Features of stratospheric aerosol lidar observations at Mauna Loa, 1974 - 1985

Lidar observations of the stratospheric aerosol over Mauna Loa were begun in the fall of 1974 and have continued to the present. An analysis of these observations has yielded interesting features of the stratospheric aerosol profile that change according to perturbed (from volcanic activity) and quiescent conditions. In the Mauna Loa lidar record there are two major perturbations that are contrasted, Fuego and El Chichon. The variations in relative aerosol cloud thickness, altitude of the maximum concentration and nonsymmetry are compared for the quiescent and perturbed time periods. Also, a climatology of annual average aerosol profiles is descrbied. A brief description will be given of procedures used to validate the lidar optical thickness information

Prosecutorial Misconduct in Closing Argument

Prosecutorial misconduct in closing argument is increasing in frequency and appears to be perniciously resistant to eradication. Because of its potentially disastrous effects2 upon a criminal trial, it demands the attention of prosecutors and the defense bar alike

A critical appraisal of “Impact of intensive upper limb rehabilitation on quality of life: a randomized trial in children with unilateral cerebral palsy”

This article examines the strengths and weaknesses of the study, “Impact of intensive upper limb rehabilitation on quality of life: a randomized trial in children with unilateral cerebral palsy”. Furthermore, the clinical implications of the study are also discussed

Differential response to resistance training in CHF according to ACE genotype

The Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) gene may influence the risk of heart disease and the response to various forms of exercise training may be at least partly dependent on the ACE genotype. We aimed to determine the effect of ACE genotype on the response to moderate intensity circuit resistance training in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. Methods: The relationship between ACE genotype and the response to 11 weeks of resistance exercise training was determined in 37 CHF patients (New York Heart Association Functional Class=2.3±0.5; left ventricular ejection fraction 28±7%; age 64±12 years; 32:5 male:female) who were randomised to either resistance exercise (n=19) or inactive control group (n=18). Outcome measures included V˙ O2peak, peak power output and muscle strength and endurance. ACE genotype was determined using standard methods. Results: At baseline, patients who were homozygous for the I allele had higher V˙ O2peak (p=0.02) and peak power (p=0.003) compared to patients who were homozygous for the D allele. Patients with the D allele, who were randomised to resistance training, compared to non-exercising controls, had greater peak power increases (ID pb0.001; DD pb0.001) when compared with patients homozygous for the I allele, who did not improve. No significant genotype-dependent changes were observed in V˙ O2peak, muscle strength, muscle endurance or lactate threshold. Conclusion: ACE genotype may have a role in exercise tolerance in CHF and could also influence the effectiveness of resistance training in this condition

Radiative forcing from the 1991 Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption

Volcanic sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere produce significant long-term solar and infrared radiative perturbations in the Earth's atmosphere and at the surface, which cause a response of the climate system. Here we study the fundamental process of the development of this volcanic radiative forcing, focusing on the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines on June 15, 1991. We develop a spectral-, space-, and time-dependent set of aerosol parameters for 2 years after the Pinatubo eruption using a combination of SAGE II aerosol extinctions and UARS-retrieved effective radii, supported by SAM II, AVHRR, lidar and balloon observations. Using these data, we calculate the aerosol radiative forcing with the ECHAM4 general circulation model (GCM) for cases with climatological and observed sea surface temperature (SST), as well as with and without climate response. We find that the aerosol radiative forcing is not sensitive to the climate variations caused by SST or the atmospheric response to the aerosols, except in regions with varying dense cloudiness. The solar forcing in the near infrared contributes substantially to the total stratospheric heating. A complete formulation of radiative forcing should include not only changes of net fluxes at the tropopause but also the vertical distribution of atmospheric heating rates and the change of downward thermal and net solar radiative fluxes at the surface. These forcing and aerosol data are available for GCM experiments with any spatial and spectral resolution. Copyright 1998 by the American Geophysical Union

Repetitive, Marker-Free, Site-Specific Integration as a Novel Tool for Multiple Chromosomal Integration of DNA

We present a tool for repetitive, marker-free, site-specific integration in Lactococcus lactis, in which a nonreplicating plasmid vector (pKV6) carrying a phage attachment site (attP) can be integrated into a bacterial attachment site (attB). The novelty of the tool described here is the inclusion of a minimal bacterial attachment site (attB(min)), two mutated loxP sequences (lox66 and lox71) allowing for removal of undesirable vector elements (antibiotic resistance marker), and a counterselection marker (oroP) for selection of loxP recombination on the pKV6 vector. When transformed into L. lactis expressing the phage TP901-1 integrase, pKV6 integrates with high frequency into the chromosome, where it is flanked by attL and attR hybrid attachment sites. After expression of Cre recombinase from a plasmid that is not able to replicate in L. lactis, loxP recombinants can be selected for by using 5-fluoroorotic acid. The introduced attB(min) site can subsequently be used for a second round of integration. To examine if attP recombination was specific to the attB site, integration was performed in strains containing the attB, attL, and attR sites or the attL and attR sites only. Only attP-attB recombination was observed when all three sites were present. In the absence of the attB site, a low frequency of attP-attL recombination was observed. To demonstrate the functionality of the system, the xylose utilization genes (xylABR and xylT) from L. lactis strain KF147 were integrated into the chromosome of L. lactis strain MG1363 in two steps