Aspects of the hydrology of the Browney basin North East England

A hydrological study was undertaken to investigate precipitation, evapotranspiration and runoff in the Browney basin, north-east England. The areal and seasonal distribution of precipitation during the period 1968-1972 were analysed and frequency analysis were carried out on the amount of rainfall and the number of raindays per month during the period 1939-1973 at Durham Observatory. There was a high correlation between yearly precipitation and altitude. October and September were the driest months of the year while February was the wettest month. The relatively high intensity rainfall in the late summer months gave evidence for the occurrence of convectional rain during this time of the year. A wide range in the amount of rainfall and in the number of rain-days for any given month at Durham Observatory was observed. To measure evapotranspiration two sets of evapotranspirometers were installed at two locations just outside the extreme eastern and western margins of the catchment. Other methods for measurement for estimation of evapotranspiration in the catchment were also used. These were the Penman and Thornthwaite formulae, the catchment water balance method and simple hydraulic lysimeters. The results of measured evapotranspiration at the two locations indicated greater evapotranspiration at the higher elevation. The use of simple hydraulic lysimeters for the measurement of actual evapotranspiration was discarded because of significant differences in the results of the replicates. A comparison of the catchment water balance evapotranspiration with the results from the other methods revealed that there was some moisture deficit in the catchment especially during the late summer months. Studies of runoff data from the catchment showed significant variations in the yearly, seasonal and short term patterns. These differences were explained by the differences in the amount and distribution of precipitation, evapotranspiration and antecedent soil moisture conditions. The overall hydrology of the catchment was studied by the simulation of the flow records during the period 1969-1973, using the Stanford Watershed Model IV. The results obtained revealed high correlations between the monthly recorded and simulated flows. The mean monthly recorded flow during the five year period exceeded the simulated flow by 2 percent. The actual evapotranspiration and groundwater components of the hydrologic cycle where also studies using the results of the simulation method

Preoperative and postoperative features of macular holes on en face imaging and optical coherence tomography angiography

AbstractPurposeTo characterize and quantify the pre- and postoperative foveal structural and functional patterns in full-thickness macular holes.MethodsSubjects presenting with a full-thickness macular hole that had pre- and postoperative imaging were included. En face optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) was performed. Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, macular hole size, number and size of perifoveal cysts were measured.ResultsFive eyes from 5 patients were included in the study. The hole was closed in all eyes after the initial surgery. OCTA showed enlargement of the FAZ and delineation of the holes within the FAZ. Mean preoperative FAZ area was 0.41 ± 0.104 mm2. Visual acuity was improved and mean FAZ area was reduced to 0.27 ± 0.098 mm2 postoperatively (P < 0.05) with resolution of the macular hole and adjacent cystic areas. En face images of the middle retina showed a range of preoperative cystic patterns surrounding the hole. Smaller holes showed fewer but larger cystic areas and larger holes had more numerous but smaller cystic areas.Conclusions and ImportanceQuantitative evaluation of vascular and cystic changes following macular hole repair demonstrates the potential for recovery due to neuronal and vascular plasticity. Perifoveal microstructural patterns and their quantitative characteristics may serve as useful anatomic biomarkers for assessment of macular holes

Spinal tuberculosis: diagnosis and management.

The spinal column is involved in less than 1% of all cases of tuberculosis (TB). Spinal TB is a very dangerous type of skeletal TB as it can be associated with neurologic deficit due to compression of adjacent neural structures and significant spinal deformity. Therefore, early diagnosis and management of spinal TB has special importance in preventing these serious complications. In order to extract current trends in diagnosis and medical or surgical treatment of spinal TB we performed a narrative review with analysis of all the articles available for us which were published between 1990 and 2011. Althoug h the development of more accurate imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging and advanced surgical techniques have made the early diagnosis and management of spinal TB much easier, these are still very challenging topics. In this review we aim to discuss the diagnosis and management of spinal TB based on studies with acceptable design, clearly explained results and justifiable conclusions

