bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of the Sodium-Dependent Phosphate Cotransporter, Pit-1, in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Calcification
Authors: Li Xianwu , Yang Hsueh-Ying , Giachelli Cecilia M.
Published: March 2006

Vascular calcification is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Hyperphosphatemia is an important contributor to vascular calcification. Our previous studies demonstrated that elevated phosphate induces calcification of smooth muscle cells (SMC) in vitro. Inhibition of phosphate transport by phosphonoformic acid blocked phosphate-induced calcification, implicating sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporters in this process. In the present study, we have investigated the role of the type III sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter, Pit-1, in SMC calcification in vitro. Human SMC stably expressing Pit-1 small interfering double-stranded RNA (SMC-iRNA) were established using a retroviral system. SMC-iRNA had decreased Pit-1 mRNA and protein levels and sodium-dependent phosphate transport activity compared with the control transduced cells (SMC-CT) (2.9 versus 9.78 nmol/mg protein per 30 minutes, respectively). Furthermore, phosphate-induced SMC calcification was significantly inhibited in SMC-iRNA compared with SMC-CT at all time points examined. Overexpression of Pit-1 restored phosphate uptake and phosphate-induced calcification in Pit-1 deficient cells. Mechanistically, although Pit-1–mediated SMC calcification was not associated with apoptosis or cell-derived vesicles, inhibition of phosphate uptake in Pit-1 knockdown cells blocked the induction of the osteogenic markers Cbfa-1 and osteopontin. Our results indicate that phosphate uptake through Pit-1 is essential for SMC calcification and phenotypic modulation in response to elevated phosphate.
Serotonin Inhibits Voltage-Gated K
+
Currents in Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Cogolludo Angel , Moreno Laura , Lodi Federica , Frazziano Giovanna , Cobeño Laura , Tamargo Juan , Perez-Vizcaino Francisco
Published: March 2006

Multiple lines of evidence indicate that serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) and voltage-gated K
+
(K
V
) channels play a central role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). We hypothesized that 5-HT might modulate the activity of K
V
channels, therefore establishing a link between these pathogenetic factors in PH. Here, we studied the effects of 5-HT on K
V
channels present in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) and on hK
V
1.5 channels stably expressed in Ltk
−
cells. 5-HT reduced native K
V
and hK
V
1.5 currents, depolarized cell membrane, and caused a contraction of isolated pulmonary arteries. The effects of 5-HT on K
V
currents and contraction were markedly prevented by the 5-HT
2A
receptor antagonist ketanserin. Incubation with inhibitors of phospholipase C (U73122), classic protein kinase Cs (Gö6976), or tyrosine kinases (genistein and tyrphostin 23), the cholesterol depletion agent β-cyclodextrin or concanavalin A, an inhibitor of endocytotic processes, also prevented the effects of 5-HT. In homogenates from pulmonary arteries, 5-HT
2A
receptors and caveolin-1 coimmunoprecipitated with K
V
1.5 channels, and this was increased on stimulation with 5-HT. Moreover, K
V
1.5 channels were internalized when cells were stimulated with 5-HT, and this was prevented by concanavalin A. These findings indicate that activation of 5-HT
2A
receptors inhibits native K
V
and hK
V
1.5 currents via phospholipase C, protein kinase C, tyrosine kinase, and a caveolae pathway. K
V
channel inhibition accounts, at least partly, for 5-HT-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction and might play a role in PH.
Use and Effectiveness of Warfarin in Medicare Beneficiaries With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Birman-Deych Elena , Radford Martha J. , Nilasena David S. , Gage Brian F.
Published: March 2006

Background and Purpose—

More than 2 million Americans have atrial fibrillation, and without antithrombotic therapy, their stroke rate is increased 5-fold. In randomized controlled trials, warfarin prevented 65% of ischemic strokes (hazard ratio [HR], 0.35; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.48) compared with no antithrombotic therapy. However, the effectiveness of warfarin therapy outside of clinical trials is unknown, especially in black and Hispanic populations. Our goal was to quantify use of warfarin therapy, frequency of International Normalized Ratio monitoring, and effectiveness for stroke prophylaxis in Medicare beneficiaries with atrial fibrillation.

Methods—

This was a cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries with atrial fibrillation who were hospitalized between March 1998 and April 1999 in all 50 US states. The primary outcome was incident hospitalizations for ischemic stroke based on validated International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes.

Results—

Two thirds of ideal anticoagulation candidates were prescribed warfarin on hospital discharge. In unadjusted analyses, the stroke rates per 100 patient years of warfarin therapy were 5.2 in (non-Hispanic) white Medicare beneficiaries, 10.6 in black beneficiaries, and 12.2 in Hispanic beneficiaries. After adjusting for comorbid conditions, warfarin prescription was more frequent and monitoring more regular in white Medicare beneficiaries than in black or Hispanic beneficiaries (
P
<0.0001). Warfarin use was associated with 35% fewer ischemic strokes (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.76) compared with no antithrombotic therapy but was less effective in black and Hispanic beneficiaries (
P
for interaction=0.048).

