Sample records for greenness normalized difference
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Perception of color emotions for single colors in red-green defective observers.
Sato, Keiko; Inoue, Takaaki
2016-01-01
It is estimated that inherited red-green color deficiency, which involves both the protan and deutan deficiency types, is common in men. For red-green defective observers, some reddish colors appear desaturated and brownish, unlike those seen by normal observers. Despite its prevalence, few studies have investigated the effects that red-green color deficiency has on the psychological properties of colors (color emotions). The current study investigated the influence of red-green color deficiency on the following six color emotions: cleanliness, freshness, hardness, preference, warmth, and weight. Specifically, this study aimed to: (1) reveal differences between normal and red-green defective observers in rating patterns of six color emotions; (2) examine differences in color emotions related to the three cardinal channels in human color vision; and (3) explore relationships between color emotions and color naming behavior. Thirteen men and 10 women with normal vision and 13 men who were red-green defective performed both a color naming task and an emotion rating task with 32 colors from the Berkeley Color Project (BCP). Results revealed noticeable differences in the cleanliness and hardness ratings between the normal vision observers, particularly in women, and red-green defective observers, which appeared mainly for colors in the orange to cyan range, and in the preference and warmth ratings for colors with cyan and purple hues. Similarly, naming errors also mainly occurred in the cyan colors. A regression analysis that included the three cone-contrasts (i.e., red-green, blue-yellow, and luminance) as predictors significantly accounted for variability in color emotion ratings for the red-green defective observers as much as the normal individuals. Expressly, for warmth ratings, the weight of the red-green opponent channel was significantly lower in color defective observers than in normal participants. In addition, the analyses for individual warmth ratings in the red-green defective group revealed that luminance cone-contrast was a significant predictor in most red-green-defective individuals. Together, these results suggest that red-green defective observers tend to rely on the blue-yellow channel and luminance to compensate for the weak sensitivity of long- and medium-wavelength (L-M) cone-contrasts, when rating color warmth.
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Perception of color emotions for single colors in red-green defective observers
Inoue, Takaaki
2016-01-01
It is estimated that inherited red-green color deficiency, which involves both the protan and deutan deficiency types, is common in men. For red-green defective observers, some reddish colors appear desaturated and brownish, unlike those seen by normal observers. Despite its prevalence, few studies have investigated the effects that red-green color deficiency has on the psychological properties of colors (color emotions). The current study investigated the influence of red-green color deficiency on the following six color emotions: cleanliness, freshness, hardness, preference, warmth, and weight. Specifically, this study aimed to: (1) reveal differences between normal and red-green defective observers in rating patterns of six color emotions; (2) examine differences in color emotions related to the three cardinal channels in human color vision; and (3) explore relationships between color emotions and color naming behavior. Thirteen men and 10 women with normal vision and 13 men who were red-green defective performed both a color naming task and an emotion rating task with 32 colors from the Berkeley Color Project (BCP). Results revealed noticeable differences in the cleanliness and hardness ratings between the normal vision observers, particularly in women, and red-green defective observers, which appeared mainly for colors in the orange to cyan range, and in the preference and warmth ratings for colors with cyan and purple hues. Similarly, naming errors also mainly occurred in the cyan colors. A regression analysis that included the three cone-contrasts (i.e., red-green, blue-yellow, and luminance) as predictors significantly accounted for variability in color emotion ratings for the red-green defective observers as much as the normal individuals. Expressly, for warmth ratings, the weight of the red-green opponent channel was significantly lower in color defective observers than in normal participants. In addition, the analyses for individual warmth ratings in the red-green defective group revealed that luminance cone-contrast was a significant predictor in most red-green-defective individuals. Together, these results suggest that red-green defective observers tend to rely on the blue-yellow channel and luminance to compensate for the weak sensitivity of long- and medium-wavelength (L-M) cone-contrasts, when rating color warmth. PMID:27957394
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hatfield, J. L.; Asrar, G.; Kanemasu, E. T.
1982-01-01
The interception of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was evaluated relative to greenness and normalized difference (MSS 7-5/7+5) for five planting dates of wheat for 1978-79 and 1979-80 in Phoenix. Intercepted PAR was calculated from a model driven by leaf area index and stage of growth. Linear relationships were found between greenness and normalized difference with a separate model representing growth and senescence of the crop. Normalized difference was a significantly better model and would be easier to apply than the empirically derived greenness parameter. For the leaf area growth portion of the season the model between PAR interception and normalized difference was the same over years, however, for the leaf senescence the models showed more variability due to the lack of data on measured interception in sparse canopies. Normalized difference could be used to estimate PAR interception directly for crop growth models.
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Drummond-Borg, M; Deeb, S; Motulsky, A G
1988-01-01
The molecular nature of three different types of X-linked color-vision defects, protanomaly, deuteranomaly, and protanopia, in a large 3-generation family was determined. In the protanomalous and protanopic males the normal red pigment gene was replaced by a 5' red-3' green fusion gene. The protanomalous male had more red pigment DNA in his fusion gene than did the more severely affected protanopic individual. The deuteranomalous individual had four green pigment genes and one 5' green-3' red fusion gene. These results extend those of Nathans et al., who proposed that most red-green color-vision defects arise as a result of unequal crossing-over between the red and green pigment genes. The various data suggest that differences in severity of color-vision defects associated with fusion genes are caused by differences in crossover sites between the red and green pigment genes. Currently used molecular methodology is not sufficiently sensitive to define these fusion points accurately, and the specific color-vision defect within the deutan or protan class cannot be predicted. The DNA patterns for color-vision genes of female heterozygotes have not previously been described. Patterns of heterozygotes may not be distinguishable from those of normals. However, a definite assignment of the various color pigment gene arrays could be carried out by family study. Two compound heterozygotes for color-vision defects who tested as normal by anomaloscopy were found to carry abnormal fusion genes. In addition, a normal red pigment gene was present on one chromosome and at least one normal green pigment gene was present on the other.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Images Figure 3 PMID:2847528
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Circuitry to explain how the relative number of L and M cones shapes color experience
Schmidt, Brian P.; Touch, Phanith; Neitz, Maureen; Neitz, Jay
2016-01-01
The wavelength of light that appears unique yellow is surprisingly consistent across people even though the ratio of middle (M) to long (L) wavelength sensitive cones is strikingly variable. This observation has been explained by normalization to the mean spectral distribution of our shared environment. Our purpose was to reconcile the nearly perfect alignment of everyone's unique yellow through a normalization process with the striking variability in unique green, which varies by as much as 60 nm between individuals. The spectral location of unique green was measured in a group of volunteers whose cone ratios were estimated with a technique that combined genetics and flicker photometric electroretinograms. In contrast to unique yellow, unique green was highly dependent upon relative cone numerosity. We hypothesized that the difference in neural architecture of the blue-yellow and red-green opponent systems in the presence of a normalization process creates the surprising dependence of unique green on cone ratio. We then compared the predictions of different theories of color vision processing that incorporate L and M cone ratio and a normalization process. The results of this analysis reveal that—contrary to prevailing notions--postretinal contributions may not be required to explain the phenomena of unique hues. PMID:27366885
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Doi, Ryoichi
2012-09-01
Observation of leaf colour (spectral profiles) through remote sensing is an effective method of identifying the spatial distribution patterns of abnormalities in leaf colour, which enables appropriate plant management measures to be taken. However, because the brightness of remote sensing images varies with acquisition time, in the observation of leaf spectral profiles in multi-temporally acquired remote sensing images, changes in brightness must be taken into account. This study identified a simple luminosity normalization technique that enables leaf colours to be compared in remote sensing images over time. The intensity values of green and yellow (green+red) exhibited strong linear relationships with luminosity (R2 greater than 0.926) when various invariant rooftops in Bangkok or Tokyo were spectralprofiled using remote sensing images acquired at different time points. The values of the coefficient and constant or the coefficient of the formulae describing the intensity of green or yellow were comparable among the single Bangkok site and the two Tokyo sites, indicating the technique's general applicability. For single rooftops, the values of the coefficient of variation for green, yellow, and red/green were 16% or less (n=6-11), indicating an accuracy not less than those of well-established remote sensing measures such as the normalized difference vegetation index. After obtaining the above linear relationships, raw intensity values were normalized and a temporal comparison of the spectral profiles of the canopies of evergreen and deciduous tree species in Tokyo was made to highlight the changes in the canopies' spectral profiles. Future aspects of this technique are discussed herein.
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Sunglasses, traffic signals, and color vision deficiencies.
Dain, Stephen J; Wood, Joanne M; Atchison, David A
2009-04-01
To determine (a) the effect of different sunglass tint colorations on traffic signal detection and recognition for color normal and color deficient observers, and (b) the adequacy of coloration requirements in current sunglass standards. Twenty color-normals and 49 color-deficient males performed a tracking task while wearing sunglasses of different colorations (clear, gray, green, yellow-green, yellow-brown, red-brown). At random intervals, simulated traffic light signals were presented against a white background at 5 degrees to the right or left and observers were instructed to identify signal color (red/yellow/green) by pressing a response button as quickly as possible; response times and response errors were recorded. Signal color and sunglass tint had significant effects on response times and error rates (p < 0.05), with significant between-color group differences and interaction effects. Response times for color deficient people were considerably slower than color normals for both red and yellow signals for all sunglass tints, but for green signals they were only noticeably slower with the green and yellow-green lenses. For most of the color deficient groups, there were recognition errors for yellow signals combined with the yellow-green and green tints. In addition, deuteranopes had problems for red signals combined with red-brown and yellow-brown tints, and protanopes had problems for green signals combined with the green tint and for red signals combined with the red-brown tint. Many sunglass tints currently permitted for drivers and riders cause a measurable decrement in the ability of color deficient observers to detect and recognize traffic signals. In general, combinations of signals and sunglasses of similar colors are of particular concern. This is prima facie evidence of a risk in the use of these tints for driving and cautions against the relaxation of coloration limits in sunglasses beyond those represented in the study.
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Deeb, S S; Lindsey, D T; Hibiya, Y; Sanocki, E; Winderickx, J; Teller, D Y; Motulsky, A G
1992-01-01
The relationship between the molecular structure of the X-linked red and green visual pigment genes and color-vision phenotype as ascertained by anomaloscopy was studied in 64 color-defective males. The great majority of red-green defects were associated with either the deletion of the green-pigment gene or the formation of 5' red-green hybrid genes or 5' green-red hybrid genes. A rapid PCR-based method allowed detection of hybrid genes, including those undetectable by Southern blot analysis, as well as more precise localization of the fusion points in hybrid genes. Protan color-vision defects appeared always associated with 5' red-green hybrid genes. Carriers of single red-green hybrid genes with fusion in introns 1-4 were protanopes. However, carriers of hybrid genes with red-green fusions in introns 2, 3, or 4 in the presence of additional normal green genes manifested as either protanopes or protanomalous trichromats, with the majority being protanomalous. Deutan defects were associated with green-pigment gene deletions, with 5' green-red hybrid genes, or, rarely, with 5' green-red-green hybrid genes. Complete green-pigment gene deletions or green-red fusions in intron 1 were usually associated with deuteranopia, although we unexpectedly found three carriers of a single red-pigment gene without any green-pigment genes to be deuteranomalous trichromats. All but one of the other deuteranomalous subjects had green-red hybrid genes with intron 1, 2, 3, or 4 fusions, as well as several normal green-pigment genes. The one exception had a grossly normal gene array, presumably with a more subtle mutation. Amino acid differences in exon 5 largely determine whether a hybrid gene will be more redlike or more greenlike in phenotype. Various discrepancies as to severity (dichromacy or trichromacy) remain unexplained but may arise because of variability of expression, postreceptoral variation, or both. When phenotypic color-vision defects exist, the kind of defect (protan or deutan) can be predicted by molecular analysis. Red-green hybrid genes are probably always associated with protan color-vision defects, while the presence of green-red hybrid genes may not always manifest phenotypically with color-vision defects. Four subjects who were found to have 5' green-red hybrid genes in addition to normal red- and green-pigment genes had normal color vision as determined by anomaloscopy. These were discovered among a group of 129 Caucasian males who had been recruited as volunteers for a vision study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Images Figure 3 PMID:1415215
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Landini, G; Perryer, G
2009-06-01
Individuals with red-green colour-blindness (CB) commonly experience great difficulty differentiating between certain histological stain pairs, notably haematoxylin-eosin (H&E). The prevalence of red-green CB is high (6-10% of males), including among medical and laboratory personnel, and raises two major concerns: first, accessibility and equity issues during the education and training of individuals with this disability, and second, the likelihood of errors in critical tasks such as interpreting histological images. Here we show two methods to enhance images of H&E-stained samples so the differently stained tissues can be well discriminated by red-green CBs while remaining usable by people with normal vision. Method 1 involves rotating and stretching the range of H&E hues in the image to span the perceptual range of the CB observers. Method 2 digitally unmixes the original dyes using colour deconvolution into two separate images and repositions the information into hues that are more distinctly perceived. The benefits of these methods were tested in 36 volunteers with normal vision and 11 with red-green CB using a variety of H&E stained tissue sections paired with their enhanced versions. CB subjects reported they could better perceive the different stains using the enhanced images for 85% of preparations (method 1: 90%, method 2: 73%), compared to the H&E-stained original images. Many subjects with normal vision also preferred the enhanced images to the original H&E. The results suggest that these colour manipulations confer considerable advantage for those with red-green colour vision deficiency while not disadvantaging people with normal colour vision.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Deeb, S.S.; Motulsky, A.G.; Lindsey, D.T.
1992-10-01
The relationship between the molecular structure of the X-linked red and green visual pigment genes and color-vision phenotype as ascertained by anomaloscopy was studied in 64 color-defective males. The great majority of red-green defects were associated with either the deletion of the green-pigment gene or the formation of 5[prime] red-green hybrid genes or 5[prime] green-red hybrid genes. A rapid PCR-based method allowed detection of hybrid genes, including those undetectable by Southern blot analysis, as well as more precise localization of the fusion points in hybrid genes. Protan color-vision defects appeared always associated with 5[prime] red-green hybrid genes. Carriers of singlemore » red-green hybrid genes with fusion in introns 1-4 were protanopes. However, carriers of hybrid genes with red-green fusions in introns 2, 3, or 4 in the presence of additional normal green genes manifested as either protanopes or protanomalous trichromats, with the majority being protanomalous. Deutan defects were associated with green-pigment gene deletions, with 5[prime] green-red hybrid genes, or, rarely, with 5[prime] green-red-green hybrid genes. Complete green-pigment gene deletions or green-red fusions in intron 1 were usually associated with deuteranopia, although the authors unexpectedly found three carriers of a single red-pigment gene without any green-pigment genes to be deuteranomalous trichromats. All but one of the other deuteranomalous subjects had green-red hybrid genes with intron 1, 2, 3, or 4 fusions, as well as several normal green-pigment genes. The one exception had a grossly normal gene array, presumably with a more subtle mutation. Amino acid differences in exon 5 largely determine whether a hybrid gene will be more redlike or more greenlike in phenotype. Various discrepancies as to severity (dichromacy or trichromacy) remain unexplained but may arise because of variability of expression, postreceptoral variation, or both.« less
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Meissner effect in normal-superconducting proximity-contact double layers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Higashitani, Seiji; Nagai, Katsuhiko
1995-02-01
The Meissner effect in normal-superconducting proximity-contact double layers is discussed in the clean limit. The diamagnetic current is calculated using the quasi-classical Green's function. We obtain the quasi-classical Green's function linear in the vector potential in the proximity-contact double layers with a finite reflection coefficient at the interface. It is found that the diamagnetic current in the clean normal layer is constant in space, therefore, the magnetic field linearly decreases in the clean normal layer. We give an explicit expression for the screening length in the clean normal layer and study its temperature dependence. We show that the temperature dependence in the clean normal layer is considerably different from that in the dirty normal layer and agrees with a recent experiment in Au-Nb system.
