Satellite navigation for meteorological purposes: Inverse referencing for NOAA-N and ERS-1 imagers with a 1 km nadir pixel size

Iterative methods for inverse referencing from mean orbital elements or osculating position and velocity, accounting for all necessary orbital perturbations with respect to given nadir pixel size, are described. [Inverse referencing means that the geodetic coordinates of a point on the surface are given and the corresponding image coordinates (scan line number and pixel number) are obtained from satellite orbital elements or coordinates.] The idea is to treat a pixel like a satellite tracking station on the ground. This permits the use of existing software for the computation of satellite ephemerides and orbit determination. The time of culmination of a satellite over the pixel and the off-nadir angle at that moment have been computed. Two variants for such a computation have been tested. Numerical results for the NOAA-N meteorological satellites and ERS-1 are presented. The present state of our software for inverse referencing should fulfil ordinary requirements posed by meteorologists. For NOAA-N satellites, the accuracy achieved roughly the nadir pixel size. The main obstacle to an increase in accuracy is the low quality of the mean orbital elements usually available. For ERS-1, the accuracy may achieve a level of 100 m. A software package, containing versions of the FORTRAN 77 programs PIXPO 3, PIXPO 4 and PIXPOSC, for various data types, including US-2 line or TBUS mean elements or a state vector, is available for scientific exchange. © 1994

HUMIC ACIDS CHARACTERIZATION BY EDXS AND 13 C NMR SPECTROSCOPY

Abstract POSPÍŠILOVÁ, Ľ., FASUROVÁ, N., LIPTAJ, T., JURICA, L.: Humic acids characterization by EDXS and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. Acta univ. agric. et silvic. Mendel. Brun., 2010, LVIII, No. 1, pp. 139-146 Determination of humic acids spectral characteristics performed fast and convenient method for their quality evaluation. Humic acids (HA) were isolated from fi ve diff erent soil types (Luvi-haplic Chernozem, Haplic Luvisol, Haplic Cambisol, Leptic Cambisol and Eutric Cambisol) and from compost. Basic soil characteristics were determined by commonly used methods. Fractional compositon of humus showed that humic acids content was decreasing in order: compost > Luvi-haplic Chernozem > Haplic Luvisol > Eutric Cambisol > Haplic Cambisol > Leptic Cambisol. Isolated humic acids preparations were characterized comparatively by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Elemental analysis showed the highest carbon content in Luvi-haplic Chernozem HA. The lowest carbon amount was in Eutric Cambisol. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detected elements in situ in HA molecule

Characterization of the severe phenotype of pyruvate kinase deficiency

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162766/2/ajh25926.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162766/1/ajh25926_am.pd

A novel system for spatial and temporal imaging of intrinsic plant water use efficiency

Instrumentation and methods for rapid screening and selection of plants with improved water use efficiency are essential to address current issues of global food and fuel security. A new imaging system that combines chlorophyll fluorescence and thermal imaging has been developed to generate images of assimilation rate (A), stomatal conductance (gs), and intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) from whole plants or leaves under controlled environmental conditions. This is the first demonstration of the production of images of WUEi and the first to determine images of gs from themography at the whole-plant scale. Data are presented illustrating the use of this system for rapidly and non-destructively screening plants for alterations in WUEi by comparing Arabidopsis thaliana mutants (OST1-1) that have altered WUEi driven by open stomata, with wild-type plants. This novel instrument not only provides the potential to monitor multiple plants simultaneously, but enables intra- and interspecies variation to be taken into account both spatially and temporally. The ability to measure A, gs, and WUEi progressively was developed to facilitate and encourage the development of new dynamic protocols. Images illustrating the instrument's dynamic capabilities are demonstrated by analysing plant responses to changing photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Applications of this system will augment the research community's need for novel screening methods to identify rapidly novel lines, cultivars, or species with improved A and WUEi in order to meet the current demands on modern agriculture and food production. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology

Complete Genome Sequence of Treponema paraluiscuniculi, Strain Cuniculi A: The Loss of Infectivity to Humans Is Associated with Genome Decay

