satalino

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study is to retrieve and compare Leaf Area Index (LAI maps from temporal series of SPOT, IKONOS and MERIS images acquired, from 2006 to 2008, over an agricultural site in Southern Italy. Results show that the root mean square error (RMSE of LAI derived from MERIS data is approximately 1 m2 m-2, slightly larger than the one obtained by using SPOT and IKONOS data. In addition, LAI retrieved from MERIS data tends to underestimate LAI retrieved from SPOT and IKONOS data, particularly at low LAI values. Nevertheless, the paper gives examples highlighting the strength of MERIS with respect to SPOT and IKONOS data in providing long and dense temporal series of LAI maps suitable to feature the temporal evolution of vegetation growth at regional scale.

  8. 77 FR 40266 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Pequonnock River, Bridgeport, CT, Maintenance

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-09

    ... p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this rule, call or email Ms. Judy Leung-Yee, Project Officer, First Coast Guard District, telephone (212) 668-7165, email [email protected] . If you have questions on viewing the docket...

  9. An Investigation of Visual Contour Integration Ability in Relation to Writing Performance in Primary School Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li-Tsang, Cecilia W. P.; Wong, Agnes S. K.; Chan, Jackson Y.; Lee, Amos Y. T.; Lam, Miko C. Y.; Wong, C. W.; Lu, Zhonglin

    2012-01-01

    A previous study found a visual deficit in contour integration in English readers with dyslexia (Simmers & Bex, 2001). Visual contour integration may play an even more significant role in Chinese handwriting particularly due to its logographic presentation (Lam, Au, Leung, & Li-Tsang, 2011). The current study examined the relationship…

  10. Fathers: A Placement Resource for Abused and Neglected Children?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greif, Geoffrey L.; Zuravin, Susan J.

    1989-01-01

    Investigated 17 custodial and 18 noncustodial fathers of abused or neglected children to determine: (1) how fathers get custody; (2) how situations in which fathers get custody differ from those in which they do not; and (3) the degree to which father placements are satisfactory. (SAK)

  11. A CoAP-Based Network Access Authentication Service for Low-Power Wide Area Networks: LO-CoAP-EAP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Garcia-Carrillo

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The Internet-of-Things (IoT landscape is expanding with new radio technologies. In addition to the Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Network (LR-WPAN, the recent set of technologies conforming the so-called Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LP-WAN offers long-range communications, allowing one to send small pieces of information at a reduced energy cost, which promotes the creation of new IoT applications and services. However, LP-WAN technologies pose new challenges since they have strong limitations in the available bandwidth. In general, a first step prior to a smart object being able to gain access to the network is the process of network access authentication. It involves authentication, authorization and key management operations. This process is of vital importance for operators to control network resources. However, proposals for managing network access authentication in LP-WAN are tailored to the specifics of each technology, which could introduce interoperability problems in the future. In this sense, little effort has been put so far into providing a wireless-independent solution for network access authentication in the area of LP-WAN. To fill this gap, we propose a service named Low-Overhead CoAP-EAP (LO-CoAP-EAP, which is based on previous work designed for LR-WPAN. LO-CoAP-EAP integrates the use of Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA infrastructures and the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP protocol. For this integration, we use the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP to design a network authentication service independent of the type of LP-WAN technology. LO-CoAP-EAP represents a trade-off between flexibility, wireless technology independence, scalability and performance in LP-WAN.

  12. A CoAP-Based Network Access Authentication Service for Low-Power Wide Area Networks: LO-CoAP-EAP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Carrillo, Dan; Marin-Lopez, Rafael; Kandasamy, Arunprabhu; Pelov, Alexander

    2017-11-17

    The Internet-of-Things (IoT) landscape is expanding with new radio technologies. In addition to the Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Network (LR-WPAN), the recent set of technologies conforming the so-called Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LP-WAN) offers long-range communications, allowing one to send small pieces of information at a reduced energy cost, which promotes the creation of new IoT applications and services. However, LP-WAN technologies pose new challenges since they have strong limitations in the available bandwidth. In general, a first step prior to a smart object being able to gain access to the network is the process of network access authentication. It involves authentication, authorization and key management operations. This process is of vital importance for operators to control network resources. However, proposals for managing network access authentication in LP-WAN are tailored to the specifics of each technology, which could introduce interoperability problems in the future. In this sense, little effort has been put so far into providing a wireless-independent solution for network access authentication in the area of LP-WAN. To fill this gap, we propose a service named Low-Overhead CoAP-EAP (LO-CoAP-EAP), which is based on previous work designed for LR-WPAN. LO-CoAP-EAP integrates the use of Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) infrastructures and the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) protocol. For this integration, we use the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) to design a network authentication service independent of the type of LP-WAN technology. LO-CoAP-EAP represents a trade-off between flexibility, wireless technology independence, scalability and performance in LP-WAN.

  13. Parameters of anaerobic physiological profile of elite athletes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karaba-Jakovljević Dea

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Anaerobic capacity is much less evaluated in literature compared to aerobic component. Anaerobic performance of athletes can be measured using different motoric tests, lasting 20 to 30 seconds, one of them being the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the work performed and power generated by athletes and non-athletes during a 30-second high intensity exercise, as well as to compare explosive characteristics of subjects using a new parameter of WAnT, named explosive power, or slope of power. Methods. All parameters of anaerobic power were investigated in 152 subjects classed into different groups depending on their physical fitness and sport specialties as follows: non-athletes (n=31, rowers (n=26, volleyball players (n=37, handball players (n=34 and judo players (n=24. The WAnT, as well as basic anthropometric measurements, was administrated to all participants. Results. Values of anaerobic parameters were higher in the group of athletes compared to physically inactive subjects. The highest values of the WAnT parameters were registered in the group of volleyball players (AP=1006 W; relative AP=11.4 W/ kg, AC=19.8 kJ, compared to athletes of other sport disciplines (volleyball, rowing and judo. The new parameter of the WAnT, explosive power, also showed highest values in volleyball players (EP=154 W/s; relative EP=1.74 W/s/kg. These differences were statistically significant (p<0.05. Conclusion. The results of laboratory tests can provide useful information on improvements in training processes. The new parameter of the WAnT could be implemented in further analyses of explosive characteristics of muscle contraction.

  14. Relationship Between Blood Flow and Performance Recovery: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borne, Rachel; Hausswirth, Christophe; Bieuzen, François

    2017-02-01

    To investigate the effect of different limb blood-flow levels on cycling-performance recovery, blood lactate concentration, and heart rate. Thirty-three high-intensity intermittent-trained athletes completed two 30-s Wingate anaerobic test sessions, 3 × 30-s (WAnT 1-3) and 1 × 30-s (WAnT 4), on a cycling ergometer. WAnT 1-3 and WAnT 4 were separated by a randomly assigned 24-min recovery intervention selected from among blood-flow restriction, passive rest, placebo stimulation, or neuromuscular electrical-stimulation-induced blood flow. Calf arterial inflow was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography at regular intervals throughout the recovery period. Performance was measured in terms of peak and mean power output during WAnT 1 and WAnT 4. After the recovery interventions, a large (r = .68 [90% CL .42; .83]) and very large (r = .72 (90% CL .49; .86]) positive correlation were observed between the change in calf arterial inflow and the change in mean and peak power output, respectively. Calf arterial inflow was significantly higher during the neuromuscular-electrical-stimulation recovery intervention than with the blood-flow-restriction, passive-rest, and placebo-stimulation interventions (P .05). No recovery effect was linked to heart rate or blood lactate concentration levels. For the first time, these data support the existence of a positive correlation between an increase in blood flow and performance recovery between bouts of high-intensity exercise. As a practical consideration, this effect can be obtained by using neuromuscular electrical stimulation-induced blood flow since this passive, simple strategy could be easily applied during short-term recovery.

  15. Ecophysiological variation of European hornbeams along the foliation period in semi-rural recreational forest landscape

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melih Öztürk

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Determination of the ecophysiological characteristics of deciduous trees in the recreational areas allows construction of planning objectives particularly for the urban forests. Analysis of a multipurpose vegetation parameter; LAI (Leaf Area Index together with some meteorological variables supplies to an extent the comprehension of those ecophysiological characteristics. Around this scope, the LAI dynamics of Carpinus betulus L. trees in a recreational area were monitored and analyzed along the foliation period of approximately three months. The mean LAI which was only 0.80 during the budburst stage gradually escalated reaching 1.49 after the flushing stage. The increment of the leaves in size and numbers led to the mean LAI achieve its climax with 3.41 in early May. Then, the mean LAI experienced a stable period until the end of May. The change in the mean LAI were subjected to correlation test especially with the air and soil temperatures. The correlations between the mean LAI and, in particular the soil temperature (r≥0.95 and air temperature were high and significant (P<0.01. There were no definite correlation between the mean LAI and mean sunlight duration, air humidity and total precipitation. Impact of air temperature on the LAI of Carpinus betulus L. trees indicates the vulnerability of the recreational area to possible urban heat oriented climate warming. On the other hand, the influence of soil temperature on the mean LAI warns the susceptibility of the recreational area to possible anthropogenic pressure resulting in soil compaction and regeneration difficulties. Consequently, sustainable management of this recreational area necessitates the anticipation and mitigation of these possible destructions.

  16. How do large-scale agricultural investments affect land use and the environment on the western slopes of Mount Kenya? Empirical evidence based on small-scale farmers' perceptions and remote sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaehringer, Julie G; Wambugu, Grace; Kiteme, Boniface; Eckert, Sandra

    2018-05-01

    Africa has been heavily targeted by large-scale agricultural investments (LAIs) throughout the last decade, with scarcely known impacts on local social-ecological systems. In Kenya, a large number of LAIs were made in the region northwest of Mount Kenya. These large-scale farms produce vegetables and flowers mainly for European markets. However, land use in the region remains dominated by small-scale crop and livestock farms with less than 1 ha of land each, who produce both for their own subsistence and for the local markets. We interviewed 100 small-scale farmers living near five different LAIs to elicit their perceptions of the impacts that these LAIs have on their land use and the overall environment. Furthermore, we analyzed remotely sensed land cover and land use data to assess land use change in the vicinity of the five LAIs. While land use change did not follow a clear trend, a number of small-scale farmers did adapt their crop management to environmental changes such as a reduced river water flows and increased pests, which they attributed to the presence of LAIs. Despite the high number of open conflicts between small-scale land users and LAIs around the issue of river water abstraction, the main environmental impact, felt by almost half of the interviewed land users, was air pollution with agrochemicals sprayed on the LAIs' land. Even though only a low percentage of local land users and their household members were directly involved with LAIs, a large majority of respondents favored the presence of LAIs nearby, as they are believed to contribute to the region's overall economic development. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Quantifying the Accuracy of Digital Hemispherical Photography for Leaf Area Index Estimates on Broad-Leaved Tree Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilardelli, Carlo; Orlando, Francesca; Movedi, Ermes; Confalonieri, Roberto

    2018-03-29

    Digital hemispherical photography (DHP) has been widely used to estimate leaf area index (LAI) in forestry. Despite the advancement in the processing of hemispherical images with dedicated tools, several steps are still manual and thus easily affected by user's experience and sensibility. The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of user's subjectivity on DHP LAI estimates for broad-leaved woody canopies using the software Can-Eye. Following the ISO 5725 protocol, we quantified the repeatability and reproducibility of the method, thus defining its precision for a wide range of broad-leaved canopies markedly differing for their structure. To get a complete evaluation of the method accuracy, we also quantified its trueness using artificial canopy images with known canopy cover. Moreover, the effect of the segmentation method was analysed. The best results for precision (restrained limits of repeatability and reproducibility) were obtained for high LAI values (>5) with limits corresponding to a variation of 22% in the estimated LAI values. Poorer results were obtained for medium and low LAI values, with a variation of the estimated LAI values that exceeded the 40%. Regardless of the LAI range explored, satisfactory results were achieved for trees in row-structured plantations (limits almost equal to the 30% of the estimated LAI). Satisfactory results were achieved for trueness, regardless of the canopy structure. The paired t -test revealed that the effect of the segmentation method on LAI estimates was significant. Despite a non-negligible user effect, the accuracy metrics for DHP are consistent with those determined for other indirect methods for LAI estimates, confirming the overall reliability of DHP in broad-leaved woody canopies.

  18. Quantifying the Accuracy of Digital Hemispherical Photography for Leaf Area Index Estimates on Broad-Leaved Tree Species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo Gilardelli

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Digital hemispherical photography (DHP has been widely used to estimate leaf area index (LAI in forestry. Despite the advancement in the processing of hemispherical images with dedicated tools, several steps are still manual and thus easily affected by user’s experience and sensibility. The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of user’s subjectivity on DHP LAI estimates for broad-leaved woody canopies using the software Can-Eye. Following the ISO 5725 protocol, we quantified the repeatability and reproducibility of the method, thus defining its precision for a wide range of broad-leaved canopies markedly differing for their structure. To get a complete evaluation of the method accuracy, we also quantified its trueness using artificial canopy images with known canopy cover. Moreover, the effect of the segmentation method was analysed. The best results for precision (restrained limits of repeatability and reproducibility were obtained for high LAI values (>5 with limits corresponding to a variation of 22% in the estimated LAI values. Poorer results were obtained for medium and low LAI values, with a variation of the estimated LAI values that exceeded the 40%. Regardless of the LAI range explored, satisfactory results were achieved for trees in row-structured plantations (limits almost equal to the 30% of the estimated LAI. Satisfactory results were achieved for trueness, regardless of the canopy structure. The paired t-test revealed that the effect of the segmentation method on LAI estimates was significant. Despite a non-negligible user effect, the accuracy metrics for DHP are consistent with those determined for other indirect methods for LAI estimates, confirming the overall reliability of DHP in broad-leaved woody canopies.

  19. Rapid Assessment of Key Structural Elements of Different Vegetation Types of West African Savannas in Burkina Faso

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qasim Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Estimations of Leaf Area Index (LAI have recently gained attention due to the sensitivity to the effects of climate change and its impact on forest ecosystems. Hence, a study was conducted on the LAI estimation of four vegetation types: (i gallery forests, (ii woodland savannas, (iii tree savannas, and (iv shrub savannas, at two protected areas of Nazinga Game Ranch and Bontioli Nature Reserve, Burkina Faso. A relationship between LAI and Crown Diameter was also investigated at these two sites. Digital hemispherical photography was used for the LAI estimation. Crown diameters (CD were determined perpendicular to each other and averaged for each tree and shrub. Overall results revealed that LAI ranged from 0-1.33 and the CD was recorded in the range of 0.46-11.01 m. The gallery forests recorded the highest mean LAI 1.33 ± 0.32 as well as the highest mean CD 7.69 ± 1.90 m. The LAI for the vegetation types were at their lower ends as the study was conducted in summer season, higher values are therefore expected in the wet season, as a significant correlation between LAI and precipitation has been emphasized by various studies. Continuous LAI monitoring and studies on various growth parameters of different vegetation types at the study sites are recommended towards enhanced monitoring and an ecologically feasible forest- and savanna-use and management to maintain essential ecosystem functions and services.

  20. Learning-Based Adaptive Imputation Methodwith kNN Algorithm for Missing Power Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minkyung Kim

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a learning-based adaptive imputation method (LAI for imputing missing power data in an energy system. This method estimates the missing power data by using the pattern that appears in the collected data. Here, in order to capture the patterns from past power data, we newly model a feature vector by using past data and its variations. The proposed LAI then learns the optimal length of the feature vector and the optimal historical length, which are significant hyper parameters of the proposed method, by utilizing intentional missing data. Based on a weighted distance between feature vectors representing a missing situation and past situation, missing power data are estimated by referring to the k most similar past situations in the optimal historical length. We further extend the proposed LAI to alleviate the effect of unexpected variation in power data and refer to this new approach as the extended LAI method (eLAI. The eLAI selects a method between linear interpolation (LI and the proposed LAI to improve accuracy under unexpected variations. Finally, from a simulation under various energy consumption profiles, we verify that the proposed eLAI achieves about a 74% reduction of the average imputation error in an energy system, compared to the existing imputation methods.

  1. Efficient retrieval of vegetation leaf area index and canopy clumping factor from satellite data to support pollutant deposition assessments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikolov, Ned; Zeller, Karl

    2006-01-01

    Canopy leaf area index (LAI) is an important structural parameter of the vegetation controlling pollutant uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. This paper presents a computationally efficient algorithm for retrieval of vegetation LAI and canopy clumping factor from satellite data using observed Simple Ratios (SR) of near-infrared to red reflectance. The method employs numerical inversion of a physics-based analytical canopy radiative transfer model that simulates the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). The algorithm is independent of ecosystem type. The method is applied to 1-km resolution AVHRR satellite images to retrieve a geo-referenced data set of monthly LAI values for the conterminous USA. Satellite-based LAI estimates are compared against independent ground LAI measurements over a range of ecosystem types. Verification results suggest that the new algorithm represents a viable approach to LAI retrieval at continental scale, and can facilitate spatially explicit studies of regional pollutant deposition and trace gas exchange. - The paper presents a physics-based algorithm for retrieval of vegetation LAI and canopy-clumping factor from satellite data to assist research of pollutant deposition and trace-gas exchange. The method is employed to derive a monthly LAI dataset for the conterminous USA and verified at a continental scale

  2. Efficient retrieval of vegetation leaf area index and canopy clumping factor from satellite data to support pollutant deposition assessments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nikolov, Ned [Natural Resource Research Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building A, Room 368, Fort Collins, CO 80526 (United States)]. E-mail: nnikolov@fs.fed.us; Zeller, Karl [USDA FS Rocky Mountain Research Station, 240 W. Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO 80526 (United States)]. E-mail: kzeller@fs.fed.us

    2006-06-15

    Canopy leaf area index (LAI) is an important structural parameter of the vegetation controlling pollutant uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. This paper presents a computationally efficient algorithm for retrieval of vegetation LAI and canopy clumping factor from satellite data using observed Simple Ratios (SR) of near-infrared to red reflectance. The method employs numerical inversion of a physics-based analytical canopy radiative transfer model that simulates the bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). The algorithm is independent of ecosystem type. The method is applied to 1-km resolution AVHRR satellite images to retrieve a geo-referenced data set of monthly LAI values for the conterminous USA. Satellite-based LAI estimates are compared against independent ground LAI measurements over a range of ecosystem types. Verification results suggest that the new algorithm represents a viable approach to LAI retrieval at continental scale, and can facilitate spatially explicit studies of regional pollutant deposition and trace gas exchange. - The paper presents a physics-based algorithm for retrieval of vegetation LAI and canopy-clumping factor from satellite data to assist research of pollutant deposition and trace-gas exchange. The method is employed to derive a monthly LAI dataset for the conterminous USA and verified at a continental scale.

  3. Dynamics of an unusual cone-building trachyte eruption at Pu`u Wa`awa`a, Hualālai volcano, Hawai`i

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shea, Thomas; Leonhardi, Tanis; Giachetti, Thomas; Lindoo, Amanda; Larsen, Jessica; Sinton, John; Parsons, Elliott

    2017-04-01

    The Pu`u Wa`awa`a pyroclastic cone and Pu`u Anahulu lava flow are two prominent monogenetic eruptive features assumed to result from a single eruption during the trachyte-dominated early post-shield stage of Hualālai volcano (Hawaíi). Púu Wa`awa`a is composed of complex repetitions of crudely cross-stratified units rich in dark dense clasts, which reversely grade into coarser pumice-rich units. Pyroclasts from the cone are extremely diverse texturally, ranging from glassy obsidian to vesicular scoria or pumice, in addition to fully crystalline end-members. The >100-m thick Pu`u Anahulu flow is, in contrast, entirely holocrystalline. Using field observations coupled with whole rock analyses, this study aimed to test whether the Pu`u Wa`awa`a tephra and Pu`u Anahulu lava flows originated from the same eruption, as had been previously assumed. Crystal and vesicle textures are characterized along with the volatile contents of interstitial glasses to determine the origin of textural variability within Pu`u Wáawáa trachytes (e.g., magma mixing vs. degassing origin). We find that (1) the two eruptions likely originated from distinct vents and magma reservoirs, despite their proximity and similar age, (2) the textural diversity of pyroclasts forming Pu`u Wa`awa`a can be fully explained by variable magma degassing and outgassing within the conduit, (3) the Pu`u Wa`awa`a cone was constructed during explosions transitional in style between violent Strombolian and Vulcanian, involving the formation of a large cone and with repeated disruption of conduit plugs, but without production of large pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), and (4) the contrasting eruption styles of Hawaiian trachytes (flow-, cone-, and PDC-forming) are probably related to differences in the outgassing capacity of the magmas prior to reaching the surface and not in intrinsic compositional or temperature properties. These results further highlight that trachytes are "kinetically faster" magmas compared

  4. 76 FR 63184 - Addition of Certain Persons on the Entity List; Implementation of Entity List Annual Review...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-12

    ... Road, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong; and 2. Hang Tat Electronics Enterprises Co., Room 2608, Technology Plaza, 29-35 Sha Tsui Road, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. Removals From the Entity List This rule removes four... to part 732 of the EAR, ``BIS's `Know Your Customer' Guidance and Red Flags,'' when persons are...

  5. Smart Grid Educational Series | Energy Systems Integration Facility | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    , 2016. Download Presentation PDF Role of Software Defined Networking and WAN Virtualization in Securing (ISO), hosted a webinar on April 27, 2016, on the role of software defined networking and WAN presentation PDF IoT/PowerMatcher Transactive Energy for Smart Cities William J. Miller, President of MaCT USA

  6. Long-term results of oral valganciclovir for treatment of anterior segment inflammation secondary to cytomegalovirus infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wong VW

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Victoria WY Wong, Carmen KM Chan, Dexter YL Leung, Timothy YY LaiDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Hong Kong, People's Republic of ChinaBackground: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of oral valganciclovir in the treatment of anterior segment inflammation caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV infection.Methods: Consecutive patients with anterior segment inflammation due to CMV causing anterior uveitis or corneal endotheliitis treated with oral valganciclovir were reviewed. Diagnosis of CMV infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction of the aqueous aspirate prior to commencement of oral valganciclovir. All patients were treated with an oral loading dose of 900 mg valganciclovir twice daily for at least 2 weeks, followed by an additional 450 mg valganciclovir twice-daily maintenance therapy. Changes in visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP, use of antiglaucomatous eye drops, and recurrence were analyzed.Results: Thirteen eyes of 11 patients were followed for a mean of 17.2 months. Two patients had bilateral corneal endotheliitis. All eyes had absence of anterior segment inflammation within 3 weeks after treatment. Following treatment, the mean logMAR visual acuity improved significantly from 0.58 at baseline to 0.37 at the last follow-up (P = 0.048. The mean IOP and number of antiglaucomatous eye drops also decreased significantly (P = 0.021 and P = 0.004, respectively. Five (38.5% eyes had recurrence of anterior uveitis after valganciclovir was stopped and required retreatment with oral valganciclovir.Conclusion: Oral valganciclovir appeared to be effective in controlling CMV anterior uveitis, resulting in visual improvement and IOP reduction following control of inflammation. However, despite the initial clinical response in all cases, recurrence after cessation of oral valganciclovir could occur.Keywords: cytomegalovirus infection, inflammation

  7. Nisin Migration in Shelf Stable, Tuna-Filled Tortillas During Storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-09-22

    INGREDIENTS AND PROCESSING ..........................................................................4 2.4 TUNA WRAP STORAGE...Leung, 1986 and Taub, 2003), meat (Pavey, 1972; Powers, 1981; Yang, 1997 and Richardson, 1995), seafood (Dymsza, 1979), eggs (Richardson, 2008 and...Incorporation of Preservatives, such as nitrites and antioxidants. (4) Thermal pasteurization by baking. (5) Appropriate Packaging, such as the

  8. New Horizons in Education, 2003.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Kwok Keung, Ed.

    2003-01-01

    This journal, written in English and Chinese, includes the following papers: "Values for Creativity: A Study among Undergraduates in Hong Kong and Guangzhou" (Xia Dong Yue and Kok Leung); "The Present Situation of Family Education at the Turn of the Century: An Investigation in Three South-Eastern Provinces in China" (Feng…

  9. An Etic-Emic Analysis of Individualism and Collectivism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Triandis, Harry C.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    An analysis of the responses of 1,614 adult subjects from 10 cultures show that the Leung-Bond procedure provides ways of extracting both strong and weak etics relevant to individualism and weak etics relevant to collectivism. The most complete picture is obtained when both etics and emics are examined. (SLD)

  10. Download this PDF file

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR. AMIN

    Gadagi” tea preparations,. “sak'',”sada” and “magani”.. LD50 values of each type of the tea were determined. Results of phase. I and phase II of the study showed no mortality was recorded in any of the experimental groups of rats in 24hours ...