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Toothguide Trainer tests with color vision deficiency simulation monitor.
Borbély, Judit; Varsányi, Balázs; Fejérdy, Pál; Hermann, Péter; Jakstat, Holger A
2010-01-01
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether simulated severe red and green color vision deficiency (CVD) influenced color matching results and to investigate whether training with Toothguide Trainer (TT) computer program enabled better color matching results. A total of 31 color normal dental students participated in the study. Every participant had to pass the Ishihara Test. Participants with a red/green color vision deficiency were excluded. A lecture on tooth color matching was given, and individual training with TT was performed. To measure the individual tooth color matching results in normal and color deficient display modes, the TT final exam was displayed on a calibrated monitor that served as a hardware-based method of simulating protanopy and deuteranopy. Data from the TT final exams were collected in normal and in severe red and green CVD-simulating monitor display modes. Color difference values for each participant in each display mode were computed (∑ΔE(ab)(*)), and the respective means and standard deviations were calculated. The Student's t-test was used in statistical evaluation. Participants made larger ΔE(ab)(*) errors in severe color vision deficient display modes than in the normal monitor mode. TT tests showed significant (p<0.05) difference in the tooth color matching results of severe green color vision deficiency simulation mode compared to normal vision mode. Students' shade matching results were significantly better after training (p=0.009). Computer-simulated severe color vision deficiency mode resulted in significantly worse color matching quality compared to normal color vision mode. Toothguide Trainer computer program improved color matching results. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Zhang, Wei; Zhong, Xing; Che, Wu
2018-02-01
To investigate nutrient leaching from extensive green roofs, green roof platforms were established to investigate the effluent quantity and quality during artificial rainfall. When the influent volume reached three times the empty bed volume, for which the cumulative rainfall was around 300 mm, the effluent TP and COD concentrations of green roof platforms filled with peat soil did not tend to stabilize. For a long-term operation, the substrate depths had little significant influence on TN, TP and COD concentrations of the green roof effluents. A normalized cumulative emission process method was proposed to discuss the difference in various pollutant leaching processes. Obvious differences in the leaching process of different contaminants for green roof platforms filled with various substrates were observed. For the green roof filled with modified substrates, the nitrogen and phosphorus pollutant leaching rates were relatively high in the initial stage of green roof operation and the phosphorus leaching rate was higher than that of nitrogen. The green roof is a sink for TN, but not for TP and COD in this study. The outcomes are critical for the selection of green roof substrates and also contribute to green roof maintenance.
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Wilson, Natalie R.; Norman, Laura
2018-01-01
Watershed restoration efforts seek to rejuvenate vegetation, biological diversity, and land productivity at Cienega San Bernardino, an important wetland in southeastern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. Rock detention and earthen berm structures were built on the Cienega San Bernardino over the course of four decades, beginning in 1984 and continuing to the present. Previous research findings show that restoration supports and even increases vegetation health despite ongoing drought conditions in this arid watershed. However, the extent of restoration impacts is still unknown despite qualitative observations of improvement in surrounding vegetation amount and vigor. We analyzed spatial and temporal trends in vegetation greenness and soil moisture by applying the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference infrared index (NDII) to one dry summer season Landsat path/row from 1984 to 2016. The study area was divided into zones and spectral data for each zone was analyzed and compared with precipitation record using statistical measures including linear regression, Mann– Kendall test, and linear correlation. NDVI and NDII performed differently due to the presence of continued grazing and the effects of grazing on canopy cover; NDVI was better able to track changes in vegetation in areas without grazing while NDII was better at tracking changes in areas with continued grazing. Restoration impacts display higher greenness and vegetation water content levels, greater increases in greenness and water content through time, and a decoupling of vegetation greenness and water content from spring precipitation when compared to control sites in nearby tributary and upland areas. Our results confirm the potential of erosion control structures to affect areas up to 5 km downstream of restoration sites over time and to affect 1 km upstream of the sites.
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Neighborhood Greenness and Chronic Health Conditions in Medicare Beneficiaries.
Brown, Scott C; Lombard, Joanna; Wang, Kefeng; Byrne, Margaret M; Toro, Matthew; Plater-Zyberk, Elizabeth; Feaster, Daniel J; Kardys, Jack; Nardi, Maria I; Perez-Gomez, Gianna; Pantin, Hilda M; Szapocznik, José
2016-07-01
Prior studies suggest that exposure to the natural environment may impact health. The present study examines the association between objective measures of block-level greenness (vegetative presence) and chronic medical conditions, including cardiometabolic conditions, in a large population-based sample of Medicare beneficiaries in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The sample included 249,405 Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years whose location (ZIP+4) within Miami-Dade County, Florida, did not change, from 2010 to 2011. Data were obtained in 2013 and multilevel analyses conducted in 2014 to examine relationships between greenness, measured by mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index from satellite imagery at the Census block level, and chronic health conditions in 2011, adjusting for neighborhood median household income, individual age, gender, race, and ethnicity. Higher greenness was significantly associated with better health, adjusting for covariates: An increase in mean block-level Normalized Difference Vegetation Index from 1 SD less to 1 SD more than the mean was associated with 49 fewer chronic conditions per 1,000 individuals, which is approximately similar to a reduction in age of the overall study population by 3 years. This same level of increase in mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was associated with a reduced risk of diabetes by 14%, hypertension by 13%, and hyperlipidemia by 10%. Planned post-hoc analyses revealed stronger and more consistently positive relationships between greenness and health in lower- than higher-income neighborhoods. Greenness or vegetative presence may be effective in promoting health in older populations, particularly in poor neighborhoods, possibly due to increased time outdoors, physical activity, or stress mitigation. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Performance of vegetation indices from Landsat time series in deforestation monitoring
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schultz, Michael; Clevers, Jan G. P. W.; Carter, Sarah; Verbesselt, Jan; Avitabile, Valerio; Quang, Hien Vu; Herold, Martin
2016-10-01
The performance of Landsat time series (LTS) of eight vegetation indices (VIs) was assessed for monitoring deforestation across the tropics. Three sites were selected based on differing remote sensing observation frequencies, deforestation drivers and environmental factors. The LTS of each VI was analysed using the Breaks For Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) Monitor method to identify deforestation. A robust reference database was used to evaluate the performance regarding spatial accuracy, sensitivity to observation frequency and combined use of multiple VIs. The canopy cover sensitive Normalized Difference Fraction Index (NDFI) was the most accurate. Among those tested, wetness related VIs (Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) and the Tasselled Cap wetness (TCw)) were spatially more accurate than greenness related VIs (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Tasselled Cap greenness (TCg)). When VIs were fused on feature level, spatial accuracy was improved and overestimation of change reduced. NDVI and NDFI produced the most robust results when observation frequency varies.
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Deriving leaf chlorophyll content of green-leafy vegetables from hyperspectral reflectance
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xue, Lihong; Yang, Linzhang
Different nitrogen (N) treatments of four common green-leafy vegetable varieties with different leaf color: lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L. var. crispa L.) with yellow green leaves, pakchoi ( Brassica chinensis L.) var. aijiaohuang in Chinese (AJH) with middle green leaves, spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) with green leaves and pakchoi ( B. chinensis L.) var. shanghaiqing in Chinese (SHQ) with dark green leaves, were carried out to achieve a wide range of chlorophyll content. The relationship of vegetable leaf hyperspectral response to its chlorophyll content was examined in this study. Almost all reported successful leaf chlorophyll indices in the literature were evaluated for their ability to predict the chlorophyll content in vegetable leaves. Some new indices based on the first derivative curve were also developed, and compared with the chlorophyll indices published. The results showed that most of the indices showed a strong relation with leaf chlorophyll content. In general, modified indices with the blue or near red edge wavelength performed better than their simple counterpart without modification, ratio indices performed a little better than normalized indices when chlorophyll expressed on area basis and reversed when chlorophyll expressed on fresh weight basis. A normalized derivative difference ratio (BND: (D722-D700)/(D722+D700) calibrated by Maire et al. [Maire, G., Francois, C., Dufrene, E., 2004. Towards universal broad leaf chlorophyll indices using PROSPECT simulated database and hyperspectral reflectance measurements. Remote Sensing of Environment 89 (1), 1-28]) gave the best results among all published indices in this study (RMSE=22.1 mg m -2), then the mSR-like indices with the RMSE between 22.6 and 23.0 mg m -2. The new indices EBAR (ratio of the area of red and blue, ∑ dRE/∑ dB), EBFN (normalized difference of the amplitude of red and blue, (dRE-dB)/(dRE+dB)) and EBAN (normalized difference of the area of red and blue, (∑ dRE-∑ dB)/(∑ dRE+∑ dB)) calculated with the derivatives also showed a good performance with the RMSE of 23.3, 24.15 and 24.33 mg m -2, respectively. The study suggests that spectral reflectance measurements hold promise for the assessment of chlorophyll content at the leaf level for green-leafy vegetables. Further investigation is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of such techniques on other vegetable varieties or at the canopy level.
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Changes in Landscape Greenness and Climatic Factors over 25 Years (1989–2013) in the USA
Monitoring and quantifying changes in vegetation cover over large areas using remote sensing can be achieved using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), an indicator of greenness. However, distinguishing gradual shifts in NDVI (e.g. climate change) versus direct and ...
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Bai, Jin-Shun; Cao, Wei-Dong; Xiong, Jing; Zeng, Nao-Hua; Shimizu, Katshyoshi; Rui, Yu-Kui
2013-12-01
In order to explore the feasibility of using the image processing technology to diagnose the nitrogen status and to predict the maize yield, a field experiment with different nitrogen rates with green manure incorporation was conducted. Maize canopy digital images over a range of growth stages were captured by digital camera. Maize nitrogen status and the relationships between image color indices derived by digital camera for maize at different growth stages and maize nitrogen status indicators were analyzed. These digital camera sourced image color indices at different growth stages for maize were also regressed with maize grain yield at maturity. The results showed that the plant nitrogen status for maize was improved by green manure application. The leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD value), aboveground biomass and nitrogen uptake for green manure treatments at different maize growth stages were all higher than that for chemical fertilization treatments. The correlations between spectral indices with plant nitrogen indicators for maize affected by green manure application were weaker than that affected by chemical fertilization. And the correlation coefficients for green manure application were ranged with the maize growth stages changes. The best spectral indices for diagnosis of plant nitrogen status after green manure incorporation were normalized blue value (B/(R+G+B)) at 12-leaf (V12) stage and normalized red value (R/(R+G+B)) at grain-filling (R4) stage individually. The coefficients of determination based on linear regression were 0. 45 and 0. 46 for B/(R+G+B) at V12 stage and R/(R+G+B) at R4 stage respectively, acting as a predictor of maize yield response to nitrogen affected by green manure incorporation. Our findings suggested that digital image technique could be a potential tool for in-season prediction of the nitrogen status and grain yield for maize after green manure incorporation when the suitable growth stages and spectral indices for diagnosis were selected.
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Monitoring vegetation greenness with satellite data
Robert E. Burgan; Roberta A. Hartford
1993-01-01
Vegetation greenness can be monitored at 1-km resolution for the conterminous United States through data obtained from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer on the NOAA-11 weather satellites. The data are used to calculate biweekly composites of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. The resulting composite images are updated weekly and made available to...
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Iridescence in the neck feathers of domestic pigeons
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yin, Haiwei; Shi, Lei; Sha, Jing; Li, Yizhou; Qin, Youhua; Dong, Biqin; Meyer, Serge; Liu, Xiaohan; Zhao, Li; Zi, Jian
2006-11-01
We conducted structural characterizations, reflection measurements, and theoretical simulations on the iridescent green and purple neck feathers of domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica). We found that both green and purple barbules are composed of an outer keratin cortex layer surrounding a medullary layer. The thickness of the keratin cortex layer shows a distinct difference between green and purple barbules. Green barbules vary colors from green to purple with the observing angle changed from normal to oblique, while purple barbules from purple to green in an opposite way. Both the experimental and theoretical results suggest that structural colors in green and purple neck feathers should originate from the interference in the top keratin cortex layer, while the structure beyond acts as a poor mirror.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sheikhi, A.; Kanniah, K. D.; Ho, C. H.
2015-10-01
Green space must be increased in the development of new cities as green space can moderate temperature in the cities. In this study we estimated the land surface temperature (LST) and established relationships between LST and land cover and various vegetation and urban surface indices in the Iskandar Malaysia (IM) region. IM is one of the emerging economic gateways of Malaysia, and is envisaged to transform into a metropolis by 2025. This change may cause increased temperature in IM and therefore we conducted a study by using Landsat 5 image covering the study region (2,217 km2) to estimate LST, classify different land covers and calculate spectral indices. Results show that urban surface had highest LST (24.49 °C) and the lowest temperature was recorded in, forest, rubber and water bodies ( 20.69 to 21.02°C). Oil palm plantations showed intermediate mean LST values with 21.65 °C. We further investigated the relationship between vegetation and build up densities with temperature. We extracted 1000 collocated pure pixels of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Urban Index (UI) and LST in the study area. Results show a strong and significant negative correlation with (R2= -0.74 and -0.79) respectively between NDVI, NDWI and LST . Meanwhile a strong positive correlation (R2=0.8 and 0.86) exists between NDBI, UI and LST. These results show the importance of increasing green cover in urban environment to combat any adverse effects of climate change.
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Wagner-Schuman, Melissa; Neitz, Jay; Rha, Jungtae; Williams, David R.; Neitz, Maureen; Carroll, Joseph
2010-01-01
Our understanding of the etiology of red-green color vision defects is evolving. While missense mutations within the long- (L-) and middle-wavelength sensitive (M-) photopigments and gross rearrangements within the L/M-opsin gene array are commonly associated with red-green defects, recent work using adaptive optics retinal imaging has shown that different genotypes can have distinct consequences for the cone mosaic. Here we examined the cone mosaic in red-green color deficient individuals with multiple X-chromosome opsin genes that encode L opsin, as well as individuals with a single X-chromosome opsin gene that encodes L opsin and a single patient with a novel premature termination codon in his M-opsin gene and a normal L-opsin gene. We observed no difference in cone density between normal trichomats and multiple or single gene dichromats. In addition, we demonstrate different phenotypic effects of a nonsense mutation versus the previously described deleterious polymorphism, (LIAVA), both of which differ from multiple and single gene dichromats. Our results help refine the relationship between opsin genotype and cone photoreceptor mosaic phenotype. PMID:20854834
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Variability in vegetation greenness was determined for the Galveston Bay watershed using biweekly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (A VHRR) flown on NOAA satellites. NDVI variability was compared with reg...
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Spatial and temporal variability of vegetation greenness have been determined for coastal Texas using biweekly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). Results are presented on relationships between grou...