Treponema paraluiscuniculi is the causative agent of rabbit venereal spirochetosis. It is not infectious to humans, although its genome structure is very closely related to other pathogenic Treponema species including Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum, the etiological agent of syphilis. In this study, the genome sequence of Treponema paraluiscuniculi, strain Cuniculi A, was determined by a combination of several high-throughput sequencing strategies. Whereas the overall size (1,133,390 bp), arrangement, and gene content of the Cuniculi A genome closely resembled those of the T. pallidum genome, the T. paraluiscuniculi genome contained a markedly higher number of pseudogenes and gene fragments (51). In addition to pseudogenes, 33 divergent genes were also found in the T. paraluiscuniculi genome. A set of 32 (out of 84) affected genes encoded proteins of known or predicted function in the Nichols genome. These proteins included virulence factors, gene regulators and components of DNA repair and recombination. The majority (52 or 61.9%) of the Cuniculi A pseudogenes and divergent genes were of unknown function. Our results indicate that T. paraluiscuniculi has evolved from a T. pallidum-like ancestor and adapted to a specialized host-associated niche (rabbits) during loss of infectivity to humans. The genes that are inactivated or altered in T. paraluiscuniculi are candidates for virulence factors important in the infectivity and pathogenesis of T. pallidum subspecies

Whole Genome Sequences of Three Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue Strains: Yaws and Syphilis Treponemes Differ in Less than 0.2% of the Genome Sequence

Spirochete Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue (TPE) is the causative agent of yaws while strains of Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum (TPA) cause syphilis. Both yaws and syphilis are distinguished on the basis of epidemiological characteristics and clinical symptoms. Neither treponeme can reproduce outside the host organism, which precludes the use of standard molecular biology techniques used to study cultivable pathogens. In this study, we determined high quality whole genome sequences of TPE strains and compared them to known genetic information for T. pallidum ssp. pallidum strains. The genome structure was identical in all three TPE strains and also between TPA and TPE strains. The TPE genome length ranged between 1,139,330 bp and 1,139,744 bp. The overall sequence identity between TPA and TPE genomes was 99.8%, indicating that the two pathogens are extremely closely related. A set of 34 TPE genes (3.5%) encoded proteins containing six or more amino acid replacements or other major sequence changes. These genes more often belonged to the group of genes with predicted virulence and unknown functions suggesting their involvement in infection differences between yaws and syphilis

Oznaczanie pierwiastków za pomocą atomowej spektrometrii absorpcyjnej i spektrometrii rentgenowskiej energii rozproszonej w próbkach kwasów huminowych oraz gleby

Determination of various elements in humic acids and soil samples is important with regard to their biological availability. This work was focused on the identification of trace elements presented in soil samples and humic acids preparates. The object of our study was the samples of grassland soil classified according to FAO as Eutric Cambisol (locality Vatín, Czech-Moravian Upland). Labile and total several element contents in the studied samples were determined. The labile forms were measured in the 0.01 M CaCl2 extract by using high resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometer. Total element contents were determined after extraction in aqua regia. Basic soil properties were measured by commonly used methods - soil reaction and conductivity by potentiometric method, texture by pipette method, CEC according to Kappen method and Cox by titrimetric oxidation. Soil humic acids (HA) were isolated according to standard IHSS method. Elemental composition of HA was determined by CHSN/O analyzer. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy allowed us to detect elements in situ in HA molecule and following elements were found: Fe, Cu, Zn, Ti, Ca, K, S, P, Si and Br. The presence of mentioned elements in humic acids preparates was compared with the determined amounts of labile forms and total contents in the soil samples

MANUAL TOOTHBRUSHES - BRISTLES QUALITY

Introduction: Today's market offers to users a large number of manual toothbrushes in attractive colors, different head designs, handles, bristle cuts as well as softness, and various prices too. However, is an expensive, ecological, or brightly coloured toothbrush of a good quality and does it not harm us? A quality toothbrush is defined as a toothbrush whose bristles do not damage the gums or hard dental tissues. This study is focused on the quality of bristle ends processing. The aim is to show the reader and compare the bristle quality of six different products sold on our market.Methods: Six toothbrushes from six different manufacturers were selected for this study: A. Curaprox 5460; B. Dr.Max PRO32 Extra soft 5400; C. Tepe Compact x - soft; D. Spokar X 5500 Ultrasoft; E. SOFTdent ECO Ultrasoft; F. Elmex Ultrasoft. Brushes were selected with the same parameters such as straight cutting and softness of the bristles. The quality of brush bristle ends was detected using stereo microscopyand electron microscopy.Results: The selected manual brushes show a large discrepancy in the quality of the processing of the bristles not only in the comparison amongst the observed brushes, but the quality of the bristles is not consistent even within one observation of a single brush.Conclusion: The observation clearly demonstrated a significantly higher quality of the bristles processing of the Tepe Compact x - soft brush compared to other brushes