Conclusions—

The use, monitoring, and effectiveness of warfarin therapy are suboptimal in Medicare beneficiaries, especially in black and Hispanic beneficiaries.
Intracranial Aneurysms Treated With Guglielmi Detachable Coils
Authors: Gauvrit Jean-Yves , Leclerc Xavier , Caron Sabine , Taschner Christian A. , Lejeune Jean-Paul , Pruvo Jean-Pierre
Published: March 2006

Background and Purpose—

To compare the utility of contrast-enhanced MR Angiography (CE-MRA) with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) after endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms with Guglielmi detachable coils.

Methods—

From April 1999 to August 2002, 106 patients with 107 aneurysms treated by endovascular coiling using Guglielmi detachable coils underwent simultaneous DSA and CE-MRA at follow-up (mean: 12.9 range: 5 to 27 months). DSA was performed as the standard reference. MR angiographic images were analyzed independently by 2 senior radiologists (J.-Y.G., S.C.) and DSA by a third radiologist (X.L.). Findings were assigned to 1 of 3 categories: complete obliteration (class 1), residual neck (class 2) and residual aneurysm (class 3).

Results—

DSA at follow-up demonstrated 65 (60.6%) complete obliterations (group 1), 21 (19.7%) residual necks (group 2) and 21 (19.7%) residual aneurysms (group 3). One patient (0.9%) experienced aneurysm rebleed during the follow-up period. Among 101 assessable imaging comparisons, interobserver agreement was determined to be very good for CE-MRA (κ=0.96) with only 4 discrepancies between both examiners. Comparison between CE-MRA and DSA showed an excellent agreement between techniques (κ=0.93). Of the 21 with residual necks described on DSA, 20 were seen on CE-MRA. CE-MRA detected all 19 residual aneurysms.

Conclusion—

CE-MRA after selective embolization of intracranial aneurysm is useful and comparable to DSA in the assessment of aneurysmal recanalization either as residual neck or aneurysmal sac.
d
-Dimer Predicts Early Clinical Progression in Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Barber Mark , Langhorne Peter , Rumley Ann , Lowe Gordon D.O. , Stott David J.
Published: March 2006

Background and Purpose—

Plasma
d
-dimer levels, measured using a research laboratory assay, independently predict progressing ischemic stroke. We wished to confirm these findings using commercially available assays and to provide data to allow the design of intervention studies.

Methods—

We studied 219 consecutive acute ischemic stroke admissions of whom 54 (25%) met criteria for progressing stroke.

Results—

There were strong correlations between
d
-dimer results as measured by the Biopool AB, MDA and VIDAS assays; correlation coefficients
r
=0.91 to 0.94; all
P
<0.001. In binary logistic regression analyses,
d
-dimer, as measured by the 3 different assays, was an independent predictor of progressing stroke (odds ratios, 1.87 to 2.45; all
P
<0.001). This confirms the results of our original analysis (Biopool AB) using 2 commercial
d
-dimer assays, demonstrating the potential usefulness of
d
-dimer in providing early prognostic information after ischemic stroke in different clinical settings. We also provide information on the performance of the 3 assays in predicting progressing stroke at a variety of cutoff values.

Conclusions—

Ischemic stroke patients at high risk of early progression can be identified using commercial
d
-dimer measurements. This could allow selection of high-risk patients for inclusion in randomized trials of early antithrombotic treatments.
The Seattle Heart Failure Model
Authors: Levy Wayne C. , Mozaffarian Dariush , Linker David T. , Sutradhar Santosh C. , Anker Stefan D. , Cropp Anne B. , Anand Inder , Maggioni Aldo , Burton Paul , Sullivan Mark D. , Pitt Bertram , Poole-Wilson Philip A. , Mann Douglas L. , Packer Milton
Published: March 2006

Background—

Heart failure has an annual mortality rate ranging from 5% to 75%. The purpose of the study was to develop and validate a multivariate risk model to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival in heart failure patients with the use of easily obtainable characteristics relating to clinical status, therapy (pharmacological as well as devices), and laboratory parameters.

Methods and Results—

The Seattle Heart Failure Model was derived in a cohort of 1125 heart failure patients with the use of a multivariate Cox model. For medications and devices not available in the derivation database, hazard ratios were estimated from published literature. The model was prospectively validated in 5 additional cohorts totaling 9942 heart failure patients and 17 307 person-years of follow-up. The accuracy of the model was excellent, with predicted versus actual 1-year survival rates of 73.4% versus 74.3% in the derivation cohort and 90.5% versus 88.5%, 86.5% versus 86.5%, 83.8% versus 83.3%, 90.9% versus 91.0%, and 89.6% versus 86.7% in the 5 validation cohorts. For the lowest score, the 2-year survival was 92.8% compared with 88.7%, 77.8%, 58.1%, 29.5%, and 10.8% for scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The overall receiver operating characteristic area under the curve was 0.729 (95% CI, 0.714 to 0.744). The model also allowed estimation of the benefit of adding medications or devices to an individual patient’s therapeutic regimen.

Conclusions—

The Seattle Heart Failure Model provides an accurate estimate of 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival with the use of easily obtained clinical, pharmacological, device, and laboratory characteristics.
Annual Cycles of Surface Shortwave Radiative Fluxes
Authors: Wilber Anne C. , Smith G. Louis , Gupta Shashi K. , Stackhouse Paul W.
Published: March 2006

The annual cycles of surface shortwave flux are investigated using the 8-yr dataset of the surface radiation budget (SRB) components for the period July 1983–June 1991. These components include the downward, upward, and net shortwave radiant fluxes at the earth's surface. The seasonal cycles are quantified in terms of principal components that describe the temporal variations and empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) that describe the spatial patterns. The major part of the variation is simply due to the variation of the insolation at the top of the atmosphere, especially for the first term, which describes 92.4% of the variance for the downward shortwave flux. However, for the second term, which describes 4.1% of the variance, the effect of clouds is quite important and the effect of clouds dominates the third term, which describes 2.4% of the variance. To a large degree the second and third terms are due to the response of clouds to the annual cycle of solar forcing. For net shortwave flux at the surface, similar variances are described by each term. The regional values of the EOFs are related to climate classes, thereby defining the range of annual cycles of shortwave radiation for each climate class.
Nonlinear Principal Predictor Analysis: Application to the Lorenz System
Authors: Cannon Alex J.
Published: March 2006

Principal predictor analysis is a multivariate linear technique that fits between regression and canonical correlation analysis in terms of the complexity of its architecture. This study introduces a new neural network approach for performing nonlinear principal predictor analysis (NLPPA). NLPPA is applied to the Lorenz system of equations and is compared with nonlinear canonical correlation analysis (NLCCA) and linear multivariate models. Results suggest that NLPPA is capable of performing better than NLCCA when datasets are corrupted with noise. Also, NLPPA modes may be extracted in less time than NLCCA modes. NLPPA is recommended for prediction problems where a clear set of predictors and a clear set of predictands can be easily defined.
The Probability Distribution of Sea Surface Wind Speeds. Part I: Theory and SeaWinds Observations
Authors: Monahan Adam Hugh
Published: March 2006

The probability distribution of sea surface wind speeds, w, is considered. Daily SeaWinds scatterometer observations are used for the characterization of the moments of sea surface winds on a global scale. These observations confirm the results of earlier studies, which found that the two-parameter Weibull distribution provides a good (but not perfect) approximation to the probability density function of w. In particular, the observed and Weibull probability distributions share the feature that the skewness of w is a concave upward function of the ratio of the mean of w to its standard deviation. The skewness of w is positive where the ratio is relatively small (such as over the extratropical Northern Hemisphere), the skewness is close to zero where the ratio is intermediate (such as the Southern Ocean), and the skewness is negative where the ratio is relatively large (such as the equatorward flank of the subtropical highs). An analytic expression for the probability density function of w, derived from a simple stochastic model of the atmospheric boundary layer, is shown to be in good qualitative agreement with the observed relationships between the moments of w. Empirical expressions for the probability distribution of w in terms of the mean and standard deviation of the vector wind are derived using Gram–Charlier expansions of the joint distribution of the sea surface wind vector components. The significance of these distributions for improvements to calculations of averaged air–sea fluxes in diagnostic and modeling studies is discussed.
Synoptic-Scale Controls of Summer Precipitation in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Diem Jeremy E.
Published: March 2006

Past climatological research has not quantitatively defined the synoptic-scale circulation deviations responsible for anomalous summer-season precipitation totals in the southeastern United States. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to determine the synoptic-scale controls of wet and dry multiday periods during the summer within a portion of the southeastern United States as well as to assess the linkages between synoptic-scale circulation and multidecadal variations in precipitation characteristics for the study domain. Daily precipitation data from 30 stations for June, July, and August from 1953 to 2002 were converted into 13-day totals. Using standardized principal components analysis (PCA), the study domain was divided into three precipitation regions (i.e., South, Northwest, and Northeast). Wet and dry periods for each region were composed of the top 56 and bottom 56 thirteen-day periods. Composite circulation maps for 500 and 850 mb revealed the following: wet periods were generally associated with an upper-level trough over the interior southeastern United States coincident with strong lower-tropospheric flow into the Southeast from the Gulf of Mexico, and dry periods were characterized by ridges or anticyclones over the midwestern and southeastern United States coupled with weak lower-tropospheric flow. Many of the wet periods had surface fronts. Over the 50-yr period, increased precipitation was significantly correlated with increased occurrences of midtropospheric troughs over the study domain. Future research can benefit from the main finding of a strong impact of synoptic-scale circulation features on summer precipitation in the southeastern United States.
Leading Tropical Modes Associated with Interannual and Multidecadal Fluctuations in North Atlantic Hurricane Activity
Authors: Bell Gerald D. , Chelliah Muthuvel
Published: March 2006

Interannual and multidecadal extremes in Atlantic hurricane activity are shown to result from a coherent and interrelated set of atmospheric and oceanic conditions associated with three leading modes of climate variability in the Tropics. All three modes are related to fluctuations in tropical convection, with two representing the leading multidecadal modes of convective rainfall variability, and one representing the leading interannual mode (ENSO).