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Mukherjee, Chiranjit; Samanta, Tanmoy; Mitra, Adinpunya
2016-02-01
A metabolic shift in green hairy root cultures of carrot from phenylpropanoid/benzenoid biosynthesis toward volatile isoprenoids was observed when compared with the metabolite profile of normal hairy root cultures. Hairy roots cultures of Daucus carota turned green under continuous illumination, while the content of the major phenolic compound p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HBA) was reduced to half as compared to normal hairy roots cultured in darkness. p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase (HBD) activity was suppressed in the green hairy roots. However, comparative volatile analysis of 14-day-old green hairy roots revealed higher monoterpene and sesquiterpene contents than found in normal hairy roots. Methyl salicylate content was higher in normal hairy roots than in green ones. Application of clomazone, an inhibitor of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS), reduced the amount of total monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in green hairy roots compared to normal hairy roots. However, methyl salicylate content was enhanced in both green and normal hairy roots treated with clomazone as compared to their respective controls. Because methyl-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) and phenylpropanoid pathways, respectively, contribute to the formation of monoterpenes and phenolic acids biosynthesis, the activities of enzymes regulating those pathways were measured in terms of their in vitro activities, in both green and normal hairy root cultures. These key enzymes were 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), an early regulatory enzyme of the MEP pathway, pyruvate kinase (PK), an enzyme of primary metabolism related to the MEP pathway, shikimate dehydrogenase (SKDH) which is involved in biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) that catalyzes the first step of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Activities of DXR and PK were higher in green hairy roots as compared to normal ones, whereas the opposite trend was observed for SKDH and PAL activities. Gene expression analysis of DXR and PAL showed trends similar to those for the respective enzyme activities. Based on these observations, we suggest a possible redirection of metabolites from the primary metabolism toward isoprenoid biosynthesis, limiting the phenolic biosynthetic pathway in green hairy roots grown under continuous light.
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Gokce, Hasan Suat; Piskin, Bulent; Ceyhan, Dogan; Gokce, Sila Mermut; Arisan, Volkan
2010-03-01
The lighting conditions of the environment and visual deficiencies such as red-green color vision deficiency affect the clinical shade matching performance of dental professionals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the shade matching performance of normal and color vision-deficient dental professionals with standard daylight and tungsten illuminants. Two sets of porcelain disc replicas of 16 shade guide tabs (VITA Lumin) were manufactured to exact L*a*b* values by using a colorimeter. Then these twin porcelain discs (13 mm x 2.4 mm) were mixed up and placed into a color-matching cabinet that standardized the lighting conditions for the observation tests. Normal and red-green color vision-deficient dental professionals were asked to match the 32 porcelain discs using standard artificial daylight D65 (high color temperature) and tungsten filament lamp light (T) (low color temperature) illuminants. The results were analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA and paired and independent samples t tests for the differences between dental professionals and differences between the illuminants (alpha=.05). Regarding the sum of the correct shade match scores of all observations with both illuminants, the difference between normal vision and red-green color vision-deficient dental professional groups was not statistically significant (F=4.132; P=.054). However, the correct shade match scores of each group were significantly different for each illuminant (P<.005). The correct shade matching scores of normal color vision dental professionals were significantly higher with D65 illuminant (t=7.004; P<.001). Color matching scores of red-green color vision-deficient dental professionals (approximately 5.7 more pairs than with D65) were significantly higher with T illuminant (t=5.977; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS.: Within the limitations of this study, the shade matching performance of dental professionals was affected by color vision deficiency and the color temperature of the illuminant. The color vision-deficient group was notably unsuccessful with the D65 illuminant in shade matching. In contrast, there was a significant increase in the shade matching performance of the color vision-deficient group with T illuminant. The lower color temperature illuminant dramatically decreased the normal color vision groups' correct shade matching score. (c) 2010 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
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ESTCP Pilot Project Wide Area Assessment for Munitions Response
2008-07-01
Data A broadband normalized difference vegetation index ( NDVI ) was computed from the high- resolution spectral data to provide a detection of canopy...chlorophyll content. The NDVI strongly correlates with the green yucca, cactus, juniper, and other SAR-responsive vegetation species on the site...Vegetation Index. NDVI is broadband normalized difference vegetation index computed from high resolution spectral data using (RED-NIR) / (RED +NIR) to
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Color Constancy of Red-Green Dichromats and Anomalous Trichromats
Foster, David H.; Amano, Kinjiro; Nascimento, Sérgio M. C.
2010-01-01
Purpose. Color-vision deficiency is associated with abnormalities in color matching and color discrimination, but its impact on the ability of people to judge the constancy of surface colors under different lights (color constancy) is less clear. This work had two aims: first, to quantify the degree of color constancy in subjects with congenital red-green color deficiency; second, to test whether the degree of color constancy in anomalous trichromats can be predicted from their Rayleigh anomaloscope matches. Methods. Color constancy of red-green color-deficient subjects was tested in a task requiring the discrimination of illuminant changes from surface-reflectance changes. Mondrian-like colored patterns, generated on the screen of a computer monitor, were used as stimuli to avoid the spatial cues provided by natural objects and scenes. Spectral reflectances were taken from the Munsell Book of Color and from natural scenes. Illuminants were taken from the daylight locus. Results. Protanopes and deuteranopes performed more poorly than normal trichromats with Munsell spectral reflectances but were less impaired with natural spectral reflectances. Protanomalous and deuteranomalous trichromats performed as well as, or almost as well as, normal trichromats, independent of the type of reflectance. Individual differences were not correlated with Rayleigh anomaloscope matches. Conclusions. Despite the evidence of clinical color-vision tests, red-green color-deficient persons are less disadvantaged than might be expected in their judgments of surface colors under different lights. PMID:19892868
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Long-Term Green Tea Supplementation Does Not Change the Human Gut Microbiota
Janssens, Pilou L. H. R.; Penders, John; Hursel, Rick; Budding, Andries E.; Savelkoul, Paul H. M.; Westerterp-Plantenga, Margriet S.
2016-01-01
Background Green tea catechins may play a role in body weight regulation through interactions with the gut microbiota. Aim We examined whether green tea supplementation for 12 weeks induces changes in composition of the human gut microbiota. Methods 58 Caucasian men and women were included in a randomized, placebo-controlled design. For 12 weeks, subjects consumed either green tea (>0.56 g/d epigallocatechin-gallate + 0.28 ∼ 0.45 g/d caffeine) or placebo capsules. Fecal samples were collected twice (baseline, vs. week 12) for analyses of total bacterial profiles by means of IS-profiling, a 16S-23S interspacer region-based profiling method. Results No significant changes between baseline and week 12 in subjects receiving green tea or placebo capsules, and no significant interactions between treatment (green tea or placebo) and time (baseline and week 12) were observed for body composition. Analysis of the fecal samples in subjects receiving green tea and placebo showed similar bacterial diversity and community structures, indicating there were no significant changes in bacterial diversity between baseline and week 12 in subjects receiving green tea capsules or in subjects receiving placebo capsules. No significant interactions were observed between treatment (green tea or placebo) and time (baseline and week 12) for the gut microbial diversity. Although, there were no significant differences between normal weight and overweight subjects in response to green tea, we did observe a reduced bacterial alpha diversity in overweight as compared to normal weight subjects (p = 0.002). Conclusion Green tea supplementation for 12 weeks did not have a significant effect on composition of the gut microbiota. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01556321 PMID:27054321
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A UAV and S2A data-based estimation of the initial biomass of green algae in the South Yellow Sea.
Xu, Fuxiang; Gao, Zhiqiang; Jiang, Xiaopeng; Shang, Weitao; Ning, Jicai; Song, Debin; Ai, Jinquan
2018-03-01
Previous studies have shown that the initial biomass of green tide was the green algae attaching to Pyropia aquaculture rafts in the Southern Yellow Sea. In this study, the green algae was identified with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an biomass estimation model was proposed for green algae biomass in the radial sand ridge area based on Sentinel-2A image (S2A) and UAV images. The result showed that the green algae was detected highly accurately with the normalized green-red difference index (NGRDI); approximately 1340 tons and 700 tons of green algae were attached to rafts and raft ropes respectively, and the lower biomass might be the main cause for the smaller scale of green tide in 2017. In addition, UAV play an important role in raft-attaching green algae monitoring and long-term research of its biomass would provide a scientific basis for the control and forecast of green tide in the Yellow Sea. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Rogers, Timothy T; Graham, Kim S; Patterson, Karalyn
2015-09-01
To investigate how basic aspects of perception are shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, we assessed colour perception and cognition in patients with semantic dementia (SD), a disorder that progressively erodes conceptual knowledge. We observed a previously undocumented pattern of impairment to colour perception and cognition characterized by: (i) a normal ability to discriminate between only subtly different colours but an impaired ability to group different colours into categories, (ii) normal perception and memory for the colours red, green, and blue but impaired perception and memory for colours lying between these regions of a fully-saturated and luminant spectrum, and (iii) normal naming of polar colours in the opponent-process colour system (red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black) but impaired naming of other basic colours (brown, gray, pink, and orange). The results suggest that fundamental aspects of perception can be shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, but only within limits. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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Semantic impairment disrupts perception, memory, and naming of secondary but not primary colours.
Rogers, Timothy T.; Graham, Kim S.; Patterson, Karalyn
2015-01-01
To investigate how basic aspects of perception are shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, we assessed colour perception and cognition in patients with semantic dementia (SD), a disorder that progressively erodes conceptual knowledge. We observed a previously undocumented pattern of impairment to colour perception and cognition characterized by: (i) a normal ability to discriminate between only subtly different colours but an impaired ability to group different colours into categories, (ii) normal perception and memory for the colours red, green, and blue but impaired perception and memory for colours lying between these regions of a fully-saturated and luminant spectrum, and (iii) normal naming of polar colours in the opponent-process colour system (red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black) but impaired naming of other basic colours (brown, gray, pink, and orange). The results suggest that fundamental aspects of perception can be shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, but only within limits. PMID:25637227
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Semantic impairment disrupts perception, memory, and naming of secondary but not primary colours.
Rogers, Timothy T; Graham, Kim S; Patterson, Karalyn
2015-04-01
To investigate how basic aspects of perception are shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, we assessed colour perception and cognition in patients with semantic dementia (SD), a disorder that progressively erodes conceptual knowledge. We observed a previously undocumented pattern of impairment to colour perception and cognition characterized by: (i) a normal ability to discriminate between only subtly different colours but an impaired ability to group different colours into categories, (ii) normal perception and memory for the colours red, green, and blue but impaired perception and memory for colours lying between these regions of a fully-saturated and luminant spectrum, and (iii) normal naming of polar colours in the opponent-process colour system (red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black) but impaired naming of other basic colours (brown, gray, pink, and orange). The results suggest that fundamental aspects of perception can be shaped by acquired knowledge about the world, but only within limits. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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Analysis of dynamic thresholds for the normalized difference water index
Ji, Lei; Zhang, Li; Wylie, Bruce K.
2009-01-01
The normalized difference water index (NDWI) has been successfully used to delineate surface water features. However, two major problems have been often encountered: (a) NDWIs calculated from different band combinations [visible, nearinfrared, or shortwave-infrared (SWIR)] can generate different results, and (b) NDWI thresholds vary depending on the proportions of subpixel water/non-water components. We need to evaluate all the NDWIS for determining the best performing index and to establish appropriate thresholds for clearly identifying water features. We used the spectral data obtained from a spectral library to simulate the satellite sensors Landsat ETM+, SPOT-5, ASTER, and MODIS, and calculated the simulated NDWI in different forms. We found that the NDWI calculated from (green - swm)/(green + SWIR), where SWIR is the shorter wavelength region (1.2 to 1.8 ??m), has the most stable threshold. We recommend this NDWI be employed for mapping water, but adjustment of the threshold based on actual situations is necessary. ?? 2009 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
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Structural and functional correlates in color vision deficiency
Gupta, A; Laxmi, G; Nittala, M G; Raman, R
2011-01-01
Purpose The aim of this study is to assess the photoreceptor integrity, using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and to measure the retinal sensitivity of patients with congenital red–green color vision deficiency (CVD). Methods In all, 14 eyes from 7 patients with congenital red–green CVD (diagnosed by Farnsworth Munsell 100 hue test), and 14 eyes from 7 control subjects were examined by SD-OCT and microperimetry. Radial scans (7-mm) were taken of the macula. The center of the fovea was defined. The thickness of different retinal layers, at the foveal center, and at multiple defined points along all six radial scans, was measured. The median readings were compared between the two groups using Mann–Whitney U-test. Results SD-OCT demonstrated normal total retinal thickness, normal thickness of the photoreceptor layer, normal thickness of the outer nuclear layer, normal vertical thickness of the outer segments (OSs), and normal vertical thickness of the inner segments. OS horizontal diameter was less in left eye in cases with CVD when compared with controls. The mean retinal and foveal sensitivity was similar between cases and controls. Conclusions In subjects with congenital red–green CVD, there are no discernible anatomical abnormalities seen on SD-OCT in various retinal layers, except for a narrower foveal pit. However, further studies with larger sample size are required. PMID:21494280
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Green Space Visits among Adolescents: Frequency and Predictors in the PIAMA Birth Cohort Study.
Bloemsma, Lizan D; Gehring, Ulrike; Klompmaker, Jochem O; Hoek, Gerard; Janssen, Nicole A H; Smit, Henriëtte A; Vonk, Judith M; Brunekreef, Bert; Lebret, Erik; Wijga, Alet H
2018-04-30
Green space may influence health through several pathways, for example, increased physical activity, enhanced social cohesion, reduced stress, and improved air quality. For green space to increase physical activity and social cohesion, spending time in green spaces is likely to be important. We examined whether adolescents visit green spaces and for what purposes. Furthermore, we assessed the predictors of green space visits. In this cross-sectional study, data for 1911 participants of the Dutch PIAMA (Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy) birth cohort were analyzed. At age 17, adolescents reported how often they visited green spaces for physical activities, social activities, relaxation, and to experience nature and quietness. We assessed the predictors of green space visits altogether and for different purposes by log-binomial regression. Fifty-three percent of the adolescents visited green spaces at least once a week in summer, mostly for physical and social activities. Adolescents reporting that a green environment was (very) important to them visited green spaces most frequently {adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] very vs. not important: 6.84 (5.10, 9.17) for physical activities and 4.76 (3.72, 6.09) for social activities}. Boys and adolescents with highly educated fathers visited green spaces more often for physical and social activities. Adolescents who own a dog visited green spaces more often to experience nature and quietness. Green space visits were not associated with the objectively measured quantity of residential green space, i.e., the average normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and percentages of urban, agricultural, and natural green space in circular buffers around the adolescents' homes. Subjective variables are stronger predictors of green space visits in adolescents than the objectively measured quantity of residential green space. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2429.
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Green space definition affects associations of green space with overweight and physical activity.
