Insights Into the Aerodynamic Versus Radiometric Surface Temperature Debate in Thermal-Based Evaporation Modeling

Global evaporation monitoring from Earth observation thermal infrared satellite missions is historically challenged due to the unavailability of any direct measurements of aerodynamic temperature. State-of-the-art one-source evaporation models use remotely sensed radiometric surface temperature as a substitute for the aerodynamic temperature and apply empirical corrections to accommodate for their inequality. This introduces substantial uncertainty in operational drought mapping over complex landscapes. By employing a non-parametric model, we show that evaporation can be directly retrieved from thermal satellite data without the need of any empirical correction. Independent evaluation of evaporation in a broad spectrum of biome and aridity yielded statistically significant results when compared with eddy covariance observations. While our simplified model provides a new perspective to advance spatio-temporal evaporation mapping from any thermal remote sensing mission, the direct retrieval of aerodynamic temperature also generates the highly required insight on the critical role of biophysical interactions in global evaporation research

Insights into the aerodynamic versus radiometric surface temperature debate in thermal-based evaporation modeling

Global evaporation monitoring from Earth observation thermal infrared satellite missions is historically challenged due to the unavailability of any direct measurements of aerodynamic temperature. State-of-the-art one-source evaporation models use remotely sensed radiometric surface temperature as a substitute for the aerodynamic temperature and apply empirical corrections to accommodate for their inequality. This introduces substantial uncertainty in operational drought mapping over complex landscapes. By employing a non-parametric model, we show that evaporation can be directly retrieved from thermal satellite data without the need of any empirical correction. Independent evaluation of evaporation in a broad spectrum of biome and aridity yielded statistically significant results when compared with eddy covariance observations. While our simplified model provides a new perspective to advance spatio-temporal evaporation mapping from any thermal remote sensing mission, the direct retrieval of aerodynamic temperature also generates the highly required insight on the critical role of biophysical interactions in global evaporation research

Fibulin-2 Is a Driver of Malignant Progression in Lung Adenocarcinoma

The extracellular matrix of epithelial tumors undergoes structural remodeling during periods of uncontrolled growth, creating regional heterogeneity and torsional stress. How matrix integrity is maintained in the face of dynamic biophysical forces is largely undefined. Here we investigated the role of fibulin-2, a matrix glycoprotein that functions biomechanically as an inter-molecular clasp and thereby facilitates supra-molecular assembly. Fibulin-2 was abundant in the extracellular matrix of human lung adenocarcinomas and was highly expressed in tumor cell lines derived from mice that develop metastatic lung adenocarcinoma from co-expression of mutant K-ras and p53. Loss-offunction experiments in tumor cells revealed that fibulin-2 was required for tumor cells to grow and metastasize in syngeneic mice, a surprising finding given that other intra-tumoral cell types are known to secrete fibulin-2. However, tumor cells grew and metastasized equally well in Fbln2-null and -wildtype littermates, implying that malignant progression was dependent specifically upon tumor cellderived fibulin-2, which could not be offset by other cellular sources of fibulin-2. Fibulin-2 deficiency impaired the ability of tumor cells to migrate and invade in Boyden chambers, to create a stiff extracellular matrix in mice, to cross-link secreted collagen, and to adhere to collagen. We conclude that fibulin-2 is a driver of malignant progression in lung adenocarcinoma and plays an unexpected role in collagen cross-linking and tumor cell adherence to collagen

Lysyl hydroxylase 2 induces a collagen cross-link switch in tumor stroma

Epithelial tumor metastasis is preceded by an accumulation of collagen cross-links that heighten stromal stiffness and stimulate the invasive properties of tumor cells. However, the biochemical nature of collagen cross-links in cancer is still unclear. Here, we postulated that epithelial tumorigenesis is accompanied by changes in the biochemical type of collagen cross-links. Utilizing resected human lung cancer tissues and a p21CIP1/WAF1-deficient, K-rasG12D-expressing murine metastatic lung cancer model, we showed that, relative to normal lung tissues, tumor stroma contains higher levels of hydroxylysine aldehyde–derived collagen cross-links (HLCCs) and lower levels of lysine aldehyde–derived cross-links (LCCs), which are the predominant types of collagen cross-links in skeletal tissues and soft tissues, respectively. Gain- and loss-of-function studies in tumor cells showed that lysyl hydroxylase 2 (LH2), which hydroxylates telopeptidyl lysine residues on collagen, shifted the tumor stroma toward a high-HLCC, low-LCC state, increased tumor stiffness, and enhanced tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Together, our data indicate that LH2 enhances the metastatic properties of tumor cells and functions as a regulatory switch that controls the relative abundance of biochemically distinct types of collagen cross-links in the tumor stroma

Alcohol, tobacco and breast cancer – collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 53 epidemiological studies, including 58 515 women with breast cancer and 95 067 women without the disease