  11. Pärnu piirivalvekordoni hoone arhitektuurivõistlus / Hindrek Kesler

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Kesler, Hindrek

    2006-01-01

    Žürii liige eskiisprojekti võistlusest ja võistlustöödest. Tulemused: II koht - töö "Arava", autor Toomas Mägi, III koht - töö "Vilgatus", autorid Kätlin Saks, Harry Klaar, ergutuspreemia - töö "Maru", autorid Heidi Urb, Siiri Vallner, Toomas Paaver

  12. Naval Research Laboratory 1986 Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    1986-01-01

    probabil- infinitesimal impedance elements cannot be dep- ity density, icted .) If PR (r. 1 is the joint probability den- sity function for r and 1, a...Dynamics. 1-5 Sept. 1986, finse Research. Medellin , Colombia. % Rosenblum, L.J., Chairperson, IEEE Computer Saks, N.S., Coorganizer and lecturer, IEEE

  13. Macroscopic modelling of solid-state fermentation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoogschagen, M.J.

    2007-01-01

    Solid-state fermentation is different from the more well known process of liquid fermentation because no free flowing water is present. The technique is primarily used in Asia. Well-known products are the foods tempe, soy sauce and saké. In industrial solid-state fermentation, the substrate usually

  14. Intermittent theta burst over M1 may increase peak power of a Wingate anaerobic test and prevent the reduction of voluntary activation measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Louis-Solal Giboin

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Despite the potential of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS to improve performances in patients suffering from motor neuronal afflictions, its effect on motor performance enhancement in healthy subjects during a specific sport task is still unknown. We hypothesised that after an intermittent theta burst (iTBS treatment, performance during the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT, will increase and supraspinal fatigue following the exercise will be lower in comparison to a control treatment.Ten subjects participated in two randomised experiments consisting of a WAnT 5 minutes after either an iTBS or a control treatment. We determined voluntary activation (VA of the right knee extensors with TMS (VATMS and with peripheral nerve stimulation (VAPNS of the femoral nerve, before and after the WAnT. T-tests were applied to the WAnT results and a 2 way within subject ANOVA was applied to VA results. The iTBS treatment increased the peak power and the maximum pedalling cadence and suppressed the reduction of VATMS following the WAnT compared to the control treatment. No behavioural changes related to fatigue (mean power and fatigue index were observed.These results indicate for the first time that iTBS could be used as a potential intervention to improve anaerobic performance in a sport specific task.

  15. Satellite Leaf Area Index: Global Scale Analysis of the Tendencies Per Vegetation Type Over the Last 17 Years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Munier

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this study is to detect and quantify changes in the vegetation dynamics of each vegetation type at the global scale over the last 17 years. With recent advances in remote sensing techniques, it is now possible to study the Leaf Area Index (LAI seasonal and interannual variability at the global scale and in a consistent way over the last decades. However, the coarse spatial resolution of these satellite-derived products does not permit distinguishing vegetation types within mixed pixels. Considering only the dominant type per pixel has two main drawbacks: the LAI of the dominant vegetation type is contaminated by spurious signal from other vegetation types and at the global scale, significant areas of individual vegetation types are neglected. In this study, we first developed a Kalman Filtering (KF approach to disaggregate the satellite-derived LAI from GEOV1 over nine main vegetation types, including grasslands and crops as well as evergreen, broadleaf and coniferous forests. The KF approach permits the separation of distinct LAI values for individual vegetation types that coexist within a pixel. The disaggregated LAI product, called LAI-MC (Multi-Cover, consists of world-wide LAI maps provided every 10 days for each vegetation type over the 1999–2015 period. A trend analysis of the original GEOV1 LAI product and of the disaggregated LAI time series was conducted using the Mann-Kendall test. Resulting trends of the GEOV1 LAI (which accounts for all vegetation types compare well with previous regional or global studies, showing a greening over a large part of the globe. When considering each vegetation type individually, the largest global trend from LAI-MC is found for coniferous forests (0.0419 m 2 m − 2 yr − 1 followed by summer crops (0.0394 m 2 m − 2 yr − 1 , while winter crops and grasslands show the smallest global trends (0.0261 m 2 m − 2 yr − 1 and 0.0279 m 2 m − 2 yr − 1 , respectively. The LAI

  16. Preoperative radiochemotherapy and radical surgery in comparison with radical surgery alone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohr, C.; Schettler, D.; Bohndorf, W.

    1994-01-01

    A multicentric, randomized study of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and the oropharynx has been undertaken by DOeSAK. The results after radical surgery alone have been compared with the results of combined preoperative radiochemotherapy followed by radical surgery. Patients with primary (biopsy proven) SCC of the oral cavity or the oropharynx with tumor nodes metastasis (TNM) stages T2-4, N0-3, M0 were included in the study. A total of 141 patients were treated by radical surgery alone, whereas 127 patients were treated by radical surgery preceded by preoperative radiochemotherapy. The pre-operative treatment consisted of conventionally fractioned irradiation on the primary and the regional lymph nodes with a total dose of 36 Gy (5 x 2 Gy per week) and low-dose cisplatin chemotherapy with 5 x 12.5 mg cisplatin per m 2 of body surface during the first week of treatment. Radical surgery according to be DOeSAK definitions (DOeSAK, 1982) was performed after a delay of 10-14 days. During the follow-up period, 28.2% of all patients suffered from locoregional recurrence, and 27.2% of the patients died. The percentages were higher after radical surgery alone for locoregional recurrence (31% and 15.6%) and for death (28% and 18.6%). The life-table analysis showed improved survival rates of 4.5% after 1 year and 8.3% after 2 years in the group of patients treated with combined therapy. The demonstrated improvement appeared to be significant with the Gehan-Wilcoxon test as well as with the log rank test below a P value of 5%. (au) (29 refs.)

  17. Exploring the Potential of WorldView-2 Red-Edge Band-Based Vegetation Indices for Estimation of Mangrove Leaf Area Index with Machine Learning Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuanhui Zhu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available To accurately estimate leaf area index (LAI in mangrove areas, the selection of appropriate models and predictor variables is critical. However, there is a major challenge in quantifying and mapping LAI using multi-spectral sensors due to the saturation effects of traditional vegetation indices (VIs for mangrove forests. WorldView-2 (WV2 imagery has proven to be effective to estimate LAI of grasslands and forests, but the sensitivity of its vegetation indices (VIs has been uncertain for mangrove forests. Furthermore, the single model may exhibit certain randomness and instability in model calibration and estimation accuracy. Therefore, this study aims to explore the sensitivity of WV2 VIs for estimating mangrove LAI by comparing artificial neural network regression (ANNR, support vector regression (SVR and random forest regression (RFR. The results suggest that the RFR algorithm yields the best results (RMSE = 0.45, 14.55% of the average LAI, followed by ANNR (RMSE = 0.49, 16.04% of the average LAI, and then SVR (RMSE = 0.51, 16.56% of the average LAI algorithms using 5-fold cross validation (CV using all VIs. Quantification of the variable importance shows that the VIs derived from the red-edge band consistently remain the most important contributor to LAI estimation. When the red-edge band-derived VIs are removed from the models, estimation accuracies measured in relative RMSE (RMSEr decrease by 3.79%, 2.70% and 4.47% for ANNR, SVR and RFR models respectively. VIs derived from red-edge band also yield better accuracy compared with other traditional bands of WV2, such as near-infrared-1 and near-infrared-2 band. Furthermore, the estimated LAI values vary significantly across different mangrove species. The study demonstrates the utility of VIs of WV2 imagery and the selected machine-learning algorithms in developing LAI models in mangrove forests. The results indicate that the red-edge band of WV2 imagery can help alleviate the saturation

  18. Measurement and comparison of remotely derived leaf area index predictors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Ryan Russell

    Environmental change occurs in response to both natural and anthropogenic causes. As the world's human population continues to increase, anthropogenic change will also increase. These changes affect the health and vigor of forests throughout the world, including those in north central Florida. Leaf Area Index (LAI), the amount of leaf area per unit ground area, is an important biophysical variable that is directly related to rates of atmospheric gas exchange, biomass partitioning, and productivity. While global and local models that map biophysical parameters are prevalent in the literature, landscape to regional scale models are less common. Therefore, the ability to map and monitor LAI over landscape to regional scale areas is essential for understanding medium scale biophysical properties and how these properties affect biogeochemical cycling, biomass accumulation, and primary productivity. This study develops and verifies several new models to estimate LAI using in situ field measurements throughout north central Florida, Landsat Thematic Mapper remotely sensed imagery, remotely derived vegetation indices, simple and multiple regression, and artificial neural networks (ANNs). This study concludes that while multiple band regression and regression with individual vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index, Simple Ratio, and Greenness Vegetation Index) can estimate LAI, the most accurate way to estimate regional scale LAI is to train an ANN using in situ LAI data and remote sensing brightness values measured from six different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The new ANN method of estimating LAI is then applied to two forest ecology studies. The first study analyzes LAI in longleaf pine/turkey oak sandhills as a function of time since last burn. It concludes that in the absence of fire, sandhill LAI increases, and this may be useful for identifying where prescribed burns need to be done. The second study

  19. An enhanced approach for the use of satellite-derived leaf area index values in dry deposition modeling in the Athabasca oil sands region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davies, Mervyn; Cho, Sunny; Spink, David; Pauls, Ron; Desilets, Michael; Shen, Yan; Bajwa, Kanwardeep; Person, Reid

    2016-12-15

    In the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) of Northern Alberta, the dry deposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds represents a major fraction of total (wet plus dry) deposition due to oil sands emissions. The leaf area index (LAI) is a critical parameter that affects the dry deposition of these gaseous and particulate compounds to the surrounding boreal forest canopy. For this study, LAI values based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite imagery were obtained and compared to ground-based measurements, and two limitations with the satellite data were identified. The satellite LAI data firstly represents one-sided LAI values that do not account for the enhanced LAI associated with needle leaf geometry, and secondly, underestimates LAI in winter-time northern latitude regions. An approach for adjusting satellite LAI values for different boreal forest cover types, as a function of time of year, was developed to produce more representative LAI values that can be used by air quality sulphur and nitrogen deposition models. The application of the approach increases the AOSR average LAI for January from 0.19 to 1.40, which represents an increase of 637%. Based on the application of the CALMET/CALPUFF model system, this increases the predicted regional average dry deposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds for January by factors of 1.40 to 1.30, respectively. The corresponding AOSR average LAI for July increased from 2.8 to 4.0, which represents an increase of 43%. This increases the predicted regional average dry deposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds for July by factors of 1.28 to 1.22, respectively. These findings reinforce the importance of the LAI metric for predicting the dry deposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds. While satellite data can provide enhanced spatial and temporal resolution, adjustments are identified to overcome associated limitations. This work is considered to have application for other deposition model studies where

  20. Improved ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight high-definition mass spectrometry method for the rapid analysis of the chemical constituents of a typical medical formula: Liuwei Dihuang Wan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ping; Lv, Hai tao; Zhang, Ai hua; Sun, Hui; Yan, Guang li; Han, Ying; Wu, Xiu hong; Wang, Xi jun

    2013-11-01

    Liuwei Dihuang Wan (LDW), a classic Chinese medicinal formula, has been used to improve or restore declined functions related to aging and geriatric diseases, such as impaired mobility, vision, hearing, cognition, and memory. It has attracted increasing attention as one of the most popular and valuable herbal medicines. However, the systematic analysis of the chemical constituents of LDW is difficult and thus has not been well established. In this paper, a rapid, sensitive, and reliable ultra-performance LC with ESI quadrupole TOF high-definition MS method with automated MetaboLynx analysis in positive and negative ion mode was established to characterize the chemical constituents of LDW. The analysis was performed on a Waters UPLC™ HSS T3 using a gradient elution system. MS/MS fragmentation behavior was proposed for aiding the structural identification of the components. Under the optimized conditions, a total of 50 peaks were tentatively characterized by comparing the retention time and MS data. It is concluded that a rapid and robust platform based on ultra-performance LC with ESI quadrupole TOF high-definition MS has been successfully developed for globally identifying multiple constituents of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. This is the first report on the systematic analysis of the chemical constituents of LDW. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Estimates of leaf area index from spectral reflectance of wheat under different cultural practices and solar angle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asrar, G.; Kanemasu, E. T.; Yoshida, M.

    1985-01-01

    The influence of management practices and solar illumination angle on the leaf area index (LAI) was estimated from measurements of wheat canopy reflectance evaluated by two methods, a regression formula and an indirect technique. The date of planting and the time of irrigation in relation to the stage of plant growth were found to have significant effects on the development of leaves in spring wheat. A reduction in soil moisture adversely affected both the duration and magnitude of the maximum LAI for late planting dates. In general, water stress during vegetative stages resulted in a reduction in maximum LAI, while water stress during the reproductive period shortened the duration of green LAI in spring wheat. Canopy geometry and solar angle also affected the spectral properties of the canopies, and hence the estimated LAI. Increase in solar zenith angles resulted in a general increase in estimated LAI obtained from both methods.

  2. Large-scale Estimates of Leaf Area Index from Active Remote Sensing Laser Altimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkinson, C.; Mahoney, C.

    2016-12-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is a key parameter that describes the spatial distribution of foliage within forest canopies which in turn control numerous relationships between the ground, canopy, and atmosphere. The retrieval of LAI has demonstrated success by in-situ (digital) hemispherical photography (DHP) and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data; however, field and ALS acquisitions are often spatially limited (100's km2) and costly. Large-scale (>1000's km2) retrievals have been demonstrated by optical sensors, however, accuracies remain uncertain due to the sensor's inability to penetrate the canopy. The spaceborne Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) provides a possible solution in retrieving large-scale derivations whilst simultaneously penetrating the canopy. LAI retrieved by multiple DHP from 6 Australian sites, representing a cross-section of Australian ecosystems, were employed to model ALS LAI, which in turn were used to infer LAI from GLAS data at 5 other sites. An optimally filtered GLAS dataset was then employed in conjunction with a host of supplementary data to build a Random Forest (RF) model to infer predictions (and uncertainties) of LAI at a 250 m resolution across the forested regions of Australia. Predictions were validated against ALS-based LAI from 20 sites (R2=0.64, RMSE=1.1 m2m-2); MODIS-based LAI were also assessed against these sites (R2=0.30, RMSE=1.78 m2m-2) to demonstrate the strength of GLAS-based predictions. The large-scale nature of current predictions was also leveraged to demonstrate large-scale relationships of LAI with other environmental characteristics, such as: canopy height, elevation, and slope. The need for such wide-scale quantification of LAI is key in the assessment and modification of forest management strategies across Australia. Such work also assists Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, in fulfilling their government issued mandates.

  3. Thematic mapper detection of changes in the leaf area of closed canopy pine plantations in central Massachusetts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herwitz, S.R.; Peterson, D.L.; Eastman, J.R.

    1989-01-01

    Remote sensing studies of conifer forests have previously reported that the Thematic Mapper Band 4/Band 3 ratio is positively correlated with regional differences in leaf area index (LAI). Our study was an attempt to determine whether Landsat Thematic Mapper data can be used to detect differences and changes in the LAI of closed canopy pine plantations on a local scale in central Massachusetts. Field measurements of LAI were obtained using locally-derived allometric relationships between leaf area and trunk diameter (DBH). A thinning treatment, which reduced the LAI of one of the larger plantations by more than 25%, resulted in a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in the 4/3 ratio from the prethinned value. No significant change in the 4/3 ratio was found in a nearby broadleaved hardwood forest which served as a radiometric control. However, a decrease in the 4/3 ratio similar to that observed in the thinned plantation was observed in nearby unthinned pine plantations. This change in the reflectance of the unthinned stands may be attributable to a moderate natural reduction in LAI. Such a reduction in LAI would demonstrate the limitations of allometric equations for evaluating LAI under conditions in which the relationship between leaf area and DBH may be changing from year to year. It also would explain why no significant relationship (P > 0.1) was found between the 4/3 ratio and the LAI of the different unthinned plantations which had LAI values ranging from 3.96 to 7.01. We conclude that the TM sensor may be a better guide to moderate changes and differences in the LAI of closed canopy pine plantations at local scales than field measurements involving allometric equations. (author)

  4. Improving winter leaf area index estimation in evergreen coniferous forests and its significance in carbon and water fluxes modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, R.; Chen, J. M.; Luo, X.

    2016-12-01

    Modeling of carbon and water fluxes at the continental and global scales requires remotely sensed LAI as inputs. For evergreen coniferous forests (ENF), severely underestimated winter LAI has been one of the issues for mostly available remote sensing products, which could cause negative bias in the modeling of Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET). Unlike deciduous trees which shed all the leaves in winter, conifers retains part of their needles and the proportion of the retained needles depends on the needle longevity. In this work, the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS) was used to model GPP and ET at eight FLUXNET Canada ENF sites. Two sets of LAI were used as the model inputs: the 250m 10-day University of Toronto (U of T) LAI product Version 2 and the corrected LAI based on the U of T LAI product and the needle longevity of the corresponding tree species at individual sites. Validating model daily GPP (gC/m2) against site measurements, the mean RMSE over eight sites decreases from 1.85 to 1.15, and the bias changes from -0.99 to -0.19. For daily ET (mm), mean RMSE decreases from 0.63 to 0.33, and the bias changes from -0.31 to -0.16. Most of the improvements occur in the beginning and at the end of the growing season when there is large correction of LAI and meanwhile temperature is still suitable for photosynthesis and transpiration. For the dormant season, the improvement in ET simulation mostly comes from the increased interception of precipitation brought by the elevated LAI during that time. The results indicate that model performance can be improved by the application the corrected LAI. Improving the winter RS LAI can make a large impact on land surface carbon and energy budget.

  5. METHANE HYDRATE PRODUCTION FROM ALASKAN PERMAFROST

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Donn McGuire; Steve Runyon; Richard Sigal; Bill Liddell; Thomas Williams; George Moridis

    2005-02-01

    Natural-gas hydrates have been encountered beneath the permafrost and considered a nuisance by the oil and gas industry for years. Engineers working in Russia, Canada and the USA have documented numerous drilling problems, including kicks and uncontrolled gas releases, in arctic regions. Information has been generated in laboratory studies pertaining to the extent, volume, chemistry and phase behavior of gas hydrates. Scientists studying hydrate potential agree that the potential is great--on the North Slope of Alaska alone, it has been estimated at 590 TCF. However, little information has been obtained on physical samples taken from actual rock containing hydrates. This gas-hydrate project is in the final stages of a cost-shared partnership between Maurer Technology, Noble Corporation, Anadarko Petroleum, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Methane Hydrate R&D program. The purpose of the project is to build on previous and ongoing R&D in the area of onshore hydrate deposition to identify, quantify and predict production potential for hydrates located on the North Slope of Alaska. Hot Ice No. 1 was planned to test the Ugnu and West Sak sequences for gas hydrates and a concomitant free gas accumulation on Anadarko's 100% working interest acreage in section 30 of Township 9N, Range 8E of the Harrison Bay quadrangle of the North Slope of Alaska. The Ugnu and West Sak intervals are favorably positioned in the hydrate-stability zone over an area extending from Anadarko's acreage westward to the vicinity of the aforementioned gas-hydrate occurrences. This suggests that a large, north-to-south trending gas-hydrate accumulation may exist in that area. The presence of gas shows in the Ugnu and West Sak reservoirs in wells situated eastward and down dip of the Hot Ice location indicate that a free-gas accumulation may be trapped by gas hydrates. The Hot Ice No. 1 well was designed to core from the surface to the base of the West Sak interval using the

  6. Performance Evaluation of Machine Learning Methods for Leaf Area Index Retrieval from Time-Series MODIS Reflectance Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tongtong; Xiao, Zhiqiang; Liu, Zhigang

    2017-01-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is an important biophysical parameter and the retrieval of LAI from remote sensing data is the only feasible method for generating LAI products at regional and global scales. However, most LAI retrieval methods use satellite observations at a specific time to retrieve LAI. Because of the impacts of clouds and aerosols, the LAI products generated by these methods are spatially incomplete and temporally discontinuous, and thus they cannot meet the needs of practical applications. To generate high-quality LAI products, four machine learning algorithms, including back-propagation neutral network (BPNN), radial basis function networks (RBFNs), general regression neutral networks (GRNNs), and multi-output support vector regression (MSVR) are proposed to retrieve LAI from time-series Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) reflectance data in this study and performance of these machine learning algorithms is evaluated. The results demonstrated that GRNNs, RBFNs, and MSVR exhibited low sensitivity to training sample size, whereas BPNN had high sensitivity. The four algorithms performed slightly better with red, near infrared (NIR), and short wave infrared (SWIR) bands than red and NIR bands, and the results were significantly better than those obtained using single band reflectance data (red or NIR). Regardless of band composition, GRNNs performed better than the other three methods. Among the four algorithms, BPNN required the least training time, whereas MSVR needed the most for any sample size. PMID:28045443

  7. Estimation of leaf area index using ground-based remote sensed NDVI measurements: validation and comparison with two indirect techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pontailler, J.-Y.; Hymus, G.J.; Drake, B.G.

    2003-01-01

    This study took place in an evergreen scrub oak ecosystem in Florida. Vegetation reflectance was measured in situ with a laboratory-made sensor in the red (640-665 nm) and near-infrared (750-950 nm) bands to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and derive the leaf area index (LAI). LAI estimates from this technique were compared with two other nondestructive techniques, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and hemispherical photographs, in four contrasting 4 m 2 plots in February 2000 and two 4m 2 plots in June 2000. We used Beer's law to derive LAI from PAR interception and gap fraction distribution to derive LAI from photographs. The plots were harvested manually after the measurements to determine a 'true' LAI value and to calculate a light extinction coefficient (k). The technique based on Beer's law was affected by a large variation of the extinction coefficient, owing to the larger impact of branches in winter when LAI was low. Hemispherical photographs provided satisfactory estimates, slightly overestimated in winter because of the impact of branches or underestimated in summer because of foliage clumping. NDVI provided the best fit, showing only saturation in the densest plot (LAI = 3.5). We conclude that in situ measurement of NDVI is an accurate and simple technique to nondestructively assess LAI in experimental plots or in crops if saturation remains acceptable. (author)

  8. Scheduling with time-dependent execution times

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Woeginger, G.J.

    1995-01-01

    We consider systems of tasks where the task execution times are time-dependent and where all tasks have some common deadline. We describe how to compute in polynomial time a schedule that minimizes the number of late tasks. This answers a question raised in a recent paper by Ho, Leung and Wei.

  9. Axioms of spheres in lightlike geometry of submanifolds

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Introduction. The notion of axioms of planes for Riemannian manifolds was originally introduced by. Cartan [2]. In [8], Leung and Nomizu generalized the notion of axioms of planes to the axioms of spheres on Riemannian manifolds. In [7], Kumar et al. studied the axioms of spheres and planes for indefinite Riemannian ...