PU.1 positively regulates GATA-1 expression in mast cells

Coexpression of PU.1 and GATA-1 is required for proper specification of the mast cell lineage; however, in the myeloid and erythroid lineages, PU.1 and GATA-1 are functionally antagonistic. In this study, we report a transcriptional network in which PU.1 positively regulates GATA-1 expression in mast cell development. We isolated a variant mRNA isoform of GATA-1 in murine mast cells that is significantly upregulated during mast cell differentiation. This isoform contains an alternatively spliced first exon (IB) that is distinct from the first exon (IE) incorporated in the major erythroid mRNA transcript. In contrast to erythroid and megakaryocyte cells, in mast cells we show that PU.1 and GATA-2 predominantly occupy potential cis-regulatory elements in the IB exon region in vivo. Using reporter assays, we identify an enhancer flanking the IB exon that is activated by PU.1. Furthermore, we observe that in PU.1 -/- fetal liver cells, low levels of the IE GATA-1 isoform is expressed, but the variant IB isoform is absent. Reintroduction of PU.1 restores variant IB isoform and upregulates total GATA-1 protein expression, which is concurrent with mast cell differentiation. Our results are consistent with a transcriptional hierarchy in which PU.1, possibly in concert with GATA-2, activates GATA-1 expression in mast cells in a pathway distinct from that seen in the erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages. Copyright © 2010 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc

A Comparison Between Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography and Fluorescein Angiography for the Imaging of Type 1 Neovascularization.

Purpose: To determine the sensitivity of the combination of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) for detecting type 1 neovascularization (NV) and to determine significant factors that preclude visualization of type 1 NV using OCTA. Methods: Multicenter, retrospective cohort study of 115 eyes from 100 patients with type 1 NV. A retrospective review of fluorescein (FA), OCT, and OCTA imaging was performed on a consecutive series of eyes with type 1 NV from five institutions. Unmasked graders utilized FA and structural OCT data to determine the diagnosis of type 1 NV. Masked graders evaluated FA data alone, en face OCTA data alone and combined en face OCTA and structural OCT data to determine the presence of type 1 NV. Sensitivity analyses were performed using combined FA and OCT data as the reference standard. Results: A total of 105 eyes were diagnosed with type 1 NV using the reference. Of these, 90 (85.7%) could be detected using en face OCTA and structural OCT. The sensitivities of FA data alone and en face OCTA data alone for visualizing type 1 NV were the same (66.7%). Significant factors that precluded visualization of NV using en face OCTA included the height of pigment epithelial detachment, low signal strength, and treatment-naïve disease (P \u3c 0.05, respectively). Conclusions: En face OCTA and structural OCT showed better detection of type 1 NV than either FA alone or en face OCTA alone. Combining en face OCTA and structural OCT information may therefore be a useful way to noninvasively diagnose and monitor the treatment of type 1 NV

The transcriptional program, functional heterogeneity, and clinical targeting of mast cells

Mast cells are unique tissue-resident immune cells that express an array of receptors that can be activated by several extracellular cues, including antigen-immunoglobulin E (IgE) complexes, bacteria, viruses, cytokines, hormones, peptides, and drugs. Mast cells constitute a small population in tissues, but their extraordinary ability to respond rapidly by releasing granule-stored and newly made mediators underpins their importance in health and disease. In this review, we document the biology of mast cells and introduce new concepts and opinions regarding their role in human diseases beyond IgE-mediated allergic responses and antiparasitic functions. We bring to light recent discoveries and developments in mast cell research, including regulation of mast cell functions, differentiation, survival, and novel mouse models. Finally, we highlight the current and future opportunities for therapeutic intervention of mast cell functions in inflammatory diseases.Gökhan Cildir, Harshita Pant, Angel F. Lopez, Vinay Tergaonka

Green Marketing and Its Impacts on Consumer Behavior in Sports Shops

The aim of this study was investigation of green marketing and its impacts on consumer behavior in sports shops in East Azerbaijan province of Iran. The present study is functionalized by objectives and done by field. The study statistical society was sports shops in East Azerbaijan and 210 samples were chosen randomly according to Morgan sampling method and 196 questionnaires were collected finally. The author-prepared questionnaire’s validity was approved by some experts in sport management and marketing. Field and the reliability were assessed by pilot study using Chronbach’s Alpha (α= 819%) which showed that the tool was reliable. The questionnaire had 30 items rated by Lakers scale. Questionnaire introduction contained demographic pieces information of age, income and education degree. Results shows that a significant relationship between green products features, green promotion, green pricing and green distributing with consumer green behavior; and education, income, and age, but not marital status, gender had a moderating effect on consumer green sports behavior

Some non-parametric methods in experimental design

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN016959 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo