Microwave radiometric studies and ground truth measurements of the NASA/USGS Southern California test site

The field measurement program conducted at the NASA/USGS Southern California Test Site is discussed. Ground truth data and multifrequency microwave brightness data were acquired by a mobile field laboratory operating in conjunction with airborne instruments. The ground based investigations were performed at a number of locales representing a variety of terrains including open desert, cultivated fields, barren fields, portions of the San Andreas Fault Zone, and the Salton Sea. The measurements acquired ground truth data and microwave brightness data at wavelengths of 0.8 cm, 2.2 cm, and 21 cm

Growth hormone plus resistance exercise attenuate structural changes in rat myotendinous junctions resulting from chronic unloading.

Myotendinous junctions (MTJs) are specialized sites on the muscle surface where forces generated by myofibrils are transmitted across the sarcolemma to the extracellular matrix. At the ultrastructural level, the interface between the sarcolemma and extracellular matrix is highly folded and interdigitated at these junctions. In this study, the effect of exercise and growth hormone (GH) treatments on the changes in MTJ structure that occur during muscle unloading, has been analyzed. Twenty hypophysectomized rats were assigned randomly to one of five groups: ambulatory control, hindlimb unloaded, hindlimb unloaded plus exercise (3 daily bouts of 10 climbs up a ladder with 50% body wt attached to the tail), hindlimb unloaded plus GH (2 daily injections of 1 mg/kg body wt, i.p.), and hindlimb unloaded plus exercise plus GH. MTJs of the plantaris muscle were analyzed by electron microscopy and the contact between muscle and tendon was evaluated using an IL/B ratio, where B is the base and IL is the interface length of MTJ's digit-like processes. After 10 days of unloading, the mean IL/B ratio was significantly lower in unloaded (3.92), unloaded plus exercise (4.18), and unloaded plus GH (5.25) groups than in the ambulatory control (6.39) group. On the opposite, the mean IL/B ratio in the group treated with both exercise and GH (7.3) was similar to control. These findings indicate that the interaction between exercise and GH treatments attenuates the changes in MTJ structure that result from chronic unloading and thus can be used as a countermeasure to these adaptations

Why national health research systems matter

Some of the most outstanding problems in Computer Science (e.g. access to heterogeneous information sources, use of different e-commerce standards, ontology translation, etc.) are often approached through the identification of ontology mappings. A manual mapping generation slows down, or even makes unfeasible, the solution of particular cases of the aforementioned problems via ontology mappings. Some algorithms and formal models for partial tasks of automatic generation of mappings have been proposed. However, an integrated system to solve this problem is still missing. In this paper, we present AMON, a platform for automatic ontology mapping generation. First of all, we show the general structure. Then, we describe the current version of the system, including the ontology in which it is based, the similarity measures that it uses, the access to external sources, etc

Factors Influencing Internet Gamblers’ Use of Offshore Online Gambling Sites: Policy Implications

Gambling is a heavily regulated activity, but policies are difficult to enforce in the online context. While governments may attempt to restrict access to licensed providers only, consumers can access offshore sites, creating a potential risk of harm and reducing taxation. This article examines how consumers select Internet gambling sites, and the characteristics of those who use offshore as opposed to domestic sites. Past‐month Australian Internet‐gamblers (N = 1,001, 57.2 percent male) completed an online survey. Participants responded to questions about their online gambling, including use of offshore sites, reasons for site selection, awareness of regulations, preferences for regulated sites, and gambling‐related problems. Offshore gamblers (52.7 percent) were a distinct demographic cohort, and were more highly involved in online gambling. Lack of awareness of gambling regulation did not sufficiently explain use of offshore gambling sites; rather, both groups had a relatively low concern for where a site was regulated, choosing sites instead based on ease of use, and cues that they were designed for gamblers in the advertised jurisdiction. Use of offshore gambling sites may be discouraged by focusing on the benefits of domestic sites and ensuring that these can provide a good consumer experience

Measurements of Isoprene-Derived Organosulfates in Ambient Aerosols by Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry—Part 2: Temporal Variability and Formation Mechanisms