  10. Outer Analysis of Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    provenance in that that work uses the same underlying language of type signatures. Those articles steer clear of putting to form any particular...International Conference on; p. 2 –7. 9. Bisdikian C, Branch J, Leung K, Young R. A letter soup for the quality of information in sensor networks. In: Pervasive

  11. Benjamin Vassermanile preemiad

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    2007-01-01

    Graafik Benjamin Vasserman pälvis kolme digitaalse graafilise lehe eest žürii kiituse Ungaris Györis toimunud biennaalil "The Master of Drawing and Graphic Arts" ning II preemia nelja lehe eest Leedus Vilniuses toimunud VI rahvusvahelisel väikegraafika triennaalil. Eestist osalesid veel Reti Saks ja Kelli Valk

  12. Trachypodaceae. A critical revision

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zanten, van B.O.

    1959-01-01

    1. Trachypus. 1. T. bicolor Reinw. et Hornsch. is divided into 4 varieties: a. var. bicolor, b. var. hispidus (C. Muell.) Card., c. var. viridulus (Mitt.) Zant. comb. nov., d. var. scindifolius (Sak.) Nog. 2. T. humilis Lindb. is divided into 2 varieties: a. var. humilis, b. var. tenerrimus (Herz.)

  13. ON STRONG AND WEAK CONVERGENCE IN n-HILBERT SPACES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agus L. Soenjaya

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available We discuss the concepts of strong and weak convergence in n-Hilbert spaces and study their properties. Some examples are given to illustrate the concepts. In particular, we prove an analogue of Banach-Saks-Mazur theorem and Radon-Riesz property in the case of n-Hilbert space.

  14. The missing link between submarine volcano and promising geothermal potential in Jinshan, Northern Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, S. C.; Hutchings, L.; Chang, C. C.; Lee, C. S.

    2017-12-01

    The Tatun volcanic group (TVG) and the Keelung submarine volcano (KSV) are active volcanoes and surrounding three nuclear plant sites in north Taiwan. The famous Jinshan-Wanli hot springs locates between TVG and KSV, moreover, the geochemical anomalies of acidic boiling springs on the seacoast infer that the origin is from magmatic fluids, sea water and meteoric water mixture, strongly implying that mantle fluids ascends into the shallow crust. The evidence for a magma chamber, submarine volcano, and boiling springs have a close spatial relationship. Based on UNECE specifications to Geothermal Energy Resources (2016), the Jinshan-Wanli geothermal area could be classified as Known Geothermal Energy Source for geothermal direct use and Potential Geothermal Energy Source for conventional geothermal system. High resolution reservoir exploration and modeling in Jinshan-Wanli geothermal area is developing for drilling risk mitigation. The geothermal team of National Taiwan Ocean University and local experts are cooperating for further exploration drilling and geothermal source evaluation. Keywords: geothermal resource evaluation, Jinshan-Wanli geothermal area, submarine volcano

  15. Effects of Temporal and Interspecific Variation of Specific Leaf Area on Leaf Area Index Estimation of Temperate Broadleaved Forests in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boram Kwon

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the effects of interspecific and temporal variation of specific leaf area (SLA, cm2·g−1 on leaf area index (LAI estimation for three deciduous broadleaved forests (Gwangneung (GN, Taehwa (TH, and Gariwang (GRW in Korea with varying ages and composition of tree species. In fall of 2014, fallen leaves were periodically collected using litter traps and classified by species. LAI was estimated by obtaining SLAs using four calculation methods (A: including both interspecific and temporal variation in SLA; B: species specific mean SLA; C: period-specific mean SLA; and D: overall mean, then multiplying the SLAs by the amount of leaves. SLA varied across different species in all plots, and SLAs of upper canopy species were less than those of lower canopy species. The LAIs calculated using method A, the reference method, were GN 6.09, TH 5.42, and GRW 4.33. LAIs calculated using method B showed a difference of up to 3% from the LAI of method A, but LAIs calculated using methods C and D were overestimated. Therefore, species specific SLA must be considered for precise LAI estimation for broadleaved forests that include multiple species.

  16. Comparison of different ground techniques to map leaf area index of Norway spruce forest canopy

    OpenAIRE

    Homolova, L.; Malenovsky, Z.; Hanus, J.; Tomaskova, I.; Dvoráková, M.; Pokorny, R.

    2007-01-01

    The leaf area index (LAI) of three monocultures of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst), different in age and structure, was measured by means of two indirect optical techniques of LAI field mapping: 1/ plant canopy analyser LAI-2000, and 2/ digital hemispherical photographs (DHP). The supportive measurements with the TRAC instrument were conducted to produce mainly the element clumping index. The aim of the study was to compare the performances of LAI-2000 and DHP and to evaluate effect of...

  17. Comparison of different ground techniques to map leaf area index of Norway spruce forest canopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Homolova, L.; Malenovsky, Z.; Hanus, J.; Tomaskova, I.; Dvoráková, M.; Pokorny, R.

    2007-01-01

    The leaf area index (LAI) of three monocultures of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst), different in age and structure, was measured by means of two indirect optical techniques of LAI field mapping: 1/ plant canopy analyser LAI-2000, and 2/ digital hemispherical photographs (DHP). The supportive

  18. Efficacy of MaZiRenWan, a Chinese Herbal Medicine, in Patients With Functional Constipation in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Linda Ld; Cheng, Chung-Wah; Kun, Wai; Dai, Liang; Hu, Dong-Dong; Ning, Zi-Wan; Xiao, Hai-Tao; Lin, Cheng-Yuan; Zhao, Ling; Huang, Tao; Tian, Ke; Chan, King-Hong; Lam, Ting-Wa; Chen, Xiao-Rui; Wong, Chi-Tak; Li, Min; Lu, Ai-Ping; Wu, Justin Cy; Bian, Zhao-Xiang

    2018-04-11

    The Chinese herbal medicine, MaZiRenWan (MZRW), has been used for more than 2000 years to treat constipation, but it has not been tested in a randomized controlled trial. We performed a trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MZRW, compared with the stimulant laxative senna or placebo, for patients with functional constipation (FC). We performed a double-blind, double-dummy, trial of 291 patients with FC based on Rome III criteria, seen at 8 clinics in Hong Kong from June 2013 through August 2015. Patients were observed for 2 weeks and then assigned randomly (1:1:1) to groups given MZRW (7.5 g, twice daily), senna (15 mg daily), or placebo for 8 weeks. Patients were then followed for 8 weeks and evaluated at baseline and weeks 4, 8 (end of treatment), and 16 (end of follow up). Participants recorded information on stool form and frequency, feeling of complete evacuation, and research medication taken. Data on individual bowel symptoms, global symptom improvement, and adverse events were collected. A complete response was defined as an increase ≥1 complete spontaneous bowel movement (CSBM)/week from baseline (the primary outcome). Secondary outcomes included response during the follow-up period, colonic transit, individual and global symptom assessments, quality of life measured with 36-item short form Chinese version, and adverse events. Although there was no statistically significant difference in proportions of patients with a complete response to MZRW (68%) vs. senna (57.7%) (P=.14) at week 8, there was a statistically significant difference vs. placebo (33.0%) (P<.005). At the 16-week timepoint (after the 8-week follow-up period), 47.4% of patients had a complete response to MZRW, 20.6% had a complete response to senna, and 17.5% had a complete response to placebo (P<.005 for MZRW vs. placebo). The group that received MZRW group also had significant increases in colonic transit and reduced severity of constipation, straining, incomplete evacuation, and

  19. Source attribution of light-absorbing impurities in seasonal snow across northern China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, R.; Hegg, D. A.; Huang, J.; Fu, Q.

    2013-01-01

    Seasonal snow samples obtained at 46 sites in 6 provinces of China in January and February 2010 were analyzed for a suite of chemical species and these data are combined with previously determined concentrations of light-absorbing impurities (LAI), including all particles that absorb light in the 650-700 nm wavelength interval. The LAI, together with 14 other analytes, are used as input to a positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor model to explore the sources of the LAI in the snow. The PMF analysis for the LAI sources is augmented with backward trajectory cluster analysis and the geographic locations of major source areas for the three source types. The two analyses are consistent and indicate that three factors/sources were responsible for the measured snow light absorption: a soil dust source, an industrial pollution source, and a biomass and biofuels burning source. Soil dust was the main source of the LAI, accounting for ~ 53% of the LAI on average.

  20. Effects of oral versus long-acting antipsychotics on social functioning: A psychiatrists' survey in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gundugurti, Prasad Rao; Nagpal, Rajesh; Sheth, Ashit; Narang, Prashant; Gawande, Sonal; Singh, Vikram

    2017-12-01

    Schizophrenia is associated with functional challenges for patients; relapses in schizophrenia may lead to increased treatment costs and poor quality of life. This SUSTAIN-I study was conducted to establish psychiatrists' perspective on impact of long-acting injectables (LAIs) antipsychotics on the socio-economic and functional burden of schizophrenia. This cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted in 5 cities in India. Psychiatrists (≥5years of experience) working in clinics, psychiatric, government hospitals and rehabilitation centers were included and administered a specially designed questionnaire to elicit information on their clinical practice and prescription patterns. Perceived treatment costs for LAI versus oral antipsychotic treatments (OATs) and relapse rates were assessed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results. Total 31 physicians completed this survey. In acute phase, OAT prescription was higher whereas chronic patients were treated with either OATs or LAIs. Treatment with LAIs was the preferred treatment in 9% of chronic cases. Reduced relapse rates were observed with LAI treatment: 12% patients on LAIs relapsed as compared with 60% patients on OATs. Monthly medication cost for oral medications was lower ($8-$17) than short-acting injectables ($22-$50). For chronic cases, atypical antipsychotics cost (oral: $11.7-25, LAI: $150-167) was higher than typical antipsychotics (oral: $4-5, LAI: $5-25). Of the total expenses incurred, cost for hospital admissions was the largest component (78%). Despite enhanced treatment adherence and potential to lower risk of rehospitalizations from relapse, LAIs are not the preferred treatment choice for patients with schizophrenia in India, owing to their perceived high costs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Trickle down Mathematics: Adult Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Gain Confidence in Mathematics--Enough to Pass It Along?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashun, Mary Apea; Reinink, John

    2009-01-01

    Much research (Ma, 1999; Cohen & Leung, 2004; English, 2003) has been done on mathematics education and pre-service teachers with special emphasis on how the mathematics is taught and the psychology of the pre-service teachers. While there is concern among North American mathematicians that mathematics instruction in K-12 grades needs to be…

  2. The Impact of Unstructured Case Studies on Surface Learners: A Study of Second-Year Accounting Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wynn-Williams, Kate; Beatson, Nicola; Anderson, Cameron

    2016-01-01

    The empirical study described here uses the R-SPQ-2F questionnaire [Biggs, J., Kember, D., & Leung, D. Y. (2001). The revised two-factor study process questionnaire: R-SPQ-2F. "British Journal of Educational Psychology," 71(1), 133-149] to test deep and surface approaches to learning in a university intermediate-level accounting…

  3. The DEDS: DSTO’s Environmental-Data Server for Research Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-01

    AccuWeather.com, 2010. Available from: http:// www.accuweather.com/ [cited 15 June 2010]. 44. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, /data/gfs- avn ...hi. Available from: http://nomads.ncdc.noaa.gov/data/gfs- avn -hi/ [cited 15 June 2010]. 45. Wang, Y., L.R. Leung, J.L. McGregor, D.-K. Lee, W.-C

  4. Ähvardus : olümpiamängude teleülekanne jääb ära / Kai Kalamees

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Kalamees, Kai

    2005-01-01

    Riigikogu liige Jaak Allik peab vajalikuks leida ETV-le lisamiljoneid olümpiamängude ja jalgpalli MM-i teleülekanneteks. Riigikogu liikmed Olav Aarna ja Katrin Saks kritiseerisid valitsust, et rahvusringhäälingu arengukava suhtes pole võetud seisukohta. Kultuuriminister Raivo Palmaru arvamusi. Lisa: Ringhäälingureform tulekul

  5. Cost-effectiveness model of long-acting risperidone in schizophrenia in the US.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Natalie C; Rupnow, Marcia F T; Pashos, Chris L; Botteman, Marc F; Diamond, Ronald J

    2005-01-01

    Schizophrenia is a devastating and costly illness that affects 1% of the population in the US. Effective pharmacological therapies are available but suboptimal patient adherence to either acute or long-term therapeutic regimens reduces their effectiveness. The availability of a long-acting injection (LAI) formulation of risperidone may increase adherence and improve clinical and economic outcomes for people with schizophrenia. To assess the cost effectiveness of risperidone LAI compared with oral risperidone, oral olanzapine and haloperidol decanoate LAI over a 1-year time period in outpatients with schizophrenia who had previously suffered a relapse requiring hospitalisation. US healthcare system. Published medical literature, unpublished data from clinical trials and a consumer health database, and a clinical expert panel were used to populate a decision-analysis model comparing the four treatment alternatives. The model captured: rates of patient compliance; rates, frequency and duration of relapse; incidence of adverse events (bodyweight gain and extrapyramidal effects); and healthcare resource utilisation and associated costs. Primary outcomes were: the proportion of patients with relapse; the frequency of relapse per patient; the number of relapse days per patient; and total direct medical cost per patient per year. Costs are in year 2002 US dollars. Based on model projections, the proportions of patients experiencing a relapse requiring hospitalisation after 1 year of treatment were 66% for haloperidol decanoate LAI, 41% for oral risperidone and oral olanzapine and 26% for risperidone LAI, while the proportion of patients with a relapse not requiring hospitalisation were 60%, 37%, 37% and 24%, respectively. The mean number of days of relapse requiring hospitalisation per patient per year was 28 for haloperidol decanoate LAI, 18 for oral risperidone and oral olanzapine and 11 for risperidone LAI, while the mean number of days of relapse not requiring

  6. Validation of an efficient visual method for estimating leaf area index ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and applicability of a visual method for estimating LAI in clonal Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla plantations and to compare it with hemispherical photography, ceptometer and LAI-2000® estimates. Destructive sampling for direct determination of the actual LAI was performed in ...

  7. Estimation of leaf area index using ground-based remote sensed NDVI measurements: validation and comparison with two indirect techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pontailler, J.-Y. [Univ. Paris-Sud XI, Dept. d' Ecophysiologie Vegetale, Orsay Cedex (France); Hymus, G.J.; Drake, B.G. [Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Kennedy Space Center, Florida (United States)

    2003-06-01

    This study took place in an evergreen scrub oak ecosystem in Florida. Vegetation reflectance was measured in situ with a laboratory-made sensor in the red (640-665 nm) and near-infrared (750-950 nm) bands to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and derive the leaf area index (LAI). LAI estimates from this technique were compared with two other nondestructive techniques, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and hemispherical photographs, in four contrasting 4 m{sup 2} plots in February 2000 and two 4m{sup 2} plots in June 2000. We used Beer's law to derive LAI from PAR interception and gap fraction distribution to derive LAI from photographs. The plots were harvested manually after the measurements to determine a 'true' LAI value and to calculate a light extinction coefficient (k). The technique based on Beer's law was affected by a large variation of the extinction coefficient, owing to the larger impact of branches in winter when LAI was low. Hemispherical photographs provided satisfactory estimates, slightly overestimated in winter because of the impact of branches or underestimated in summer because of foliage clumping. NDVI provided the best fit, showing only saturation in the densest plot (LAI = 3.5). We conclude that in situ measurement of NDVI is an accurate and simple technique to nondestructively assess LAI in experimental plots or in crops if saturation remains acceptable. (author)

  8. Relationship between spectral reflectance and leaf area index in needleleaf forest: The effect of three-dimensional forest structure and clumping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, H.

    2008-01-01

    Toward the reliable estimation of leaf area index (LAI) and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), the relationship between LAI/FAPAR and bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) at the top of canopy should be accurately modeled by the radiation transfer models. These relationships vary with the forest landscape due to its horizontal heterogeneity and needles clumping within shoot. In this study, the effect of the forest heterogeneity on the relationships between BRF and LAI, and NDVI and LAI/FAPAR were examined through the three-dimensional radiative transfer simulation, and were compared with the results from one-dimensional radiative transfer simulation. In addition to the simulation, limitation of one-dimensional radiative transfer simulation was evaluated. The results showed that BRF at red and near infrared, and NDVI had large variations with different forest landscape under the same LAI conditions. However the relationship between NDVI and LAI, and NDVI and FAPAR derived from dense canopy condition were quite similar to the results from one-dimensional model. If we add the shoot clumping effect in one dimensional radiative transfer model as a universal parameter for three-dimensional effect of the forest, one dimensional radiative transfer model can work well for the BRF simulation in spatially heterogeneous landscape except higher LAI conditions

  9. Effects of foliage clumping on the estimation of global terrestrial gross primary productivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jing M.; Mo, Gang; Pisek, Jan; Liu, Jane; Deng, Feng; Ishizawa, Misa; Chan, Douglas

    2012-03-01

    Sunlit and shaded leaf separation proposed by Norman (1982) is an effective way to upscale from leaf to canopy in modeling vegetation photosynthesis. The Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS) makes use of this methodology, and has been shown to be reliable in modeling the gross primary productivity (GPP) derived from CO2flux and tree ring measurements. In this study, we use BEPS to investigate the effect of canopy architecture on the global distribution of GPP. For this purpose, we use not only leaf area index (LAI) but also the first ever global map of the foliage clumping index derived from the multiangle satellite sensor POLDER at 6 km resolution. The clumping index, which characterizes the degree of the deviation of 3-dimensional leaf spatial distributions from the random case, is used to separate sunlit and shaded LAI values for a given LAI. Our model results show that global GPP in 2003 was 132 ± 22 Pg C. Relative to this baseline case, our results also show: (1) global GPP is overestimated by 12% when accurate LAI is available but clumping is ignored, and (2) global GPP is underestimated by 9% when the effective LAI is available and clumping is ignored. The clumping effects in both cases are statistically significant (p < 0.001). The effective LAI is often derived from remote sensing by inverting the measured canopy gap fraction to LAI without considering the clumping. Global GPP would therefore be generally underestimated when remotely sensed LAI (actually effective LAI by our definition) is used. This is due to the underestimation of the shaded LAI and therefore the contribution of shaded leaves to GPP. We found that shaded leaves contribute 50%, 38%, 37%, 39%, 26%, 29% and 21% to the total GPP for broadleaf evergreen forest, broadleaf deciduous forest, evergreen conifer forest, deciduous conifer forest, shrub, C4 vegetation, and other vegetation, respectively. The global average of this ratio is 35%.

  10. Introduction of a super speed network in JNC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nosaki, Nobuhisa; Aoki, Kazuhisa; Narita, Nobuiku

    2002-01-01

    The construction of a super speed and broadband network with high cost performance is now possible through the resent remarkable development of information-communication technologies. Under such circumstances, the modification of LAN and WAN to the super speed network was required in accordance with the recent network demand in JNC. The trend of the information-communication technologies and the needs of information-communication infrastructure were reviewed as the first step. A modification of WAN to the super speed network with high cost performance was established in fiscal year 2000. This paper introduces the work procedures and the modification of the WAN in order to acquire a reduction in the running cost and the super speed network in the fiscal year. (author)

  11. Gıda Zehirlenmeleri

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Necati Akbulut

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Gıda Teknolojisinin gelişmesi ile, gıda maddesinin tüketici için daha alımlı olmasını sağlamak, kısa zamanda bozulmasını engellemek ve pazara yeni çeşitler sunmak için bazı kimyasal maddeler kullanılmaya başlanılmıştır. Bunun yanında tarımda kullanılan kimyasal maddeler artmış, ambalaj sanayi gelişmiş, bu da gıda maddelerine bulaşan maddelerin türlerini arttırmıştır. Ayrıca gıda maddelerine belirli amacı olmadan katılan maddelerde vardır. Diğer taraftan tüketiciyi aldatmak, hile yapmak, çok kar sağlamak veya kötü kaliteyi gizlemek amacı ile de kullanılan maddeler bulunmaktadır. İster teknik zorunluk, ister hile amacıyla olsun bu tür yabancı maddeler öncelikle insan sağlığını ilgilendirmektedir. Bazı maddelerin vücuda alınması sakıncasız olduğu halde, bazıları sakıncalıdır. Sakıncasız olanlarında belirli bir sınırın üzerinde uzun süre alınmaları zararlı olabilmektedir. Bu toplum sağlığı sorunu birçok ülkeyi gıda sanayiinde kullanılan kimyasal maddelerin hoşgörü sınırlarının hesaplanması noktasına götürmüştür.

  12. Interactions between Canopy Structure and Herbaceous Biomass along Environmental Gradients in Moist Forest and Dry Miombo Woodland of Tanzania.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deo D Shirima

    Full Text Available We have limited understanding of how tropical canopy foliage varies along environmental gradients, and how this may in turn affect forest processes and functions. Here, we analyse the relationships between canopy leaf area index (LAI and above ground herbaceous biomass (AGBH along environmental gradients in a moist forest and miombo woodland in Tanzania. We recorded canopy structure and herbaceous biomass in 100 permanent vegetation plots (20 m × 40 m, stratified by elevation. We quantified tree species richness, evenness, Shannon diversity and predominant height as measures of structural variability, and disturbance (tree stumps, soil nutrients and elevation as indicators of environmental variability. Moist forest and miombo woodland differed substantially with respect to nearly all variables tested. Both structural and environmental variables were found to affect LAI and AGBH, the latter being additionally dependent on LAI in moist forest but not in miombo, where other factors are limiting. Combining structural and environmental predictors yielded the most powerful models. In moist forest, they explained 76% and 25% of deviance in LAI and AGBH, respectively. In miombo woodland, they explained 82% and 45% of deviance in LAI and AGBH. In moist forest, LAI increased non-linearly with predominant height and linearly with tree richness, and decreased with soil nitrogen except under high disturbance. Miombo woodland LAI increased linearly with stem density, soil phosphorous and nitrogen, and decreased linearly with tree species evenness. AGBH in moist forest decreased with LAI at lower elevations whilst increasing slightly at higher elevations. AGBH in miombo woodland increased linearly with soil nitrogen and soil pH. Overall, moist forest plots had denser canopies and lower AGBH compared with miombo plots. Further field studies are encouraged, to disentangle the direct influence of LAI on AGBH from complex interrelationships between stand

  13. Interactions between Canopy Structure and Herbaceous Biomass along Environmental Gradients in Moist Forest and Dry Miombo Woodland of Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shirima, Deo D; Pfeifer, Marion; Platts, Philip J; Totland, Ørjan; Moe, Stein R

    2015-01-01

    We have limited understanding of how tropical canopy foliage varies along environmental gradients, and how this may in turn affect forest processes and functions. Here, we analyse the relationships between canopy leaf area index (LAI) and above ground herbaceous biomass (AGBH) along environmental gradients in a moist forest and miombo woodland in Tanzania. We recorded canopy structure and herbaceous biomass in 100 permanent vegetation plots (20 m × 40 m), stratified by elevation. We quantified tree species richness, evenness, Shannon diversity and predominant height as measures of structural variability, and disturbance (tree stumps), soil nutrients and elevation as indicators of environmental variability. Moist forest and miombo woodland differed substantially with respect to nearly all variables tested. Both structural and environmental variables were found to affect LAI and AGBH, the latter being additionally dependent on LAI in moist forest but not in miombo, where other factors are limiting. Combining structural and environmental predictors yielded the most powerful models. In moist forest, they explained 76% and 25% of deviance in LAI and AGBH, respectively. In miombo woodland, they explained 82% and 45% of deviance in LAI and AGBH. In moist forest, LAI increased non-linearly with predominant height and linearly with tree richness, and decreased with soil nitrogen except under high disturbance. Miombo woodland LAI increased linearly with stem density, soil phosphorous and nitrogen, and decreased linearly with tree species evenness. AGBH in moist forest decreased with LAI at lower elevations whilst increasing slightly at higher elevations. AGBH in miombo woodland increased linearly with soil nitrogen and soil pH. Overall, moist forest plots had denser canopies and lower AGBH compared with miombo plots. Further field studies are encouraged, to disentangle the direct influence of LAI on AGBH from complex interrelationships between stand structure, environmental

  14. Using continuous UV extinction measurements to monitor and control the aerated phase of sequencing batch reactors; Einsatz der kontinuierlichen UV-Extinktionsmessung fuer die Ueberwachung und Regelung der Belueftungsphase in SBR-Anlagen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicolet, L.; Rott, U. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Siedlungswasserbau, Wasserguete- und Abfallwirtschaft; Bardeck, S. [Optek-Danulat GmbH (Germany)

    1999-07-01

    The work describes the measurement of UV extinction - expressed as the spectral absorption coefficient SAC - at a randomly chosen wave length as a technique for monitoring organic load in effluents from sequencing batch reactors (SBR) at municipal and industrial waste water treatment plants. Further described is to what extent the continuous determination of the SAC can be used in practice for the control of the aerated phase of sequencing batch reactors. By this means, process stabilization and optimization can be achieved and operating reliability can be enhanced. (orig.) [German] Inhalt dieses Beitrages ist es, die Messung der UV-Extinktion - ausgedrueckt durch den spektralen Absorptionskoeffizient (SAK) - bei einer frei gewaehlten Wellenlaenge als Verfahren fuer die Ueberwachung der organischen Belastung in den Ablaeufen von SBR-Anlagen (Sequencing-Batch-Reactor) in der kommunalen und industriellen Abwasserreinigung vorzustellen. Weiterhin soll dargestellt werden, in wieweit die kontinuierliche Bestimmung des SAK in der Praxis fuer die Regelung der beluefteten Phase von SBR-Anlagen eingesetzt werden kann. Hiermit kann eine Prozessstabilisierung und -optimierung der Anlagen erreicht sowie die Betriebssicherheit erhoeht werden. (orig.)

