Estimating sunspot number

An empirical method is developed to predict certain parameters of future solar activity cycles. Sunspot cycle statistics are examined, and curve fitting and linear regression analysis techniques are utilized

Research in psychobiology

Research in brain-behavior relationships, perception and learning, and comparative and developmental psycholog

Winter Survival and Physiology of Contrasting Fall Dormancy Selections of Alfalfa

Our objective was to determine the physiological changes that accompany selection from within a germplasm for contrasting fall dormancy reaction. Selection for greater fall dormancy improved winter survival of CUF 101 from 1 to 93%. The more fall dormant CUF 101 had higher sugar concentrations in buds and roots. Roots of the more fall dormant CUF 101 also contained higher soluble protein concentrations when compared to the other CUF 101 germplasms. Root protein extracts obtained in Dec. from the more fall dormant CUF 101 contained at least one polypeptide not found in protein extracts of the other CUF 101 germplasms. Efforts to characterize changes in gene expression that accompany winter hardening of these germplasms are underway

Reversal of hepatorenal syndrome type 1 with terlipressin plus albumin vs. placebo plus albumin in a pooled analysis of the OT-0401 and REVERSE randomised clinical studies

Background The goal of hepatorenal syndrome type 1 (HRS-1) treatment is to improve renal function. Terlipressin, a synthetic vasopressin analogue, is a systemic vasoconstrictor used for the treatment of HRS-1, where it is available. Aim To compare the efficacy of terlipressin plus albumin vs. placebo plus albumin in patients with HRS-1. Methods Pooled patient-level data from two large phase 3, randomised, placebo-controlled studies were analysed for HRS reversal [serum creatinine (SCr) value ≤133 μmol/L], 90-day survival, need for renal replacement therapy and predictors of HRS reversal. Patients received intravenous terlipressin 1–2 mg every 6 hours plus albumin or placebo plus albumin up to 14 days. Results The pooled analysis comprised 308 patients (terlipressin: n = 153; placebo: n = 155). HRS reversal was significantly more frequent with terlipressin vs. placebo (27% vs. 14%; P = 0.004). Terlipressin was associated with a more significant improvement in renal function from baseline until end of treatment, with a mean between-group difference in SCr concentration of −53.0 μmol/L (P \u3c 0.0001). Lower SCr, lower mean arterial pressure and lower total bilirubin and absence of known precipitating factors for HRS were independent predictors of HRS reversal and longer survival in terlipressin-treated patients. Conclusions Terlipressin plus albumin resulted in a significantly higher rate of HRS reversal vs. albumin alone in patients with HRS-1. Terlipressin treatment is associated with improved renal function

Observation of the impulsive phase of a simple flare

We present a broad range of complementary observations of the onset and impulsive phase of a fairly large (1B, M1.2) but simple two-ribbon flare. The observations consist of hard X-ray flux measured by the SMM HXRBS, high-sensitivity measurements of microwave flux at 22 GHz from Itapetinga Radio Observatory, sequences of spectroheliograms in UV emission lines from Ov (T ≈ 2 × 10⁵ K) and FeXXI (T ≈ 1 × 10⁷ K) from the SMM UVSP, Hα and HeI D₃ cine-filtergrams from Big Bear Solar Observatory, and a magnetogram of the flare region from the MSFC Solar Observatory. From these data we conclude: (1) The overall magnetic field configuration in which the flare occurred was a fairly simple, closed arch containing nonpotential substructure. (2) The flare occurred spontaneously within the arch; it was not triggered by emerging magnetic flux. (3) The impulsive energy release occurred in two major spikes. The second spike took place within the flare arch heated in the first spike, but was concentrated on a different subset of field lines. The ratio of Ov emission to hard X-ray emission decreased by at least a factor of 2 from the first spike to the second, probably because the plasma density in the flare arch had increased by chromospheric evaporation. (4) The impulsive energy release most likely occurred in the upper part of the arch; it had three immediate products: (a) An increase in the plasma pressure throughout the flare arch of at least a factor of 10. This is required because the FeXXI emission was confined to the feet of the flare arch for at least the first minute of the impulsive phase. (b) Nonthermal energetic (∼ 25 keV) electrons which impacted the feet of the arch to produce the hard X-ray burst and impulsive brightening in Ov and D₃. The evidence for this is the simultaneity, within ± 2 s, of the peak Ov and hard X-ray emissions. (c) Another population of high-energy (∼100keV) electrons (decoupled from the population that produced the hard X-rays) that produced the impulsive microwave emission at 22 GHz. This conclusion is drawn because the microwave peak was 6 ± 3 s later than the hard X-ray peak

On the Tort of Light Pollution

光污染是现代社会的新公害。光污染，在英美被称为“干扰光”，在日本则称其为“光害”，在德国则被视为“不可量物”的一种，而在我国，有学者援用“噪音”的说法，将其称“噪光”。光污染是指因不当使用人为照明或其它设备造成光的入侵而引起的不良影响。对于光污染，根据不同的标准可以作不同的分类。例如根据光污染发生时间的不同，可以将光污染分为昼光光污染和夜光光污染。国际上一般将光污染分成三类，即白亮污染、人工白昼和彩光污染。光污染对环境、生物和人都危害甚巨。 我国现行涉及光污染侵权的立法主要体现在宪法、民法通则、物权法、侵权责任法、环境保护法和地方立法之中。我国现行涉及光污染侵权的立法，无论是中央立法还是地方...Light pollution is a new form of environment pollution in modern society. It was called "interference of light" in Britain and America. It was called "light nuisance" in Japan. In Germany, light pollution is considered to be a kind of "non-amount of matter". Light pollution is due to the improper use of artificial lighting and the adverse effects caused by the invasion of light. According to the d...学位：法律硕士院系专业：法学院法律系_法律硕士(JM)学号：1302009115036

