Atmospheric effects on remote sensing of non-uniform temperature sources

The equations of transfer, for a plane-parallel scattering atmosphere with a point source of energy on the lower bounding surface, were solved for various values of sensor/point source orientation and optical depths. Applications of this analysis to Skylab and ERTS mission are discussed, and requirements for atmospheric property data and radiation transfer properties are considered

Coffee inventory through orbital imagery

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Fast pyrolysis of halogenated plastics recovered from waste computers

The disposal of waste computers is an issue that is gaining increasing interest around the world. In this paper, results from the fast pyrolysis in a fluidized bed reactor of three different waste computer monitor casings composed of mainly acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer and two different waste computer body casings composed of mostly poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) type polymers are presented. Preliminary characterization of the waste plastics was investigated using coupled thermogravimetric analysis-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (TGA-FT-IR). The results showed that the plastics decomposed in two stages. For the ABS-containing monitor casings, aromatic and aliphatic material were released in the first and second stages. The PVC-containing computer body casing samples showed a first-stage evolution of HCl and a second stage evolution of aromatic and aliphatic material and further HCl. In addition, each of the five plastics was fast-pyrolyzed in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactor at 500 °C. The fluidized bed pyrolysis led to the conversion of most of the plastics to pyrolysis oil, although the two PVC computer body cases produced large quantities of HCl. The pyrolysis oils were characterized by GC-MS and it was found that they were chemically very heterogeneous and contained a wide range of aliphatic, aromatic, halogenated, oxygenated, and nitrogenated compounds

Soil organic phosphorus and microbial community composition as affected by 26years of different management strategies

Agricultural management can affect soil organic matter chemistry and microbial community structure, but the relationship between the two is not well understood. We investigated the effect of crop rotation, tillage and stubble management on forms of soil phosphorus (P) as determined by solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and microbial community composition using fatty acid methyl ester analysis in a long-term field experiment (26years) on a Chromic Luvisol in New South Wales, Australia. An increase in soil organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the beginning of the experiment was found in a rotation of wheat and subterranean clover with direct drill and mulching, while stubble burning in wheat-lupin and wheat-wheat rotations led to soil organic matter losses. Microbial biomass was highest in the treatment with maximum organic matter contents. The same soil P forms were detected in all samples, but in different amounts. Changes in organic P occurred mainly in the monoester region, with an increase or decrease in peaks that were present also in the sample taken before the beginning of the experiment in 1979. The microbial community composition differed between the five treatments and was affected primarily by crop rotations and to a lesser degree by tillage. A linkage between soil P forms and signature fatty acids was tentatively established, but needs to be verified in further studie

Can gaze-contingent mirror-feedback from unfamiliar faces alter self-recognition?

This study focuses on learning of the self, by examining how human observers update internal representations of their own face. For this purpose, we present a novel gaze-contingent paradigm, in which an onscreen face either mimics observers’ own eye-gaze behaviour (in the congruent condition), moves its eyes in different directions to that of the observers (incongruent condition), or remains static and unresponsive (neutral condition). Across three experiments, the mimicry of the onscreen face did not affect observers’ perceptual self-representations. However, this paradigm influenced observers’ reports of their own face. This effect was such that observers felt the onscreen face to be their own and that, if the onscreen gaze had moved on its own accord, observers expected their own eyes to move too. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed

Nav2 is necessary for cranial nerve development and blood pressure regulation

Abstract Background All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) is required for nervous system development, including the developing hindbrain region. Neuron navigator 2 (Nav2) was first identified as an atRA-responsive gene in human neuroblastoma cells (retinoic acid-induced in neuroblastoma 1, Rainb1), and is required for atRA-mediated neurite outgrowth. In this paper, we explore the importance of Nav2 in nervous system development and function in vivo. Results Nav2 hypomorphic homozygous mutants show decreased survival starting at birth. Nav2 mutant embryos show an overall reduction in nerve fiber density, as well as specific defects in cranial nerves IX (glossopharyngeal) and X (vagus). Nav2 hypomorphic mutant adult mice also display a blunted baroreceptor response compared to wild-type controls. Conclusions Nav2 functions in mammalian nervous system development, and is required for normal cranial nerve development and blood pressure regulation in the adult

A systematic review of assessment approaches to predict opioid misuse in people with cancer.