  15. Impact of Hurricane Iniki on native Hawaiian Acacia koa forests: damage and two-year recovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robin A. Harrington; James H. Fownes; Paul G. Scowcroft; Cheryl S. Vann

    1997-01-01

    Damage to Hawaiian Acacia koa forest by Hurricane Iniki was assessed by comparison with our previous measures of stand structure and leaf area index (LAI) at sites along a precipitation/elevation gradient on western Kauai. Reductions in LAI ranged from 29 to 80% and were correlated with pre-hurricane LAI and canopy height. The canopy damage...

  16. Effective leaf area index retrieving from terrestrial point cloud data: coupling computational geometry application and Gaussian mixture model clustering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, S.; Tamura, M.; Susaki, J.

    2014-09-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the most important structural parameters of forestry studies which manifests the ability of the green vegetation interacted with the solar illumination. Classic understanding about LAI is to consider the green canopy as integration of horizontal leaf layers. Since multi-angle remote sensing technique developed, LAI obliged to be deliberated according to the observation geometry. Effective LAI could formulate the leaf-light interaction virtually and precisely. To retrieve the LAI/effective LAI from remotely sensed data therefore becomes a challenge during the past decades. Laser scanning technique can provide accurate surface echoed coordinates with densely scanned intervals. To utilize the density based statistical algorithm for analyzing the voluminous amount of the 3-D points data is one of the subjects of the laser scanning applications. Computational geometry also provides some mature applications for point cloud data (PCD) processing and analysing. In this paper, authors investigated the feasibility of a new application for retrieving the effective LAI of an isolated broad leaf tree. Simplified curvature was calculated for each point in order to remove those non-photosynthetic tissues. Then PCD were discretized into voxel, and clustered by using Gaussian mixture model. Subsequently the area of each cluster was calculated by employing the computational geometry applications. In order to validate our application, we chose an indoor plant to estimate the leaf area, the correlation coefficient between calculation and measurement was 98.28 %. We finally calculated the effective LAI of the tree with 6 × 6 assumed observation directions.

  17. Performance Evaluation of LoRa Considering Scenario Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Iborra, Ramon; Sanchez-Gomez, Jesus; Ballesta-Viñas, Juan; Cano, Maria-Dolores; Skarmeta, Antonio F

    2018-03-03

    New verticals within the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm such as smart cities, smart farming, or goods monitoring, among many others, are demanding strong requirements to the Radio Access Network (RAN) in terms of coverage, end-node's power consumption, and scalability. The technologies employed so far to provide IoT scenarios with connectivity, e.g., wireless sensor network and cellular technologies, are not able to simultaneously cope with these three requirements. Thus, a novel solution known as Low Power - Wide Area Network (LP-WAN) has emerged as a promising alternative to provide with low-cost and low-power-consumption connectivity to end-nodes spread in a wide area. Concretely, the Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) technology is one of the LP-WAN platforms that is receiving greater attention from both the industry and the academia. For that reason, in this work, a comprehensive performance evaluation of LoRaWAN under different environmental conditions is presented. The results are obtained from three real scenarios, namely, urban, suburban, and rural, considering both dynamic and static conditions, hence a discussion about the most proper LoRaWAN physical-layer configuration for each scenario is provided. Besides, a theoretical coverage study is also conducted by the use of a radio planning tool considering topographic maps and a precise propagation model. From the attained results, it can be concluded that it is necessary to evaluate the propagation conditions of the deployment scenario prior to the system implantation in order to reach a compromise between the robustness of the network and the transmission data-rate.

  18. Logic Learning in Hopfield Networks

    OpenAIRE

    Sathasivam, Saratha; Abdullah, Wan Ahmad Tajuddin Wan

    2008-01-01

    Synaptic weights for neurons in logic programming can be calculated either by using Hebbian learning or by Wan Abdullah's method. In other words, Hebbian learning for governing events corresponding to some respective program clauses is equivalent with learning using Wan Abdullah's method for the same respective program clauses. In this paper we will evaluate experimentally the equivalence between these two types of learning through computer simulations.

  19. High-Speed Optical Wide-Area Data-Communication Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monacos, Steve P.

    1994-01-01

    Proposed fiber-optic wide-area network (WAN) for digital communication balances input and output flows of data with its internal capacity by routing traffic via dynamically interconnected routing planes. Data transmitted optically through network by wavelength-division multiplexing in synchronous or asynchronous packets. WAN implemented with currently available technology. Network is multiple-ring cyclic shuffle exchange network ensuring traffic reaches its destination with minimum number of hops.

  20. Eesti graafika edu Hispaanias / Benjamin Vasserman

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Vasserman, Benjamin

    1999-01-01

    Hispaanias Orenses dets. 1998/jaan. 1999 peetud V rahvusvahelisel graafikabiennaalil "Julio Prieto Nespereira auhind" pälvisid žürii kiituse eesti graafikud R. Saks, V. Tolli, B. Vasserman. I preemia ئ T. Uchida. Näitusel osales S. Liiva. 1998. a. sügisel Jaapanis toimunud II Tokio rahvusvahelisest väikegraafika triennaalist võttis osa N. Neidre.

  1. Toiduvilja koht pole kütusepaagis / Katrin Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Katrin, 1956-

    2008-01-01

    Ilmunud ka: Nädaline 22. mai, lk. 4, Pärnu Postimees 22. mai, lk. 15, Võrumaa Teataja 22. mai, lk. 2, Vooremaa 22. mai, lk. 2, Valgamaalane 22. mai lk. 2, Hiiu Leht 23. mai, lk. 2, Kuulutaja 23. mai lk. 4, Koit 24. mai lk. 6, Järva Teataja, Harju Elu 27. mai lk. 2, Vali Uudised 28. mai lk. 2, Meie Maa 29. mai lk. 2, Lääne Elu 5. juuni lk. 2, Virumaa Teataja 6. juuni, lk. 11, Sakala 6. juuni lk. 2, Molodjozh Estonii 9. juuni lk. 7. Euroopa Parlamendi liige annab ülevaate EL biokütusepoliitikast

  2. Monitoring crop leaf area index time variation from higher resolution remotely sensed data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiao, Sihong

    2014-01-01

    The leaf area index (LAI) is significant for research on global climate change and ecological environment. China HJ-1 satellite has a revisit cycle of four days, providing CCD data (HJ-1 CCD) with a resolution of 30 m. However, the HJ-1 CCD is incapable of obtaining observations at multiple angles. This is problematic because single angle observations provide insufficient data for determining the LAI. This article proposes a new method for determining LAI using HJ-1 CCD data. The proposed method uses background knowledge of dynamic land surface processes that are extracted from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LAI 1-km resolution data. To process the uncertainties that arise from using two data sources with different spatial resolutions, the proposed method is implemented in a dynamitic Bayesian network scheme by integrating a LAI dynamic process model and a canopy reflectance model with remotely sensed data. Validation results showed that the determination coefficient between estimated and measured LAI was 0.791, and the RMSE was 0.61. This method can enhance the accuracy of the retrieval results while retaining the time series variation characteristics of the vegetation LAI. The results suggest that this algorithm can be widely applied to determining high-resolution leaf area indices using data from China HJ-1 satellite even if information from single angle observations are insufficient for quantitative application

  3. ESTUDIO DE ATAQUES DE ESCANEO DE PUERTOS BASADO EN CAPTURAS DE TRÁFICO DE ENLACES WAN (WIDE ÁREA NETWORK EN LA RED DE DATOS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES, MÉRIDA, VENEZUELA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Uzcategui

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Con el continuo crecimiento de Internet y todas sus aplicaciones, desde comercio electrónico, redes sociales, hasta el Internet de las cosas (IoT = Internet of Thinks, los ataques a las redes se han vuelto más comunes y sofisticados. Por tanto, se hace necesario nuevas medidas de protección, las cuales deben ser más elaboradas y perfeccionadas para que puedan garantizar que las redes de datos operen de manera segura y así poder brindar continuidad a todos los servicios prestados; estas medidas incluyen métodos de detección y repuesta en tiempo real a los intentos de intrusión. En este artículo, se propone un estudio de ataques de escaneo de puertos y/o DoS (Denial of Service encontrados en análisis realizados a los enlaces WAN (Wide Area Network que interconectan la Universidad de los Andes (ULA, Mérida, Venezuela, con Internet, a través de la Red de Datos de la ULA, RedULA. Asimismo, se hacen comparaciones con estadísticas internacionales, así como el análisis del origen de dichos ataques y su respectiva identificación. Los resultados muestran que si bien RedULA no es víctima de paquetes mal formados, si lo es de tráfico excesivo, lo cual se presume sea producto de un malware.

  4. Generating Vegetation Leaf Area Index Earth System Data Record from Multiple Sensors. Part 2; Implementation, Analysis and Validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganguly, Sangram; Samanta, Arindam; Schull, Mitchell A.; Shabanov, Nikolay V.; Milesi, Cristina; Nemani, Ramajrushna R,; Knyazikhin, Yuri; Myneni, Ranga B.

    2008-01-01

    The evaluation of a new global monthly leaf area index (LAI) data set for the period July 1981 to December 2006 derived from AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data is described. The physically based algorithm is detailed in the first of the two part series. Here, the implementation, production and evaluation of the data set are described. The data set is evaluated both by direct comparisons to ground data and indirectly through inter-comparisons with similar data sets. This indirect validation showed satisfactory agreement with existing LAI products, importantly MODIS, at a range of spatial scales, and significant correlations with key climate variables in areas where temperature and precipitation limit plant growth. The data set successfully reproduced well-documented spatio-temporal trends and inter-annual variations in vegetation activity in the northern latitudes and semi-arid tropics. Comparison with plot scale field measurements over homogeneous vegetation patches indicated a 7% underestimation when all major vegetation types are taken into account. The error in mean values obtained from distributions of AVHRR LAI and high-resolution field LAI maps for different biomes is within 0.5 LAI for six out of the ten selected sites. These validation exercises though limited by the amount of field data, and thus less than comprehensive, indicated satisfactory agreement between the LAI product and field measurements. Overall, the intercomparison with short-term LAI data sets, evaluation of long term trends with known variations in climate variables, and validation with field measurements together build confidence in the utility of this new 26 year LAI record for long term vegetation monitoring and modeling studies.

  5. Variability or conservation of hepatitis C virus hypervariable region 1 ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    in an agammaglobulinemic patient; Gastroenterology 10. 1072–1075. Lesniewsky R R, Boardway K M, Casey J M, Desai S M,. Devare S G and Leung T K 1993 Hypervariable region 5′- terminus of hepatitis C virus E2/NS1 encodes antigenically distinct variants; J. Med. Virol. 40 150–156. Li C, Candotti D and Allain J-P ...

  6. Making the Surface Fleet Green: The DOTMLPF, Policy, and Cost Implications of Using Biofuel in Surface Ships

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-01

    Navy’s Ships Renewable Fuels Evaluation, 2011) ..25 Table 4. Diesel Injector Component Testing (From U.S. Navy Biofuel Test and Qualification Update...components, including shipboard quality assurance instruments, fuel injector nozzles , fuel nozzle atomization, fuel nozzle fouling, carbon deposition...Leung, Turgeon, & Williams, 2011, p. 7). Table 4 lists the results from component testing conducted on various diesel engine fuel injectors using

  7. Domain III function of Mu transposase analysed by directed ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    factor, the MuB protein (Harshey and Cuneo 1986; Leung and Harshey 1991; Wu and ... the opposite R end, while the DDE+ subunit at R1 carries out similar chemistry at .... complex formed in figure 3B, lane 4 (absence of product band in lane L). ... grey subunit = R146V variant; apple-sized 'bite' = domain IIIα–. Arrowhead ...

  8. Hemispherical photography to estimate biophysical variables of cotton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ziany N. Brandão

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The Leaf Area Index (LAI is a key parameter to evaluate the vegetation spectral response, estimating plant nutrition and water requirements. However, in large fields is difficult to obtain accurate data to LAI determination. Therefore, the objective of this study was the estimation of LAI, biomass and yield of irrigated cotton through digital hemispherical photography. The treatments consisted of four nitrogen doses (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg ha-1 and four phosphorus doses (0, 120, 240 and 360 kg ha-1. Digital hemispherical photographs were collected under similar sky brightness conditions at 60 and 75 days after emergence (DAE, performed by the Digital Plant Canopy Imager - CI-110® of CID Inc. Biomass and LAI measurements were made on the same dates. LAI was also determined by destructive and non-destructive methods through a leaf area integrator (LI-COR® -LI-3100C model, and by measurements based on the midrib length of all leaves, respectively. The results indicate that the hemispherical images were appropriate to estimate the LAI and biomass production of irrigated cotton, while for the estimation of yield, more research is needed to improve the method.

  9. Use of middle infrared radiation to estimate the leaf area index of a boreal forest

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boyd, D.S. [Kingston Univ., Surrey (United Kingdom). Centre for Earth and Environmental Science Research, School of Geography; Wicks, T. E.; Curran, P.J. [Southampton Univ., Southampton, Hampshire (United Kingdom). Dept. of Geography

    2000-06-01

    Reflected radiation recorded by satellite sensors is a common procedure to estimate the leaf area index (LAI) of boreal forest. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), derived from measurements of visible and near infrared radiation were commonly used to estimate LAI. But research in tropical forest has shown that LAI is more closely related to radiation of middle infrared wavelengths than that of visible wavelengths. This research calculated a vegetation index (VI3) using radiation from vegetation recorded at near and middle infrared wavelengths. In the case of boreal forest, VI3 and LAI displayed a closer relationship than NDVI and LAI. Also, the use of VI3 explained approximately 76 per cent of the variation in field estimates of LAI, versus approximately 46 per cent for NDVI. The authors concluded that consideration should be given to information provided by middle infrared radiation to estimate the leaf area index of boreal forest. The research area was located in the Southern Study Area (SSA) of the BOReal Ecosystem-Atmospher Study (BOREAS), situated on the southern edge of the Canadian boreal forest, 40 km north of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. 1 tab., 4 figs., 46 refs.

  10. Commercial Digital Camera to Estimate Postharvest Leaf Area Index in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon on a Vertical Trellis Uso de una Cámara Digital Comercial para Estimar el Índice de Área Foliar en Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon en Poscosecha Conducida en Espaldera Vertical

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel Espinosa L.

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The leaf area index (LAI of a vineyard (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon located in the commune of Cauquenes, Maule Region in Chile, was estimated from digital images obtained with a commercial camera using two indirect methods: Leaf Area Gap and Brightness (LAGB and -Photogrammetric Leaf Area Quantification System (PLAQS. The latter requires deleafing of the grapevine. In a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI map, three points of vine vigor were selected: high, medium, and low for which horizontal and vertical images were obtained. Images were filtered with the Arc View GIS 3.1 program to provide only leaf images and corresponding pixel numbers. Image area and square meters per linear meter were calculated. The best models were selected from  three linear regression adjustments: i LAI of LAGB vertical images of with LAI of PLAQS, ii LAI of PLAQS horizontal images with and, iii LAI of both types of images with PLAQS. The parameters in all models were significant. Adjustment between the LAGB and PLAQS vertical images provides greater simplicity and easy calculation since it requires only a vertical image to estimate LAI. Images thus obtained can accurately estimate LAI in this type of cultivar.En un viñedo (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon ubicado en la comuna de Cauquenes, Región del Maule, se estimó el índice de área foliar (LAI mediante imagen digital obtenida de una cámara fotográfica comercial, a partir de dos métodos indirectos: Espacio y Brillo Área Foliar (LAGB y Sistema Cuantificador de Área Foliar por Fotogrametría (PLAQS. Este último, requiere el deshoje de la parra. En un mapa de índice vegetativo diferencial normalizado (NDVI, se seleccionaron tres puntos de vigor de las vides: alto, medio y bajo, en cada uno de los cuales se obtuvo una imagen horizontal y vertical. Las imágenes se filtraron con el programa Arc View GIS 3.1, dejando sólo las hojas y el número de píxeles correspondientes. Se

  11. Linnateater sai ruumi juurde / Ester Shank

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Šank, Ester, 1956-

    1999-01-01

    27. III lisanduvad Lai 23 asuvale Tallinna Linnateatri väikesele saalile naabermajad Lai 21 ja Lai 19 / Aida 2, millega on realiseeritud esimene osa uue teatrimaja ehitusprojektist. Projekti autor Kalle Rõõmus. Sisekujundajad Argo ja Katrin Vaikla. Teatritehnoloogia: Mikko Hausmann Soomest. Peatöövõtja Estconde-E. Kogu projektist, vastvalminud osast, ehitusloost. Kommenteerivad K. Rõõmus, teatri direktor Raivo Põldmaa, projektijuht Liivo Kruusel. 8 ill

  12. Performance Evaluation of LoRa Considering Scenario Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramon Sanchez-Iborra

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available New verticals within the Internet of Things (IoT paradigm such as smart cities, smart farming, or goods monitoring, among many others, are demanding strong requirements to the Radio Access Network (RAN in terms of coverage, end-node’s power consumption, and scalability. The technologies employed so far to provide IoT scenarios with connectivity, e.g., wireless sensor network and cellular technologies, are not able to simultaneously cope with these three requirements. Thus, a novel solution known as Low Power - Wide Area Network (LP-WAN has emerged as a promising alternative to provide with low-cost and low-power-consumption connectivity to end-nodes spread in a wide area. Concretely, the Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN technology is one of the LP-WAN platforms that is receiving greater attention from both the industry and the academia. For that reason, in this work, a comprehensive performance evaluation of LoRaWAN under different environmental conditions is presented. The results are obtained from three real scenarios, namely, urban, suburban, and rural, considering both dynamic and static conditions, hence a discussion about the most proper LoRaWAN physical-layer configuration for each scenario is provided. Besides, a theoretical coverage study is also conducted by the use of a radio planning tool considering topographic maps and a precise propagation model. From the attained results, it can be concluded that it is necessary to evaluate the propagation conditions of the deployment scenario prior to the system implantation in order to reach a compromise between the robustness of the network and the transmission data-rate.

  13. Vertical Jumping Tests versus Wingate Anaerobic Test in Female Volleyball Players: The Role of Age

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolaidis, Pantelis Theodoros; Afonso, Jose; Clemente-Suarez, Vicente Javier; Alvarado, Jose Rafael Padilla; Driss, Tarak; Knechtle, Beat; Torres-Luque, Gema

    2016-01-01

    Single and continuous vertical jumping tests, as well as the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT), are commonly used to assess the short-term muscle power of female volleyball players; however, the relationship among these tests has not been studied adequately. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship of single and continuous vertical jumps with the WAnT in female volleyball players. Seventy adolescent (age 16.0 ± 1.0 years, body mass 62.5 ± 7.1 kg, height 170.4 ± 6.1 cm, body fat 24.2% ± 4.3%) and 108 adult female volleyball players (age 24.8 ± 5.2 years, body mass 66.5 ± 8.7 kg, height 173.2 ± 7.4 cm, body fat 22.0% ± 5.1%) performed the squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), Abalakov jump (AJ), 30 s Bosco test and WAnT (peak power, Ppeak; mean power, Pmean). Mean power in the Bosco test was correlated (low to large magnitude) with Pmean of the WAnT (r = 0.27, p = 0.030 in adolescents versus r = 0.56, p volleyball players. These findings should be taken into account by volleyball coaches and fitness trainers during the assessment of short-term muscle power of their athletes.

  14. Cloning, high-level expression, purification and characterization of a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Yomi

    2012-03-15

    Mar 15, 2012 ... sequences from S. aureus strains deposited in GenBank (AF332619, ... Metal ions and detergents also showed an inhibitory effect on rSak, especially Zn2+ and Cu2+ which .... at 6000 rpm for 10 min at 4°C. Wet cells was used immediately for .... 42% of the total proteins (Figure 2A, lanes 3 to 5) using.

  15. The Effects of Admixed Dark Matter on Accretion Induced Collapse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Shing-Chi; Chu, Ming-Chung; Lin, Lap-Ming; Nomoto, Ken'ichi

    About 90% mass of matter in the universe is dark matter (DM) and most of its properties remain poorly constrained since it does not interact with electromagnetic and strong forces. To constrain the properties of DM, studying its effects on stellar objects is one of the methods. In [Leung et al., Phys. Rev. D 87, 123506 (2013); Leung et al., Astrophys. J. 812, 110 (2015)] we have shown that the dark matter admixture can significantly lower the Chandrasekhar mass of a white dwarf and also its corresponding explosion as a Type Ia supernova (SNe Ia). This type of objects may explain some observed sub-luminous SNe Ia. Depending on their stellar evolution path and interactions with companion stars, such objects can also undergo a direct collapse to form neutron stars (NSs) instead of explosion. Here we present results of one-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations of a NS with admixed DM. The DM is assumed to be asymmetric and in the form of an ideal degenerate Fermi gas. We study how the admixture of DM affects the collapse dynamics, its neutrino signals and the properties of the proto-NS. Possible observational signals are also discussed.

  16. [French Society for Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology task force: Formal Consensus for the prescription of depot antipsychotics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samalin, L; Abbar, M; Courtet, P; Guillaume, S; Lancrenon, S; Llorca, P-M

    2013-12-01

    Compliance is often partial with oral antipsychotics and underestimated for patients with serious mental illness. Despite their demonstrated advantages in terms of relapse prevention, depot formulations are still poorly used in routine. As part of a process to improve the quality of care, French Association for Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology (AFPBN) Task Force elaborated a Formal Consensus for the prescription of depot antipsychotics in clinical practice. The Task Force recommends as first-line choice, the use of long-acting injectable (LAI) second-generation antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and delusional disorder. They can be considered as a second-line option as a monotherapy to prevent manic recurrence or in combination with mood stabilizer to prevent depressive recurrence in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. LAI second-generation antipsychotics can also be used after a first episode of schizophrenia. Depot neuroleptics are not recommended during the early course of schizophrenia and are not appropriate in bipolar disorder. They are considered as a second-line option for maintenance treatment in schizophrenia. LAI formulations should be systematically proposed to any patients for whom maintenance antipsychotic treatment is indicated. LAI antipsychotics can be used preferentially for non-compliant patients with frequent relapses or aggressive behaviors. A specific information concerning the advantages and inconveniences of the LAI formulations, in the framework of shared-decision making must be delivered to each patient. Recommendations for switching from one oral/LAI form to another LAI and for using LAI antipsychotics in specific populations (pregnant women, elderly patients, subjects in a precarious situation, and subjects having to be treated in a prison establishment) are also proposed. Copyright © 2013 L’Encéphale. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.