Klompmaker, Jochem O; Hoek, Gerard; Bloemsma, Lizan D; Gehring, Ulrike; Strak, Maciej; Wijga, Alet H; van den Brink, Carolien; Brunekreef, Bert; Lebret, Erik; Janssen, Nicole A H
2018-01-01
In epidemiological studies, exposure to green space is inconsistently associated with being overweight and physical activity, possibly because studies differ widely in their definition of green space exposure, inclusion of important confounders, study population and data analysis. We evaluated whether the association of green space with being overweight and physical activity depended upon definition of greenspace. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from a Dutch national health survey of 387,195 adults. Distance to the nearest park entrance and surrounding green space, based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) or a detailed Dutch land-use database (TOP10NL), was calculated for each residential address. We used logistic regression analyses to study the association of green space exposure with being overweight and being moderately or vigorously physically active outdoors at least 150min/week (self-reported). To study the shape of the association, we specified natural splines and quintiles. The distance to the nearest park entrance was not associated with being overweight or outdoor physical activity. Associations of surrounding green space with being overweight or outdoor physical activity were highly non-linear. For NDVI surrounding greenness, we observed significantly decreased odds of being overweight [300m buffer, odds ratio (OR) = 0.88; 95% CI: 0.86, 0.91] and increased odds for outdoor physical activity [300m buffer, OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.17] in the highest quintile compared to the lowest quintile. For TOP10NL surrounding green space, associations were mostly non-significant. Associations were generally stronger for subjects living in less urban areas and for the smaller buffers. Associations of green space with being overweight and outdoor physical activity differed considerably between different green space definitions. Associations were strongest for NDVI surrounding greenness. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Foliar anthocyanin content - Sensitivity of vegetation indices using green reflectance
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Vina, A.; Gitelson, A. A.
2009-12-01
The amount and composition of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic foliar pigments varies primarily as a function of species, developmental and phenological stages, and environmental stresses. Information on the absolute and relative amounts of these pigments thus provides insights onto the physiological conditions of plants and their responses to stress, and has the potential to be used for evaluating plant species composition and diversity across broad geographic regions. Anthocyanins in particular, are non-photosynthetic pigments associated with the resistance of plants to environmental stresses (e.g., drought, low soil nutrients, high radiation, herbivores, and pathogens). As they absorb radiation primarily in the green region of the electromagnetic spectrum (around 540-560 nm), broad-band vegetation indices that use this region in their formulation will respond to their presence. We evaluated the sensitivity of three vegetation indices using reflectance in the green spectral region (the green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, gNDVI, the green Chlorophyll Index, CIg, and the Visible Atmospherically Resistant Vegetation Index, VARI) to foliar anthocyanins in five different species. For comparison purposes the widely used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI was also evaluated. Among the four indices tested, the VARI, which uses only spectral bands in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, was found to be inversely and linearly related to the relative amount of foliar anthocyanins. While this result was obtained at leaf level, it opens new possibilities for analyzing anthocyanin content across multiple scales, by means of currently operational aircraft- and spacecraft-mounted broad-band sensor systems. Further studies that evaluate the sensitivity of the VARI to the relative content of anthocyanins across space (e.g., at canopy and regional scales) and time, and its relationship with plant biodiversity and vegetation stresses, are needed.
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Cone pigments in human deutan colour vision defects.
Alpern, M; Wake, T
1977-01-01
1. The Nagel anomaloscope, neutral points and dichromatic matches to a spectral green light identified a population of seventy red-green dichromats. 2. The anomaloscope settings allow the calculation of the relative action spectrum of the match at the wave-length of the red (645 nm) and green (535 nm) primaries. The distribution of this ratio is bimodal; there are two clusters with a gap of about 0-75 long units between. Among the thirty-eight deuteranopes there are wide differences in anomaloscope matches; similar differences appear among the thirty-two protanopes. 3. Retinal densitometry of the foveas of fifteen of the deuteranopes is compared and contrasted with measurements on trichromats. In the former, only one photolabile pigment is found in the red-green region of the spectrum; normals always have two. The view of Rushton (1965a) that deuteranopes have erythrolabe but no measurable chlorolabe is confirmed for each member of this group. 4. Simple deuteranomalous show two red-green cone pigments. The difference spectra of extreme deuteranomalous are very similar to those found in deuteranopia. 5. Individual differnce in kinetics (photosensitivity, time constant of regeneration) and in the density and lambdamax of the difference spectrum of erythrolabe in deuteranopia are appreciable; the reasons for these differences are not clear. PMID:301185
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[Accommodation to monochromatic targets in people with different color vision statuses].
Qian, Yishan; Huang, Jia; Chu, Renyuan
2015-01-01
To compare the accommodation response (AR) to monochromatic targets in subjects with different color vision statuses, and to investigate the role of color vision in the control of accommodation and emmetropization. It was a case-control study. Accommodation was measured with a dynamic infrared optometer while subjects [17 protans, 47 deutans, and 23 normals; mean age: (20.0 ± 4.4) years] viewed a (1) red on black or (2) green on black vertical square-wave gratings of iso-luminance (3 cycles/deg; 0.9 contrast) in a Badal optic system. The grating stepped 1.00 D towards the eye from an initial position of 0 D until 5.00 D. With red-black targets, the AR in the protans (AR = 1.98 D) was worse than that in the normals (AR = 2.55 D) when the accommodation stimulus (AS) was 4.00 D (LSD, P = 0.031). The AR in the deutans were worse than that in the normals when the AS was 3.00, 4.00, and 5.00 D (3.00 D: 1.23 D vs. 1.69 D, P = 0.002; 4.00 D: 1.89 D vs. 2.55 D, P = 0.002; 5.00 D: 2.40 D vs. 3.17 D, P = 0.003). With green-black targets, the AR in the protans were worse than that in the normals when the AS was 3.00 and 4.00 D (3.00 D: 1.13 D vs. 1.61 D, P = 0.004; 4.00 D: 1.80 D vs. 2.34 D, P = 0.021). In the deutans, the AR was worse with stimuli of 3.00, 4.00, and 5.00 D (3.00 D: 1.21 D vs. 1.61 D, P = 0.003; 4.00 D: 1.65 D vs. 2.34 D, P < 0.001; 5.00 D: 2.36 D vs. 2.93 D, P = 0.007). No significant differences between the protans and deutans were found for all the stimulus conditions. In the protans, accommodation to red-black targets was better than that to green-black targets when the stimulus was 2.00, 3.00, and 5.00 D (2.00 D: t = -2.81, P = 0.013; 3.00 D: t = -4.55, P < 0.001; 5.00 D: t = -3.15, P = 0.006). In the deutans, accommodation to red-black targets was better than that to green-black targets when the stimulus was 4.00 D (t = -2.19, P = 0.034). In the normals, accommodation to red-black targets were better than that to green-black targets when the stimulus was 2.00, 4.00, and 5.00 D (2.00 D: t = -2.57, P = 0.017; 4.00 D, t = -2.67, P = 0.014; 5.00 D: t = -2.15, P = 0.043). Individuals with a color vision deficiency tend to have a larger accommodative lag than normals. Red targets tend to induce better accommodation response than green ones. Color vision may play a role in the control of accommodation and emmetropization.
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Physiological modeling for detecting degree of perception of a color-deficient person.
Rajalakshmi, T; Prince, Shanthi
2017-04-01
Physiological modeling of retina plays a vital role in the development of high-performance image processing methods to produce better visual perception. People with normal vision have an ability to discern different colors. The situation is different in the case of people with color blindness. The aim of this work is to develop a human visual system model for detecting the level of perception of people with red, green and blue deficiency by considering properties like luminance, spatial and temporal frequencies. Simulation results show that in the photoreceptor, outer plexiform and inner plexiform layers, the energy and intensity level of the red, green and blue component for a normal person is proved to be significantly higher than for dichromats. The proposed method explains with appropriate results that red and blue color blindness people could not perceive red and blue color completely.
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Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Composites
,
2005-01-01
The Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) is a broad-band scanner with four to six bands, depending on the model. The AVHRR senses in the visible, near-, middle-, and thermal- infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This sensor is carried on a series of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES), beginning with the Television InfraRed Observation Satellite (TIROS-N) in 1978. Since 1989, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) has been mapping the vegetation condition of the United States and Alaska using satellite information from the AVHRR sensor. The vegetation condition composites, more commonly called greenness maps, are produced every week using the latest information on the growth and condition of the vegetation. One of the most important aspects of USGS greenness mapping is the historical archive of information dating back to 1989. This historical stretch of information has allowed the USGS to determine a 'normal' vegetation condition. As a result, it is possible to compare the current week's vegetation condition with normal vegetation conditions. An above normal condition could indicate wetter or warmer than normal conditions, while a below normal condition could indicate colder or dryer than normal conditions. The interpretation of departure from normal will depend on the season and geography of a region.
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Green spaces and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in the city of Rio de Janeiro
da Silveira, Ismael Henrique; Junger, Washington Leite
2018-01-01
ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Investigate the association between exposure to green spaces and mortality from ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases, and the role of socioeconomic status in this relationship, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS Ecological study, with the census tracts as unit of analysis. This study used data from deaths due to ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases among residents aged over 30 years, from 2010 to 2012. Exposure to green was estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index based on satellite images. The associations between exposure to green spaces and mortality rates due to ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases, standardized by gender and age, were analyzed using conditional autoregressive models, adjusted for the density of light and heavy traffic routes, pollution proxy, and by the socioeconomic situation, measured by the Social Development Index. Analyzes stratified by socioeconomic levels were also carried out, given by the tertiles of the Social Development Index. RESULTS Among the greener sectors, with a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index above the third quartile, the reduction in mortality due to ischemic heart disease was 6.7% (95%CI 3.5–9.8) and cerebrovascular was 4.7% (95%CI 1.2–8.0). In the stratified analysis, the protective effect of green spaces on ischemic heart disease mortality was observed among the greenest sectors of all strata, and it was higher for those with a lower socioeconomic level (8.6%, 95%CI 1.8–15.0). In the case of mortality due to cerebrovascular diseases, the protective effect was verified only for the greenest sectors of the lowest socioeconomic level (9.6%, 95%CI 2.3–16.5). CONCLUSIONS Mortality rates for ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases are inversely associated with exposure to green spaces when controlling socioeconomic status and air pollution. The protective effect of green spaces is greater among the tracts of lower socioeconomic level. PMID:29723390
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Isa, N. A.; Mohd, W. M. N. Wan; Salleh, S. A.; Ooi, M. C. G.
2018-02-01
Matured trees contain high concentration of chlorophyll that encourages the process of photosynthesis. This process produces oxygen as a by-product and releases it into the atmosphere and helps in lowering the ambient temperature. This study attempts to analyse the effect of green area on air surface temperature of the Kuala Lumpur city. The air surface temperatures of two different dates which are, in March 2006 and March 2016 were simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The green area in the city was extracted using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from two Landsat satellite images. The relationship between the air surface temperature and the green area were analysed using linear regression models. From the study, it was found that, the green area was significantly affecting the distribution of air temperature within the city. A strong negative correlation was identified through this study which indicated that higher NDVI values tend to have lower air surface temperature distribution within the focus study area. It was also found that, different urban setting in mixed built-up and vegetated areas resulted in different distributions of air surface temperature. Future studies should focus on analysing the air surface temperature within the area of mixed built-up and vegetated area.
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Krishnamoorthy, Archana
2015-01-01
Luciferase is a useful, noninvasive reporter of gene regulation that can be continuously monitored over long periods of time; however, its use is problematic in fast-growing microbes like bacteria and yeast because rapidly changing cell numbers and metabolic states also influence bioluminescence, thereby confounding the reporter's signal. Here we show that these problems can be overcome in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by simultaneously monitoring bioluminescence from two different colors of beetle luciferase, where one color (green) reports activity of a gene of interest, while a second color (red) is stably expressed and used to continuously normalize green bioluminescence for fluctuations in signal intensity that are unrelated to gene regulation. We use this dual-luciferase strategy in conjunction with a light-inducible promoter system to test whether different phases of yeast respiratory oscillations are more suitable for heterologous protein production than others. By using pulses of light to activate production of a green luciferase while normalizing signal variation to a red luciferase, we show that the early reductive phase of the yeast metabolic cycle produces more luciferase than other phases. PMID:26162874
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Physiological and psychological responses of humans to the index of greenness of an interior space.
Choi, Ji-Young; Park, Sin-Ae; Jung, Soo-Jin; Lee, Ji-Young; Son, Ki-Cheol; An, Youn-Joo; Lee, Sang-Woo
2016-10-01
The objective of this study was to identify the optimal index of greenness in terms of psychophysiological responses and subjective preference. We recruited 103 adult (51 male, 52 female) participants, who were examined individually in an interior space (lab) setting at Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea. Participants observed plants in the space for 3min per experimental index of greenness (5%, 20%, 50%, and 80%). During this period, heart rate variability (HRV) and electroencephalographic (EEG) physiological responses were measured, and the participant's preference for index of greenness and subjective index of greenness was determined via surveys. HRV values were normal, and not significantly different, except that male participants showed higher mean variability between cardiac NN intervals and greater autonomic activity than female participants (P<0.05). EEG data were not significantly different, except that female participants had a significantly higher mean amplitude at the left occipital (O1) electrode than male participants (P<0.01). Subjectively, participants preferred the 50% index of greenness the most, though they consistently reported the subjective index of greenness to be ∼15% higher than the actual level. We conclude that given a limited interior space, even a small amount of greenery may exert a relaxing effect on people. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Takeichi, M; Sato, T
1999-01-01
Computer-assisted image analyses were performed on the tongue color of 95 medical students without previous history of blood stasis-related condition to clarify the mutual relationship of the color of the tongue proper, the coating, and sublingual vein. The location of the measurement for the tongue proper was the underside of the tongue, and location of the measurement for the tongue coating was the upper surface of the tongue. A linear correlation analysis showed a correlation for each of the different positions for the non-normalized red value and normalized blue value. This analysis also demonstrated a statistically-significant relationship between the tongue proper and the sublingual vein using Red-Green-Blue components and normalized Red-Green-Blue components (r = +0.670 - 0.817, p < 0.0001). The most significant correlation between the tongue proper and the sublingual vein was the normalized red value and the normalized Red-Green-Blue values for minimizing the range of the standard error of the mean (r = +0.745, p < 0.0001), although non-normalized blue had the highest correlation coefficient. Therefore, it seems reasonable to select those normalized red values for the comparison in the tongue color analysis. Correlation of the color between the sublingual vein and the tongue proper strongly suggests that inspection with the naked eye of the sublingual vein is useful for the early detection of vital energy stagnation and blood stasis. Also, because of its close relation to sustained chronic stress, changes in the sublingual vein might be available as one physiological parameter of a stress reaction.
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[Nitrogen status diagnosis of rice by using a digital camera].
Jia, Liang-Liang; Fan, Ming-Sheng; Zhang, Fu-Suo; Chen, Xin-Ping; Lü, Shi-Hua; Sun, Yan-Ming
2009-08-01
In the present research, a field experiment with different N application rate was conducted to study the possibility of using visible band color analysis methods to monitor the N status of rice canopy. The Correlations of visible spectrum band color intensity between rice canopy image acquired from a digital camera and conventional nitrogen status diagnosis parameters of leaf SPAD chlorophyll meter readings, total N content, upland biomass and N uptake were studied. The results showed that the red color intensity (R), green color intensity (G) and normalized redness intensity (NRI) have significant inverse linear correlations with the conventional N diagnosis parameters of SPAD readings, total N content, upland biomass and total N uptake. The correlation coefficient values (r) were from -0.561 to -0.714 for red band (R), from -0.452 to -0.505 for green band (G), and from -0.541 to 0.817 for normalized redness intensity (NRI). But the normalized greenness intensity (NGI) showed a significant positive correlation with conventional N parameters and the correlation coefficient values (r) were from 0.505 to 0.559. Compared with SPAD readings, the normalized redness intensity (NRI), with a high r value of 0.541-0.780 with conventional N parameters, could better express the N status of rice. The digital image color analysis method showed the potential of being used in rice N status diagnosis in the future.
