The Nimbus 7 LIMS (Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere) water vapor measurements

Earth orbital instruments, designed to measure the vertical and spatial distribution of atmospheric water vapor is discussed. Specifically, the operation of the Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) experiment is examined. The LIMS is a six channel limb scanning radiometer that was launched aboard Nimbus 7 in 1978. Profiles of stratospheric and mesospheric temperature, water vapor, and various other constituents were obtained by inverting the LIMS radiance measurements. This same technique was used in 1981 to analyze the data returned from another limb scanning radiometer aboard the Solar Mesosphere Explorer

Multivariable control theory applied to hierarchial attitude control for planetary spacecraft

Multivariable control theory is applied to the design of a hierarchial attitude control system for the CARD space vehicle. The system selected uses reaction control jets (RCJ) and control moment gyros (CMG). The RCJ system uses linear signal mixing and a no-fire region similar to that used on the Skylab program; the y-axis and z-axis systems which are coupled use a sum and difference feedback scheme. The CMG system uses the optimum steering law and the same feedback signals as the RCJ system. When both systems are active the design is such that the torques from each system are never in opposition. A state-space analysis was made of the CMG system to determine the general structure of the input matrices (steering law) and feedback matrices that will decouple the axes. It is shown that the optimum steering law and proportional-plus-rate feedback are special cases. A derivation of the disturbing torques on the space vehicle due to the motion of the on-board television camera is presented. A procedure for computing an upper bound on these torques (given the system parameters) is included

40 Years of Church Growth: A View from the Theological Tower

I present these evaluative thoughts about the first forty years of the Church Growth Movement, and especially the first twenty-five years of the movement in North America (1970- 1995), with the humility appropriate to one person’s perspective on so vast and diverse a phenomenon as that of the Church Growth Movement

Antioxidant Therapy Attenuates Post-Infarct Cardiac Remodeling by Driving Expression of Krppel-Like Factor 15

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) results in severe biochemical, physiological, and cellular changes that lead to alterations in the structure and function of the myocardium. Oxidative stress potentiates this remodeling response and is associated with progressive worsening of cardiac function. Accordingly, we used a powerful antioxidant-based therapeutic strategy to improve cardiac health and study redox-dependent signaling. Methods: MI was surgically induced in rats by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Subgroups of MI rats received resveratrol (i.p., 10 mg/kg/day for 28 days beginning immediately post-MI). Cardiac histology and biochemical analyses of genes and proteins implicated in cardiac fibrosis, hypertrophy, and apoptosis, and redox-dependent signaling were analyzed. Results: As expected, MI resulted in profound structural changes to the myocardium. Further, we observed a sharp reduction in nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15), factors that are responsible for maintaining the endogenous antioxidant capacity and regulating cardiac gene expression, respectively. It is likely that disruption of normal KLF15 signaling permitted the expression of several cardiac genes associated with progressive cardiac remodeling. Importantly, daily treatment with resveratrol ameliorated cardiac remodeling, improved redox state, restored Nrf2 expression, and up-regulated KLF15 expression. Further, induction of KLF15 signaling following resveratrol treatment is associated with attenuated expression of several genes implicated in cardiac remodeling. Conclusions: Chronic oxidative stress potentiates cardiac remodeling post-infarct, in part, by suppressing Nrf2 and KLF15 expression. Importantly, we demonstrate that normal KLF15 signaling may be rescued with an antioxidant-based therapy, which may be an attractive therapeutic target to support cardiac health post-MI

Transactive Discourse during Assessment Conversations on Science Learning

Transactive Discourse During Assessment Conversations on Science Learning by Homer A. Russell III It has been argued that development of science knowledge is the result of social interaction and adoption of shared understandings between teachers and students. A part of understanding that process is determining how student reasoning develops in groups. Transactive discussion is a form of negotiation between group members as they interpret the meaning of their logical statements about a topic. More importantly, it is a form of discourse that often leads to cognitive change as a result of the interaction between group participants as they wrestle with their different perspectives in order to achieve a common understanding. The research reported here was a correlational study designed to investigate the relationship between the various forms of transactive discussion and learning outcome performance seen in an investigation involving 24 students in a middle-SES high school located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia. Pretest and posttest measures of genetics reasoning, as well as curriculum content test data, were used in this study. Group discussion was captured on videotape and analyzed to determine whether transactional discussion was present and whether or not it had an effect on learning outcome measures. Results of this study showed that participant use of transactive discussion played a role in development of reasoning abilities in the area of genetics. It is suggested that teachers should monitor classroom discourse for the presence of transactive discussion as such discourse plays a role in fostering performance outcomes

Excavating the Past: An Archaeology Simulation for the Elementary Classroom

Archaeology is a branch of anthropology that studies the material remains of past societies. Through the study of material remains archaeologists 1) obtain a chronology of the past, 2) reconstruct the many ways of life that no longer exist, and 3) give some understanding of why human culture has changed through time. The purpose of this article is to help educators explore and encourage the use of simulations and the teaching of archaeology related content and skills in the elementary classroom. More specifically, this article provides educators with a classroom tested, practical, cost effective and hands-on archaeology dig simulation lesson activity for elementary

Antioxidant Therapy Attenuates Post-Infarct Cardiac Remodeling by Driving Expression of Krüppel-Like Factor 15

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) results in severe biochemical, physiological, and cellular changes that lead to alterations in the structure and function of the myocardium. Oxidative stress potentiates this remodeling response and is associated with progressive worsening of cardiac function. Accordingly, we used a powerful antioxidant-based therapeutic strategy to improve cardiac health and study redox-dependent signaling. Methods: MI was surgically induced in rats by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Subgroups of MI rats received resveratrol (i.p., 10 mg/kg/day for 28 days beginning immediately post-MI). Cardiac histology and biochemical analyses of genes and proteins implicated in cardiac fibrosis, hypertrophy, and apoptosis, and redox-dependent signaling were analyzed. Results: As expected, MI resulted in profound structural changes to the myocardium. Further, we observed a sharp reduction in nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15), factors that are responsible for maintaining the endogenous antioxidant capacity and regulating cardiac gene expression, respectively. It is likely that disruption of normal KLF15 signaling permitted the expression of several cardiac genes associated with progressive cardiac remodeling. Importantly, daily treatment with resveratrol ameliorated cardiac remodeling, improved redox state, restored Nrf2 expression, and up-regulated KLF15 expression. Further, induction of KLF15 signaling following resveratrol treatment is associated with attenuated expression of several genes implicated in cardiac remodeling. Conclusions: Chronic oxidative stress potentiates cardiac remodeling post-infarct, in part, by suppressing Nrf2 and KLF15 expression. Importantly, we demonstrate that normal KLF15 signaling may be rescued with an antioxidant-based therapy, which may be an attractive therapeutic target to support cardiac health post-MI