Alcohol and tobacco consumption are closely correlated and published results on their association with breast cancer have not always allowed adequately for confounding between these exposures. Over 80% of the relevant information worldwide on alcohol and tobacco consumption and breast cancer were collated, checked and analysed centrally. Analyses included 58 515 women with invasive breast cancer and 95 067 controls from 53 studies. Relative risks of breast cancer were estimated, after stratifying by study, age, parity and, where appropriate, women's age when their first child was born and consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The average consumption of alcohol reported by controls from developed countries was 6.0 g per day, i.e. about half a unit/drink of alcohol per day, and was greater in ever-smokers than never-smokers, (8.4 g per day and 5.0 g per day, respectively). Compared with women who reported drinking no alcohol, the relative risk of breast cancer was 1.32 (1.19–1.45, P<0.00001) for an intake of 35–44 g per day alcohol, and 1.46 (1.33–1.61, P<0.00001) for ⩾45 g per day alcohol. The relative risk of breast cancer increased by 7.1% (95% CI 5.5–8.7%; P<0.00001) for each additional 10 g per day intake of alcohol, i.e. for each extra unit or drink of alcohol consumed on a daily basis. This increase was the same in ever-smokers and never-smokers (7.1% per 10 g per day, P<0.00001, in each group). By contrast, the relationship between smoking and breast cancer was substantially confounded by the effect of alcohol. When analyses were restricted to 22 255 women with breast cancer and 40 832 controls who reported drinking no alcohol, smoking was not associated with breast cancer (compared to never-smokers, relative risk for ever-smokers=1.03, 95% CI 0.98–1.07, and for current smokers=0.99, 0.92–1.05). The results for alcohol and for tobacco did not vary substantially across studies, study designs, or according to 15 personal characteristics of the women; nor were the findings materially confounded by any of these factors. If the observed relationship for alcohol is causal, these results suggest that about 4% of the breast cancers in developed countries are attributable to alcohol. In developing countries, where alcohol consumption among controls averaged only 0.4 g per day, alcohol would have a negligible effect on the incidence of breast cancer. In conclusion, smoking has little or no independent effect on the risk of developing breast cancer; the effect of alcohol on breast cancer needs to be interpreted in the context of its beneficial effects, in moderation, on cardiovascular disease and its harmful effects on cirrhosis and cancers of the mouth, larynx, oesophagus and liver

The effects of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I/Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 administration on body composition and physical fitness in recreational athletes

Context:Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is thought to mediate many of the anabolic actions of growth hormone (GH) and there are anecdotal reports that IGF-I is misused by elite athletes. There is no published evidence regarding the effects of IGF-I administration on athletic performance.Objective:To investigate the effects of IGF-I administration on body composition and physical fitness in recreational athletes.Design and Setting:Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 administration study at Southampton General Hospital, UK.Participants:56 recreational athletes (30 men, 26 women)Intervention:Participants were randomly assigned to receive placebo, low dose rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 (30 mg/day) or high dose rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 (60 mg/day) for 28 days. Body composition (assessed by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) and cardiorespiratory fitness (assessed by incremental treadmill test), were measured before and immediately after treatment. Within-individual changes after treatment were analysed using paired t-tests.Results:There were no significant changes in body fat mass or lean body mass in women or men after administration of rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 complex. There was a significant increase in maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) after treatment. When women and men and low and high dose treatment groups were combined, mean VO2 max increased by approximately 7% (P = 0.001). No significant change in VO2 max was observed in the placebo group.Conclusions:rhIGF-I/rhIGFBP-3 administration for 28 days improves aerobic performance in recreational athletes but there are no effects on body composition.<br/

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Not AvailableAbstract Aquaculture sector has developed rapidly since the last decade and its development have been unregulated, which has caused many ecological problems. In this regard, this study has been undertaken to identify potential zone for sustainable aquaculture development. Thiruvallur district coastal sub-watershed boundary has been taken as the study area which has been delineated using SRTM DEM, toposheet, and also using watershed data collected from the agriculture department, Tamil Nadu. Water sources available in the study area are Pulicat Lake, Buckingham Canal, Arani River, and Kosathalaiyar River. Pulicat and Buckingham Canal are the major sources for aquaculture in the Thiruvallur district since Kosathalaiyar and Arani River are ephemeral in nature. A pair wise comparison matrix has been used to assign weightage to each criterion based on its relative importance. Various thematic maps were integrated into multi-criteria factors such as water quality, soil characteristics, infrastructure factors, and land use type to identify potential aquaculture zone using remote sensing and GIS. To ensure sustainable aquaculture development constrain, parameters have been framed according to coastal aquaculture authority regulations for mangroves, settlement, drinking water source and ecologically sensitive areas. The existing aquaculture farm in the study area has been mapped using Sentinel 2, it is about 660.65 hectares and the potential extend of the area available for aquaculture development estimated using AHP method is about 630 hectares.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableFeed cost is the largest component in shrimp farming which accounts for more than 50% of the operational cost. The moisture content of the feed should be less than 12% to prevent spoilage and to extend the shelf life of the feed. Though there are many dryers for drying agriculture products, a low-cost indigenous design is not available for drying shrimp feeds. Hence, a portable drying unit for shrimp feed has been designed, fabricated, and evaluated for its drying efcacy for the usage of small-scale shrimp farmers. The solar dryer is based on the principle of fat plate solar collector and greenhouse effect. The dryer unit was fabricated with 3 decks of metal mesh with trays. The whole structure is enclosed in a poly-carbonate housing with glass material as a thermal collector to concentrate solar energy thus combining greenhouse heating and concentrated thermal collection for drying. Evaluation trials were conducted to monitor the temperature profle, loss on drying, and moisture removal rate of the shrimp feeds as per the standard methodology. Moreover, the drying performance was evaluated by comparing it with oven and the traditional sun drying. Properties of the feeds dried with diferent drying methods were compared. The developed portable solar dryer was evaluated to be efcient for shrimp feed drying.Not Availabl