Organosulfate species have recently gained attention for their potentially significant contribution to secondary organic aerosol (SOA); however, their temporal behavior in the ambient atmosphere has not been probed in detail. In this work, organosulfates derived from isoprene were observed in single particle mass spectra in Atlanta, GA during the 2002 Aerosol Nucleation and Characterization Experiment (ANARChE) and the 2008 August Mini-Intensive Gas and Aerosol Study (AMIGAS). Real-time measurements revealed that the highest organosulfate concentrations occurred at night under a stable boundary layer, suggesting gas-to-particle partitioning and subsequent aqueous-phase processing of the organic precursors played key roles in their formation. Further analysis of the diurnal profile suggests possible contributions from multiple production mechanisms, including acid-catalysis and radical-initiation. This work highlights the potential for additional SOA formation pathways in biogenically influenced urban regions to enhance the organic aerosol burden

Evidence-Based Research in Complementary and Alternative Medicine II: The Process of Evidence-Based Research

It is a common practice in contemporary medicine to follow stringently the scientific method in the process of validating efficacy and effectiveness of new or improved modes of treatment intervention. It follows that these complementary or alternative interventions must be validated by stringent research before they can be reliably integrated into Western medicine. The next decades will witness an increasing number of evidence-based research directed at establishing the best available evidence in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This second paper in this lecture series examines the process of evidence-based research (EBR) in the context of CAM. We outline the fundamental principles, process and relevance of EBR, and its implication to CAM. We underscore areas of future development in EBR. We note that the main problem of applying EBR to CAM at present has to do with the fact that the contribution of EBR can be significant only to the extent to which studies used in the process of EBR are of good quality. All too often CAM research is not of sufficient quality to warrant the generation of a consensus statement. EBR, nevertheless, can contribute to CAM by identifying current weaknesses of CAM research. We present a revised instrument to assess quality of the literature

Measurements of Isoprene-Derived Organosulfates in Ambient Aerosols by Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry - Part 1: Single Particle Atmospheric Observations in Atlanta

Organosulfate species have recently been identified as a potentially significant class of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) species, yet little is known about their behavior in the atmosphere. In this work, organosulfates were observed in individual ambient aerosols using single particle mass spectrometry in Atlanta, GA during the 2002 Aerosol Nucleation and Characterization Experiment (ANARChE) and the 2008 August Mini-Intensive Gas and Aerosol Study (AMIGAS). Organosulfates derived from biogenically produced isoprene were detected as deprotonated molecular ions in negative-ion spectra measured by aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry; comparison to high-resolution mass spectrometry data obtained from filter samples corroborated the peak assignments. The size-resolved chemical composition measurements revealed that organosulfate species were mostly detected in submicrometer aerosols and across a range of aerosols from different sources, consistent with secondary reaction products. Detection of organosulfates in a large fraction of negative-ion ambient spectra − ca. 90−95% during ANARChE and ~65% of submicrometer particles in AMIGAS − highlights the ubiquity of organosulfate species in the ambient aerosols of biogenically influenced urban environments

Using EMG to deliver lumbar dynamic electrical stimulation to facilitate cortico-spinal excitability

Background: Potentiation of synaptic activity in spinal networks is reflected in the magnitude of modulation of motor responses evoked by spinal and cortical input. After spinal cord injury, motor evoked responses can be facilitated by pairing cortical and peripheral nerve stimuli. Objective: To facilitate synaptic potentiation of cortico-spinal input with epidural electrical stimulation, we designed a novel neuromodulation method called dynamic stimulation (DS), using patterns derived from hind limb EMG signal during stepping. Methods: DS was applied dorsally to the lumbar enlargement through a high-density epidural array composed of independent platinum-based micro-electrodes. Results: In fully anesthetized intact adult rats, at the interface array/spinal cord, the temporal and spatial features of DS neuromodulation affected the entire lumbosacral network, particularly the most rostral and caudal segments covered by the array. DS induced a transient (at least 1 min) increase in spinal cord excitability and, compared to tonic stimulation, generated a more robust potentiation of the motor output evoked by single pulses applied to the spinal cord. When sub-threshold pulses were selectively applied to a cortical motor area, EMG responses from the contralateral leg were facilitated by the delivery of DS to the lumbosacral cord. Finally, based on motor-evoked responses, DS was linked to a greater amplitude of motor output shortly after a calibrated spinal cord contusion. Conclusion: Compared to traditional tonic waveforms, DS amplifies both spinal and cortico-spinal input aimed at spinal networks, thus significantly increasing the potential and accelerating the rate of functional recovery after a severe spinal lesion