Investigation of the role of thermal boundary layer processes in initiating convection under the NASA SPACE Field Program

The current NWS ground based network is not sufficient to capture the dynamic or thermodynamic structure leading to the initiation and organization of air mass moist convective events. Under this investigation we intend to use boundary layer mesoscale models (McNider and Pielke, 1981) to examine the dynamic triggering of convection due to topography and surface thermal contrasts. VAS and MAN's estimates of moisture will be coupled with the dynamic solution to provide an estimate of the total convective potential. Visible GOES images will be used to specify incoming insolation which may lead to surface thermal contrasts and JR skin temperatures will be used to estimate surface moisture (via the surface thermal inertia) (Weizel and Chang, 1988) which can also induce surface thermal contrasts. We will use the SPACE-COHMEX data base to evaluate the ability of the joint mesoscale model satellite products to show skill in predicting the development of air mass convection. We will develop images of model vertical velocity and satellite thermodynamic measures to derive images of predicted convective potential. We will then after suitable geographic registration carry out a pixel by pixel correlation between the model/satellite convective potential and the 'truth' which are the visible images. During the first half of the first year of this investigation we have concentrated on two aspects of the project. The first has been in generating vertical velocity fields from the model for COHMEX case days. We have taken June 19 as the first case and have run the mesoscale model at several different grid resolutions. We are currently developing the composite model/satellite convective image. The second aspect has been the attempted calibration of the surface energy budget to provide the proper horizontal thermal contrasts for convective initiation. We have made extensive progress on this aspect using the FIFE data as a test data set. The calibration technique looks very promising

MULTI-PLANAR ANALYSIS OF THE TRADITIONAL BACK SQUAT AND SMITH MACHINE BACK SQUAT

This study evaluated the kinetic differences between the traditional back squat (T-BS) and Smith machine back squat (SM-BS) performed at a variety of loads. Ten subjects were tested in six conditions including the T-BS and SM-BS each performed at 50%, 80%, and 100% of the subject’s five repetition maximum load on a force platform. The analysis of vertical ground reaction forces (GRF) revealed significant main effects for exercise load (p ≤ 0.001) but not for squat condition or the interaction of load and squat condition (p \u3e 0.05). The analysis of sagittal plane GRF revealed significant main effects for exercise load (p ≤ 0.05), squat condition (p ≤ 0.001), and the interaction between load and condition (p ≤ 0.05). The analysis of frontal plane GRF revealed no main effects (p \u3e 0.05). The SM-BS offers the user a resistance stimuli in the sagittal plane against which the exerciser can produce greater sagittal force

Assimilation of Satellite Data in Regional Air Quality Models

In terms of important uncertainty in regional-scale air-pollution models, probably no other aspect ranks any higher than the current ability to specify clouds and soil moisture on the regional scale. Because clouds in models are highly parameterized, the ability of models to predict the correct spatial and radiative characteristics is highly suspect and subject to large error. The poor representation of cloud fields from point measurements at National Weather Services stations and the almost total absence of surface moisture availability observations has made assimilation of these variables difficult to impossible. Yet, the correct inclusion of clouds and surface moisture are of first-order importance in regional-scale photochemistry

Identification and characterization of an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas putida KT2440 that shows preference towards medium to long chain length fatty acids

Diverse and elaborate pathways for nutrient utilization, as well as mechanisms to combat unfavourable nutrient conditions make Pseudomonas putida KT2440 a versatile micro-organism able to occupy a range of ecological niches. The fatty acid degradation pathway of P. putida is complex and correlated with biopolymer medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) biosynthesis. Little is known about the second step of fatty acid degradation (beta-oxidation) in this strain. In silico analysis of its genome sequence revealed 21 putative acyl-CoA dehydrogenases (ACADs), four of which were functionally characterized through mutagenesis studies. Four mutants with insertionally inactivated ACADs (PP_1893, PP_2039, PP_2048 and PP_2437) grew and accumulated mcl-PHA on a range of fatty acids as the sole source of carbon and energy. Their ability to grow and accumulate biopolymer was differentially negatively affected on various fatty acids, in comparison to the wild-type strain. Inactive PP_2437 exhibited a pattern of reduced growth and PHA accumulation when fatty acids with lengths of 10 to 14 carbon chains were used as substrates. Recombinant expression and biochemical characterization of the purified protein allowed functional annotation in P. putida KT2440 as an ACAD showing clear preference for dodecanoyl-CoA ester as a substrate and optimum activity at 30 degrees C and pH 6.5-7

KINETIC AND SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF KNEE ROLLERS, HANDS FREE CRUTCH, AND CONVENTIONAL CRUTCHES

This study assessed the kinetic demands of ambulatory assistance devices and the subject’s perceptions of each. Twelve subjects used a knee roller (KR), a hands free crutch (HFC), and conventional axillary crutches (CC), while walking over a force platform. Ground reaction forces (GRF) were obtained for each device for the unaffected and the affected limb. Significant differences in GRF for each device were found for each limb (p ≤ 0.001). No gender interaction was found (p \u3e 0.05). The GRF of the un-affected limb was highest for the CC and lowest for the KR (p ≤ 0.05). The GRF of the affected limb was higher for the KR compared to the HFC (p =.045). For the unaffected limb, the CC produced 45% more kinetic demand than the KR, and 11% more than the HFC. However, the qualitative analysis suggested that the CC and KR were favored over the HFC

Characteristics of Female Genital Restoration Surgery for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Using a Large-scale Administrative Database

Objective To analyze nationwide information on the timing of surgical procedures, cost of surgery, hospital length of stay following surgery, and surgical complications of female genital restoration surgery (FGRS) in females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Materials and Methods We used the Pediatric Health Information System database to identify patients with CAH who underwent their initial FGRS in 2004-2014. These patients were identified by an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) diagnosis code for adrenogenital disorders (255.2) in addition to a vaginal ICD-9 procedure code (70.x, excluding vaginoscopy only) or perineal ICD-9 procedure code (71.x), which includes clitoral operations (71.4). Results A total of 544 (11.8%) females underwent FGRS between 2004 and 2014. Median age at initial surgery was 9.9 months (interquartile range 6.8-19.1 months). Ninety-two percent underwent a vaginal procedure, 48% underwent a clitoral procedure, and 85% underwent a perineal procedure (non-clitoral). The mean length of stay was 2.5 days (standard deviation 2.5 days). The mean cost of care was $12,258 (median$9,558). Thirty-day readmission rate was 13.8%. Two percent underwent reoperation before discharge, and 1 (0.2%) was readmitted for a reoperation within 30 days. Four percent had a perioperative surgical complication. Conclusion Overall, 12% of girls with CAH underwent FGRS at one of a national collaborative of freestanding children's hospitals. The majority underwent a vaginoplasty as a part of their initial FGRS for CAH. Clitoroplasty was performed on less than half the patients. Overall, FGRS for CAH is performed at a median age of 10 months and has low 30-day complication and immediate reoperation rates

Supplementary data for article: Casey, W. T.; Nikodinović-Runić, J.; Fonseca Garcia, P.; Guzik, M. W.; McGrath, J. W.; Quinn, J. P.; Cagney, G.; Auxiliadora Prieto, M.; O’Connor, K. E. The Effect of Polyphosphate Kinase Gene Deletion on Polyhydroxyalkanoate Accumulation and Carbon Metabolism in Pseudomonas Putida KT2440. Environmental Microbiology Reports 2013, 5 (5), 740–746. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.12076

Supporting information for: [https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.12076]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1408]Related to accepted version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3553

Shared Multidrug Resistance Patterns in Chicken-Associated Escherichia coli Identified by Association Rule Mining

Using multiple antimicrobials in food animals may incubate genetically-linked multidrug-resistance (MDR) in enteric bacteria, which can contaminate meat at slaughter. The U.S. National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System tested 14,418 chicken-associated Escherichia coli between 2004 and 2012 for resistance to 15 antimicrobials, resulting in >32,000 possible MDR patterns. We analyzed MDR patterns in this dataset with association rule mining, also called market-basket analysis. The association rules were pruned with four quality measures resulting in a <1% false-discovery rate. MDR rules were more stable across consecutive years than between slaughter and retail. Rules were decomposed into networks with antimicrobials as nodes and rules as edges. A strong subnetwork of beta-lactam resistance existed in each year and the beta-lactam resistances also had strong associations with sulfisoxazole, gentamicin, streptomycin and tetracycline resistances. The association rules concur with previously identified E. coli resistance patterns but provide significant flexibility for studying MDR in large datasets