Inferring statistics of planet populations by means of automated microlensing searches

(abridged) The study of other worlds is key to understanding our own, and not only provides clues to the origin of our civilization, but also looks into its future. Rather than in identifying nearby systems and learning about their individual properties, the main value of the technique of gravitational microlensing is in obtaining the statistics of planetary populations within the Milky Way and beyond. Only the complementarity of different techniques currently employed promises to yield a complete picture of planet formation that has sufficient predictive power to let us understand how habitable worlds like ours evolve, and how abundant such systems are in the Universe. A cooperative three-step strategy of survey, follow-up, and anomaly monitoring of microlensing targets, realized by means of an automated expert system and a network of ground-based telescopes is ready right now to be used to obtain a first census of cool planets with masses reaching even below that of Earth orbiting K and M dwarfs in two distinct stellar populations, namely the Galactic bulge and disk. The hunt for extra-solar planets acts as a principal science driver for time-domain astronomy with robotic-telescope networks adopting fully-automated strategies. Several initiatives, both into facilities as well as into advanced software and strategies, are supposed to see the capabilities of gravitational microlensing programmes step-wise increasing over the next 10 years. New opportunities will show up with high-precision astrometry becoming available and studying the abundance of planets around stars in neighbouring galaxies becoming possible. Finally, we should not miss out on sharing the vision with the general public, and make its realization to profit not only the scientists but all the wider society.Comment: 10 pages in PDF format. White paper submitted to ESA's Exo-Planet Roadmap Advisory Team (EPR-AT); typos corrected. The embedded figures are available from the author on request. See also "Towards A Census of Earth-mass Exo-planets with Gravitational Microlensing" by J.P. Beaulieu, E. Kerins, S. Mao et al. (arXiv:0808.0005

Rabl's model of the interphase chromosome arrangement tested in Chinise hamster cells by premature chromosome condensation and laser-UV-microbeam experiments

In 1885 Carl Rabl published his theory on the internal structure of the interphase nucleus. We have tested two predictions of this theory in fibroblasts grown in vitro from a female Chinese hamster, namely (1) the Rabl-orientation of interphase chromosomes and (2) the stability of the chromosome arrangement established in telophase throughout the subsequent interphase. Tests were carried out by premature chromosome condensation (PCC) and laser-UV-microirradiation of the interphase nucleus. Rabl-orientation of chromosomes was observed in G1 PCCs and G2 PCCs. The cell nucleus was microirradiated in G1 at one or two sites and pulse-labelled with 3H-thymidine for 2h. Cells were processed for autoradiography either immediately thereafter or after an additional growth period of 10 to 60h. Autoradiographs show unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in the microirradiated nuclear part(s). The distribution of labelled chromatin was evaluated in autoradiographs from 1035 cells after microirradiation of a single nuclear site and from 253 cells after microirradiation of two sites. After 30 to 60h postincubation the labelled regions still appeared coherent although the average size of the labelled nuclear area fr increased from 14.2% (0h) to 26.5% (60h). The relative distance dr, i.e. the distance between two microirradiated sites divided by the diameter of the whole nucleus, showed a slight decrease with increasing incubation time. Nine metaphase figures were evaluated for UDS-label after microirradiation of the nuclear edge in G1. An average of 4.3 chromosomes per cell were labelled. Several chromosomes showed joint labelling of both distal chromosome arms including the telomeres, while the centromeric region was free from label. This label pattern is interpreted as the result of a V-shaped orientation of these particular chromosomes in the interphase nucleus with their telomeric regions close to each other at the nuclear edge. Our data support the tested predictions of the Rabl-model. Small time-dependent changes of the nuclear space occupied by single chromosomes and of their relative positions in the interphase nucleus seem possible, while the territorial organization of interphase chromosomes and their arrangement in general is maintained during interphase. The present limitations of the methods used for this study are discussed

Executive function and intelligence in the resolution of temporary syntactic ambiguity: An individual differences investigation

In the current study, we examined the role of intelligence and executive functions in the resolution of temporary syntactic ambiguity using an individual differences approach. Data were collected from 174 adolescents and adults who completed a battery of cognitive tests as well as a sentence comprehension task. The critical items for the comprehension task consisted of object/subject garden paths (e.g. While Anna dressed the baby that was small and cute played in the crib.), and participants answered a comprehension question (e.g. Did Anna dress the baby?) following each one. Previous studies have shown that garden-path misinterpretations tend to persist into final interpretations. Results showed that both intelligence and processing speed interacted with ambiguity. Individuals with higher intelligence and faster processing were more likely to answer the comprehension questions correctly, and specifically, following ambiguous as opposed to unambiguous sentences. Inhibition produced a marginal effect, but the variance in inhibition was largely shared with intelligence. Conclusions focus on the role of individual differences in cognitive ability and their impact on syntactic ambiguity resolution