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Mukherjee, Chiranjit; Sircar, Debabrata; Chatterjee, Moniya; Das, Sampa; Mitra, Adinpunya
2014-01-15
The light-dependent generation of active oxygen species, which can disrupt normal metabolic process of plant, is termed as photo-oxidative stress. Plants are equipped with enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative defence system to reduce the effect of such stress. Hairy root culture of Daucus carota when cultivated under continuous illumination (250 μmol m(-2)s(-1)) turned green. To know the reason behind that and photo-oxidative stress response in green hairy roots, activities of several antioxidant enzymes were measured. When compared with normal hairy roots, green hairy roots showed an enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Treatment with a SOD inhibitor diethyldithiocarbamate led to suppression of SOD activity in a concentration-dependent manner in green hairy roots. Interestingly, SOD-suppressed root showed three-fold enhanced caffeic acid glucoside accumulation in the soluble fraction as compared to untreated ones. While ascorbate peroxidase activity showed marginal increase in green hairy roots, a decrease in the activities of guaiacol peroxidase and catalase were observed. SDS-PAGE of crude protein profile from green hairy roots showed a distinct band, which was absent in normal hairy roots. MALDI-TOF-MS/MS analysis of the extracted protein confirmed it as the large subunit of RuBisCO. RT-PCR based expression analysis of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase showed enhanced transcript levels in green hairy roots as compared to normal hairy roots, whereas reverse trends were observed with the transcripts accumulation for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and chalcone synthase. These findings corroborate with the in vitro BADH activities in hairy roots, and thus indicate an important role of this stress enzyme in combating photo-oxidative stress in green hairy roots upon continuous light exposure. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
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Distribution of green open space in Malang City based on multispectral data
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hasyim, A. W.; Hernawan, F. P.
2017-06-01
Green open space is one of the land that its existence is quite important in urban areas where the minimum area is set to reach 30% of the total area of the city. Malang which has an area of 110,6 square kilometers, is one of the major cities in East Java Province that is prone to over-land conversion due to development needs. In support of the green space program, calculation of green space is needed precisely so that remote sensing which has high accuracy is now used for measurement of green space. This study aims to analyze the area of green open space in Malang by using Landsat 8 image in 2015. The method used was the vegetation index that is Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). From the study obtained the calculation of green open space was better to use the vegetation index method to avoid the occurrence of misclassification of other types of land use. The results of the calculation of green open space using NDVI found that the area of green open space in Malang City in 2015 reached 39% of the total area.
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Colour vision in AIDS patients without HIV retinopathy.
Sommerhalder, J; Baglivo, E; Barbey, C; Hirschel, B; Roth, A; Pelizzone, M
1998-11-01
Patients suffering from AIDS develop ocular complications, the most frequent being HIV retinopathy. It is however not clear, if functional visual impairments can be observed as early indicators of ocular complications, before clinical diagnosis of HIV retinopathy is made at fundus examination. To address this issue, we measured colour vision in a group of 49 AIDS subjects with normal clinical fundi using the 'two equation method'. This method, combining red-green Rayleigh and the blue-green Moreland metameric matches, enables more complete and quantitative assessments of colour vision than those based on pigmentary tests. Data were collected on our computer controlled colorimeter and compared to those of normal subjects. While most AIDS subjects without HIV retinopathy demonstrated normal colour vision, a significant portion of them had wider matches than normal subjects (11% for the Rayleigh equation and 16% for the Moreland equation). Furthermore, matching ranges of the Moreland equation were significantly correlated with CD4 lymphocyte counts. Patients with low CD4 values tended to produce larger matching ranges than the patients with high CD4 values. A within subject study on 17 patients confirmed this trend and showed that the patients who increased/decreased their CD4 blood counts generally improved/impaired their colour discrimination in the Moreland match. No such correlation was found between the matching ranges of the Rayleigh equation and the CD4 counts. These results show that colour discrimination is slightly reduced in some AIDS subjects, although there are no detectable ocular complications. They also suggest two different types of colour vision impairments in AIDS patients without retinopathy: one reversible process affecting colour discrimination in the blue-green range; and another irreversible process affecting colour discrimination in the red-green range.
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Sakamoto, Rumi; Kakinuma, Eisuke; Masuda, Kentaro; Takeuchi, Yuko; Ito, Kosaku; Iketaki, Kentaro; Matsuzaki, Takahisa; Nakabayashi, Seiichiro; Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Y; Yamamoto, Hideaki; Sato, Yuko; Tanii, Takashi
2016-09-01
The main constituent of green tea, (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), is known to have cancer-specific chemopreventive effects. In the present work, we investigated how EGCG suppresses cell adhesion by comparing the adhesion of human pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1 and BxPC-3) and their counterpart, normal human embryonic pancreas-derived cells (1C3D3), in catechin-containing media using organosilane monolayer templates (OMTs). The purpose of this work is (1) to evaluate the quantitativeness in the measurement of cell adhesion with the OMT and (2) to show how green-tea catechins suppress cell adhesion in a cancer-specific manner. For the first purpose, the adhesion of cancer and normal cells was compared using the OMT. The cell adhesion in different type of catechins such as EGCG, (-)-Epicatechin-3-O-gallate (ECG) and (-)-Epicatechin (EC) was also evaluated. The measurements revealed that the anti-adhesion effect of green-tea catechins is cancer-specific, and the order is EGCG≫ECG>EC. The results agree well with the data reported to date, showing the quantitativeness of the new method. For the second purpose, the contact area of cells on the OMT was measured by reflection interference contrast microscopy. The cell-OMT contact area of cancer cells decreases with increasing EGCG concentration, whereas that of normal cells remains constant. The results reveal a twofold action of EGCG on cancer cell adhesion-suppressing cell attachment to a candidate adhesion site and decreasing the contact area of the cells-and validates the use of OMT as a tool for screening cancer cell adhesion.
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Forecasting vegetation greenness with satellite and climate data
Ji, Lei; Peters, Albert J.
2004-01-01
A new and unique vegetation greenness forecast (VGF) model was designed to predict future vegetation conditions to three months through the use of current and historical climate data and satellite imagery. The VGF model is implemented through a seasonality-adjusted autoregressive distributed-lag function, based on our finding that the normalized difference vegetation index is highly correlated with lagged precipitation and temperature. Accurate forecasts were obtained from the VGF model in Nebraska grassland and cropland. The regression R2 values range from 0.97-0.80 for 2-12 week forecasts, with higher R2 associated with a shorter prediction. An important application would be to produce real-time forecasts of greenness images.
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Computerized simulation of color appearance for anomalous trichromats using the multispectral image.
Yaguchi, Hirohisa; Luo, Junyan; Kato, Miharu; Mizokami, Yoko
2018-04-01
Most color simulators for color deficiencies are based on the tristimulus values and are intended to simulate the appearance of an image for dichromats. Statistics show that there are more anomalous trichromats than dichromats. Furthermore, the spectral sensitivities of anomalous cones are different from those of normal cones. Clinically, the types of color defects are characterized through Rayleigh color matching, where the observer matches a spectral yellow to a mixture of spectral red and green. The midpoints of the red/green ratios deviate from a normal trichromat. This means that any simulation based on the tristimulus values defined by a normal trichromat cannot predict the color appearance of anomalous Rayleigh matches. We propose a computerized simulation of the color appearance for anomalous trichromats using multispectral images. First, we assume that anomalous trichromats possess a protanomalous (green shifted) or deuteranomalous (red shifted) pigment instead of a normal (L or M) one. Second, we assume that the luminance will be given by L+M, and red/green and yellow/blue opponent color stimulus values are defined through L-M and (L+M)-S, respectively. Third, equal-energy white will look white for all observers. The spectral sensitivities of the luminance and the two opponent color channels are multiplied by the spectral radiance of each pixel of a multispectral image to give the luminance and opponent color stimulus values of the entire image. In the next stage of color reproduction for normal observers, the luminance and two opponent color channels are transformed into XYZ tristimulus values and then transformed into sRGB to reproduce a final image for anomalous trichromats. The proposed simulation can be used to predict the Rayleigh color matches for anomalous trichromats. We also conducted experiments to evaluate the appearance of simulated images by color deficient observers and verified the reliability of the simulation.
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Dadvand, Payam; Wright, John; Martinez, David; Basagaña, Xavier; McEachan, Rosemary R C; Cirach, Marta; Gidlow, Christopher J; de Hoogh, Kees; Gražulevičienė, Regina; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J
2014-10-01
Evidence of the impact of green spaces on pregnancy outcomes is limited with no report on how this impact might vary by ethnicity. We investigated the association between residential surrounding greenness and proximity to green spaces and birth weight and explored the modification of this association by ethnicity and indicators of individual (maternal education) and neighbourhood (Index of Multiple Deprivation) socioeconomic status. Our study was based on 10,780 singleton live-births from the Born in Bradford cohort, UK (2007-2010). We defined residential surrounding greenness as average of satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in buffers of 50 m, 100 m, 250 m, 500 m and 1000 m around each maternal home address. Residential proximity to green spaces was defined as living within 300 m of a green space with an area of ≥ 5000 m(2). We utilized mixed effects models to estimate adjusted change in birth weight associated with residential surrounding greenness as well as proximity to green spaces. We found a positive association between birth weight and residential surrounding greenness. Furthermore, we observed an interaction between ethnicity and residential surrounding greenness in that for White British participants there was a positive association between birth weight and residential surrounding greenness whereas for participants of Pakistani origin there was no such an association. For surrounding greenness in larger buffers (500 m and 1000 m) there were some indications of stronger associations for participants with lower education and those living in more deprived neighbourhoods which were not replicated for surrounding greenness in smaller buffer sizes (i.e. 50 m, 100 m, and 250 m). The findings for residential proximity to a green space were not conclusive. Our study showed that residential surrounding greenness is associated with better foetal growth and this association could vary between different ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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USE OF REMOTELY SENSED DATA FOR PARAMETERIZING AND VALIDATING LAND-USE HYDROLOGIC MODELS
Variability in vegetation greenness was determined for the Galveston Bay watershed using biweekly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) flown on NOAA satellites. NDVI variability was compared with regi...
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New color vision tests to evaluate faulty color recognition.
Nakamura, Kaoru; Okajima, Osamu; Nishio, Yoshiteru; Kitahara, Kenji
2002-01-01
To develop and assess new color vision tests to be used in evaluating faulty color recognition. We developed new color vision tests to evaluate faulty color recognition. The two types of color vision tests, designed to assess faulty color recognition in color vision deficiencies, are based on principles that are different from those of the conventional color vision tests. In the first test plate, the subject is asked to choose either a red, green, or gray line from among 10 lines that are randomly colored red, green, gray, yellow, or blue. The score is the difference between the number of correct answers and the number of incorrect answers. In the second test plate, the subject is asked to identify a total of 10 red azalea blossoms, which are dispersed among numerous green leaves. Seventy-five persons with congenital color deficiencies and 20 subjects with normal color vision were examined using these new test plates. The scores differed significantly between dichromats and anomalous trichromats, and between anomalous trichromats and subjects with normal color vision. The new tests are easy to use, sensitive, and have good reproducibility for use in discriminating subjects with color vision anomalies. These tests reveal the faulty color recognition that occurs unconsciously in persons with color deficiencies, and are useful in judging the quantification of color vision required in their daily life and occupations.
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Molecular patterns of X chromosome-linked color vision genes among 134 men of European ancestry.
Drummond-Borg, M; Deeb, S S; Motulsky, A G
1989-01-01
We used Southern blot hybridization to study X chromosome-linked color vision genes encoding the apoproteins of red and green visual pigments in 134 unselected Caucasian men. One hundred and thirteen individuals (84.3%) had a normal arrangement of their color vision pigment genes. All had one red pigment gene; the number of green pigment genes ranged from one to five with a mode of two. The frequency of molecular genotypes indicative of normal color vision (84.3%) was significantly lower than had been observed in previous studies of color vision phenotypes. Color vision defects can be due to deletions of red or green pigment genes or due to formation of hybrid genes comprising portions of both red and green pigment genes [Nathans, J., Piantanida, T.P., Eddy, R.L., Shows, T.B., Jr., & Hogness, D.S. (1986) Science 232, 203-210]. Characteristic anomalous patterns were seen in 15 (11.2%) individuals: 7 (5.2%) had patterns characteristic of deuteranomaly (mild defect in green color perception), 2 (1.5%) had patterns characteristic of deuteranopia (severe defect in green color perception), and 6 (4.5%) had protan patterns (the red perception defects protanomaly and protanopia cannot be differentiated by current molecular methods). Previously undescribed hybrid gene patterns consisting of both green and red pigment gene fragments in addition to normal red and green genes were observed in another 6 individuals (4.5%). Only 2 of these patterns were considered as deuteranomalous. Thus, DNA testing detected anomalous color vision pigment genes at a higher frequency than expected from phenotypic color vision tests. Some color vision gene arrays associated with hybrid genes are likely to mediate normal color vision. Images PMID:2915991
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Petrology and tectonic history of the Green Bay Schist, Portmore, St. Catherine Parish, Jamaica
Abbott, Richard N.; West, David P.; Bandy, Betsy R.; McAleer, Ryan J.
2016-01-01
There are three occurrences of medium- to high-grade metamorphic rocks in Jamaica: amphibolite facies Westphalia Schist, blueschist/greenschist facies Mt. Hibernia Schist, and the hitherto poorly characterized amphibolite facies Green Bay Schist. New trace element data and thermodynamic calculations show that Green Bay Schist is closely related to Westphalia Schist. The protoliths for both are very similiar (basalt-andesitic basalt, C-MORB), consistent with a subducted ocean-ridge tectonic environment, hence arc-related. The protolith for Mt. Hibernia Schist is quite different (basalt, P-MORB), related to the Caribbean Large Igneous Province. Whereas the P-T-t paths for Green Bay Schist and Westphalia Schist prior to the middle Campanian (>78 Ma) are inferred to be similar, the late Campanian, Maastrichtian and Cenozoic P-T-t paths are very different. New 40Ar/39Ar age determinations show the following: (1) While the difference in the late Campanian and Maastrichtian remains problematic, (2) the difference in the Cenozoic clearly reflects the location relative to the NW-trending, NE-dipping Wagwater Fault: Westphalia Schist to the NE (hanging wall); Green Bay Schist to the SW (foot wall). The Cenozoic P-T-t paths are complementary, and consistent with the behavior of the Wagwater Fault: 65-50 Ma, normal motion (transtension); 50-10 Ma, inactive (quiescent); 10 Ma-present, reverse motion (transpression).
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Proposed methods for assessing greenspace and ...
Exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is a risk factor for childhood respiratory health. Health benefits or risks of green space, defined as open land covered with vegetation, on asthma have not been thoroughly investigated. While public health benefits of green spaces have been reported for children’s general wellbeing, few studies have examined potential interactions between green space and TRAP with inconclusive results. We are investigating the incorporation of green space measures into analyses of environmental exposure and potential health impacts using data from the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS), an ongoing prospective birth cohort study of allergy and respiratory health in Cincinnati-area children. CCAAPS has applied proximity analysis, air monitoring, and land use regression modeling to estimate TRAP exposures for study participants. Participants were initially categorized as exposed or unexposed to TRAP based on home address proximity to major highways or interstates (1500m). The study’s spatial design allows for a detailed analysis of residential environments between different neighborhoods and potential environmental exposures. We will examine residential proximity to green space using vegetation cover data from the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, which provides 30x 30m resolution. We are also pursuing small-scale resolution data for municipal street tree cover and green space, including parks, g
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Color universal design: analysis of color category dependency on color vision type (3)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kojima, Natsuki; Ichihara, Yasuyo G.; Ikeda, Tomohiro; Kamachi, Miyuki G.; Ito, Kei
2012-01-01
We report on the results of a study investigating the color perception characteristics of people with red-green color confusion. We believe that this is an important step towards achieving Color Universal Design. In Japan, approximately 5% of men and 0.2% of women have red-green confusion. The percentage for men is higher in Europe and the United States; up to 8% in some countries. Red-green confusion involves a perception of colors different from normal color vision. Colors are used as a means of disseminating clear information to people; however, it may be difficult to convey the correct information to people who have red-green confusion. Consequently, colors should be chosen that minimize accidents and that promote more effective communication. In a previous survey, we investigated color categories common to each color vision type, trichromat (C-type color vision), protan (P-type color vision) and deuteran (D-type color vision). In the present study, first, we conducted experiments in order to verify a previous survey of C-type color vision and P-type color vision. Next, we investigated color difference levels within "CIE 1976 L*a*b*" (the CIELAB uniform color space), where neither C-type nor P-type color vision causes accidents under certain conditions (rain maps/contour line levels and graph color legend levels). As a result, we propose a common chromaticity of colors that the two color vision types are able to categorize by means of color names common to C-type color vision. We also offer a proposal to explain perception characteristics of color differences with normal color vision and red-green confusion using the CIELAB uniform color space. This report is a follow-up to SPIE-IS & T / Vol. 7528 7528051-8 and SPIE-IS & T /vol. 7866 78660J-1-8.
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Pirie, Chris G; Alario, Anthony
2015-10-01
To assess and compare results of anterior segment angiography of ophthalmologically normal cats following IV injection with indocyanine green and sodium fluorescein dyes. 10 client-owned cats. Anterior segment angiography was performed in anesthetized cats following administration of 0.25% indocyanine green (1.0 mg/kg, IV) or 10% sodium fluorescein (20 mg/kg, IV) solution. All cats received both treatments. Imaging (1 eye/cat) was performed with a full-spectrum digital single-lens reflex camera equipped with an adaptor (1 image/s for 30 seconds) immediately following IV dye injection and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 minutes after injection. Onset and duration of arterial, capillary, and venous phases of iris vasculature were identified and compared statistically between treatments. Degree of iridal pigmentation, leakage of dye from iris vasculature, and image quality were subjectively assessed. No differences were found in onset or duration of vascular phases between treatments. Visibility of the iris vasculature was not impaired by poor or moderate iridal pigmentation with either method. Indocyanine green provided subjectively better vascular detail and image contrast than sodium fluorescein. No vascular dye leakage was observed following indocyanine green administration. Leakage of dye from blood vessels in the stroma (in 10 cats) and presence of dye in the anterior chamber (in 5 cats) were detected after sodium fluorescein administration. Images obtained with either fluorescent dye were considered to be of diagnostic quality. Lack of leakage following indocyanine green administration suggested this treatment may have better diagnostic utility for anterior segment angiography. The photographic equipment used provided a cost-effective alternative to existing imaging systems.
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Validity of the Worth 4 Dot Test in Patients with Red-Green Color Vision Defect.
Bak, Eunoo; Yang, Hee Kyung; Hwang, Jeong-Min
2017-05-01
The Worth four dot test uses red and green glasses for binocular dissociation, and although it has been believed that patients with red-green color vision defects cannot accurately perform the Worth four dot test, this has not been validated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the validity of the Worth four dot test in patients with congenital red-green color vision defects who have normal or abnormal binocular vision. A retrospective review of medical records was performed on 30 consecutive congenital red-green color vision defect patients who underwent the Worth four dot test. The type of color vision anomaly was determined by the Hardy Rand and Rittler (HRR) pseudoisochromatic plate test, Ishihara color test, anomaloscope, and/or the 100 hue test. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination. Binocular sensory status was evaluated with the Worth four dot test and Randot stereotest. The results were interpreted according to the presence of strabismus or amblyopia. Among the 30 patients, 24 had normal visual acuity without strabismus nor amblyopia and 6 patients had strabismus and/or amblyopia. The 24 patients without strabismus nor amblyopia all showed binocular fusional responses by seeing four dots of the Worth four dot test. Meanwhile, the six patients with strabismus or amblyopia showed various results of fusion, suppression, and diplopia. Congenital red-green color vision defect patients of different types and variable degree of binocularity could successfully perform the Worth four dot test. They showed reliable results that were in accordance with their estimated binocular sensory status.
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The design of traffic signal coordinated control
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Guo, Xueting; Sun, Hongsheng; Wang, Xifu
2017-05-01
Traffic as the tertiary industry is an important pillar industry to support the normal development of the economy. But now China's road traffic development and economic development has shown a great imbalance and fault phenomenon, which greatly inhibited the normal development of China's economy. Now in many large and medium-sized cities in China are implementing green belt construction. The so-called green band is when the road conditions to meet the conditions for the establishment of the green band, the sections of the intersection of several planning to a traffic coordination control system, so that when the driver at a specific speed can be achieved without stopping the continuous Through the intersection. Green belt can effectively reduce the delay and queuing length of vehicle driving, the normal function of urban roads and reduce the economic losses caused by traffic congestion is a great help. In this paper, the theoretical basis of the design of the coordinated control system is described. Secondly, the green time offset is calculated by the analytic method and the green band is established. And then the VISSIM software is used to simulate the traffic system before and after the improvement. Finally, the results of the two simulations are compared.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Singla, Neeru; Dubey, Kavita; Srivastava, Vishal; Ahmad, Azeem; Mehta, D. S.
2018-02-01
We developed an automated high-resolution full-field spatial coherence tomography (FF-SCT) microscope for quantitative phase imaging that is based on the spatial, rather than the temporal, coherence gating. The Red and Green color laser light was used for finding the quantitative phase images of unstained human red blood cells (RBCs). This study uses morphological parameters of unstained RBCs phase images to distinguish between normal and infected cells. We recorded the single interferogram by a FF-SCT microscope for red and green color wavelength and average the two phase images to further reduced the noise artifacts. In order to characterize anemia infected from normal cells different morphological features were extracted and these features were used to train machine learning ensemble model to classify RBCs with high accuracy.
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Changes in Landscape Greenness: Anthropogenic or Natural: Proof of Concept, Selected Study Areas
We selected four National Forest areas that span east to west of USA to conduct the study over the 25-year period from 1989 through 2013: GWJ (Virginia), Chatt-O (Georgia), Kisatchie (Louisiana), Hemlock Restoration (California). The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDV...
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2011-01-01
Background Emerging empirical evidence suggests exposure to "green" environments may encourage higher levels of physical activity among children. Few studies, however, have explored this association exclusively in pre-school aged children in the United States. We examined whether residing in neighborhoods with higher levels of greenness was associated with higher levels of outdoor physical activity among preschoolers. In addition, we also explored whether outdoor playing behaviors (e.g., active vs. quiet) were influenced by levels of neighborhood greenness independent of demographic and parental support factors. Results Higher levels of neighborhood greenness as measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was associated with higher levels of outdoor playing time among preschool-aged children in our sample. Specifically, a one unit increase in neighborhood greenness increased a child's outdoor playing time by approximately 3 minutes. A dose-response relationship was observed between increasing levels of parental support for physical activity (e.g., time spent playing with children) and child outdoor physical activity (p < 0.01). Conclusions Consistent with previous studies, neighborhood greenness influences physical activity behavior. However, for preschoolers, parental involvement may be more critical for improving physical activity levels. PMID:22165919
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Lanki, Timo; Siponen, Taina; Ojala, Ann; Korpela, Kalevi; Pennanen, Arto; Tiittanen, Pekka; Tsunetsugu, Yuko; Kagawa, Takahide; Tyrväinen, Liisa
2017-11-01
Epidemiological studies have reported positive associations between the amount of green space in the living environment and mental and cardiovascular human health. In a search for effect mechanisms, field studies have found short-term visits to green environments to be associated with psychological stress relief. Less evidence is available on the effect of visits on cardiovascular physiology. To evaluate whether visits to urban green environments, in comparison to visits to a built-up environment, lead to beneficial short-term changes in indicators of cardiovascular health. Thirty-six adult female volunteers visited three different types of urban environments: an urban forest, an urban park, and a built-up city centre, in Helsinki, Finland. The visits consisted of 15min of sedentary viewing, and 30min of walking. During the visits, blood pressure and heart rate were measured, and electrocardiogram recorded for the determination of indicators of heart rate variability. In addition, levels of respirable ambient particles and environmental noise were monitored. Visits to the green environments were associated with lower blood pressure (viewing period only), lower heart rate, and higher indices of heart rate variability [standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), high frequency power] than visits to the city centre. In the green environments, heart rate decreased and SDNN increased during the visit. Associations between environment and indicators of cardiovascular health weakened slightly after inclusion of particulate air pollution and noise in the models. Visits to urban green environments are associated with beneficial short-term changes in cardiovascular risk factors. This can be explained by psychological stress relief with contribution from reduced air pollution and noise exposure during the visits. Future research should evaluate the amount of exposure to green environments needed for longer-term benefits for cardiovascular health. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Su, Yanjun; Bales, Roger C.; Ma, Qin; Nydick, Koren; Ray, Ram L.; Li, Wenkai; Guo, Qinghua
2017-11-01
The relative greenness and wetness of Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) groves and the surrounding Sierra Nevada, California forests were investigated using patterns in vegetation indices from Landsat imagery for the period 1985-2015. Vegetation greenness (normalized difference vegetation index) and thus forest biomass in groves increased by about 6% over that 30 year period, suggesting a 10% increase in evapotranspiration. No significant change in the surrounding nongrove forest was observed. In this period, local temperature measurements showed an increase of about 2.2°C. The wetness of groves (normalized difference wetness index) showed no overall long-term trend but responded to changes in annual water-year precipitation and temperature. The long-term trends of grove greenness and wetness varied by elevation, with the lower rain-snow transition elevation zone (1,700-2,100 m) marking a change from an increasing trend at lower elevations to a decreasing trend at higher elevations. The 2011-2015 drought brought an unprecedented drop in grove wetness, over 5 times the 1985-2010 standard deviation, and wetness in SEGI groves dropped 50% more than in nongrove areas. Overall, the wetness and greenness of SEGI groves showed a larger response to the warming climate and drought than nongrove areas. The influence of droughts on the wetness of SEGI groves reflected effects of both the multidecadal increase in forest biomass and the effects of warmer drought-year temperatures on the evaporative demand of current grove vegetation, plus sufficient regolith water storage of rain and snowmelt to sustain that vegetation through seasonal and multiyear dry periods.
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Nagler, Pamela L.; Sridhar, B.B. Maruthi; Olsson, Aaryn Dyami; Glenn, Edward P.; van Leeuwen, Willem J.D.; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Huete, Alfredo; Lyon, John G.
2012-01-01
Green vegetation can be distinguished using visible and infrared multi-band and hyperspectral remote sensing methods. The problem has been in identifying and distinguishing the non-photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) landscape components, such as litter and soils, and from green vegetation. Additionally, distinguishing different species of green vegetation is challenging using the relatively few bands available on most satellite sensors. This chapter focuses on hyperspectral remote sensing characteristics that aim to distinguish between green vegetation, soil, and litter (or senescent vegetation). Quantifying litter by remote sensing methods is important in constructing carbon budgets of natural and agricultural ecosystems. Distinguishing between plant types is important in tracking the spread of invasive species. Green leaves of different species usually have similar spectra, making it difficult to distinguish between species. However, in this chapter we show that phenological differences between species can be used to detect some invasive species by their distinct patterns of greening and dormancy over an annual cycle based on hyperspectral data. Both applications require methods to quantify the non-green cellulosic fractions of plant tissues by remote sensing even in the presence of soil and green plant cover. We explore these methods and offer three case studies. The first concerns distinguishing surface litter from soil using the Cellulose Absorption Index (CAI), as applied to no-till farming practices where plant litter is left on the soil after harvest. The second involves using different band combinations to distinguish invasive saltcedar from agricultural and native riparian plants on the Lower Colorado River. The third illustrates the use of the CAI and NDVI in time-series analyses to distinguish between invasive buffelgrass and native plants in a desert environment in Arizona. Together the results show how hyperspectral imagery can be applied to solve problems that are not amendable to solution by the simple band combinations normally used in remote sensing.
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Pictorial relief for equiluminant images
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
van Doorn, Andrea J.; de Ridder, Huib; Koenderink, Jan J.
2005-03-01
Pictorial relief depends strongly on "cues" in the image. For isoluminant renderings some cues are missing, namely all information that is related to luminance contrast (e.g., shading, atmospheric perspective). It has been suggested that spatial discrimination and especially pictorial space suffer badly in isoluminant conditions. We have investigated the issue through quantitative measurement of pictorial depth-structure under normal and isoluminant conditions. As stimuli we used monochrome halftone photographs, either as such, or "transposed" to Red/Green or Green/Red hue modulations. We used two distinct methods, one to probe pictorial pose (by way of correspondences settings between pictures of an object in different poses), the other to probe pictorial depth (by way of attitude settings of a gauge figure to a perceptual "fit"). In both experiments the depth reconstructions for Red/Green, Green/Red and monochrome conditions were very similar. Moreover, observers performed equally well in Red/Green, Green/Red and monochrome conditions. Thus, the general conclusion is that observers did not do markedly worse with the isoluminant Red/Green and Green/Red transposed images. Whereas the transposed images certainly looked weird, they were easily interpreted. Much of the structure of pictorial space was apparently preserved. Thus the notion that spatial representations are not sustained under isoluminant conditions should be applied with caution.
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Three closely related herpesviruses are associated with fibropapillomatosis in marine turtles
Quackenbush, S.L.; Work, Thierry M.; Balazs, George H.; Casey, Rufina N.; Rovnak, J.; Chaves, A.; duToit, L.; Baines, J.D.; Parrish, C.R.; Bowser, Paul R.; Casey, James W.
1998-01-01
Green turtle fibropapillomatosis is a neoplastic disease of increasingly significant threat to the survivability of this species. Degenerate PCR primers that target highly conserved regions of genes encoding herpesvirus DNA polymerases were used to amplify a DNA sequence from fibropapillomas and fibromas from Hawaiian and Florida green turtles. All of the tumors tested (n= 23) were found to harbor viral DNA, whereas no viral DNA was detected in skin biopsies from tumor-negative turtles. The tissue distribution of the green turtle herpesvirus appears to be generally limited to tumors where viral DNA was found to accumulate at approximately two to five copies per cell and is occasionally detected, only by PCR, in some tissues normally associated with tumor development. In addition, herpesviral DNA was detected in fibropapillomas from two loggerhead and four olive ridley turtles. Nucleotide sequencing of a 483-bp fragment of the turtle herpesvirus DNA polymerase gene determined that the Florida green turtle and loggerhead turtle sequences are identical and differ from the Hawaiian green turtle sequence by five nucleotide changes, which results in two amino acid substitutions. The olive ridley sequence differs from the Florida and Hawaiian green turtle sequences by 15 and 16 nucleotide changes, respectively, resulting in four amino acid substitutions, three of which are unique to the olive ridley sequence. Our data suggest that these closely related turtle herpesviruses are intimately involved in the genesis of fibropapillomatosis.
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Molecular patterns of X chromosome-linked color vision genes among 134 menof European ancestry
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Drummond-Borg, M.; Deeb, S.S.; Motulsky, A.G.
1989-02-01
The authors used Southern blot hybridization to study X chromosome-linked color vision genes encoding the apoproteins of red and green visual pigments in 134 unselected Caucasian men. One hundred and thirteen individuals (84.3%) had a normal arrangement of their color vision pigment genes. All had one red pigment gene; the number of green pigment genes ranged from one to five with a mode of two. The frequency of molecular genotypes indicative of normal color vision (84.3%) was significantly lower than had been observed in previous studies of color vision phenotypes. Color vision defects can be due to deletions of redmore » or green pigment genes or due to formation of hybrid genes comprising portions of both red and green pigment genes. Characteristic anomalous patterns were seen in 15 (11.2%) individuals: 7 (5.2%) had patterns characteristic of deuteranomaly, 2 (1.5%) had patterns characteristic of deuteranopia, and 6 (4.5%) had protan patterns. Previously undescribed hybrid gene patterns consisting of both green and red pigment gene fragments in addition to normal red and green genes were observed in another 6 individuals (4.5%). Thus, DNA testing detected anomalous color vision pigment genes at a higher frequency than expected from phenotypic color vision tests.« less
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Adal, Kedir M.; van Etten, Peter G.; Martinez, Jose P.; Rouwen, Kenneth; Vermeer, Koenraad A.; van Vliet, Lucas J.
2017-03-01
Automated detection and quantification of spatio-temporal retinal changes is an important step to objectively assess disease progression and treatment effects for dynamic retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, detecting retinal changes caused by early DR lesions such as microaneurysms and dot hemorrhages from longitudinal pairs of fundus images is challenging due to intra and inter-image illumination variation between fundus images. This paper explores a method for automated detection of retinal changes from illumination normalized fundus images using a deep convolutional neural network (CNN), and compares its performance with two other CNNs trained separately on color and green channel fundus images. Illumination variation was addressed by correcting for the variability in the luminosity and contrast estimated from a large scale retinal regions. The CNN models were trained and evaluated on image patches extracted from a registered fundus image set collected from 51 diabetic eyes that were screened at two different time-points. The results show that using normalized images yield better performance than color and green channel images, suggesting that illumination normalization greatly facilitates CNNs to quickly and correctly learn distinctive local image features of DR related retinal changes.
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Green light in photomorphogenic development
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Maruhnich, Stefanie Anne
Light quality, quantity, and duration provide essential environmental cues that shape plant growth and development. Over the last century, researchers have worked to discover how plants sense, integrate, and respond to red, blue, and far-red light. Green light is often considered a “benign” wavelength with little to no effect in plant development. However, sparse experiments in the literature demonstrate that green effects are often counterintuitive to normal light responses and oppose red- and blue-light-induced responses. Green light effects on plant growth and development are described here through the use of custom, tunable LED, light-emitting diode, chambers. These light sources allow for specific light qualities and quantities to be administered. The effects of green wavebands were assessed when red and blue photomorphogenic systems were active to answer the question: Are the effects of an inhibitor (green light) more evident in the presence of inducers (red and blue light)? In seedlings, supplemental green light increased hypocotyl elongation opposite to classical inhibition of hypocotyl elongation associated with growth in light and induced by red and blue wavebands. Results indicate that added green light induced a reversion of light-grown phenotypes. In mature plants, supplemental green light induced phenotypes typical of the shade-avoidance syndrome, including elongated petioles, smaller leaf areas, and leaf hyponasty. These responses are typical of lower-light conditions or far-red enriched environments. Contrary to far-red-light-induced shade-avoidance, data indicate green delays flowering. In Arabidopsis and strawberry plants, anthocyanin levels also decreased when green light was added to red and blue light treatments, which is again opposite to normal light-induced phenotypes. Photoreceptor mutants were tested and indicate green light effects in early development are cryptochromedependent. However, green-light-induced shade-avoidance responses were cryptochrome-independent. A candidate gene approach was used to identify other elements required for green light sensing and/or response. Defects in some green light responses were observed for mutants in CCD8/Max4, a putative carotenoid cleavage enzyme with high sequence similarity to a critical enzyme in animal vision. These data support a role for green light in plant development which opposes normal light-induced responses and indicate the existence of at least two green light sensing systems.
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Liu, Jiangqu; Gong, Zhefeng; Liu, Li
2014-08-01
Drosophila larvae innately show light avoidance behavior. Compared with robust blue-light avoidance, larvae exhibit relatively weaker green-light responses. In our previous screening for genes involved in larval light avoidance, compared with control w(1118) larvae, larvae with γ-glutamyl transpeptidase 1 (Ggt-1) knockdown or Ggt-1 mutation were found to exhibit higher percentage of green-light avoidance which was mediated by Rhodopsin6 (Rh6) photoreceptors. However, their responses to blue light did not change significantly. By adjusting the expression level of Ggt-1 in different tissues, we found that Ggt-1 in malpighian tubules was both necessary and sufficient for green-light avoidance. Our results showed that glutamate levels were lower in Ggt-1 null mutants compared with controls. Feeding Ggt-1 null mutants glutamate can normalize green-light avoidance, indicating that high glutamate concentrations suppressed larval green-light avoidance. However, rather than directly, glutamate affected green-light avoidance indirectly through GABA, the level of which was also lower in Ggt-1 mutants compared with controls. Mutants in glutamate decarboxylase 1, which encodes GABA synthase, and knockdown lines of the GABAA receptor, both exhibit elevated levels of green-light avoidance. Thus, our results elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms mediating green-light avoidance, which was inhibited in wild-type larvae. © 2014 International Society for Neurochemistry.
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Visual search for features and conjunctions following declines in the useful field of view.
Cosman, Joshua D; Lees, Monica N; Lee, John D; Rizzo, Matthew; Vecera, Shaun P
2012-01-01
BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Typical measures for assessing the useful field (UFOV) of view involve many components of attention. The objective of the current experiment was to examine differences in visual search efficiency for older individuals with and without UFOV impairment. The authors used a computerized screening instrument to assess the useful field of view and to characterize participants as having an impaired or normal UFOV. Participants also performed two visual search tasks, a feature search (e.g., search for a green target among red distractors) or a conjunction search (e.g., a green target with a gap on its left or right side among red distractors with gaps on the left or right and green distractors with gaps on the top or bottom). Visual search performance did not differ between UFOV impaired and unimpaired individuals when searching for a basic feature. However, search efficiency was lower for impaired individuals than unimpaired individuals when searching for a conjunction of features. The results suggest that UFOV decline in normal aging is associated with conjunction search. This finding suggests that the underlying cause of UFOV decline may arise from an overall decline in attentional efficiency. Because the useful field of view is a reliable predictor of driving safety, the results suggest that decline in the everyday visual behavior of older adults might arise from attentional declines.
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Effects of green tea tannin on cisplatin-induced nephropathy in LLC-PK1 cells and rats.
Yokozawa, T; Nakagawa, T; Lee, K I; Cho, E J; Terasawa, K; Takeuchi, S
1999-11-01
A study was conducted to clarify whether green tea tannin ameliorated cisplatin-induced renal injury in terms of lactate dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde leakage from a renal epithelial cell line, swine-derived LLC-PK1 cells in culture. Green tea tannin was shown to suppress the cytotoxicity of cisplatin, the suppressive effect increasing with the dose of green tea tannin. The effect of cisplatin was then investigated in rats given green tea tannin for 40 days before cisplatin administration and in control rats given no green tea tannin. In control rats, blood, urinary and renal parameters and the activities of antioxidative enzymes in renal tissue deviated from the normal range, indicating dysfunction of the kidneys. In contrast, rats given green tea tannin showed decreased blood levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine, and decreased urinary levels of protein and glucose, reflecting less damage to the kidney. In this group, the activity of catalase in the renal tissue was increased, while the level of malondialdehyde was decreased, suggesting the involvement of radicals in the normalizing of kidney function. Based on the evidence available it appeared that green tea tannin eliminated oxidative stress and was beneficial to renal function.
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Dees, Elise W; Baraas, Rigmor C
2014-04-01
Carriers of red-green color-vision deficiencies are generally thought to behave like normal trichromats, although it is known that they may make errors on Ishihara plates. The aim here was to compare the performance of carriers with that of normal females on seven standard color-vision tests, including Ishihara plates. One hundred and twenty-six normal females, 14 protan carriers, and 29 deutan carriers aged 9-66 years were included in the study. Generally, deutan carriers performed worse than protan carriers and normal females on six out of the seven tests. The difference in performance between carriers and normal females was independent of age, but the proportion of carriers that made errors on pseudo-isochromatic tests increased with age. It was the youngest carriers, however, who made the most errors. There was considerable variation in performance among individuals in each group of females. The results are discussed in relation to variability in the number of different L-cone pigments.
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Mapping landscape phenology preference of yellow-billed cuckoo with AVHRR data
Cynthia S. A. Wallace; Miguel Villarreal; Charles van Riper
2013-01-01
We mapped habitat for threatened Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccycus americanus occidentalis) in the State of Arizona using the temporal greenness dynamics of the landscape, or the landscape phenology. Landscape phenometrics were derived from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data for 1998 and 1999 by using...
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Pyke, K; Zubko, M K; Day, A
2000-10-01
Spectinomycin, an inhibitor of plastid protein synthesis, can be used to mark specific cell layers in the shoot meristem of Brassica napus. Pale yellow-green (YG) plants resulting from spectinomycin-treatment can be propagated indefinitely in vitro. Microscopic examination showed that YG-plants result from inactivation of plastids in the L2 and L3 layers and are composed of a pale green epidermis covering a white mesophyll layer. Epidermal cells of YG and normal green plants are similar and contain 10-20 small pale green plastids. YG plants are equivalent to periclinal chimeras with the important distinction that there is no genotypic difference between the white and green cell layers. Periclinal divisions of epidermal cells take place at all stages of leaf development to produce invaginations of green mesophyll located in sectors of widely varying sizes. A periclinal division rate of 1 in 3000-4000 anticlinal divisions for the adaxial epidermis, was 2-3-fold higher than that estimated for the abaxial epidermis. Analysis of white and green mesophyll showed that chloroplasts are essential for palisade cell differentiation and this requirement is cell-autonomous. Stable marking of cell lineages with spectinomycin is simple, rapid and reveals the requirement for functional plastids in cellular differentiation.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Alharbi, Samah; Hu, Sijung; Mulvaney, David; Blanos, Panagiotis
2018-02-01
The ability to gather physiological parameters such as heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2%) during physical movement allows to continuously monitor personal health status without disrupt their normal daily activities. Photoplethysmography (PPG) based pulse oximetry and similar principle devices are unable to extract the HR and SpO2% reliably during physical movement due to interference in the signals that arise from motion artefacts (MAs). In this research, a flexible reflectance multi-wavelength optoelectronic patch sensor (OEPS) has been developed to overcome the susceptibility of conventional pulse oximetry readings to MAs. The OEPS incorporates light embittered diodes as illumination sources with four different wavelengths, e.g. green, orange, red, and infrared unlike the conventional pulse oximetry devices that normally measure the skin absorption of only two wavelengths (red and infrared). The additional green and orange wavelengths were found to be distinguish to the absorption of deoxyhemoglobin (RHb) and oxyhemoglobin (HbO2). The reliability of extracting physiological parameters from the green and orange wavelengths is due to absorbed near to the surface of the skin, thereby shortening the optical path and so effectively reducing the influence of physical movements. To compensate of MAs, a three-axis accelerometer was used as a reference with help of adaptive filter to reduce MAs. The experiments were performed using 15 healthy subjects aged 20 to 30. The primary results show that there are no significant difference of heart rate and oxygen saturation measurements between commercial devices and OEPS Green (r=0.992), Orange(r=0.984), Red(r=0.952) and IR(r=0.97) and SpO2% (r = 0.982, p = 0.894).
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Zhang, Xinping; Wang, Dexiang; Hao, Hongke; Zhang, Fangfang; Hu, Youning
2017-07-26
In this study Yan'an City, a typical hilly valley city, was considered as the study area in order to explain the relationships between the surface urban heat island (SUHI) and land use/land cover (LULC) types, the landscape pattern metrics of LULC types and land surface temperature (LST) and remote sensing indexes were retrieved from Landsat data during 1990-2015, and to find factors contributed to the green space cool island intensity (GSCI) through field measurements of 34 green spaces. The results showed that during 1990-2015, because of local anthropogenic activities, SUHI was mainly located in lower vegetation cover areas. There was a significant suburban-urban gradient in the average LST, as well as its heterogeneity and fluctuations. Six landscape metrics comprising the fractal dimension index, percentage of landscape, aggregation index, division index, Shannon's diversity index, and expansion intensity of the classified LST spatiotemporal changes were paralleled to LULC changes, especially for construction land, during the past 25 years. In the urban area, an index-based built-up index was the key positive factor for explaining LST increases, whereas the normalized difference vegetation index and modified normalized difference water index were crucial factors for explaining LST decreases during the study periods. In terms of the heat mitigation performance of green spaces, mixed forest was better than pure forest, and the urban forest configuration had positive effects on GSCI. The results of this study provide insights into the importance of species choice and the spatial design of green spaces for cooling the environment.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Esau, Igor; Miles, Victoria V.; Davy, Richard; Miles, Martin W.; Kurchatova, Anna
2016-08-01
Exploration and exploitation of oil and gas reserves of northern West Siberia has promoted rapid industrialization and urban development in the region. This development leaves significant footprints on the sensitive northern environment, which is already stressed by the global warming. This study reports the region-wide changes in the vegetation cover as well as the corresponding changes in and around 28 selected urbanized areas. The study utilizes the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from high-resolution (250 m) MODIS data acquired for summer months (June through August) over 15 years (2000-2014). The results reveal the increase of NDVI (or "greening") over the northern (tundra and tundra-forest) part of the region. Simultaneously, the southern, forested part shows the widespread decrease of NDVI (or "browning"). These region-wide patterns are, however, highly fragmented. The statistically significant NDVI trends occupy only a small fraction of the region. Urbanization destroys the vegetation cover within the developed areas and at about 5-10 km distance around them. The studied urbanized areas have the NDVI values by 15 to 45 % lower than the corresponding areas at 20-40 km distance. The largest NDVI reduction is typical for the newly developed areas, whereas the older areas show recovery of the vegetation cover. The study reveals a robust indication of the accelerated greening near the older urban areas. Many Siberian cities become greener even against the wider browning trends at their background. Literature discussion suggests that the observed urban greening could be associated not only with special tending of the within-city green areas but also with the urban heat islands and succession of more productive shrub and tree species growing on warmer sandy soils.