  17. Optimizing Sampling Efficiency for Biomass Estimation Across NEON Domains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abercrombie, H. H.; Meier, C. L.; Spencer, J. J.

    2013-12-01

    Over the course of 30 years, the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will measure plant biomass and productivity across the U.S. to enable an understanding of terrestrial carbon cycle responses to ecosystem change drivers. Over the next several years, prior to operational sampling at a site, NEON will complete construction and characterization phases during which a limited amount of sampling will be done at each site to inform sampling designs, and guide standardization of data collection across all sites. Sampling biomass in 60+ sites distributed among 20 different eco-climatic domains poses major logistical and budgetary challenges. Traditional biomass sampling methods such as clip harvesting and direct measurements of Leaf Area Index (LAI) involve collecting and processing plant samples, and are time and labor intensive. Possible alternatives include using indirect sampling methods for estimating LAI such as digital hemispherical photography (DHP) or using a LI-COR 2200 Plant Canopy Analyzer. These LAI estimations can then be used as a proxy for biomass. The biomass estimates calculated can then inform the clip harvest sampling design during NEON operations, optimizing both sample size and number so that standardized uncertainty limits can be achieved with a minimum amount of sampling effort. In 2011, LAI and clip harvest data were collected from co-located sampling points at the Central Plains Experimental Range located in northern Colorado, a short grass steppe ecosystem that is the NEON Domain 10 core site. LAI was measured with a LI-COR 2200 Plant Canopy Analyzer. The layout of the sampling design included four, 300 meter transects, with clip harvests plots spaced every 50m, and LAI sub-transects spaced every 10m. LAI was measured at four points along 6m sub-transects running perpendicular to the 300m transect. Clip harvest plots were co-located 4m from corresponding LAI transects, and had dimensions of 0.1m by 2m. We conducted regression analyses

  18. Optical packet networks - conclusions from the IST DAVID project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dittmann, Lars

    2004-01-01

    This work outlines the result from the European research project DAVID working with optical packet switch solutions for both WAN and MAN. The project started July 2000 and has been completed successfully by the end of 2003.......This work outlines the result from the European research project DAVID working with optical packet switch solutions for both WAN and MAN. The project started July 2000 and has been completed successfully by the end of 2003....

  19. Simulation Models of Leaf Area Index and Yield for Cotton Grown with Different Soil Conditioners.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lijun Su

    Full Text Available Simulation models of leaf area index (LAI and yield for cotton can provide a theoretical foundation for predicting future variations in yield. This paper analyses the increase in LAI and the relationships between LAI, dry matter, and yield for cotton under three soil conditioners near Korla, Xinjiang, China. Dynamic changes in cotton LAI were evaluated using modified logistic, Gaussian, modified Gaussian, log normal, and cubic polynomial models. Universal models for simulating the relative leaf area index (RLAI were established in which the application rate of soil conditioner was used to estimate the maximum LAI (LAIm. In addition, the relationships between LAIm and dry matter mass, yield, and the harvest index were investigated, and a simulation model for yield is proposed. A feasibility analysis of the models indicated that the cubic polynomial and Gaussian models were less accurate than the other three models for simulating increases in RLAI. Despite significant differences in LAIs under the type and amount of soil conditioner applied, LAIm could be described by aboveground dry matter using Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Moreover, the simulation model for cotton yield based on LAIm and the harvest index presented in this work provided important theoretical insights for improving water use efficiency in cotton cultivation and for identifying optimal application rates of soil conditioners.

  20. Initiating/maintaining long-acting injectable antipsychotics in schizophrenia/schizoaffective or bipolar disorder – expert consensus survey part 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sajatovic M

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Martha Sajatovic,1,2 Ruth Ross,3 Susan N Legacy,4 Matthew Byerly,5 John M Kane,6,7 Faith DiBiasi,8 Heather Fitzgerald,9 Christoph U Correll6,7 1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; 2Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; 3Ross Editorial, Port Townsend, WA, USA; 4US Medical Affairs Neuroscience, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA; 5Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA; 6Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; 7Psychiatry, The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; 8Scientific Communications, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., Rockville, MD, USA; 9Medical Affairs, Lundbeck LLC, Deerfield, IL, USA Objective: The aim of this study was to provide recommendations on initiating and maintaining long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs in individuals with schizophrenia/schizoaffective or bipolar disorder. Methods: A 50-question survey comprising 916 response options was completed by 34 expert researchers and high prescribers with extensive LAI experience, rating relative appropriateness/importance on a 9-point scale. Consensus was determined using chi-square test of score distributions. Results of 21 questions comprising 339 response options regarding LAI initiation, maintenance treatment, adequate trial definition, identifying treatment nonresponse, and switching are reported. Results: Experts agreed that the most important LAI selection factor was patient response/tolerability to previous antipsychotics. An adequate therapeutic LAI trial was defined as the time to steady state ± 1–2 injection cycles. Experts suggested that oral efficacy and tolerability should be established before switching to an

  1. Parameter optimisation for a better representation of drought by LSMs: inverse modelling vs. sequential data assimilation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewaele, Hélène; Munier, Simon; Albergel, Clément; Planque, Carole; Laanaia, Nabil; Carrer, Dominique; Calvet, Jean-Christophe

    2017-09-01

    Soil maximum available water content (MaxAWC) is a key parameter in land surface models (LSMs). However, being difficult to measure, this parameter is usually uncertain. This study assesses the feasibility of using a 15-year (1999-2013) time series of satellite-derived low-resolution observations of leaf area index (LAI) to estimate MaxAWC for rainfed croplands over France. LAI interannual variability is simulated using the CO2-responsive version of the Interactions between Soil, Biosphere and Atmosphere (ISBA) LSM for various values of MaxAWC. Optimal value is then selected by using (1) a simple inverse modelling technique, comparing simulated and observed LAI and (2) a more complex method consisting in integrating observed LAI in ISBA through a land data assimilation system (LDAS) and minimising LAI analysis increments. The evaluation of the MaxAWC estimates from both methods is done using simulated annual maximum above-ground biomass (Bag) and straw cereal grain yield (GY) values from the Agreste French agricultural statistics portal, for 45 administrative units presenting a high proportion of straw cereals. Significant correlations (p value Bag and GY are found for up to 36 and 53 % of the administrative units for the inverse modelling and LDAS tuning methods, respectively. It is found that the LDAS tuning experiment gives more realistic values of MaxAWC and maximum Bag than the inverse modelling experiment. Using undisaggregated LAI observations leads to an underestimation of MaxAWC and maximum Bag in both experiments. Median annual maximum values of disaggregated LAI observations are found to correlate very well with MaxAWC.

  2. Scientific Creativity and High Ability: Gender and academic level differences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Javier ESPARZA MOLINA

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available  The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of gender and educational level on scientific creativity among gifted/talented students. A cohort of creatividad científica y alta habilidad: diferencias de género y nivel educativo 78 secondary school students from 12 to 16 years old participated in this research. The scientific creativity was measured using the Creative Scientific Ability Test (Sak & Ayas, 2011 designed for secondary school students from 11 to 14 years old. Its theoretical framework sets up the measurement of a three dimensional structure: general creative abilities (fluency, flexibility and creativity, scientific creative abilities (hypothesis generation, hypothesis testing and evidence evaluation and scientific knowledge. This test has the right adequate psychometric properties with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.848 (Sak & Ayas, 2013. Results indicated that male students scored significantly higher in a task named Interaction Graph which measures hypothesis generation in interdisciplinary science. The analysis also showed that students involved in upper education levels scores significantly higher in general fluency and in the task called The Food Chain which measures evidence evaluation in the area of ecology.

  3. Purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbing, Karin; McCartney, Rhonda R; Schmidt, Martin C

    2006-02-01

    Members of the Snf1/AMPK family of protein kinases are activated by distinct upstream kinases that phosphorylate a conserved threonine residue in the Snf1/AMPK activation loop. Recently, the identities of the Snf1- and AMPK-activating kinases have been determined. Here we describe the purification and characterization of the three Snf1-activating kinases of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The identities of proteins associated with the Snf1-activating kinases were determined by peptide mass fingerprinting. These kinases, Sak1, Tos3 and Elm2 do not appear to require the presence of additional subunits for activity. Sak1 and Snf1 co-purify and co-elute in size exclusion chromatography, demonstrating that these two proteins form a stable complex. The Snf1-activating kinases phosphorylate the activation loop threonine of Snf1 in vitro with great specificity and are able to do so in the absence of beta and gamma subunits of the Snf1 heterotrimer. Finally, we showed that the Snf1 kinase domain isolated from bacteria as a GST fusion protein can be activated in vitro and shows substrate specificity in the absence of its beta and gamma subunits.

  4. A representative prescription for emotional disease, Ding-Zhi-Xiao-Wan restores 5-HT system deficit through interfering the synthesis and transshipment in chronic mild stress-induced depressive rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Xian-Zhe; Li, Zhao-Liang; Zheng, Xiao-Li; Mu, Li-Hua; Zhang, Gang-qiang; Liu, Ping

    2013-12-12

    Ding-Zhi-Xiao-Wan (DZ, also known as Kai-Xin-San) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of emotional disease. Previously, we have found that in a variety of animal models of depression (such as tail suspension model, model of chronic fatigue and forced swimming model) DZ demonstrated significant antidepressant behavior and promoted the production of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). However, the mechanisms of 5-HT regulation are still unclear. Therefore, the current study is designed to further investigate the antidepressant effect of DZ by observing its influence on 5-HT synthesis, metabolism, transport and other key links, so as to clarify the molecular mechanism of its 5-HT regulation. Solitary rising combined with the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CMS) was used to establish the rat model of depression. The rats were given DZ for 3 weeks, the behavior change and the following items in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were detected simultaneously: 5-HT, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), monoamine oxidase (MAO) and 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) were observed. Our results showed that treatment with the DZ significantly improved the behavior and simultaneously increased the 5-HT level in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex tissues and hippocampus extracellular of depressive rats. In future studies revealed that DZ could significantly increase the protein and mRNA expression of the key enzymes TPH during the 5-HT synthesis process in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the depressed rats, and suppress the expression of 5-HTT protein and mRNA at the same time. But it had no effects on MAO-A and MAO-B activities. We believe that antidepressant effect of DZ is caused by the increase of 5-HT synthesis and reduction of 5-HT re-uptake, and eventually increase the content of 5-HT in the brain and the synaptic gaps. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  5. Study on reproductive performance of Holstein x Lai Sind crossbred dairy heifers and cows at smallholdings in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen-Kien, Cuong; Van Khanh, Nguyen; Hanzen, Christian

    2017-03-01

    The reproductive performance of Holstein x Lai Sind crossbred dairy heifers and cows was evaluated at smallholdings in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). The data of 232 heifers and 244 cows (261 lactations) from 35 small dairy farms was collected over a 2-year period, from 2013 to 2014. The overall mean for age at first service (AFS), days between first and last service (DFLS), and age at conception (AC) of heifers was 479 (±80), 38 (±80), and 517 (±114) days, respectively. Average number of services per conception (NSC), conception rate (CR), and conception rate at first service (CRFS) was 1.8 (±1.4), 55, and 58%, respectively. The overall mean for the waiting period (WP), DFLS, and days open (DO) of cows was 109 (±52), 133 (±114), and 242 (±129) days, respectively. The mean for NSC, CR, and CRFS was 4.3 (±2.7), 23, and 14%, respectively. A very significant decrease in AFS and AC according to the year of birth, and a significant increase in AFS according to body weight at first insemination (>320 kg) were observed. The CRFS of heifers inseminated in 2013 was significantly higher than in 2014. Monthly mean CR in heifers and cows was negatively correlated with THI. The WP, DFLS, DO, and NSC of cows significantly decreased according to the year of calving. Cows that calved in rainy season had a significantly longer WP than in dry season. The occurrence of postpartum (PP) diseases was accompanied by an increase in WP, DO, and NSC. A decrease in body condition score (BCS) between calving and 60th day (C60) and also between 60th and 120th day of lactation resulted in a significant increase in WP and DO. A decrease in BCS between C60 was also accompanied by a considerable reduction in CRFS of cows. Season and BCS at insemination had a significant effect on NSC and CR of cows. Reproductive performance was satisfactory for heifers, but poor for cows. Losses of BCS during the first months of lactation and at insemination were the major risk factors for this poor performance

  6. Study on transferring improved green fluorescent protein gene into wheat via low energy Ar+ implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Lifang; Li Hong; Song Daojun

    2000-01-01

    An improved GFP gene (mGFP4) was introduced into mature embryo cells of wheat cultivars Wan 9210 and Wanmai 32 via low energy ion beam-mediated delivery technique. Resistant calli were selected on medium containing paromomycin (100-140 mg/L). Five green plants were regenerated from resistant calli of Wan 9210 derived from 387 implated mature embryos. 32 green plants were obtained from 776 irradiated mature embryos in Wanmai 32. No green plant was regenerated from calli of 200 non-transformed embryos. PCR assays of 37 green plants showed that they all obtained the expected size of amplified DNA fragment (600 bp). Southern blot of 4 well-developed green plants confirmed stable integration of GFP gene into wheat genome. The average transformation frequencies of Wan 9210 and Wanmai 32 were 1.3% and 4.1%, respectively, according to the results of PCR assays

  7. Combination treatment with risperidone long-acting injection and psychoeducational approaches for preventing relapse in schizophrenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Y

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Yueren Zhao,1–3 Taro Kishi,1 Nakao Iwata,1 Manabu Ikeda3,4 1Department of Psychiatry, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan; 2Department of Psychiatry, Okehazama Hospital Fujita Kokoro Care Center, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan; 3Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan; 4Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan Abstract: A recent meta-analysis showed that long-acting injectable (LAI antipsychotics were not superior to oral antipsychotics for preventing relapse in patients with schizophrenia. We therefore designed a treatment strategy combining risperidone LAI and COMPASS (COMprehensive Psycho-educational Approach and Scheme Set, an original psychoeducational program supporting treatment with risperidone LAI and evaluating subjective treatment satisfaction, transition of symptoms, and effectiveness in preventing symptomatic relapse. The aim of this study was to examine whether addition of COMPASS to risperidone LAI was more effective in preventing relapse in schizophrenia patients than risperidone LAI alone, with the latter group consisting of patients enrolled in a Phase III trial of risperidone LAI in Japan. Patients were followed up for 6 months, with COMPASS continuously implemented from the transition to the observation phase. The primary efficacy measurements were relapse rate (rates of rehospitalization and discontinuation due to inefficacy. Secondary efficacy measurements were the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF scores. Of the 96 patients originally enrolled, 19 (19.8% were discontinued from all causes. During the 6-month study period, ten of the 96 patients (10.4% relapsed, compared with a 12.2% relapse rate in patients enrolled in a Phase III trial of risperidone LAI in Japan. Patients showed significant improvements in BPRS total

  8. Willingness of community-recruited men who have sex with men in Washington, DC to use long-acting injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew E Levy

    Full Text Available Clinical trials are currently investigating the safety and efficacy of long-acting injectable (LAI agents as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP. Using National HIV Behavioral Surveillance data, we assessed the self-reported willingness of men who have sex with men (MSM to use LAI PrEP and their preference for LAI versus daily oral PrEP.In 2014, venue-based sampling was used to recruit MSM aged ≥18 years in Washington, DC. Participants completed an interviewer-administered survey followed by voluntary HIV testing. This analysis included MSM who self-reported negative/unknown HIV status at study entry. Correlates of being "very likely" to use LAI PrEP and preferring it to daily oral PrEP were identified using multivariable logistic regression.Of 314 participants who self-reported negative/unknown HIV status, 50% were <30 years old, 41% were non-Hispanic Black, 37% were non-Hispanic White, and 14% were Hispanic. If LAI PrEP were offered for free or covered by health insurance, 62% were very likely, 25% were somewhat likely, and 12% were unlikely to use it. Regarding preferred PrEP modality, 67% chose LAI PrEP, 24% chose oral PrEP, and 9% chose neither. Correlates of being very likely versus somewhat likely/unlikely to use LAI PrEP included age <30 years (aOR 1.64; 95% CI 1.00-2.68, reporting ≥6 (vs. 1 sex partners in the last year (aOR 2.60; 95% CI 1.22-5.53, previous oral PrEP use (aOR 3.67; 95% CI 1.20-11.24, and being newly identified as HIV-infected during study testing (aOR 4.83; 95% CI 1.03-22.67. Black (vs. White men (aOR 0.48; 95% CI 0.24-0.96 and men with an income of <$20,000 (vs. ≥$75,000; aOR 0.37; 95% CI 0.15-0.93 were less likely to prefer LAI to oral PrEP.If LAI PrEP were found to be efficacious, its addition to the HIV prevention toolkit could facilitate more complete PrEP coverage among MSM at risk for HIV.

  9. Peasant struggles and social change: migration, households and gender in a rural Turkish society.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilcan, S M

    1994-01-01

    "This article sheds light on the interrelationship of seasonal migration, subsistence production and peasant relations in a community (Sakli) located in Turkey's northwestern countryside.... While migrant labor is understood by local villagers as forming part of a continual battle to preserve local tradition and kinship ties, this article shows how it reduces the dominion of landlords while creating internal household differentiation and gendered hierarchies." excerpt

  10. Eesti disain / Silvia Pärmann

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Pärmann, Silvia

    2014-01-01

    Ahti Grünbergi ja Tõnis Kalve mööbliseeria Derelict. Maile Grünbergi disainitud toolid ja laud Madis. Taniel Kolpakovi kaubamärgile Rough Bloom disainitud köögimööbel. Kaubamärgi Varm Country uus kollektsioon Basic no 2. Kersti Laanmaa keraamilised teekannud Kiviaeg ja Jänes kapsas. Tiina Mangi kavandatud diivan Sik-Sak. Tõnis Vellama valgustimudel AET27

  11. Assimilation of Leaf Area Index and Soil Wetness Index into the ISBA-A-gs land surface model over France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbu, A. L.; Calvet, J.-C.; Lafont, S.

    2012-04-01

    The development of a Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) dedicated to carbon and water cycles is considered as a key aspect for monitoring activities of terrestrial carbon fluxes. It allows the assimilation of biophysical products in order to reduce the bias between the model simulations and the observations and have a positive impact on carbon and water fluxes. This work shows the benefits of data assimilation of Earth observations for the monitoring of vegetation status and carbon fluxes, in the framework of the GEOLAND2 project, co-funded by the European Commission within the GMES initiative in FP7. In this study, the SURFEX modelling platform developed at Meteo-France is used for describing the continental vegetation state, surface fluxes and soil moisture. It consists of the land surface model ISBA-A-gs that simulates photosynthesis and plant growth. The vegetation biomass and Leaf Area Index (LAI) evolve dynamically in response to weather and climate conditions. The ECOCLIMAP database provides detailed information about the land cover at a resolution of 1 km. Over the France domain, the most present ecosystem types are grasslands (32%), C3 crop lands (24%), deciduous forest (20%), bare soil (11%), and C4 crop lands (8%).The model also includes a representation of the soil moisture stress with two different types of drought responses for herbaceous vegetation and forests. A version of the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) scheme is developed for the joint assimilation of satellite-derived surface soil moisture from ASCAT-25 km product, namely Soil Wetness Index (SWI-01) developed by TU-Wien, and remote sensing LAI product provided by GEOLAND2. The GEOLAND2 LAI product is derived from CYCLOPES V3.1 and MODIS collection 5 data. It is more consistent with an effective LAI for low LAI and close to the actual LAI for high values. The assimilation experiment was conducted across France at a spatial resolution of 8 km. The study period ranges from July 2007 to December

  12. Leaf Area Index Estimation in Vineyards from Uav Hyperspectral Data, 2d Image Mosaics and 3d Canopy Surface Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalisperakis, I.; Stentoumis, Ch.; Grammatikopoulos, L.; Karantzalos, K.

    2015-08-01

    The indirect estimation of leaf area index (LAI) in large spatial scales is crucial for several environmental and agricultural applications. To this end, in this paper, we compare and evaluate LAI estimation in vineyards from different UAV imaging datasets. In particular, canopy levels were estimated from i.e., (i) hyperspectral data, (ii) 2D RGB orthophotomosaics and (iii) 3D crop surface models. The computed canopy levels have been used to establish relationships with the measured LAI (ground truth) from several vines in Nemea, Greece. The overall evaluation indicated that the estimated canopy levels were correlated (r2 > 73%) with the in-situ, ground truth LAI measurements. As expected the lowest correlations were derived from the calculated greenness levels from the 2D RGB orthomosaics. The highest correlation rates were established with the hyperspectral canopy greenness and the 3D canopy surface models. For the later the accurate detection of canopy, soil and other materials in between the vine rows is required. All approaches tend to overestimate LAI in cases with sparse, weak, unhealthy plants and canopy.

  13. The pathway by which the yeast protein kinase Snf1p controls acquisition of sodium tolerance is different from that mediating glucose regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Tian; Elbing, Karin; Hohmann, Stefan

    2008-09-01

    It recently became apparent that the highly conserved Snf1p protein kinase plays roles in controlling different cellular processes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in addition to its well-known function in glucose repression/derepression. We have previously reported that Snf1p together with Gis4p controls ion homeostasis by regulating expression of ENA1, which encodes the Ena1p Na(+) extrusion system. In this study we found that Snf1p is rapidly phosphorylated when cells are exposed to NaCl and this phosphorylation is required for the role of Snf1p in Na(+) tolerance. In contrast to activation by low glucose levels, the salt-induced phosphorylation of Snf1p promoted neither phosphorylation nor nuclear export of the Mig1p repressor. The mechanism that prevents Mig1p phosphorylation by active Snf1p under salt stress does not involve either hexokinase PII or the Gis4p regulator. Instead, Snf1p may mediate upregulation of ENA1 expression via the repressor Nrg1p. Activation of Snf1p in response to glucose depletion requires any of the three upstream protein kinases Sak1p, Tos3p and Elm1p, with Sak1p playing the most prominent role. The same upstream kinases were required for salt-induced Snf1p phosphorylation, and also under these conditions Sak1p played the most prominent role. Unexpectedly, however, it appears that Elm1p plays a dual role in acquisition of salt tolerance by activating Snf1p and in a presently unknown parallel pathway. Together, these results indicate that under salt stress Snf1p takes part in a different pathway from that during glucose depletion and this role is performed together as well as in parallel with its upstream kinase Elm1p. Snf1p appears to be part of a wider functional network than previously anticipated and the full complexity of this network remains to be elucidated.

  14. Effect of Lower and Upper Body High Intensity Training on Genes Associated with Cellular Stress Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Żychowska, Małgorzata; Kochanowicz, Andrzej; Kochanowicz, Kazimierz; Mieszkowski, Jan; Niespodziński, Bartłomiej; Sawczyn, Stanisław

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to compare the effect of upper and lower body high intensity exercise (HIE) on select gene expression in athletes. Fourteen elite male artistic gymnasts (age 20.9 ± 2.6 years; weight 68.6 ± 7.2 kg; fat free mass 63.6 ± 6.7 kg; height 1.70 ± 0.04 m) performed lower and upper body 30 s Wingate Tests (WAnTs) before and after eight weeks of specific HIIT. Two milliliters of blood was collected before and after (5, 30 min, resp.) lower and upper body WAnTs, and select gene expression was determined by PCR. Eight weeks of HIIT caused a significant increase in maximal power (722 to 751 Wat), relative peak power in the lower body WAnTs (10.1 to 11 W/kg), mean power (444 to 464 W), and relative mean power (6.5 to 6.8 W/kg). No significant differences in lower versus upper body gene expression were detected after HIIT, and a significant decrease in the IL6/IL10 ratio was observed after lower (-2 ∧ 0.57 p = 0.0019) and upper (-2 ∧ 0.5 p = 0.03) WAnTs following eight weeks of HIIT. It is hypothesized that a similar adaptive response to exercise may be obtained by lower and upper body exercise.

  15. Handoff Between a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN and a Wide Area Network (UMTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Sánchez–García

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available With the appearance of wireless data networks with variable coverage, band width and handoff strategies, in addition to the growing need of mobile nodes to freely roam among these networks, the support of an interoperable handoff strategy for hybrid wireless data networks is a requirement that needs to be addressed. The current trend in wireless data networks is to offer multimedia access to mobile users by employing the wireless local area network (WLAN standard IEEE802.11 while the user is located indoors; on the other hand, 3rd generation wireless networks (WAN are being deployed to provide coverage while the user is located outdoors. As a result, the mobile node will require a handoff mechanism to allow the user to roam between WLAN and WAN environments; up to this date several strategies have been proposed (Sattari et al., 2004 and HyoJin, 2007 in the literature, however, none of these have been standardized to date. To support this interoperability, the mobile node must be equipped with configurable wireless inetrfaces to support the handoff between the WLAN and the WAN networks. In this work a new algorithm is proposed to allow a mobile node to roam between a wireless local area network (IEEE802.11 and a WAN base station (UMTS, while employing IP mobility support. The algorithm is implemented in simulation, using the Network Simulator 2.

  16. SAFARI 2000 Leaf Area Measurements at the Mongu Tower Site, Zambia, 2000-2002

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: Data from the LAI-2000 instrument were processed to determine the leaf area index (LAI) at the EOS Validation Core Site in Kataba Local Forest,...

  17. Model for the growth of the world airline network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, T.; Araújo, N. A. M.; Nagler, J.; Andrade, J. S.; Herrmann, H. J.

    2016-06-01

    We propose a probabilistic growth model for transport networks which employs a balance between popularity of nodes and the physical distance between nodes. By comparing the degree of each node in the model network and the World Airline Network (WAN), we observe that the difference between the two is minimized for α≈2. Interestingly, this is the value obtained for the node-node correlation function in the WAN. This suggests that our model explains quite well the growth of airline networks.

  18. Comparative Analysis of Chinese HJ-1 CCD, GF-1 WFV and ZY-3 MUX Sensor Data for Leaf Area Index Estimations for Maize

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Zhao

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, China has developed and launched several satellites with high spatial resolutions, such as the resources satellite No. 3 (ZY-3 with a multi-spectral camera (MUX and 5.8 m spatial resolution, the satellite GaoFen No. 1 (GF-1 with a wide field of view (WFV camera and 16 m spatial resolution, and the environment satellite (HJ-1A/B with a charge-coupled device (CCD sensor and 30 m spatial resolution. First, to analyze the potential application of ZY-3 MUX, GF-1 WFV, and HJ-1 CCD to extract the leaf area index (LAI at the regional scale, this study estimated LAI from the relationships between physical model-based spectral vegetation indices (SVIs and LAI values that were generated from look-up tables (LUTs, simulated from the combination of the PROSPECT-5B leaf model and the scattering by arbitrarily inclined leaves with the hot-spot effect (SAILH canopy reflectance model. Second, to assess the surface reflectance quality of these sensors after data preprocessing, the well-processed surface reflectance products of the Landsat-8 operational land imager (OLI sensor with a convincing data quality were used to compare the performances of ZY-3 MUX, GF-1 WFV, and HJ-1 CCD sensors both in theory and reality. Apart from several reflectance fluctuations, the reflectance trends were coincident, and the reflectance values of the red and near-infrared (NIR bands were comparable among these sensors. Finally, to analyze the accuracy of the LAI estimated from ZY-3 MUX, GF-1 WFV, and HJ-1 CCD, the LAI estimations from these sensors were validated based on LAI field measurements in Huailai, Hebei Province, China. The results showed that the performance of the LAI that was inversed from ZY-3 MUX was better than that from GF-1 WFV, and HJ-1 CCD, both of which tended to be systematically underestimated. In addition, the value ranges and accuracies of the LAI inversions both decreased with decreasing spatial resolution.

  19. CAPACIDAD DE LOS DATOS FENOLÓGICOS DERIVADOS DE CYCLOPES- LAI DEL A Ñ O 2000 PARA DISTINGUIR LOS TIPOS DE COBERTURA EN EL ESTADO DE MICHOACÁN, MÉXICO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Valderrama-Landeros

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available S e exploró la capacidad de los datos fenológicos de la serie LAI del proyecto CYCLOPES del año 2000, para distinguir tipos de vegetación generales (bosque de hoja perenne, de hoja caduca, cultivos y pastizal-matorral en Michoacán, México. Con el programa TIMESAT se extrajeron 11 variables fenológicas de cada píxel de 1 km de dicha serie. El comportamiento de cada variable se analizó tomando como referencia el mapa INF2000. Las principales diferencias corresponden al carácter caducifolio o perennifolio de la vegetación. Las 11 variables se redujeron a cinco componentes principa - les (98 % de la varianza, para hacer una clasificación no supervisada de 250 clases o grupos fenológicos. Cada clase se asoció a uno de los tipos de cobertura, según el criterio de máxima coincidencia de área con el mapa de referencia INF2000, para construir el mapa de cobertura CYCL2000. La comparación de ambos mapas mostró exactitud total de 63 %. Los bosques de hoja caduca fueron los mejor identificados (80.1 % de píxeles identificados correctamente y 62.1 % bien clasificados, seguidos de los de hoja pe - renne (74.1 %, 69.9 %, cultivos (62.9 %, 61.1 % y pastizal-matorral (16.9 %, 52.3 %. La identificación relativamente buena de los bosques permitirá utilizar este enfoque para estimar la deforestación.

  20. The efficacy of herbal therapy on quality of life in patients with breast cancer: self-control clinical trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lai Yi Eliza Wong

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Lai Yi Eliza Wong1, Chun Kwok Wong2, Ping Chung Leung3, Wei Kei Christopher Lam41Assistant Professor, Department of Community and Family Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; 2Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; 3Director, Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F, School of Public Health Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, NT, Hong Kong; 4Chairman, Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1/F, Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital, NT, Hong KongBackground: Mounting evidence indicates that herbal therapy is effective in alleviating anxiety, lessening cancer treatment-related side-effects, and facilitating rehabilitation. This is the first trial to examine the herbal therapy of combined yunzhi and danshen on quality of life among breast cancer patients.Methods: A multicenter, longitudinal, and self-control study was used. Eighty-two breast cancer patients were given combined yunzhi and danshen capsules for six months on a daily basis. Data collection including quality of life, vitality status and adverse effects were taken.Results: Results showed a significant improvement in physical function, role-physical, role-emotion and health transition (P < 0.05. Patients also reported less fatigue, better quality of sleep, better appetite, more regular bowel movements and more stable emotions (P < 0.05. As far as side-effects were concerned, only mild discomforts including sore throat (13.4% and dry mouth (9.8% were recorded.Conclusion: The findings add clinical evidence to support the beneficial effects of herbal therapy on quality of life and vitality status in breast cancer patients. Therefore, herbal therapy has a potentially important role to play in managing psychological distress in cancer patients. This study also suggests that herbal therapy is clinically acceptable and can be used safely with breast cancer

  1. Experiences in Traceroute and Bandwidth Change Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Logg, C

    2004-06-23

    SLAC has been studying end-to-end WAN bandwidth availability and achievability for 2.5 years via IEPM-BW [1]. IEPM-BW performs network intensive tests every 90 minutes. Based on that experience we have also developed a light weight available bandwidth (ABwE [2]) measurement tool that can make a measurement within a second. We are now extending this to a WAN measurement and detection system (IEPM-LITE) aimed at more quickly detecting and troubleshooting network performance problems and also to be more friendly on lower performance paths. IEPM-LITE uses ping, forward traceroutes, and ABwE sensors to monitor, in close to real-time, Round Trip Times (RTT), changes in available bandwidth and routes to and from target hosts. This paper discusses the experiences, techniques and algorithms used to detect and report on significant traceroute and bandwidth changes. The ultimate aim is to develop a lightweight WAN network performance monitoring system that can detect, in near real time, significant changes and generate alerts.

  2. ICSW2AN : An Inter-vehicle Communication System Using Mobile Access Point over Wireless Wide Area Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byun, Tae-Young

    This paper presents a prototype of inter-vehicle communication system using mobile access point that internetworks wired or wireless LAN and wireless WAN anywhere. Implemented mobile access point can be equipped with various wireless WAN interfaces such as WCDMA and HSDPA. Mobile access point in the IP mechanism has to process connection setup procedure to one wireless WAN. To show the applicability of the mobile access point to inter-vehicle communication, a simplified V2I2V-based car communication system called ICSW2AN is implemented to evaluate major performance metrics by road test. In addition, results of road test for traffic information service are investigated in view of RTT, latency and server processing time. The experimental result indicates that V2I2V-based car communication system sufficiently can provide time-tolerant traffic information to moving vehicles while more than two mobile devices in restricted spaces such as car, train and ship access wireless Internet simultaneously.

  3. The effects of X window HEP graphics applications on ESnet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abar, F.A.; Lidinsky, W.P.

    1994-01-01

    Wide area networking is the next evolutionary step toward distributed computing. Many applications that were found useful in local area networks are beginning to show their presence in wide area networks (WANs). A question is: Given today's typical WAN infrastructure, what are the effects of the presence of distributed applications in the WANs and what can be done to facilitate full deployment of such services across wide area network? A simulation model for X window distributed graphical applications in high energy physics communities interacting across the DOE Energy Science wide area networks (ESnet) was created to examine X service resource requirements and ESnet resource limitations. Through simulation analysis the effects of the incremental introduction of X traffic to ESnet was determined as was the load level at which ESnet became unstable. Proposals for improving ESnet performance by upgrading to T3 links and also by introducing a service-based packet priority scheme at the network layer were also examined

  4. Experiences in Traceroute and Bandwidth Change Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Logg, C

    2004-01-01

    SLAC has been studying end-to-end WAN bandwidth availability and achievability for 2.5 years via IEPM-BW [1]. IEPM-BW performs network intensive tests every 90 minutes. Based on that experience we have also developed a light weight available bandwidth (ABwE [2]) measurement tool that can make a measurement within a second. We are now extending this to a WAN measurement and detection system (IEPM-LITE) aimed at more quickly detecting and troubleshooting network performance problems and also to be more friendly on lower performance paths. IEPM-LITE uses ping, forward traceroutes, and ABwE sensors to monitor, in close to real-time, Round Trip Times (RTT), changes in available bandwidth and routes to and from target hosts. This paper discusses the experiences, techniques and algorithms used to detect and report on significant traceroute and bandwidth changes. The ultimate aim is to develop a lightweight WAN network performance monitoring system that can detect, in near real time, significant changes and generate alerts

  5. Cloud-Centric and Logically Isolated Virtual Network Environment Based on Software-Defined Wide Area Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongkyun Kim

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Recent development of distributed cloud environments requires advanced network infrastructure in order to facilitate network automation, virtualization, high performance data transfer, and secured access of end-to-end resources across regional boundaries. In order to meet these innovative cloud networking requirements, software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN is primarily demanded to converge distributed cloud resources (e.g., virtual machines (VMs in a programmable and intelligent manner over distant networks. Therefore, this paper proposes a logically isolated networking scheme designed to integrate distributed cloud resources to dynamic and on-demand virtual networking over SD-WAN. The performance evaluation and experimental results of the proposed scheme indicate that virtual network convergence time is minimized in two different network models such as: (1 an operating OpenFlow-oriented SD-WAN infrastructure (KREONET-S which is deployed on the advanced national research network in Korea, and (2 Mininet-based experimental and emulated networks.

  6. Ethernet Networks for Real-Time Use in the ATLAS Experiment

    CERN Document Server

    Meirosu, C; Martin, B

    2005-01-01

    Ethernet became today's de-facto standard technology for local area networks. Defined by the IEEE 802.3 and 802.1 working groups, the Ethernet standards cover technologies deployed at the first two layers of the OSI protocol stack. The architecture of modern Ethernet networks is based on switches. The switches are devices usually built using a store-and-forward concept. At the highest level, they can be seen as a collection of queues and mathematically modelled by means of queuing theory. However, the traffic profiles on modern Ethernet networks are rather different from those assumed in classical queuing theory. The standard recommendations for evaluating the performance of network devices define the values that should be measured but do not specify a way of reconciling these values with the internal architecture of the switches. The introduction of the 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard provided a direct gateway from the LAN to the WAN by the means of the WAN PHY. Certain aspects related to the actual use of WAN ...

  7. Strategic Combination of Isocratic and Gradient Elution for Simultaneous Separation of Polar Compounds in Traditional Chinese Medicines by HPLC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mei-Tuo Zhang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC method for the simultaneous separation of the highly polar and weakly polar components of traditional Chinese medicines was developed via a strategic combination of isocratic and gradient elution methods. Liu-Shen-Wan and Liu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan were used as representative examples of traditional Chinese medicines. This is the first time that 6 components of varying degrees of polarity in Liu-Shen-Wan had been successfully resolved in a single chromatographic run using an ultraviolet-visible detector with a fixed wavelength of 296 nm. In contrast to conventional gradient separation methods, this novel method offered a viable route for separation of the highly and weakly polar fractions simultaneously, thus greatly reducing the time and cost of analysis. This method therefore provides a more efficient way to determine the polar components present in traditional Chinese medicines. It would find potential application in drug screening, drug authentication, and product quality control.

  8. Riskikapital vajab riigi kehtestatud mängureegleid / Peeter Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Peeter

    2004-01-01

    AS-i Suprema Securities juhatuse esimehe sõnul on Euroopa riskikapitali turul selge nõudlus sobiva seadusliku raamistiku ja hea mainega riigi või piirkonna järele, Eestil on praegu võimalus kujuneda Euroopa üheks riskikapitali keskuseks. Autori arvates peaks esimeseks sammuks olema eraldi riskikapitali seaduse loomine. Vt. samas: Andrus Ansip, Taavi Veskimägi ja Linnar Viik vastavad küsimusele, kas Eesti vajab riiklikku riskikapitali fondi

  9. Valitsusliit jätab lasteaiaõpetajad virelema / Katrin Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Katrin, 1956-

    2004-01-01

    Koolieelsete lasteasutuste seaduse muutmise seaduseelnõu hääletati Riigikogu menetlusest välja, vanemahüvitistest. Ilmunud ka Pärnu Postimees 23. sept. 2004, lk. 15 ; Hiiu Leht 24. sept. 2004, lk. 2 ; Sakala 24. sept. 2004, lk. 2 ; Vali Uudised 24. sept. 2004, lk. 2 ; Nädaline 23. sept. 2004, lk. 4 ; Põhjarannik 24. sept. 2004, lk. 2 ; Türi Rahvaleht 24. sept. 2004, lk. 4, Meie Maa 28. sept. 2004. lk. 2 ; Koit 30. sept. 2004, lk. 6 ; Vooremaa 7. okt. 2004, lk. 2 ; Valgamaalane 16. okt. 2004, lk. 2

  10. Laste hulk ei sõltu toonekurgede arvukusest / Katrin Saks

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Saks, Katrin, 1956-

    2006-01-01

    Perekonnaseaduse eelnõust ja samasooliste abielust. Sama ka Harjumaa 24. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Võrumaa Teataja 24. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Vali Uudised 25. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Meie Maa 25. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Hiiu Leht 27. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Kuulutaja 27. jaan. 2006, lk. 4 ; Lõunaleht 26. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Vooremaa 26. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Pärnu Postimees 2. veeb. 2006, lk. 11 ; Sakala 2. veeb. 2006, lk. 2 ; Valgamaalane 25. aprill 2006, lk. 2 ; Hiiu Leht 9. mai 2006, lk. 2 ; Sotsiaaldemokraat 16. veeb. 2006, lk. 5

  11. KUALITAS LAPORAN KEUANGAN UMKM SERTA PROSPEK IMPLEMENTASI SAK ETAP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rizki Rudiantoro

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the effect of quality of the SMEs’ financial statements on level of credit received by SMEs, as well as prospect of financial accounting standard for entity without public accountability (FAS EWPA implementation in 2011 to improve the quality of the financial statements of SMEs. The data of this study is obtained from the questionnaires returned by 50 SME entrepreneurs in the area of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, and other parts of Java. The results of this study show that the quality of SME financial statements do not affect the amount of credit received by SMEs. This may be due to the low quality of financial statements of SMEs so that banks are still in doubt with the relevancy and reliability of financial reporting. Prospect of FAS EWPA implementation to improve the quality of financial report may have been constrained due to the low understanding of the SME entrepreneurs over the FAS EWPA.

  12. Installation Restoration Program. Site Investigation Report. 147th Fighter Interceptor Group, Texas Air National Guard, Ellington, Field, Houston, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-01-01

    N4.L.....-I~C1 01AME TER ...... SACKS OF TON’O 4-1At AN SCH4EDULE 40PVC SAK pTA rEINO 8LANK VLT TRAP I o GALLONS OF GVOUT USED SOTTOM WELL CAP POUNDS...and fungi on leaf surfaces and in soil. Many of these microorganisms play key roles in the decomposer food chain. Cases of lead poisoning have been

  13. AS Balti Ameerika Auto Keskus Peterburi tee 50

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    1998-01-01

    Tallinna 'Chrysleri' ja 'Jeepi' autokeskuse hoonekompleksis on eristatavad kolm osa: kahekorruseline müügisalong, ühekorruseline töökoda ja hooldusruunid, ladu ning olmeplokk. Klaasfassaadiga automüügisaal ulatub hoonest välja sammastega ümbritsetud poolkaarest paadikujulise siiluna. Peatöövõtja: AS Feer Ehituse projektijuht: AS TSM. Projekteerija: Arhitektuuribüroo R. Puusepp. Arhitekt Aare Saks (FFNS, Rootsi). Sisekujundus Rein Nurmse. Projekt 1996, valmis 1997

  14. Multiscale Systems Modeling of Male Reproductive Tract ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    The reproductive tract is a complex, integrated organ system with diverse embryology and unique sensitivity to prenatal environmental exposures that disrupt morphoregulatory processes and endocrine signaling. U.S. EPA’s in vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) database (ToxCastDB) was used to profile the bioactivity of 54 chemicals with male developmental consequences across ~800 molecular and cellular features [Leung et al., accepted manuscript]. The in vitro bioactivity on molecular targets could be condensed into 156 gene annotations in a bipartite network. These results highlighted the role of estrogen and androgen signaling pathways in male reproductive tract development, and importantly, broadened the list of molecular targets to include GPCRs, cytochrome-P450s, vascular remodeling proteins, and retinoic acid signaling. A multicellular agent-based model was used to simulate the complex interactions between morphoregulatory, endocrine, and environmental influences during genital tubercle (GT) development. Spatially dynamic signals (e.g., SHH, FGF10, and androgen) were implemented in the model to address differential adhesion, cell motility, proliferation, and apoptosis. Urethral tube closure was an emergent feature of the model that was linked to gender-specific rates of ventral mesenchymal proliferation and urethral plate endodermal apoptosis, both under control of androgen signaling [Leung et al., manuscript in preparation]. A systemic parameter sweep w

  15. Genetic diversity among major endemic strains of Leptospira interrogans in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Zhi-Ming

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Leptospirosis is a world-widely distributed zoonosis. Humans become infected via exposure to pathogenic Leptospira spp. from contaminated water or soil. The availability of genomic sequences of Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai and serovar Copenhageni opened up opportunities to identify genetic diversity among different pathogenic strains of L. interrogans representing various kinds of serotypes (serogroups and serovars. Results Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH analysis was used to compare the gene content of L. interrogans serovar Lai strain Lai with that of other 10 L. interrogans strains prevailed in China and one identified from Brazil using a microarray spotted with 3,528 protein coding sequences (CDSs of strain Lai. The cutoff ratio of sample/reference (S/R hybridization for detecting the absence of genes from one tested strain was set by comparing the ratio of S/R hybridization and the in silico sequence similarities of strain Lai and serovar Copenhageni strain Fiocruz L1-130. Among the 11 strains tested, 275 CDSs were found absent from at least one strain. The common backbone of the L. interrogans genome was estimated to contain about 2,917 CDSs. The genes encoding fundamental cellular functions such as translation, energy production and conversion were conserved. While strain-specific genes include those that encode proteins related to either cell surface structures or carbohydrate transport and metabolism. We also found two genomic islands (GIs in strain Lai containing genes divergently absent in other strains. Because genes encoding proteins with potential pathogenic functions are located within GIs, these elements might contribute to the variations in disease manifestation. Differences in genes involved in O-antigen biosynthesis were also identified for strains belonging to different serogroups, which offers an opportunity for future development of genomic typing tools for serological classification

  16. Using the Normalized Differential Wetness Index to Scale Leaf Area Index, Create Three-Dimensional Classification Maps, and Scale Seasonal Evapotranspiration Depletions in Canopies Along the Middle Rio Grande Riparian CorridorCorridor

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonnell, D. E.; Cleverly, J. R.; Dahm, C. N.; Coonrod, J. A.

    2005-12-01

    This research creates temporally and spatially explicit data layers of vegetation, leaf area index (LAI), three dimensional (3D) vegetation classification maps, and seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) depletions along the middle Rio Grande riparian corridor. The first part of this work produces two dimensional (2D) classification maps of native and non-native canopy vegetation using temporal patterns and the decision tree classifier in ENVI 4.0 (Research Systems Inc. Boulder, Colorado). The second part of this work correlates the normalized differential wetness index (NDWI) with field measurements of plant area index (PAI), stem area index (SAI), and leaf area index (LAI) using the LAI-2000 Plant Canopy Analyzer (PCA) (LICOR Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska). SAI is measured in winter to capture only branches and stems. PAI is measured during the growing season. Field measurements taken within 10 days of image capture dates provide adequate correlations though the closer the dates the better the correlation. LAI represents the surface area of active green leafy vegetation. NDWI correlates with both PAI and estimated LAI in both Tamarisk chinensis and Populus deltoides ssp. Wislizeni sites better than the more traditional normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI). This study also suggests that winter PCA measurements approximate SAI which should be subtracted from PAI in woody vegetation like T. chinensis and Salix exigua stands. The results show that correcting for leaf geometry by multiplying T. chinensis areas with cylindrical cladophylls by pi and the remaining flat leaf vegetation by two yields the best relationship between NDWI and total LAI. The 2Dclassification maps can be placed on top of relief maps of LAI to produce 3D classification maps. The final part of this research scales ET from four 3D eddy covariance towers located in two T. chinensis and two P. deltoides study sites. ET is regressed with LAI, percent daylight (PD), and average hourly incoming net

  17. Carbon cycling of European croplands: A framework for the assimilation of optical and microwave Earth observation data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Revill, Andrew; Sus, Oliver; Williams, Mathew

    2013-04-01

    Croplands are traditionally managed to maximise the production of food, feed, fibre and bioenergy. Advancements in agricultural technologies, together with land-use change, have approximately doubled World grain harvests over the past 50 years. Cropland ecosystems also play a significant role in the global carbon (C) cycle and, through changes to C storage in response to management activities, they can provide opportunities for climate change mitigation. However, quantifying and understanding the cropland C cycle is complex, due to variable environmental drivers, varied management practices and often highly heterogeneous landscapes. Efforts to upscale processes using simulation models must resolve these challenges. Here we show how data assimilation (DA) approaches can link C cycle modelling to Earth observation (EO) and reduce uncertainty in upscaling. We evaluate a framework for the assimilation of leaf area index (LAI) time series, empirically derived from EO optical and radar sensors, for state-updating a model of crop development and C fluxes. Sensors are selected with fine spatial resolutions (20-50 m) to resolve variability across field sizes typically used in European agriculture. Sequential DA is used to improve the canopy development simulation, which is validated by comparing time-series LAI and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) predictions to independent ground measurements and eddy covariance observations at multiple European cereal crop sites. Significant empirical relationships were established between the LAI ground measurements and the optical reflectance and radar backscatter, which allowed for single LAI calibrations being valid for all the cropland sites for each sensor. The DA of all EO LAI estimates results indicated clear adjustments in LAI and an enhanced representation of daily CO2 exchanges, particularly around the time of peak C uptake. Compared to the simulation without DA, the assimilation of all EO LAI estimates improved the predicted at

  18. Long-term functional improvements in the 2-year treatment of schizophrenia outpatients with olanzapine long-acting injection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ascher-Svanum H

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Haya Ascher-Svanum,1 Diego Novick,2,3 Josep Maria Haro,4 Jordan Bertsch,4 David McDonnell,1 Holland Detke11Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; 2Eli Lilly and Company, Windlesham, Surrey, UK; 3Departament de Psiquiatria, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain; 4Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en el Área de Salud Mental, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainBackground: Little is known about the long-term changes in the functioning of schizophrenia patients receiving maintenance therapy with olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI, and whether observed changes differ from those seen with oral olanzapine.Methods: This study describes changes in the levels of functioning among outpatients with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine-LAI compared with oral olanzapine over 2 years. This was a secondary analysis of data from a multicenter, randomized, open-label, 2-year study comparing the long-term treatment effectiveness of monthly olanzapine-LAI (405 mg/4 weeks; n=264 with daily oral olanzapine (10 mg/day; n=260. Levels of functioning were assessed with the Heinrichs–Carpenter Quality of Life Scale. Functional status was also classified as “good”, “moderate”, or “poor”, using a previous data-driven approach. Changes in functional levels were assessed with McNemar’s test and comparisons between olanzapine-LAI and oral olanzapine employed the Student’s t-test. Results: Over the 2-year study, the patients treated with olanzapine-LAI improved their level of functioning (per Quality of Life total score from 64.0–70.8 (P<0.001. Patients on oral ­olanzapine also increased their level of functioning from 62.1–70.1 (P<0.001. At baseline, 19.2% of the olanzapine-LAI-treated patients had a “good” level of functioning, which increased to 27.5% (P<0.05. The figures for oral olanzapine were 14.2% and 24.5%, respectively (P<0.001. Results did not significantly differ between

  19. Detection of the Coupling between Vegetation Leaf Area and Climate in a Multifunctional Watershed, Northwestern China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Hao

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Accurate detection and quantification of vegetation dynamics and drivers of observed climatic and anthropogenic change in space and time is fundamental for our understanding of the atmosphere–biosphere interactions at local and global scales. This case study examined the coupled spatial patterns of vegetation dynamics and climatic variabilities during the past three decades in the Upper Heihe River Basin (UHRB, a complex multiple use watershed in arid northwestern China. We apply empirical orthogonal function (EOF and singular value decomposition (SVD analysis to isolate and identify the spatial patterns of satellite-derived leaf area index (LAI and their close relationship with the variability of an aridity index (AI = Precipitation/Potential Evapotranspiration. Results show that UHRB has become increasingly warm and wet during the past three decades. In general, the rise of air temperature and precipitation had a positive impact on mean LAI at the annual scale. At the monthly scale, LAI variations had a lagged response to climate. Two major coupled spatial change patterns explained 29% and 41% of the LAI dynamics during 1983–2000 and 2001–2010, respectively. The strongest connections between climate and LAI were found in the southwest part of the basin prior to 2000, but they shifted towards the north central area afterwards, suggesting that the sensitivity of LAI to climate varied over time, and that human disturbances might play an important role in altering LAI patterns. At the basin level, the positive effects of regional climate warming and precipitation increase as well as local ecological restoration efforts overwhelmed the negative effects of overgrazing. The study results offer insights about the coupled effects of climatic variability and grazing on ecosystem structure and functions at a watershed scale. Findings from this study are useful for land managers and policy makers to make better decisions in response to climate

  20. Global meta-analysis of leaf area index in wetlands indicates uncertainties in understanding of their ecosystem function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dronova, I.; Taddeo, S.; Foster, K.

    2017-12-01

    Projecting ecosystem responses to global change relies on the accurate understanding of properties governing their functions in different environments. An important variable in models of ecosystem function is canopy leaf area index (LAI; leaf area per unit ground area) declared as one of the Essential Climate Variables in the Global Climate Observing System and extensively measured in terrestrial landscapes. However, wetlands have been largely under-represented in these efforts, which globally limits understanding of their contribution to carbon sequestration, climate regulation and resilience to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. This study provides a global synthesis of >350 wetland-specific LAI observations from 182 studies and compares LAI among wetland ecosystem and vegetation types, biomes and measurement approaches. Results indicate that most wetland types and even individual locations show a substantial local dispersion of LAI values (average coefficient of variation 65%) due to heterogeneity of environmental properties and vegetation composition. Such variation indicates that mean LAI values may not sufficiently represent complex wetland environments, and the use of this index in ecosystem function models needs to incorporate within-site variation in canopy properties. Mean LAI did not significantly differ between direct and indirect measurement methods on a pooled global sample; however, within some of the specific biomes and wetland types significant contrasts between these approaches were detected. These contrasts highlight unique aspects of wetland vegetation physiology and canopy structure affecting measurement principles that need to be considered in generalizing canopy properties in ecosystem models. Finally, efforts to assess wetland LAI using remote sensing strongly indicate the promise of this technology for cost-effective regional-scale modeling of canopy properties similar to terrestrial systems. However, such efforts urgently require more

  1. Pharmacoeconomic analysis of clinical efficiency of combined metformin (Siofor - insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Yu Demidova

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To assess expedience of metformin combination with long-acting insulin, determine optimal doses of metformin for patients with type 2 diabetesmellitus (DM2, and accomplish pharmacoeconomic analysis of clinical efficiency of various therapeutic modalities. Materials and methods. Patients with decompensated DM2 (n=126 were under observation for 1 year during which they received rational hypoglycemictherapy with metformin and long-acting insulin (LAI at bedtime, with the dose being titrated until the desired level of glycemic control wasachieved. The patients were randomly allocated to the following 3 groups: group 1 (sulponylurea derivatives (SUD, LAI, and metformin at a doseof 1000 mg b.i.d., group 2 (SUD, LAI, and metformin at 500 mg b.i.d., group 3 (SUD and LAI. In case of postprandial glycemia >9 mmol/l at amaximum dose of SUD, it was replaced by short-acting insulin. Cost-effectiveness analysis of different therapeutic regimes was performed. Results. The cost of examination and treatment of patients given SUD and LAI in combination with metformin at a daily dose of 2000 mg to achievethe desired quality of glycemic control was lower compared with two other groups. Moreover, this therapy was most efficacious and ensured the desiredlevel of glycemic control in a greater number of patients. Cost-effectiveness analysis confirmed advantages of this treatment. Conclusion. Combined hypoglycemic therapy with SUD, LAI, and metformin (200 mg daily has the advantage of lowest cost and maximum efficiencycompared with other modalities.

  2. Impact Assessment of the Brazilian Access to Information Act - An interdisciplinary methodological approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taiana Fortunato Araújo

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to discuss the potential efficacy and effectiveness of the Access to Information Law (LAI in Brazil, considering it not as an isolated legislation, but as part of public policy for transparency and accountability. For this, we use an interdisciplinary approach that combines elements of the discussion on the role of law in public policy and an analysis of the various possible meanings of the legal concept of efficacy (taken as element that combines the legal world with the real world. We have reviewed international assessment studies on access to information laws in other countries; with regards to Brazil, we analyze a few monitoring and assessment studies about LAI implementation made by the Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU/Comptroller General of the Union, and the (still rare academic literature on the subject. We conclude that the legal efficacy of LAI depends, in first instance, on the full adhesion of the State, which has to enact specific regulations without which the LAI does not function well. In a second instance, legal efficacy has a necessary, but not sufficient condition, a change of conduct by public managers, responsible for LAI`s implementation. This piece of legislation would have complete efficacy if it reached its primary goal of providing access to public information by increasing governmental transparency. Effectiveness, on the other hand, refers to the multiple uses of the information provided by citizens, both for individual objectives as well as governmental accountability.

  3. LEAF AREA DYNAMICS AND ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS OF SPECIFIC VEGETATION TYPES OF A SEMI-ARID GRASSLAND IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bosco Kidake Kisambo

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Leaf Area Index (LAI dynamics and aboveground biomass of a semi-arid grassland region in Southern Ethiopia were determined over a long rain season. The vegetation was categorized into four distinct vegetation types namely Grassland (G, Tree-Grassland (TG, Bushed-Grassland (BG and Bush-Tree grassland (BT. LAI was measured using a Plant Canopy Analyzer (LAI2000. Biomass dynamics of litter and herbaceous components were determined through clipping while the above ground biomass of trees and shrubs were estimated using species-specific allometric equations from literature. LAI showed a seasonal increase over the season with the maximum recorded in the BG vegetation (2.52. Total aboveground biomass for the different vegetation types ranged from 0.61 ton C/ha in areas where trees were non-existent to 8.80 ± 3.81ton C/ha in the Tree-Grassland vegetation in the study site. A correlation of LAI and AGB yielded a positive relationship with an R2 value of 0.55. The results demonstrate the importance of tropical semi-arid grasslands as carbon sinks hence their potential in mitigation of climate change.

  4. Estimating Net Primary Production of Swedish Forest Landscapes by Combining Mechanistic Modeling and Remote Sensing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tagesson, Håkan Torbern; Smith, Benjamin; Løfgren, Anders

    2009-01-01

    and the Beer-Lambert law. LAI estimates were compared with satellite-extrapolated field estimates of LAI, and the results were generally acceptable. NPP estimates directly from the dynamic vegetation model and estimates obtained by combining the model estimates with remote sensing information were, on average......The aim of this study was to investigate a combination of satellite images of leaf area index (LAI) with processbased vegetation modeling for the accurate assessment of the carbon balances of Swedish forest ecosystems at the scale of a landscape. Monthly climatologic data were used as inputs...... in a dynamic vegetation model, the Lund Potsdam Jena-General Ecosystem Simulator. Model estimates of net primary production (NPP) and the fraction of absorbed photosynthetic active radiation were constrained by combining them with satellite-based LAI images using a general light use efficiency (LUE) model...

  5. Bayesian estimation of seasonal course of canopy leaf area index from hyperspectral satellite data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varvia, Petri; Rautiainen, Miina; Seppänen, Aku

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, Bayesian inversion of a physically-based forest reflectance model is investigated to estimate of boreal forest canopy leaf area index (LAI) from EO-1 Hyperion hyperspectral data. The data consist of multiple forest stands with different species compositions and structures, imaged in three phases of the growing season. The Bayesian estimates of canopy LAI are compared to reference estimates based on a spectral vegetation index. The forest reflectance model contains also other unknown variables in addition to LAI, for example leaf single scattering albedo and understory reflectance. In the Bayesian approach, these variables are estimated simultaneously with LAI. The feasibility and seasonal variation of these estimates is also examined. Credible intervals for the estimates are also calculated and evaluated. The results show that the Bayesian inversion approach is significantly better than using a comparable spectral vegetation index regression.

  6. Remote sensing based mapping of leaf nitrogen and leaf area index in European landscapes using the REGularized canopy reFLECtance (REGFLEC) model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boegh, E.; Houborg, R.; Bienkowski, J.

    2011-01-01

    index (LAI) are important determinants of the maximum CO2 Methods/Approach uptake by plants and trees. In the EU project NitroEurope, high spatial resolution (10-20 m) remote sensing data from the HRG and HRVIR sensors onboard the SPOT satellites were acquired to derive maps of leaf N and LAI for 5...... European landscapes. The estimations of leaf N, Cab and LAI soil reflectance parameters and canopy parameters are discussed in relation to the prevailing soil types and vegetation characteristics of land cover classes across the 5 European landscapes....

  7. Effect of Lower and Upper Body High Intensity Training on Genes Associated with Cellular Stress Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Małgorzata Żychowska

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to compare the effect of upper and lower body high intensity exercise (HIE on select gene expression in athletes. Fourteen elite male artistic gymnasts (age 20.9±2.6 years; weight 68.6±7.2 kg; fat free mass 63.6±6.7 kg; height 1.70±0.04 m performed lower and upper body 30 s Wingate Tests (WAnTs before and after eight weeks of specific HIIT. Two milliliters of blood was collected before and after (5, 30 min, resp. lower and upper body WAnTs, and select gene expression was determined by PCR. Eight weeks of HIIT caused a significant increase in maximal power (722 to 751 Wat, relative peak power in the lower body WAnTs (10.1 to 11 W/kg, mean power (444 to 464 W, and relative mean power (6.5 to 6.8 W/kg. No significant differences in lower versus upper body gene expression were detected after HIIT, and a significant decrease in the IL6/IL10 ratio was observed after lower (−2∧0.57 p=0.0019 and upper (−2∧0.5 p=0.03 WAnTs following eight weeks of HIIT. It is hypothesized that a similar adaptive response to exercise may be obtained by lower and upper body exercise.

  8. LoRa Scalability: A Simulation Model Based on Interference Measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haxhibeqiri, Jetmir; Van den Abeele, Floris; Moerman, Ingrid; Hoebeke, Jeroen

    2017-05-23

    LoRa is a long-range, low power, low bit rate and single-hop wireless communication technology. It is intended to be used in Internet of Things (IoT) applications involving battery-powered devices with low throughput requirements. A LoRaWAN network consists of multiple end nodes that communicate with one or more gateways. These gateways act like a transparent bridge towards a common network server. The amount of end devices and their throughput requirements will have an impact on the performance of the LoRaWAN network. This study investigates the scalability in terms of the number of end devices per gateway of single-gateway LoRaWAN deployments. First, we determine the intra-technology interference behavior with two physical end nodes, by checking the impact of an interfering node on a transmitting node. Measurements show that even under concurrent transmission, one of the packets can be received under certain conditions. Based on these measurements, we create a simulation model for assessing the scalability of a single gateway LoRaWAN network. We show that when the number of nodes increases up to 1000 per gateway, the losses will be up to 32%. In such a case, pure Aloha will have around 90% losses. However, when the duty cycle of the application layer becomes lower than the allowed radio duty cycle of 1%, losses will be even lower. We also show network scalability simulation results for some IoT use cases based on real data.

  9. DISC Predictive Scales (DPS): Factor Structure and Uniform Differential Item Functioning Across Gender and Three Racial/Ethnic Groups for ADHD, Conduct Disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder Symptoms

    OpenAIRE

    Wiesner, Margit; Kanouse, David E.; Elliott, Marc N.; Windle, Michael; Schuster, Mark A.

    2015-01-01

    The factor structure and potential uniform differential item functioning (DIF) among gender and three racial/ethnic groups of adolescents (African American, Latino, White) were evaluated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptom scores of the DISC Predictive Scales (DPS; Leung et al., 2005; Lucas et al., 2001). Primary caregivers reported on DSM–IV ADHD, CD, and ODD symptoms for a probability sample of 4,491 chi...

  10. C. albicans Growth, Transition, Biofilm Formation, and Gene Expression Modulation by Antimicrobial Decapeptide KSL-W

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-07

    RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access C. albicans growth, transition, biofilm formation, and gene expression modulation by antimicrobial decapeptide KSL-W...at the end of the article © 2013 Theberge et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the...microbial growth and plaque formation by surfactant drugs. J Periodontal Res 1978, 13:474–485. 36. Semlali A, Leung KP, Curt S, Rouabhia M

  11. A Partnership Training Program: Studying Targeted Drug Delivery Using Nanoparticles in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-01

    Cancer Res, 6, 3056 (2000). 33. Dijkgraaf I, Beer AJ, Wester HJ, Front Biosci, 14, 887 (2009). 34. Lim EH, Danthi N, Bednarski M, Li KC , Nanomedicine, 1...Biol 2007;34:229-32. 34. Wang HH, Wang YX, Leung KC , Au DW, Xuan S, Chak CP, Lee SK, Sheng H, Zhang G, Qin L, Griffith JF, Ahuja AT. Durable...arylamide) (MBA), 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propylmethacrylate (MPS), tetraethoxysilane ( TEOS ), 3-(4,5)- dimethylthiahiazo(-z-yl)-3,5

  12. Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    MODIS) is compared with the in situ measured LAI. We use these in situ measurements to calculate the total gross photosynthesis (or gross primary productivity, GPP) of the forest using a calibrated model. LAI and GPP show prominent seasonal ...

  13. Characterization of a lipopolysaccharide mutant of Leptospira derived by growth in the presence of an anti-lipopolysaccharide monoclonal antibody

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zapata, Sonia; Trueba, Gabriel; Bulach, Dieter M.; Boucher, David; Adler, Ben; Hartskeerl, Rudy

    2010-01-01

    A lipopolysaccharide mutant of Leptospira interrogans (LaiMut) was obtained by growth in the presence of an agglutinating monoclonal antibody (mAb) against lipopolysaccharide. Agglutination reactions with anti-lipopolysaccharide mAbs and polyclonal antibodies showed that LaiMut had lost some

  14. Efficacy of olanzapine long-acting injection in patients with acutely exacerbated schizophrenia: an insight from effect size comparison with historical oral data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Detke Holland C

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To treat acute schizophrenia, a long-acting injectable antipsychotic needs a rapid onset of action and therapeutic profile similar to that of oral agents. The present post-hoc analyses compared results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI for acute schizophrenia with those observed in similarly designed trials of oral olanzapine. Methods Six-week results from the olanzapine LAI study (N = 404 were compared with those of 3 oral studies (study 1: olanzapine vs. haloperidol vs. placebo [N = 335]; study 2: olanzapine vs. haloperidol vs. low-dose olanzapine [N = 431]; study 3: olanzapine vs. placebo vs. low-dose olanzapine [N = 152]. All patients had baseline Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS scores ≥24 (0–6 scale. Six-week effect sizes were calculated. Efficacy onset, pharmacokinetics, discontinuations, weight gain, and extrapyramidal symptoms were also assessed. Results At 6 weeks, mean BPRS scores decreased by 14 to 15 points for olanzapine LAI (405 mg/4 weeks, 210 or 300 mg/2 weeks, by 8 to 16 for oral olanzapine (10 ± 2.5 or 15 ± 2.5 mg/day, and by 12 to 13 for haloperidol (15 ± 5 mg/day. For those same dose groups, effect sizes vs. placebo for the BPRS were 0.7 to 0.8 for olanzapine LAI, 0.5 to 0.7 for oral olanzapine, and 0.6 for haloperidol. The first statistically significant separation from placebo on the BPRS occurred at 3 days for the olanzapine LAI groups and at 1 week for oral olanzapine and haloperidol (15 ± 5 mg/day in oral study 1 although as late as week 6 for the 10-mg/day olanzapine dose in oral study 3. Olanzapine concentrations were similar across studies. Weight gain ≥7% of baseline occurred in up to 35% of olanzapine LAI and oral patients versus up to 12% of haloperidol and placebo patients. Extrapyramidal symptoms were lowest in the olanzapine LAI groups and significantly greater

  15. In-situ IR monitoring of the formation of Zr-fumarate MOF

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Ren, Jianwei

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available monitoring of the formation of Zr-fumarate MOF Authors: Jianwei Ren, Nicholas M. Musyoka, Henrietta W. Langmi, Brian C. North, Mkhulu Mathe, Wan Pang, Mingjie Wang, Joseph Walker PII: S0169-4332(17)30296-9 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2017....01.271 Reference: APSUSC 35066 To appear in: APSUSC Received date: 21-9-2016 Revised date: 20-1-2017 Accepted date: 25-1-2017 Please cite this article as: Jianwei Ren, Nicholas M.Musyoka, Henrietta W.Langmi, Brian C.North, Mkhulu Mathe, Wan Pang, Mingjie Wang...

  16. Joint leaf chlorophyll content and leaf area index retrieval from Landsat data using a regularized model inversion system (REGFLEC)

    KAUST Repository

    Houborg, Rasmus

    2015-01-19

    Leaf area index (LAI) and leaf chlorophyll content (Chll) represent key biophysical and biochemical controls on water, energy and carbon exchange processes in the terrestrial biosphere. In combination, LAI and Chll provide critical information on vegetation density, vitality and photosynthetic potentials. However, simultaneous retrieval of LAI and Chll from space observations is extremely challenging. Regularization strategies are required to increase the robustness and accuracy of retrieved properties and enable more reliable separation of soil, leaf and canopy parameters. To address these challenges, the REGularized canopy reFLECtance model (REGFLEC) inversion system was refined to incorporate enhanced techniques for exploiting ancillary LAI and temporal information derived from multiple satellite scenes. In this current analysis, REGFLEC is applied to a time-series of Landsat data.A novel aspect of the REGFLEC approach is the fact that no site-specific data are required to calibrate the model, which may be run in a largely automated fashion using information extracted entirely from image-based and other widely available datasets. Validation results, based upon in-situ LAI and Chll observations collected over maize and soybean fields in central Nebraska for the period 2001-2005, demonstrate Chll retrieval with a relative root-mean-square-deviation (RMSD) on the order of 19% (RMSD=8.42μgcm-2). While Chll retrievals were clearly influenced by the version of the leaf optical properties model used (PROSPECT), the application of spatio-temporal regularization constraints was shown to be critical for estimating Chll with sufficient accuracy. REGFLEC also reproduced the dynamics of in-situ measured LAI well (r2 =0.85), but estimates were biased low, particularly over maize (LAI was underestimated by ~36 %). This disparity may be attributed to differences between effective and true LAI caused by significant foliage clumping not being properly accounted for in the canopy

  17. Identifying patients and clinical scenarios for use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics – expert consensus survey part 1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sajatovic M

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Martha Sajatovic,1,2 Ruth Ross,3 Susan N Legacy,4 Christoph U Correll,5,6 John M Kane,5,6 Faith DiBiasi,7 Heather Fitzgerald,8 Matthew Byerly9 1Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; 2Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; 3Ross Editorial, Port Townsend, WA, USA; 4US Medical Affairs Neuroscience, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA; 5Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; 6Psychiatry, The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, NY, USA; 7Scientific Communications, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., Rockville, MD, USA; 8Medical Affairs, Lundbeck LLC, Deerfield, IL, USA; 9Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA Objective: To assess expert consensus on barriers and facilitators for long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAI use and provide clinical recommendations on issues where clinical evidence is lacking, including identifying appropriate clinical situations for LAI use. Methods: A 50-question survey comprising 916 response options was distributed to 42 research experts and high prescribers with extensive LAI experience. Respondents rated options on relative appropriateness/importance using a 9-point scale. Consensus was determined using chi-square test of score distributions. Mean (standard deviation ratings were calculated. Responses to 29 questions (577 options relating to appropriate patients and clinical scenarios for LAI use are reported. Results: Recommendations aligned with research on risk factors for nonadherence and poor outcomes for patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective or bipolar disorder. Findings suggested, contrary to general practice patterns, that LAI use may be appropriate earlier in

  18. Joint Leaf chlorophyll and leaf area index retrieval from Landsat data using a regularized model inversion system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leaf area index (LAI) and leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content represent key biophysical and biochemical controls on water, energy and carbon exchange processes in the terrestrial biosphere. In combination, LAI and leaf Chl content provide critical information on vegetation density, vitality and photosynt...

  19. The film boiling look-up table: an improvement in predicting post-chf temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groeneveld, D.C.; Leung, L.K.H.; Vasic, A.Z.; Guo, Y.J.; El Nakla, M.; Cheng, S.C.