The tropical multidecadal modes are shown to link known fluctuations in Atlantic hurricane activity, West African monsoon rainfall, and Atlantic sea surface temperatures, to the Tropics-wide climate variability. These modes also capture an east–west seesaw in anomalous convection between the West African monsoon region and the Amazon basin, which helps to account for the interhemispheric symmetry of the 200-hPa streamfunction anomalies across the Atlantic Ocean and Africa, the 200-hPa divergent wind anomalies, and both the structure and spatial scale of the low-level tropical wind anomalies, associated with multidecadal extremes in Atlantic hurricane activity.

While there are many similarities between the 1950–69 and 1995–2004 periods of above-normal Atlantic hurricane activity, important differences in the tropical climate are also identified, which indicates that the above-normal activity since 1995 does not reflect an exact return to conditions seen during the 1950s–60s. In particular, the period 1950–69 shows a strong link to the leading tropical multidecadal mode (TMM), whereas the 1995–2002 period is associated with a sharp increase in amplitude of the second leading tropical multidecadal mode (TMM2). These differences include a very strong West African monsoon circulation and near-average sea surface temperatures across the central tropical Atlantic during 1950–69, compared with a modestly enhanced West African monsoon and exceptionally warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures during 1995–2004.

It is shown that the ENSO teleconnections and impacts on Atlantic hurricane activity can be substantially masked or accentuated by the leading multidecadal modes. This leads to the important result that these modes provide a substantially more complete view of the climate control over Atlantic hurricane activity during individual seasons than is afforded by ENSO alone. This result applies to understanding differences in the “apparent” ENSO teleconnections not only between the above- and below-normal hurricane decades, but also between the two sets of above-normal hurricane decades.
Independent Evaluation of the Ability of Spaceborne Radar and Lidar to Retrieve the Microphysical and Radiative Properties of Ice Clouds
Authors: Hogan Robin J. , Brooks Malcolm E. , Illingworth Anthony J. , Donovan David P. , Tinel Claire , Bouniol Dominique , Baptista J. Pedro V. Poiares
Published: March 2006

The combination of radar and lidar in space offers the unique potential to retrieve vertical profiles of ice water content and particle size globally, and two algorithms developed recently claim to have overcome the principal difficulty with this approach—that of correcting the lidar signal for extinction. In this paper “blind tests” of these algorithms are carried out, using realistic 94-GHz radar and 355-nm lidar backscatter profiles simulated from aircraft-measured size spectra, and including the effects of molecular scattering, multiple scattering, and instrument noise. Radiation calculations are performed on the true and retrieved microphysical profiles to estimate the accuracy with which radiative flux profiles could be inferred remotely. It is found that the visible extinction profile can be retrieved independent of assumptions on the nature of the size distribution, the habit of the particles, the mean extinction-to-backscatter ratio, or errors in instrument calibration. Local errors in retrieved extinction can occur in proportion to local fluctuations in the extinction-to-backscatter ratio, but down to 400 m above the height of the lowest lidar return, optical depth is typically retrieved to better than 0.2. Retrieval uncertainties are greater at the far end of the profile, and errors in total optical depth can exceed 1, which changes the shortwave radiative effect of the cloud by around 20%. Longwave fluxes are much less sensitive to errors in total optical depth, and may generally be calculated to better than 2 W m−2 throughout the profile. It is important for retrieval algorithms to account for the effects of lidar multiple scattering, because if this is neglected, then optical depth is underestimated by approximately 35%, resulting in cloud radiative effects being underestimated by around 30% in the shortwave and 15% in the longwave. Unlike the extinction coefficient, the inferred ice water content and particle size can vary by 30%, depending on the assumed mass–size relationship (a problem common to all remote retrieval algorithms). However, radiative fluxes are almost completely determined by the extinction profile, and if this is correct, then errors in these other parameters have only a small effect in the shortwave (around 6%, compared to that of clear sky) and a negligible effect in the longwave.
Raman Lidar Measurements during the International H2O Project. Part II: Case Studies
Authors: Whiteman D. N. , Demoz B. , Schwemmer G. , Gentry B. , Di Girolamo P. , Sabatino D. , Comer J. , Veselovskii I. , Evans K. , Lin R-F. , Wang Z. , Behrendt A. , Wulfmeyer V. , Browell E. , Ferrare R. , Ismail S. , Wang J.
Published: March 2006

The NASA GSFC Scanning Raman Lidar (SRL) participated in the International H2O Project (IHOP) that occurred in May and June 2002 in the midwestern part of the United States. The SRL system configuration and methods of data analysis were described in Part I of this paper. In this second part, comparisons of SRL water vapor measurements and those of Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment (LASE) airborne water vapor lidar and chilled-mirror radiosonde are performed. Two case studies are then presented: one for daytime and one for nighttime. The daytime case study is of a convectively driven boundary layer event and is used to characterize the daytime SRL water vapor random error characteristics. The nighttime case study is of a thunderstorm-generated cirrus cloud case that is studied in its meteorological context. Upper-tropospheric humidification due to precipitation from the cirrus cloud is quantified as is the cirrus cloud optical depth, extinction-to-backscatter ratio, ice water content, cirrus particle size, and both particle and volume depolarization ratios. A stability and back-trajectory analysis is performed to study the origin of wave activity in one of the cloud layers. These unprecedented cirrus cloud measurements are being used in a cirrus cloud modeling study.
A New Approach to Estimate Directional Spreading Parameters of a Cosine-2s Model
Authors: Zhang Shaosong , Zhang Jun
Published: March 2006

For accurate and consistent estimates of the directional spreading parameter and mean wave direction of directional seas based on a cosine-2s directional spreading model, a new approach is proposed, employing a maximum likelihood method (MLM) to estimate the directional spreading function and then the angular Fourier coefficients. Because an MLM is more tolerant of errors in the estimated cross-spectrum than a directional Fourier transfer used in the conventional approach, the proposed approach is able to estimate the directional spreading parameter more accurately and consistently, which is examined and confirmed by applying the proposed approach and conventional approach, respectively, to the time series generated by numerical simulation and recorded in field measurements.
Immersion Factor of In-Water Radiance Sensors: Assessment for a Class of Radiometers
Authors: Zibordi Giuseppe
Published: March 2006

The spectral immersion factor of in-water radiance sensors If quantifies the effects of changes in the sensor's response when operated in water versus in air. The values of If are currently computed with a relationship derived from a basic sensor model, which only requires knowledge of the refractive indices of the water and the material constituting the sensor's optical window in contact herewith. Uncertainties in the computation of If are investigated in the 400–700-nm spectral range for a specific class of widely used multispectral radiometers. The analysis is made by comparing If values from the theoretical relationship currently in use with (i) If from a new relationship based on an extended sensor model accounting for the actual solid-angle field of view and the reflectance and transmittance of the external and internal optical components, and (ii) experimental If determined with sample radiometers having diverse optical windows made of materials with different refractive indices. Results highlight that the relationship derived from the basic sensor model introduces a 0.4% negative bias when applied to the considered class of radiometers having a fused silica optical window, a 13° in-air half-angle field of view, and an estimated detector reflectance of 0.15. Reference values of If for the specific class of radiometers, determined with the newly proposed relationship, are presented, and their dependence on seawater temperature and salinity is discussed.
Aliasing of Sea Level Sampled by a Single Exact-Repeat Altimetric Satellite or a Coordinated Constellation of Satellites: Analytic Aliasing Formulas
Authors: Tai Chang-Kou
Published: March 2006

The aliasing problem for exact-repeat altimetric satellite sampling is solved analytically by the least squares method. To make the problem tractable, the latitudinal extent of the problem needs to be moderate for the satellite ground tracks to appear as two sets of parallel straight lines, and the along-track sampling is assumed to be dense enough to resolve any along-track features of interest. The aliasing formulas thus derived confirm the previously discovered resolving power, which is characterized by the Nyquist frequency ωc = π/T (where T is the repeat period of the satellite) and by (in local Cartesian coordinates) the zonal and meridional Nyquist wavenumbers kc = 2π/X and lc = 2π/Y, respectively (where X and Y are the east–west and north–south separations between adjacent parallel ground tracks). There are three major differences with the textbook aliasing. First, instead of the one-to-one correspondence, an outside spectral component is usually aliased into more than one inside spectral components (i.e., those inside the resolved spectral range with |ω| < ωc, |k| < kc, and |l| < lc). Second, instead of power conservation, the aliased components have less power than their corresponding outside spectral components. Third, not all outside components are aliased into the resolved range. Rather, only outside components inside certain well-defined regions in the spectral space are aliased inside. Numerical confirmation of these formulas has been achieved. Moreover, the soundness of these formulas is demonstrated through real examples of tidal aliasing. Furthermore, it is shown that these results can be generalized easily to the case with a coordinated constellation of satellites. The least squares methodology yields the optimal solution, that is, the best fitting, as well as yielding the least aliasing. However, the usual practice is to smooth (i.e., low-pass filter) the altimeter data onto a regular space–time grid. The framework for computing the aliasing of smoothed altimeter data is provided. The smoothing approach produces two major differences with the least squares results. First, the one-to-one correspondence of aliasing is mostly restored. Second, and more important, smoothing reduces the effective Nyquist wavenumbers to π/X = kc/2 and π/Y = lc/2, respectively (i.e., the resolved spectral space is reduced to a quarter of the size that is obtained by the least squares methodology). Ironically, the more one tries to filter out the small-scale features, the more precise the above statement becomes. However, like the least squares results, only outside components inside certain well-defined regions in the spectral space are aliased inside, and this occurs with less power. How much less depends on the characteristics of the smoother.
Solar Irradiance and Effective Brightness Temperature for SWIR Channels of AVHRR/NOAA and GOES Imagers
Authors: Trishchenko Alexander P.
Published: March 2006