CONTEXT: Cancer prevalence is increasing, with many patients requiring opioid analgesia. Clinicians need to ensure patients receive adequate pain relief. However, opioid misuse is widespread, and cancer patients are at risk. OBJECTIVES: This study aims (1) to identify screening approaches that have been used to assess and monitor risk of opioid misuse in patients with cancer; (2) to compare the prevalence of risk estimated by each of these screening approaches; and (3) to compare risk factors among demographic and clinical variables associated with a positive screen on each of the approaches. METHODS: Medline, Cochrane Controlled Trial Register, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase databases were searched for articles reporting opioid misuse screening in cancer patients, along with handsearching the reference list of included articles. Bias was assessed using tools from the Joanna Briggs Suite. RESULTS: Eighteen studies met the eligibility criteria, evaluating seven approaches: Urine Drug Test (UDT) (n = 8); the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP) and two variants, Revised and Short Form (n = 6); the Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE) tool and one variant, Adapted to Include Drugs (n = 6); the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT) (n = 4); Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) (n = 3); the Screen for Opioid-Associated Aberrant Behavior Risk (SOABR) (n = 1); and structured/specialist interviews (n = 1). Eight studies compared two or more approaches. The rates of risk of opioid misuse in the studied populations ranged from 6 to 65%, acknowledging that estimates are likely to have varied partly because of how specific to opioids the screening approaches were and whether a single or multi-step approach was used. UDT prompted by an intervention or observation of aberrant opioid behaviors (AOB) were conclusive of actual opioid misuse found to be 6.5-24%. Younger age, found in 8/10 studies; personal or family history of anxiety or other mental ill health, found in 6/8 studies; and history of illicit drug use, found in 4/6 studies, showed an increased risk of misuse. CONCLUSIONS: Younger age, personal or familial mental health history, and history of illicit drug use consistently showed an increased risk of opioid misuse. Clinical suspicion of opioid misuse may be raised by data from PMP or any of the standardized list of AOBs. Clinicians may use SOAPP-R, CAGE-AID, or ORT to screen for increased risk and may use UDT to confirm suspicion of opioid misuse or monitor adherence. More research into this important area is required. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: This systematic review summarized the literature on the use of opioid misuse risk approaches in people with cancer. The rates of reported risk range from 6 to 65%; however, true rate may be closer to 6.5-24%. Younger age, personal or familial mental health history, and history of illicit drug use consistently showed an increased risk of opioid misuse. Clinicians may choose from several approaches. Limited data are available on feasibility and patient experience. PROSPERO registration number. CRD42020163385

Gesture analysis for physics education researchers

Systematic observations of student gestures can not only fill in gaps in students' verbal expressions, but can also offer valuable information about student ideas, including their source, their novelty to the speaker, and their construction in real time. This paper provides a review of the research in gesture analysis that is most relevant to physics education researchers and illustrates gesture analysis for the purpose of better understanding student thinking about physics.Comment: 14 page

XRCC1 protects against the lethality of induced oxidative DNA damage in nondividing neural cells

XRCC1 is a critical scaffold protein that orchestrates efficient single-strand break repair (SSBR). Recent data has found an association of XRCC1 with proteins causally linked to human spinocerebellar ataxias—aprataxin and tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1—implicating SSBR in protection against neuronal cell loss and neurodegenerative disease. We demonstrate herein that shRNA lentiviral-mediated XRCC1 knockdown in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells results in a largely selective increase in sensitivity of the nondividing (i.e. terminally differentiated) cell population to the redox-cycling agents, menadione and paraquat; this reduced survival was accompanied by an accumulation of DNA strand breaks. Using hypoxanthine–xanthine oxidase as the oxidizing method, XRCC1 deficiency affected both dividing and nondividing SH-SY5Y cells, with a greater effect on survival seen in the former case, suggesting that the spectrum of oxidative DNA damage created dictates the specific contribution of XRCC1 to cellular resistance. Primary XRCC1 heterozygous mouse cerebellar granule cells exhibit increased strand break accumulation and reduced survival due to increased apoptosis following menadione treatment. Moreover, knockdown of XRCC1 in primary human fetal brain neurons leads to enhanced sensitivity to menadione, as indicated by increased levels of DNA strand breaks relative to control cells. The cumulative results implicate XRCC1, and more broadly SSBR, in the protection of nondividing neuronal cells from the genotoxic consequences of oxidative stress

Chromosome behavior after laser microirradiation of a single kinetochore in mitotic PtK2 cells.

The role of the kinetochore in chromosome movement was studied by 532-nm wavelength laser microirradiation of mitotic PtK2 cells. When the kinetochore of a single chromatid is irradiated at mitotic prometaphase or metaphase, the whole chromosome moves towards the pole to which the unirradiated kinetochore is oriented, while the remaining chromosomes congregate on the metaphase plate. The chromatids of the irradiated chromosome remain attached to one another until anaphase, at which time they separate by a distance of 1 or 2 micrometers and remain parallel to each other, not undergoing any poleward separation. Electron microscopy shows that irradiated chromatids exhibit either no recognizable kinetochore structure or a typical inactive kinetochore in which the tri-layer structure is present but has no microtubules associated with it. Graphical analysis of the movement of the irradiated chromosome shows that the chromosome moves to the pole rapidly with a velocity of approximately 3 micrometers/min. If the chromosome is close to one pole at irradiation, and the kinetochore oriented towards that pole is irradiated, the chromosome moves across the spindle to the opposite pole. The chromosome is slowed down as it traverses the equatorial region, but the velocity in both half-spindles is approximately the same as the anaphase velocity of a single chromatid. Thus a single kinetochore moves twice the normal mass of chromatin (two chromatids) at the same velocity with which it moves a single chromatid, showing that the velocity with which a kinetochore moves is independent, within limits, of the mass associated with it