    2002-01-01

    During the past 50 years more than 60 film boiling prediction methods have been proposed (Groeneveld and Leung, 2000). These prediction methods generally are applicable over limited ranges of flow conditions and do not provide reasonable predictions when extrapolated well outside the range of their respective database. Leung et al. (1996, 1997) and Kirillov et al. (1996) have proposed the use of a film-boiling look-up table as an alternative to the many models, equations and correlations for the inverted annular film boiling (IAFB) and the dispersed flow film-boiling (DFFB) regime. The film-boiling look-up table is a logical follow-up to the development of the successful CHF look-up table (Groeneveld et al., 1996). It is basically a normalized data bank of heat-transfer coefficients for discrete values of pressure, mass flux, quality and heat flux or surface-temperature. The look-up table proposed by Leung et al. (1996, 1997), and referred to as PDO-LW-96, was based on 14,687 data and predicted the surface temperature with an average error of 1.2% and an rms error of 6.73%. The heat-transfer coefficient was predicted with an average error of -4.93% and an rms error of 16.87%. Leung et al. clearly showed that the look-up table approach, as a general predictive tool for film-boiling heat transfer, was superior to the correlation or model approach. Error statistics were not provided for the look-up table proposed by Kirillov et al. (1996). This paper reviews the look-up table approach and describes improvements to the derivation of the film-boiling look-up table. These improvements include: (i) a larger data base, (ii) a wider range of thermodynamic qualities, (iii) use of the wall temperature instead of the heat flux as an independent parameter, (iv) employment of fully-developed film-boiling data only for the derivation of the look-up table, (v) a finer subdivision and thus more table entries, (vi) smoother table, and (vii) use of the best of five prediction methods

  20. A framework for consistent estimation of leaf area index, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, and surface albedo from MODIS time-series data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Zhiqiang; Liang, Shunlin; Wang, Jindi

    2015-01-01

    -series MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface reflectance data. If the reflectance data showed snow-free areas, an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) technique was used to estimate leaf area index (LAI) for a two-layer canopy reflectance model (ACRM) by combining predictions from a phenology...... model and the MODIS surface reflectance data. The estimated LAI values were then input into the ACRM to calculate the surface albedo and the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR). For snow-covered areas, the surface albedo was calculated as the underlying vegetation canopy...... albedo plus the weighted distance between the underlying vegetation canopy albedo and the albedo over deep snow. The LAI/FAPAR and surface albedo values estimated using this framework were compared with MODIS collection 5 eight-day 1-km LAI/FAPAR products (MOD15A2) and 500-m surface albedo product (MCD43...

  1. Spatial mapping of leaf area index using hyperspectral remote sensing for hydrological applications with a particular focus on canopy interception

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. H. Bulcock

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available The establishment of commercial forestry plantations in natural grassland vegetation, results in increased transpiration and interception which in turn, results in a streamflow reduction. Methods to quantify this impact typically require LAI as an input into the various equations and process models that are applied. The use of remote sensing technology as a tool to estimate leaf area index (LAI for use in estimating canopy interception is described in this paper. Remote sensing provides a potential solution to effectively monitor the spatial and temporal variability of LAI. This is illustrated using Hyperion hyperspectral imagery and three vegetation indices, namely the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI, soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI and Vogelmann index 1 to estimate LAI in a catchment afforested with Eucalyptus, Pinus and Acacia genera in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands of South Africa. Of the three vegetation indices used in this study, it was found that the Vogelmann index 1 was the most robust index with an R2 and root mean square error (RMSE values of 0.7 and 0.3 respectively. However, both NDVI and SAVI could be used to estimate the LAI of 12 year old Pinus patula accurately. If the interception component is to be quantified independently, estimates of maximum storage capacity and canopy interception are required. Thus, the spatial distribution of LAI in the catchment is used to estimate maximum canopy storage capacity in the study area.

  2. Comprehensive ecosystem model-experiment synthesis using multiple datasets at two temperate forest free-air CO2 enrichment experiments: model performance and compensating biases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walker, Anthony P [ORNL; Hanson, Paul J [ORNL; DeKauwe, Martin G [Macquarie University; Medlyn, Belinda [Macquarie University; Zaehle, S [Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry; Asao, Shinichi [Colorado State University, Fort Collins; Dietze, Michael [University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Hickler, Thomas [Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany; Huntinford, Chris [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom; Iversen, Colleen M [ORNL; Jain, Atul [University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Lomas, Mark [University of Sheffield; Luo, Yiqi [University of Oklahoma; McCarthy, Heather R [Duke University; Parton, William [Colorado State University, Fort Collins; Prentice, I. Collin [Macquarie University; Thornton, Peter E [ORNL; Wang, Shusen [Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS); Wang, Yingping [CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research; Warlind, David [Lund University, Sweden; Weng, Ensheng [University of Oklahoma, Norman; Warren, Jeffrey [ORNL; Woodward, F. Ian [University of Sheffield; Oren, Ram [Duke University; Norby, Richard J [ORNL

    2014-01-01

    Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments provide a remarkable wealth of data to test the sensitivities of terrestrial ecosystem models (TEMs). In this study, a broad set of 11 TEMs were compared to 22 years of data from two contrasting FACE experiments in temperate forests of the south eastern US the evergreen Duke Forest and the deciduous Oak Ridge forest. We evaluated the models' ability to reproduce observed net primary productivity (NPP), transpiration and Leaf Area index (LAI) in ambient CO2 treatments. Encouragingly, many models simulated annual NPP and transpiration within observed uncertainty. Daily transpiration model errors were often related to errors in leaf area phenology and peak LAI. Our analysis demonstrates that the simulation of LAI often drives the simulation of transpiration and hence there is a need to adopt the most appropriate of hypothesis driven methods to simulate and predict LAI. Of the three competing hypotheses determining peak LAI (1) optimisation to maximise carbon export, (2) increasing SLA with canopy depth and (3) the pipe model the pipe model produced LAI closest to the observations. Modelled phenology was either prescribed or based on broader empirical calibrations to climate. In some cases, simulation accuracy was achieved through compensating biases in component variables. For example, NPP accuracy was sometimes achieved with counter-balancing biases in nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen uptake. Combined analysis of parallel measurements aides the identification of offsetting biases; without which over-confidence in model abilities to predict ecosystem function may emerge, potentially leading to erroneous predictions of change under future climates.

  3. NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-CJAC-01-0924 [SEVENS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available CBRC-CJAC-01-0924 ref|NP_713695.1| Heme exporter protein A [Leptospira interrogans ...serovar Lai str. 56601] gb|AAN50713.1|AE011508_10 Heme exporter protein A [Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai str. 56601] NP_713695.1 3.5 22% ...

  4. Testing high spatial resolution WorldView-2 imagery for retrieving the leaf area index

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarantino, Eufemia; Novelli, Antonio; Laterza, Maurizio; Gioia, Andrea

    2015-06-01

    This work analyzes the potentiality of WorldView-2 satellite data for retrieving the Leaf Area Index (LAI) area located in Apulia, the most Eastern region of Italy, overlooking the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Lacking contemporary in-situ measurements, the semi-empiric method of Clevers (1989) (CLAIR model) was chosen as a feasible image-based LAI retrieval method, which is based on an inverse exponential relationship between the LAI and the WDVI (Weighted Difference Vegetation Index) with relation to different land covers. Results were examined in homogeneous land cover classes and compared with values obtained in recent literature.

  5. Climate mitigation from vegetation biophysical feedbacks during the past three decades

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeng, Zhenzhong [Peking Univ., Beijing (China); Piao, Shilong [Peking Univ., Beijing (China); Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Li, Laurent Z. X. [Sorbonne Univ. Paris (France); Zhou, Liming [State Univ. of New York (SUNY), Albany, NY (United States); Ciais, Philippe [Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Wang, Tao [Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Li, Yue [Peking Univ., Beijing (China); Lian, Xu [Peking Univ., Beijing (China); Wood, Eric F. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Friedlingstein, Pierre [Univ. of Exeter (United Kingdom); Mao, Jiafu [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Estes, Lyndon D. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Clark Univ., Worcester, MA (United States); Myneni, Ranga B. [Boston Univ., MA (United States); Peng, Shushi [Peking Univ., Beijing (China); Shi, Xiaoying [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Seneviratne, Sonia I. [ETH Zurich (Switzerland); Wang, Yingping [Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Aspendale, VIC (Australia)

    2017-05-22

    The surface air temperature response to vegetation changes has been studied for the extreme case of land-cover change; yet, it has never been quantified for the slow but persistent increase in leaf area index (LAI) observed over the past 30 years (Earth greening). We isolate the fingerprint of increasing LAI on surface air temperature using a coupled land–atmosphere global climate model prescribed with satellite LAI observations. Furthermore, we found that the global greening has slowed down the rise in global land-surface air temperature by 0.09 ± 0.02 °C since 1982. This net cooling effect is the sum of cooling from increased evapotranspiration (70%), changed atmospheric circulation (44%), decreased shortwave transmissivity (21%), and warming from increased longwave air emissivity (-29%) and decreased albedo (-6%). The global cooling originated from the regions where LAI has increased, including boreal Eurasia, Europe, India, northwest Amazonia, and the Sahel. Increasing LAI did not, but, significantly change surface air temperature in eastern North America and East Asia, where the effects of large-scale atmospheric circulation changes mask local vegetation feedbacks. Overall, the sum of biophysical feedbacks related to the greening of the Earth mitigated 12% of global land-surface warming for the past 30 years.

  6. Clinical Decision-Making in the Treatment of Schizophrenia: Focus on Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludovic Samalin

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to identify clinician characteristics associated with higher prescription rates of long-acting injectable (LAI antipsychotics, as well as the sources that influence medical decision-making regarding the treatment of schizophrenia. We surveyed 202 psychiatrists during six regional French conferences (Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, and Strasbourg. Data on the characteristics of practice, prescription rates of antipsychotic, and information sources about their clinical decisions were collected. Most psychiatrists used second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs, and preferentially an oral formulation, in the treatment of schizophrenia. LAI SGAs were prescribed to 30.4% of schizophrenic patients. The duration and type of practice did not influence the class or formulation of antipsychotics used. The clinicians following the higher percentage of schizophrenic patients were associated with a higher use of LAI antipsychotics and a lower use of oral SGAs. Personal experience, government regulatory approval, and guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia were the three main contributing factors guiding clinicians’ decision-making regarding the treatment of schizophrenia. The more clinicians follow schizophrenic patients, the more they use LAI antipsychotics. The development of specialized programs with top specialists should lead to better use of LAI antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia.

  7. Evaluating the condition of a mangrove forest of the Mexican Pacific based on an estimated leaf area index mapping approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovacs, J M; King, J M L; Flores de Santiago, F; Flores-Verdugo, F

    2009-10-01

    Given the alarming global rates of mangrove forest loss it is important that resource managers have access to updated information regarding both the extent and condition of their mangrove forests. Mexican mangroves in particular have been identified as experiencing an exceptional high annual rate of loss. However, conflicting studies, using remote sensing techniques, of the current state of many of these forests may be hindering all efforts to conserve and manage what remains. Focusing on one such system, the Teacapán-Agua Brava-Las Haciendas estuarine-mangrove complex of the Mexican Pacific, an attempt was made to develop a rapid method of mapping the current condition of the mangroves based on estimated LAI. Specifically, using an AccuPAR LP-80 Ceptometer, 300 indirect in situ LAI measurements were taken at various sites within the black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) dominated forests of the northern section of this system. From this sample, 225 measurements were then used to develop linear regression models based on their relationship with corresponding values derived from QuickBird very high resolution optical satellite data. Specifically, regression analyses of the in situ LAI with both the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the simple ration (SR) vegetation index revealed significant positive relationships [LAI versus NDVI (R (2) = 0.63); LAI versus SR (R (2) = 0.68)]. Moreover, using the remaining sample, further examination of standard errors and of an F test of the residual variances indicated little difference between the two models. Based on the NDVI model, a map of estimated mangrove LAI was then created. Excluding the dead mangrove areas (i.e. LAI = 0), which represented 40% of the total 30.4 km(2) of mangrove area identified in the scene, a mean estimated LAI value of 2.71 was recorded. By grouping the healthy fringe mangrove with the healthy riverine mangrove and by grouping the dwarf mangrove together with the poor condition

  8. Power Consumption Evaluation of Distributed Computing Network Considering Traffic Locality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa, Yukio; Hasegawa, Go; Murata, Masayuki

    When computing resources are consolidated in a few huge data centers, a massive amount of data is transferred to each data center over a wide area network (WAN). This results in increased power consumption in the WAN. A distributed computing network (DCN), such as a content delivery network, can reduce the traffic from/to the data center, thereby decreasing the power consumed in the WAN. In this paper, we focus on the energy-saving aspect of the DCN and evaluate its effectiveness, especially considering traffic locality, i.e., the amount of traffic related to the geographical vicinity. We first formulate the problem of optimizing the DCN power consumption and describe the DCN in detail. Then, numerical evaluations show that, when there is strong traffic locality and the router has ideal energy proportionality, the system's power consumption is reduced to about 50% of the power consumed in the case where a DCN is not used; moreover, this advantage becomes even larger (up to about 30%) when the data center is located farthest from the center of the network topology.

  9. Status and Trends in Networking at LHC Tier1 Facilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobyshev, A.; DeMar, P.; Grigaliunas, V.; Bigrow, J.; Hoeft, B.; Reymund, A.

    2012-12-01

    The LHC is entering its fourth year of production operation. Most Tier1 facilities have been in operation for almost a decade, when development and ramp-up efforts are included. LHC's distributed computing model is based on the availability of high capacity, high performance network facilities for both the WAN and LAN data movement, particularly within the Tier1 centers. As a result, the Tier1 centers tend to be on the leading edge of data center networking technology. In this paper, we analyze past and current developments in Tier1 LAN networking, as well as extrapolating where we anticipate networking technology is heading. Our analysis will include examination into the following areas: • Evolution of Tier1 centers to their current state • Evolving data center networking models and how they apply to Tier1 centers • Impact of emerging network technologies (e.g. 10GE-connected hosts, 40GE/100GE links, IPv6) on Tier1 centers • Trends in WAN data movement and emergence of software-defined WAN network capabilities • Network virtualization

  10. Status and Trends in Networking at LHC Tier1 Facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bobyshev, A; DeMar, P; Grigaliunas, V; Bigrow, J; Hoeft, B; Reymund, A

    2012-01-01

    The LHC is entering its fourth year of production operation. Most Tier1 facilities have been in operation for almost a decade, when development and ramp-up efforts are included. LHC's distributed computing model is based on the availability of high capacity, high performance network facilities for both the WAN and LAN data movement, particularly within the Tier1 centers. As a result, the Tier1 centers tend to be on the leading edge of data center networking technology. In this paper, we analyze past and current developments in Tier1 LAN networking, as well as extrapolating where we anticipate networking technology is heading. Our analysis will include examination into the following areas: • Evolution of Tier1 centers to their current state • Evolving data center networking models and how they apply to Tier1 centers • Impact of emerging network technologies (e.g. 10GE-connected hosts, 40GE/100GE links, IPv6) on Tier1 centers • Trends in WAN data movement and emergence of software-defined WAN network capabilities • Network virtualization

  11. Status and trends in networking at LHC Tier1 facilities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bobyshev, A. [Fermilab; DeMar, P. [Fermilab; Grigaliunas, V. [Fermilab; Bigrow, J. [Brookhaven; Hoeft, B. [KIT, Karlsruhe; Reymund, A. [KIT, Karlsruhe

    2012-06-22

    The LHC is entering its fourth year of production operation. Most Tier1 facilities have been in operation for almost a decade, when development and ramp-up efforts are included. LHC's distributed computing model is based on the availability of high capacity, high performance network facilities for both the WAN and LAN data movement, particularly within the Tier1 centers. As a result, the Tier1 centers tend to be on the leading edge of data center networking technology. In this paper, we analyze past and current developments in Tier1 LAN networking, as well as extrapolating where we anticipate networking technology is heading. Our analysis will include examination into the following areas: Evolution of Tier1 centers to their current state Evolving data center networking models and how they apply to Tier1 centers Impact of emerging network technologies (e.g. 10GE-connected hosts, 40GE/100GE links, IPv6) on Tier1 centers Trends in WAN data movement and emergence of software-defined WAN network capabilities Network virtualization

  12. Dynamical Downscaling of GCM Simulations: Toward the Improvement of Forecast Bias over California

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chin, H S

    2008-09-24

    The effects of climate change will mostly be felt on local to regional scales. However, global climate models (GCMs) are unable to produce reliable climate information on the scale needed to assess regional climate-change impacts and variability as a result of coarse grid resolution and inadequate model physics though their capability is improving. Therefore, dynamical and statistical downscaling (SD) methods have become popular methods for filling the gap between global and local-to-regional climate applications. Recent inter-comparison studies of these downscaling techniques show that both downscaling methods have similar skill in simulating the mean and variability of present climate conditions while they show significant differences for future climate conditions (Leung et al., 2003). One difficulty with the SD method is that it relies on predictor-predict and relationships, which may not hold in future climate conditions. In addition, it is now commonly accepted that the dynamical downscaling with the regional climate model (RCM) is more skillful at the resolving orographic climate effect than the driving coarser-grid GCM simulations. To assess the possible societal impacts of climate changes, many RCMs have been developed and used to provide a better projection of future regional-scale climates for guiding policies in economy, ecosystem, water supply, agriculture, human health, and air quality (Giorgi et al., 1994; Leung and Ghan, 1999; Leung et al., 2003; Liang et al., 2004; Kim, 2004; Duffy et al., 2006). Although many regional climate features, such as seasonal mean and extreme precipitation have been successfully captured in these RCMs, obvious biases of simulated precipitation remain, particularly the winter wet bias commonly seen in mountain regions of the Western United States. The importance of regional climate research over California is not only because California has the largest population in the nation, but California has one of the most

  13. International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) symposium on Aerothermodynamics in Combustors Held in Taipei, Taiwan on 3-5 June 1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-06-01

    industries and spur the development of technology-intensive industries. Production technology and management will be upgraded to offset rising la- bor...s) at 53mm j The financial support of the Ministry of Defence at RAE .... C(s) at 56am Pyestock and the efforts of Mr. K.M. Leung In the modelling 2E...inderstood. Therefore the auithors’ instituite is Frteivsiaino ibtetcmuto involved in hydrogen combutstion research for nearly Feivor thinsgto of wiiii y

  14. Seasonal variability of leaf area index and foliar nitrogen in contrasting dry-mesic tundras

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Campioli, Matteo; Michelsen, Anders; Lemeur, Raoul

    2009-01-01

    Assimilation and exchange of carbon for arctic ecosystems depend strongly on leaf area index (LAI) and total foliar nitrogen (TFN). For dry-mesic tundras, the seasonality of these characteristics is unexplored. We addressed this knowledge gap by measuring variations of LAI and TFN at five contras...

  15. Tantsuteater ütleb oma ruumidele hüvasti / Andres Laasik

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Laasik, Andres, 1960-2016

    2011-01-01

    Tantsuteatri Fine 5 uuest tantsulavastusest "Enne kui minna, ma ütlen", mis tähistab teatri sunnitud lahkumist Tallinnas Lai t. 9 asuvatest ruumidest. Tantsuteatri Fine 5 eestvedajad Tiina Ollesk ja René Nõmmik Lai t. 9 asuva hoone seisukorrast, sinna kolimisest, teatrist, uute ruumide otsingust

  16. Aspects of vibrio parahaemolyticus(SAK) in fish preservation by irradiation 1. The presence of vibrio parahaemolyticus(SAK) in coastal areas of Sumatra and Java

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suhadi, F.

    1984-01-01

    A study was carried out on the presence of vibrio parahaemolyticus in samples of sediment and seafoods originating from the eastern coast of Sumatra and the north coastal areas of Java. In a total of 2.434 samples of sediment and seafoods, 79 (3,3%) were found to contain vibrio parahaemolyticus. Among the 467 sediment samples, 1.650 fish, 133 shellfish, 123 shrimps, and 61 crab samples, 22 (4.7%), 41 (2.5%), 12 (9.0%), 2 (1,6%) and 2 (3.3%) were positive for vibrio parahaemolyticus, respectively. Based on the sampling areas, the high incidence of vibrio parahaemolyticus was found in samples collected from Riau (5.4%), while the samples from East Java was only about 0.4%. The contamination level of vibrio parahaemolyticus in samples collected from coastal areas of Sumatra and Java is relatively lower compared with the data obtained from some other coastal areas in the United States and Japan. (author)

  17. Sugarcane leaf area estimate obtained from the corrected Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Moura Pereira

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Large farmland areas and the knowledge on the interaction between solar radiation and vegetation canopies have increased the use of data from orbital remote sensors in sugarcane monitoring. However, the constituents of the atmosphere affect the reflectance values obtained by imaging sensors. This study aimed at improving a sugarcane Leaf Area Index (LAI estimation model, concerning the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI subjected to atmospheric correction. The model generated by the NDVI with atmospheric correction showed the best results (R2 = 0.84; d = 0.95; MAE = 0.44; RMSE = 0.55, in relation to the other models compared. LAI estimation with this model, during the sugarcane plant cycle, reached a maximum of 4.8 at the vegetative growth phase and 2.3 at the end of the maturation phase. Thus, the use of atmospheric correction to estimate the sugarcane LAI is recommended, since this procedure increases the correlations between the LAI estimated by image and by plant parameters.

  18. Leaf area index retrieval using Hyperion EO-1 data-based vegetation indices in Himalayan forest system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Dharmendra; Singh, Sarnam

    2016-04-01

    Present Study is being taken to retrieve Leaf Area Indexn(LAI) in Himalayan forest system using vegetation indices developed from Hyperion EO-1 hyperspectral data. Hemispherical photograph were captured in the month of March and April, 2012 at 40 locations, covering moist tropical Sal forest, subtropical Bauhinia and pine forest and temperate Oak forest and analysed using an open source GLA software. LAI in the study region was ranging in between 0.076 m2/m2 to 6.00 m2/m2. These LAI values were used to develop spectral models with the FLAASH corrected Hyperion measurements.Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used taking spectral reflectance values of all the possible combinations of 170 atmospherically corrected channels. The R2 was ranging from lowest 0.0 to highest 0.837 for the band combinations of spectral region 640 nm and 670 nm. The spectral model obtained was, spectral reflectance (y) = 0.02x LAI(x) - 0.0407.

  19. Predictive factors of overall functioning improvement in patients with chronic schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder treated with paliperidone palmitate and aripiprazole monohydrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girardi, Paolo; Del Casale, Antonio; Rapinesi, Chiara; Kotzalidis, Georgios D; Splendori, Francesca; Verzura, Claudio; Trovini, Giada; Sorice, Serena; Carrus, Dario; Mancinelli, Iginia; Comparelli, Anna; De Filippis, Sergio; Francomano, Antonio; Ballerini, Andrea; Marcellusi, Andrea; Mennini, Francesco S; Ducci, Giuseppe; Sani, Gabriele; Pompili, Maurizio; Brugnoli, Roberto

    2018-05-01

    Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics can improve medication adherence and reduce hospitalisation rates compared with oral treatments. Paliperidone palmitate (PAL) and aripiprazole monohydrate (ARI) LAI treatments were associated with improvements in global functioning in patients with schizophrenia. The objective of this study was to assess the predictive factors of better overall functioning in patients with chronic schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder treated with PAL and ARI. Enrolled were 143 (97 males, 46 females, mean age 38.24 years, SD = 12.65) patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, whom we allocated in two groups (PAL and ARI treatments). We assessed global functioning, amount of oral medications, adherence to oral treatment, and number of hospitalisations before LAI introduction and at assessment time point. Longer treatment time with LAIs (p schizoaffective disorder. Better improvement in functioning could be achieved with ARI in young individuals with recent illness onset and PAL in patients at risk for recurrent hospitalisations. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. LoRa Scalability: A Simulation Model Based on Interference Measurements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jetmir Haxhibeqiri

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available LoRa is a long-range, low power, low bit rate and single-hop wireless communication technology. It is intended to be used in Internet of Things (IoT applications involving battery-powered devices with low throughput requirements. A LoRaWAN network consists of multiple end nodes that communicate with one or more gateways. These gateways act like a transparent bridge towards a common network server. The amount of end devices and their throughput requirements will have an impact on the performance of the LoRaWAN network. This study investigates the scalability in terms of the number of end devices per gateway of single-gateway LoRaWAN deployments. First, we determine the intra-technology interference behavior with two physical end nodes, by checking the impact of an interfering node on a transmitting node. Measurements show that even under concurrent transmission, one of the packets can be received under certain conditions. Based on these measurements, we create a simulation model for assessing the scalability of a single gateway LoRaWAN network. We show that when the number of nodes increases up to 1000 per gateway, the losses will be up to 32%. In such a case, pure Aloha will have around 90% losses. However, when the duty cycle of the application layer becomes lower than the allowed radio duty cycle of 1%, losses will be even lower. We also show network scalability simulation results for some IoT use cases based on real data.