Satellite observations in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) part of spectrum between 3.5 and 4.0 μm deliver critically important information for many applications. The satellite signal in this spectral band consists of solar-reflected radiation and thermal radiation emitted by surface, clouds, and atmosphere. Accurate retrievals require precise knowledge of solar irradiance values within a channel's bandwidth. The magnitudes of solar irradiance for shortwave infrared channels (3.7–3.9 μm) for the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-7 (NOAA-7) to NOAA-18 satellites and the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-8 (GOES-8) to GOES-12 are considered in this paper. Four recent solar reference spectra [those of Kurucz, Gueymard, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and Wehrli] are analyzed to determine uncertainties in the knowledge of solar irradiance values for SWIR channels of the listed sensors. Because thermal radiation is frequently converted to effective blackbody temperature for analysis, computations, and calibration purposes, it is proposed here to express band-limited solar irradiance values in terms of brightness temperature as well. It is shown that band-limited solar irradiance for AVHRR radiometers expressed in terms of blackbody equivalent brightness temperature correspond to the range 355–360 K, and vary around 345 K for the SWIR channels of the GOES imagers. The values of band-limited solar irradiance and brightness temperatures are provided for various reference solar spectra. The relative differences in band-limited solar irradiance computed for the considered reference solar spectra are between 0% and 2.5%. Differences expressed in terms of brightness temperatures may reach 0.8 K. The results for the ASTM and the Kurucz reference spectra agree within 0.1% relative difference. Parameters of linear fits relating effective brightness temperatures and spectral radiance equivalent temperatures are also determined for all sensors. They are required for precise radiance–temperature and temperature–radiance conversion through Planck's functions in the case of the finite spectral response of real sensors.
Quality Control of Weather Data during Extreme Events
Authors: You Jinsheng , Hubbard Kenneth G.
Published: March 2006

Quality assurance (QA) procedures have been automated to reduce the time and labor necessary to discover outliers in weather data. Measurements from neighboring stations are used in this study in a spatial regression test to provide preliminary estimates of the measured data points. The new method does not assign the largest weight to the nearest estimate but, instead, assigns the weights according to the standard error of estimate. In this paper, the spatial test was employed to study patterns in flagged data in the following extreme events: the 1993 Midwest floods, the 2002 drought, Hurricane Andrew (1992), and a series of cold fronts during October 1990. The location of flagged records and the influence zones for such events relative to QA were compared. The behavior of the spatial test in these events provides important information on the probability of making a type I error in the assignment of the quality control flag. Simple pattern recognition tools that identify zones wherein frequent flagging occurs are illustrated. These tools serve as a means of resetting QA flags to minimize the number of type I errors as demonstrated for the extreme events included here.
Looking Back with Gadamer Over his Writings and their Effective History
Authors: Gadamer Hans-Georg , Grondin Jean
Published: March 2006

In this interview with Jean Grondin, Gadamer discusses the meaning ‘linguisticality’ and acknowledges his intellectual debt to Heidegger, Augustine, Vico and classical Greek philosophy. Heidegger’s influence on Gadamer can be seen in Gadamer’s awareness of pernicious ontological effects of the Latinization of European language, his awareness of the centrality of technology to the understanding of contemporary philosophical problems and the idea that ‘language speaks’. From Augustine, Gadamer derived his theory of the word as that which cannot be known and brought under control; from Vico the idea that language is rhetorical; and from classical philosophy the Aristotelian idea of phronesis and the Platonic idea that the idea of beauty is inseparable from the idea of the good. Gadamer concludes the interview with a discussion of the need for humanity to overcome its present fascination with technology.
The Ontological Consequences of Copernicus
Authors: Turnbull Neil
Published: March 2006

This article argues that contemporary space exploration, in producing visual representations of the planetary Earth for terrestrial consumption, has engendered a shift in the way the Earth - as terra firma - is both experienced and conceived. The article goes on to suggest that this shift is a key, but still largely tacit presupposition, underlying contemporary discourses on globalization and cultural cosmopolitanization. However, a close reading of some of the texts that make up the canon of 20th-century European philosophy shows that this idea of a ‘deterritorialized’ planetary Earth challenges some basic presuppositions of that canon: especially its use of the pre-reflective experience of terra firma as a tropic site of intological and normative grounds. This article examines the way in which contemporary Western European philosophy - and intellectual culture generally - has responded to this challenge: and offers Deleuze and Guattari’s idea of the Earth as a ‘surface without territory’ as the most intellectually and ethically viable conception of the Earth in the age of ‘planetary deterritorialization’.
Effects of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist CP55,940 and antagonist SR141716A on d-amphetamine-induced behaviours in Cebusmonkeys
Authors: Madsen Morten V. , Peacock Linda , Werge Thomas , Andersen Maibritt B.
Published: March 2006

