Sierra Nevada snow melt from SMS-2

A film loop from SMS-2 imagery shows snow melt over the Sierra Nevadas from May 10 to July 8, 1975. The sequence indicates a successful application of geostationary satellite data for monitoring dynamic hydrologic conditions

Remote sensing of snowpack density using shortwave radiation

Albedo or satellite radiance measurements can be used to estimate average snowpack density by means of a multiple linear equation. The in situ data equation predicted density with a correlation (sq r) of 0.79 and a standard error of 0.027 gm/cu cm. The data from LANDSAT-1 were not as significant in a similar equation, possibly because of the large field of view

Evaluation of ERTS-1 data for certain hydrological uses

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 MSS data have been used in a variety of hydrologic research including snow-extent mapping; studies of snowmelt, snowmelt runoff, spectral reflectance of snow for assessing snowpack conditions, and snow albedo; lake ice formation, breakup, and migration; lake current measurements; multispectral studies of lake ice; and flood studies. MSS sensing of soil moisture over a well-vegetated test site was unsuccessfully attempted. Although a powerful research tool, ERTS-1 has very limited use as an operational system for hydrologic communities because of its 18-day revisit cycle and its lack of a quick look capability

The relationship between the insulin-like growth factor-1 axis, weight loss, an inflammation-based score and survival in patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer

<b>Background & aims:</b> The involvement of a systemic inflammatory response, as evidenced by the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), is associated with weight loss and poor outcome in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. There is good evidence that nutritional and functional decline in patients with advanced malignant disease is associated with catabolic changes in metabolism. However, defects in anabolism may also contribute towards nutritional decline in patients with cancer. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between IGF-1 and IGFBP-3, performance status, mGPS and survival in patients with inoperable NSCLC. <b>Methods:</b> 56 patients with inoperable NSCLC were studied. The plasma concentrations of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and leptin were measured using ELISA and RIA. <b>Results:</b> The patients were predominantly male (61%), over 60 years old (80%), with advanced (stage III or IV) disease (98%), with a BMI≥20 (84%), an ECOG-ps of 0 or 1 (79%), a haemoglobin (59%) and white cell count (79%) in the reference range. On follow-up 43 patients died of their cancer. On univariate analysis, BMI (p<0.05), Stage (p<0.05), ECOG-ps (p<0.05), haemoglobin (p<0.05), white cell count (p<0.05) and mGPS (p<0.05) were associated with cancer specific survival. There was no association between age, sex, treatment, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, IGF-1:IGFBP-3 ratio, or leptin and cancer specific survival. With an increasing mGPS concentrations of haemoglobin (p<0.005) and IGFBP-3 (p<0.05) decreased. mGPS was not associated with either IGF-1(p>0.20), or leptin (p>0.20). <b>Conclusions:</b> In summary, the results of this study suggest that anabolism (IGF-1 axis) does not play a significant role in the relationship between nutritional and functional decline, systemic inflammation and poor survival in patients with inoperable NSCLC

A study of prediction methods for the high angle-of-attack aerodynamics of straight wings and fighter aircraft

Work is described dealing with two areas which are dominated by the nonlinear effects of vortex flows. The first area concerns the stall/spin characteristics of a general aviation wing with a modified leading edge. The second area concerns the high-angle-of-attack characteristics of high performance military aircraft. For each area, the governing phenomena are described as identified with the aid of existing experimental data. Existing analytical methods are reviewed, and the most promising method for each area used to perform some preliminary calculations. Based on these results, the strengths and weaknesses of the methods are defined, and research programs recommended to improve the methods as a result of better understanding of the flow mechanisms involved

Cancer and systemic inflammation: treat the tumour and treat the host

Determinants of cancer progression and survival are multifactorial and host responses are increasingly appreciated to have a major role. Indeed, the development and maintenance of a systemic inflammatory response has been consistently observed to confer poorer outcome, in both early and advanced stage disease. For patients, cancer-associated symptoms are of particular importance resulting in a marked impact on day-to-day quality of life and are also associated with poorer outcome. These symptoms are now recognised to cluster with one another with anorexia, weight loss and physical function forming a recognised cluster whereas fatigue, pain and depression forming another. Importantly, it has become apparent that these symptom clusters are associated with presence of a systemic inflammatory response in the patient with cancer. Given the understanding of the above, there is now a need to intervene to moderate systemic inflammatory responses, where present. In this context the rationale for therapeutic intervention using nonselective anti-inflammatory agents is clear and compelling and likely to become a part of routine clinical practice in the near future. The published literature on therapeutic intervention using anti-inflammatory agents for cancer-associated symptoms was reviewed. There are important parallels with the development of useful treatments for the systemic inflammatory response in patients with rheumatological disease and cardiovascular disease

Evaluation of LANDSAT-2 data for selected hydrologic applications

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Evaluation of LANDSAT-2 data for selected hydrologic applications

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Phase behavior and application studies of cellulose nano-crystals synthesized by acetic acid

Cellulose is the most abundant source of biomass in the world. Nano-cellulose possesses the extraordinary mechanical properties of high Young\u27s modulus and great tensile strength found in natural cellulose fiber. However, during drying, abundant hydrogen bonding can agglomerate the nano-cellulose, hindering its mechanical properties. Thus it is important to ensure that the nano-cellulose is utterly deagglomerated in order to improve its applicability. We used various sonication and centrifugation techniques to successfully deagglomerate the cellulose. To better understand the phase behavior of the cellulose nanocrystals, various concentrations of CNC-AA were left to sit in glass vials, while the phase behavior was optically observed over time. After several weeks, there was no discernable phase separation, yet liquid crystalline behavior was noticed in certain concentrations utilizing polarized light microscopy. In order to then use the stable CNC-AA suspensions as films (for eventual application in MEMS devices) a spin-coating procedure onto silicon wafers was optimized. Using AFM and interferometry, the structure and thickness of the CNC-AA films were observed