Several clinical studies have shown that alterations in the cannabinoid system in the brain may be associated with schizophrenia. Although evidence points towards an antipsychotic potential for cannabinoid antagonists, experimental studies have shown inconsistent behavioural effects of cannabinoid ligands within and across species. The aim of the present study was to explore these contradictory findings in a non-human primate model, predictive of antipsychotic efficacy in humans. The effects of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A and the CB1 receptor agonist CP55,940 were explored in an d-amphetamine-based Cebus monkey model of psychosis. The monkeys were sensitive to extrapyramidal side effects (EPS), and the side-effect profiles of the drugs were explored as well. SR141716A (0.1, 0.25, 0.375, 0.5 and 0.75mg/kg) and CP55,940 (0.0025, 0.005 and 0.01mg/kg) were administered by subcutaneous injection alone and in combination with d-amphetamine (0.25mg/kg). SR141716A (0.1–0.5mg/kg) reduced d-amphetamine-induced arousal, while CP55,940 had no significant effect upon d-amphetamine-induced behaviours. No EPS were observed with either of these compounds. These data suggest that cannabinoid CB1 antagonists such as SR141716A may have limited antipsychotic potential in man as to positive symptoms. SR141716A administered alone induced anxiolytic-like behaviour, whereas administration of CP55,940 alone showed anxiogenic properties.
Renewable Energy Capability vs. Climate Necessity
Authors: Mills David
Published: March 2006

A 450-ppm equivalent CO2 target by 2050 is an often-proposed goal under a future global emissions agreement, but there is considerable high side risk in global-warming models due to cloud formation, feedbacks in dissolved organic carbon from peat bogs in polar regions, and unaccounted solar dimming by particulates. The 450-ppm figure is predicated on absorption of some CO2 by oceans, but increasing acidification may dictate that CO2 produced during the next 50 years may have to be reduced further to preserve species diversity in the oceans. By consideration of industry capability, a 400-ppm target is shown to be affordable and achievable by renewables using 2/3 direct solar electricity by 2050 with technology currently being proven, together with aggressive energy efficiency. Sequestration of liquid CO2 under pressure in enormous continually excavated caverns at 2-km depth is technically much less certain and later in development.
The Solar City Daegu 2050 Project: Visions for a Sustainable City
Authors: Kim Jong-dall , Han Dong-hi , Na Jung-gyu
Published: March 2006

The Solar City Daegu 2050 Project (SCD 2050) represents a comprehensive model for shaping the future of this city of 2.5 million residents with a mixed industrial and services economic base. Its specific aims are as follows: realization of a carbon footprint consistent with standards of global sustainability and equity; the development of a renewable-energy - based urban community and economy; and the pursuit of economic development that meets the needs of Daegu’s citizens in a manner that is culturally and ecologically sound. A long-term master plan like SCD 2050 is necessary to reach these transformative goals. At the same time, 50-year planning enables the citizens of Daegu to envision their city’s intergenerational future. SCD 2050 cannot simply lead to an urban energy transition. Conscious efforts to change social structure will also be essential to realizing the plan’s goals.
What Is New in Cytokine Research Related to Trauma/Critical Care
Authors: Jawa Randeep S. , Kulaylat Mahmoud N. , Baumann Heinz , Dayton Merril T.
Published: March 2006

Cytokines are low molecular weight proteins whose production can be modified by various insults. They have the potential to modify cellular responses to these insults. Recent years have seen a plethora of research in cytokine biology in trauma and critical care.
Argatroban for Suspected Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: Contemporary Experience at a Large Teaching Hospital
Authors: Kodityal Sandeep , Nguyen Phuong H. , Kodityal Amith , Sherer Jeff , Hursting Marcie J. , Rice Lawrence
Published: March 2006

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia requires immediate alternative anticoagulation to prevent or treat thromboembolic complications. Argatroban was approved based on multiple-center studies from the 1990s, but subsequent changes in prevailing awareness, diagnostic testing and therapeutic strategies for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia might affect results of argatroban therapy. Charts were retrospectively reviewed from patients administered argatroban for suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia over 22 months at a single large university hospital. Twenty-seven patients, most in intensive care units, received a median 0.5 µg/kg/min argatroban over a median 5.5 days. Patients had isolated heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (n = 10), had heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis (n = 9), or lacked active heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (n = 8) on final analysis. New thromboses (14.8%), progression of preexisting thromboses (0%), amputation secondary to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (0%), death (22.2%), bleeding requiring transfusion (3.7%), and any bleeding (22.2%) compared favorably with older multiple-center reports. Deaths occurred mainly with preexisting multiple-organ failure. In contemporary “real world” use, argatroban provides safe and effective anticoagulation, strengthening the mandate to initiate alternative anticoagulation whenever heparin-induced thrombocytopenia appears likely.
Hard Drives and Glass Ceilings
Authors: McKay Steven C.
Published: March 2006

The article focuses on the persistent links between workplace stratification and gender ascription in the organization of flexible high-tech production. Using a comparative case study analysis of three multinational electronics firms in the Philippines, it examines three key organizational factors: firm nationality, product characteristics, and existing labor relations—that help drive variation in the gendering and gendered impact of technological upgrading. It also considers three extra-organizational factors—trends in flexible production, the role of the host state, and gender ideologies—that also influence firm choices. The article assesses the variation in gendered processes and outcomes focusing on the fulfillment of workers’ practical needs versus strategic gender interests. The article finds that despite continued variation at the firm level, extra-organizational pressures will likely contribute to continued gender stratification as firms upgrade, leading to the potential masculinization of skilled high-tech work.
A Comparison of Embedded and Nonembedded Print Coverage of the U.S. Invasion and Occupation of Iraq
Authors: Haigh Michel M. , Pfau Michael , Danesi Jamie , Tallmon Robert , Bunko Tracy , Nyberg Shannon , Thompson Bertha , Babin Chance , Cardella Sal , Mink Michael , Temple Brian
Published: March 2006

This study examines the impact of embedded versus nonembedded (unilateral) news coverage during the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. A content analysis was conduycted of the Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune news coverage of the invasion and occupation examining whether embedded and nonembedded new reports were different and, if so, how. News reports were examined for differences in tone toward the military, trust in the military, framing, and authoritativeness. The results of the study revealed significant differences in overall tone toward the military, trust in military personnel, framing, and authoritativeness between embedded and nonembedded articles.
Attention Cycles and Frames in the Plant Biotechnology Debate
Authors: Nisbet Matthew C. , Huge Mike
Published: March 2006

Power in policy making revolves in part around the ability to control media attention to an issue while framing an issue in favorable terms. These two characteristics of media coverage both reflect and shape where an issue is decided,by whom,and with what outcomes. In understanding this process, a number of studies have observed cyclical waves in media attention and historical shifts in how an issue is framed,linking these features to policy decisions. Yet there has been little theoretical specification and testing of the social mechanisms that drive these cycles. With this in mind, this study outlines a model for understanding “mediated issue development.” The theoretical components of the model include the type of policy arena where debate takes place,the media lobbying activities of strategic actors,the journalistic need for narrative structure,and the competition from other issues for attention across policy and media environments.Related factors include the type of journalist assigned coverage and the level of attention from opinion pages. Using data from a content analysis of twenty-five years of coverage at the New York Times and Washington Post,the model is applied and tested against the issue of plant biotechnology. Generalizability of the model is the primary goal,and the authors conclude with comparisons to other issues such as the Human Genome Project and intelligent design. Understanding, however, why plant biotechnology remains at low levels of controversy in the United States compared to the rest of the world remains the object of considerable curiosity, and the focus of this study posits several explanations.
Effectiveness of an HIV Prevention Intervention in Prison Among African Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasians
Authors: Bryan Angela , Robbins Reuben N. , Ruiz Monica S. , O'Neill Dennis
Published: March 2006

Prisons and prison inmates present important targets for HIV/AIDS prevention interventions. Inmates often have histories of high-risk behavior that place them in danger of contracting HIV/AIDS, and rates of HIV/AIDS tend to be much higher in this population. The goal of this studywas to assess the effectiveness of a prison-based HIV/AIDS intervention to change attitudes toward HIV prevention, norms supporting HIV prevention, perceived behavioral control (i.e., self-efficacy) for HIV prevention behaviors, and intentions to engage in HIV prevention behaviors postrelease. The intervention also had the goal of encouraging inmates to become HIV/AIDS peer educators. The intervention appeared most successful at influencing beliefs and behaviors related to peer education and somewhat successful at influencing beliefs and intentions related to condom use. Analyses also showed some significant differences in effectiveness by race/ethnicity. Results are discussed from the perspectives of both research and practice with regard to prison-based HIV prevention efforts.
Examining the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Construct of Self-Efficacy to Predict Mammography Intention
Authors: Tolma Eleni L. , Reininger Belinda M. , Evans Alexandra , Ureda John
Published: March 2006

This article examines the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with the addition of the selfefficacy construct in the understanding of the motivation to obtain an initial screeningmammogramamong Cypriot women. The study sample consisted of 293women aged 40 to 65 years, asymptomatic of breast cancer, and with no previous mammography experience. The study took place at the General Hospital of Nicosia in Cyprus. The results of the study provided support of the TPB with the addition of self-efficacy in an international setting. Self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of intention. Other predictors of intention included educational level, time of last clinical breast examination, and age. The study also provided some empirical support of the distinction between self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control. Researchers may want to include self-efficacy in addition to the TPB and other demographic characteristics in future applications to more fully explain behavioral outcomes.
Introduction: Statistical and Methodological Myths and Urban Legends
Authors: Vandenberg Robert J.
Published: March 2006

Although a kernel of truth or appropriateness underlies each one, numerous methodological and statistical criteria have been stretched beyond that kernel and have evolved into myths and urban legends. They are truly legends in that those applying it were told it was so and have thus accepted it and perpetuated it themselves in interactions with others. This is particularly prevalent in the manuscript development and review processes in which the mythical aspects of those criteria are applied. The end result is a degradation of the research process. The feature topic's purpose is to uncover the kernel of truth underlying the mythical nature of alternative model testing, cutoff values for certain criteria, common method bias, and mediation test. It is developmental in nature in that the desired result is to end the legendary application of those criteria and return to applying them in their intended manner.