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Zhang, Xinping; Hao, Hongke; Zhang, Fangfang; Hu, Youning
2017-01-01
In this study Yan’an City, a typical hilly valley city, was considered as the study area in order to explain the relationships between the surface urban heat island (SUHI) and land use/land cover (LULC) types, the landscape pattern metrics of LULC types and land surface temperature (LST) and remote sensing indexes were retrieved from Landsat data during 1990–2015, and to find factors contributed to the green space cool island intensity (GSCI) through field measurements of 34 green spaces. The results showed that during 1990–2015, because of local anthropogenic activities, SUHI was mainly located in lower vegetation cover areas. There was a significant suburban-urban gradient in the average LST, as well as its heterogeneity and fluctuations. Six landscape metrics comprising the fractal dimension index, percentage of landscape, aggregation index, division index, Shannon’s diversity index, and expansion intensity of the classified LST spatiotemporal changes were paralleled to LULC changes, especially for construction land, during the past 25 years. In the urban area, an index-based built-up index was the key positive factor for explaining LST increases, whereas the normalized difference vegetation index and modified normalized difference water index were crucial factors for explaining LST decreases during the study periods. In terms of the heat mitigation performance of green spaces, mixed forest was better than pure forest, and the urban forest configuration had positive effects on GSCI. The results of this study provide insights into the importance of species choice and the spatial design of green spaces for cooling the environment. PMID:28933770
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Computerized Color Vision Test Based Upon Postreceptoral Channel Sensitivities
E, Miyahara; J, Pokorny; VC, Smith; E, Szewczyk; J, McCartin; K, Caldwell; A, Klerer
2006-01-01
An automated, computerized color vision test was designed to diagnose congenital red-green color vision defects. The observer viewed a yellow appearing CRT screen. The principle was to measure increment thresholds for three different chromaticities, the background yellow, a red, and a green chromaticity. Spatial and temporal parameters were chosen to favor parvocellular pathway mediation of thresholds. Thresholds for the three test stimuli were estimated by 4AFC, randomly interleaved staircases. Four 1.5°, 4.2 cd/m2 square pedestals were arranged as a 2 x 2 matrix around the center of the display with 15’ separations. A trial incremented all four squares by 1.0 cd/m2 for 133 msec. One randomly chosen square included an extra increment of a test chromaticity. The observer identified the different appearing square using the cursor. Administration time was ~5 minutes. Normal trichromats showed clear Sloan notch as defined by log (ΔY/ΔR), whereas red-green color defectives generally showed little or no Sloan notch, indicating that their thresholds were mediated by their luminance system, not by the chromatic system. Data from 107 normal trichromats showed a mean Sloan notch of 0.654 (SD = 0.123). Among 16 color vision defectives tested (2 protanopes, 1 protanomal, 6 deuteranopes, 7 deuteranomals), the Sloan notch was between −0.062 and 0.353 for deutans and was < −0.10 for protans. A sufficient number of color defective observers have not yet been tested to determine whether the test can reliably discriminate between protans and deutans. Nevertheless, the current data show that the test can work as a quick diagnostic procedure (functional trichromatism or dichromatism) of red-green color vision defect. PMID:15518231
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Schüle, Steffen Andreas; Gabriel, Katharina M A; Bolte, Gabriele
2017-06-01
The environmental justice framework states that besides environmental burdens also resources may be social unequally distributed both on the individual and on the neighbourhood level. This ecological study investigated whether neighbourhood socioeconomic position (SEP) was associated with neighbourhood public green space availability in a large German city with more than 1 million inhabitants. Two different measures were defined for green space availability. Firstly, percentage of green space within neighbourhoods was calculated with the additional consideration of various buffers around the boundaries. Secondly, percentage of green space was calculated based on various radii around the neighbourhood centroid. An index of neighbourhood SEP was calculated with principal component analysis. Log-gamma regression from the group of generalized linear models was applied in order to consider the non-normal distribution of the response variable. All models were adjusted for population density. Low neighbourhood SEP was associated with decreasing neighbourhood green space availability including 200m up to 1000m buffers around the neighbourhood boundaries. Low neighbourhood SEP was also associated with decreasing green space availability based on catchment areas measured from neighbourhood centroids with different radii (1000m up to 3000 m). With an increasing radius the strength of the associations decreased. Social unequally distributed green space may amplify environmental health inequalities in an urban context. Thus, the identification of vulnerable neighbourhoods and population groups plays an important role for epidemiological research and healthy city planning. As a methodical aspect, log-gamma regression offers an adequate parametric modelling strategy for positively distributed environmental variables. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Smalls-Mantey, L.; Jeffers, S.; Montalto, F. A.
2013-12-01
Human alterations to the environment provide infrastructure for housing and transportation but have drastically changed local hydrology. Excess stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces generates erosion, overburdens sewer infrastructure, and can pollute receiving bodies. Increased attention to green stormwater management controls is based on the premise that some of these issues can be mitigated by capturing or slowing the flow of stormwater. However, our ability to predict actual green infrastructure facility performance using physical or statistical methods needs additional validation, and efforts to incorporate green infrastructure controls into hydrologic models are still in their infancy stages. We use more than three years of field monitoring data to derive facility specific probability density functions characterizing the hydrologic abstractions provided by a stormwater treatment wetland, streetside bioretention facility, and a green roof. The monitoring results are normalized by impervious area treated, and incorporated into a neighborhood-scale agent model allowing probabilistic comparisons of the stormwater capture outcomes associated with alternative urban greening scenarios. Specifically, we compare the uncertainty introduced into the model by facility performance (as represented by the variability in the abstraction), to that introduced by both precipitation variability, and spatial patterns of emergence of different types of green infrastructure. The modeling results are used to update a discussion about the potential effectiveness of urban green infrastructure implementation plans.
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Cruz, Rebeca; Casal, Susana
2013-11-15
Vitamin E analysis in green vegetables is performed by an array of different methods, making it difficult to compare published data or choosing the adequate one for a particular sample. Aiming to achieve a consistent method with wide applicability, the current study reports the development and validation of a fast micro-method for quantification of vitamin E in green leafy vegetables. The methodology uses solid-liquid extraction based on the Folch method, with tocol as internal standard, and normal-phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. A large linear working range was confirmed, being highly reproducible, with inter-day precisions below 5% (RSD). Method sensitivity was established (below 0.02 μg/g fresh weight), and accuracy was assessed by recovery tests (>96%). The method was tested in different green leafy vegetables, evidencing diverse tocochromanol profiles, with variable ratios and amounts of α- and γ-tocopherol, and other minor compounds. The methodology is adequate for routine analyses, with a reduced chromatographic run (<7 min) and organic solvent consumption, and requires only standard chromatographic equipment available in most laboratories. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Thiros, Susan A.
2017-03-23
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, studied trends in dissolved-solids loads at selected sites in and near the Uinta Basin, Utah. The Uinta Basin study area includes the Duchesne River Basin and the Middle Green River Basin in Utah from below Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the town of Green River.Annual dissolved-solids loads for water years (WY) 1989 through 2013 were estimated for 16 gaging stations in the study area using streamflow and water-quality data from the USGS National Water Information System database. Eight gaging stations that monitored catchments with limited or no agricultural land use (natural subbasins) were used to assess loads from natural sources. Four gaging stations that monitored catchments with agricultural land in the Duchesne River Basin were used to assess loads from agricultural sources. Four other gaging stations were included in the dissolved-solids load and trend analysis to help assess the effects of agricultural areas that drain to the Green River in the Uinta Basin, but outside of the Duchesne River Basin.Estimated mean annual dissolved-solids loads for WY 1989–2013 ranged from 1,520 tons at Lake Fork River above Moon Lake, near Mountain Home, Utah (UT), to 1,760,000 tons at Green River near Green River, UT. The flow-normalized loads at gaging stations upstream of agricultural activities showed no trend or a relatively small change. The largest net change in modeled flow-normalized load was -352,000 tons (a 17.8-percent decrease) at Green River near Green River, UT.Annual streamflow and modeled dissolved-solids loads at the gaging stations were balanced between upstream and downstream sites to determine how much water and dissolved solids were transported to the Duchesne River and a section of the Green River, and how much was picked up in each drainage area. Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites show that Green River near Jensen, UT, accounts for 64 percent of the load in the river at Green River, UT, while the Duchesne River and White River contribute 10 and 13 percent, respectively.Annual streamflow and modeled dissolved-solids loads at the gaging stations were balanced between upstream and downstream sites to determine how much water and dissolved solids were transported to the Duchesne River and a section of the Green River, and how much was picked up in each drainage area. Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites show that Green River near Jensen, UT, accounts for 64 percent of the load in the river at Green River, UT, while the Duchesne River and White River contribute 10 and 13 percent, respectively.The flow-normalized dissolved-solids loads estimated at Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and White River near Watson, UT, decreased by 68,000 and 55,300 tons, or 27.8 and 20.8 percent respectively, when comparing 1989 to 2013. The drainage basins for both rivers have undergone salinity-control projects since the early 1980s to reduce the dissolved-solids load entering the Colorado River. Approximately 19 percent of the net change in flow-normalized load at Green River at Green River, UT, is from changes in load modeled at Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and 16 percent from changes in load modeled at White River near Watson, UT. The net change in flow-normalized load estimated at Green River near Greendale, UT, for WY 1989–2013 accounts for about 45 percent of the net change estimated at Green River at Green River, UT.Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites in the Duchesne River Basin show that 75,400 tons or 44 percent of the load at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, gaging station was not accounted for at any of the upstream gages. Most of this unmonitored load is derived from tributary inflow, groundwater discharge, unconsumed irrigation water, and irrigation tail water.A mass balance of WY 1989–2013 flow-normalized loads estimated at sites in the Duchesne River Basin indicates that the flow-normalized load of unmonitored inflow to the Duchesne River between the Myton and Randlett gaging stations decreased by 38 percent. The total net decrease in flow-normalized load calculated for unmonitored inflow in the drainage basin accounts for 94 percent of the decrease in WY 1989–2013 flow-normalized load modeled at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, gaging station. Irrigation improvements in the drainage basin have likely contributed to the decrease in flow-normalized load.Reductions in dissolved-solids load estimated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) from on- and off-farm improvements in the Uinta Basin totaled about 135,000 tons in 2013 (81,900 tons from on-farm improvements and 53,300 tons from off-farm improvements). The reduction in dissolved-solids load resulting from on- and off-farm improvements facilitated by the NRCS and Reclamation in the Price River Basin from 1989 to 2013 was estimated to be 64,800 tons.The amount of sprinkler-irrigated land mapped in the drainage area or subbasin area for a gaging station was used to estimate the reduction in load resulting from the conversion from flood to sprinkler irrigation. Sprinkler-irrigated land mapped in the Uinta Basin totaled 109,630 acres in 2012. Assuming conversion to wheel-line sprinklers, a reduction in dissolved-solids load in the Uinta Basin of 95,800 tons in 2012 was calculated using the sprinkler-irrigation acreage and a pre-salinity-control project dissolved-solids yield of 1.04 tons per acre.A reduction of 72,800 tons in dissolved-solids load from irrigation improvements was determined from sprinkler-irrigated lands in the Ashley Valley and Jensen, Pelican Lake, and Pleasant Valley areas (mapped in 2012); and in the Price River Basin (mapped in 2011). This decrease in dissolved-solids load is 8,800 tons more than the decrease in unmonitored flow-normalized dissolved-solids load (-64,000 tons) determined for the Green River between the Jensen and Green River gaging stations.The net WY 1989–2013 change in flow-normalized dissolved-solids load at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and the Green River between the Jensen and Green River, UT, gaging stations determined from mass-balance calculations was compared to reported reductions in dissolved-solids load from on- and off-farm improvements and estimated reductions in load determined from mapped sprinkler-irrigated areas in the Duchesne River Basin and the area draining to the Green River between the Jensen and Green River gaging stations. The combined NRCS and Reclamation estimates of reduction in dissolved-solids load from on- and off-farm improvements in the study area (200,000 tons) is more than the reduction in load estimated using the acreage with sprinkler improvements (136,000 tons) or the mass-balance of flow-normalized load (132,000 tons).
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fu, D.; Su, F.; Wang, J.
2017-12-01
More accurate evaluation of the state of Arctic tundra vegetation is important for our understanding of Arctic and global systems. Arctic tundra greening has been reported, increasing vegetation cover and productivity in many regions, but browning has been also reported, based on satellite-observed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 2011 until recently. Here we demonstrate a satellite-based method of estimating tundra greenness trend. A more direct indicator of greenness (spatially downscaling solar-induced fluorescence, SIF) was used to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of Arctic tundra greenness trends based on ordinary least square regression (2007-2013). Meanwhile, two other greenness indices were used for the comparison, which were two NDVI products: GIMMS NDVI3g, and MOD13Q1 Collection 6. Generally, the Arctic tundra was not consistently greening, browning also existed. For the spatial trends, the results showed that most parts of the Arctic tundra below 75ºN was browning (-0.0098 mW/m2/sr/nm/year) using SIF, whereas spatially heterogeneous trends (greening or browning) were obtained based on the two NDVI products. For the temporal trends, the greenness value of Eurasia Arctic tundra is higher than Northern America and the whole Arctic tundra for the three greenness indices. From 2010, the Arctic tundra was greening based on MOD13Q1, whereas is browning using GIMMS NDVI3g. However, the Arctic tundra was obviously browning using SIF data. This study demonstrates a way of investigating the variation of Arctic tundra vegetation via new satellite-observed data.
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Chromatic VEP in children with congenital colour vision deficiency.
Tekavčič Pompe, Manca; Stirn Kranjc, Branka; Brecelj, Jelka
2010-09-01
Visual evoked potentials to chromatic stimulus (cVEP) are believed to selectively test the parvocellular visual pathway which is responsible for processing information about colour. The aim was to evaluate cVEP in children with red-green congenital colour vision deficiency. VEP responses of 15 colour deficient children were compared to 31 children with normal colour vision. An isoluminant red-green stimulus composed of horizontal gratings was presented in an onset-offset manner. The shape of the waveform was studied, as well as the latency and amplitude of positive (P) and negative (N) waves. cVEP response did not change much with increased age in colour deficient children, whereas normative data showed changes from a predominantly positive to a negative response with increased age. A P wave was present in 87% of colour deficient children (and in 100% of children with normal colour vision), whereas the N wave was absent in a great majority of colour deficient children and was present in 80% of children with normal colour vision. Therefore, the amplitude of the whole response (N-P) decreased linearly with age in colour deficient children, whereas in children with normal colour vision it increased linearly. P wave latency shortened with increased age in both groups. cVEP responses differ in children with congenital colour vision deficiency compared to children with normal colour vision. © 2010 The Authors, Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics © 2010 The College of Optometrists.
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Tao, Ling; Park, Jong-Yung; Lambert, Joshua D
2015-02-01
We have previously reported that the green tea catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), can induce oxidative stress in oral cancer cells but exerts antioxidant effects in normal cells. Here, we report that these differential prooxidative effects are associated with sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), an important mitochondrial redox modulator. EGCG rapidly induced mitochondria-localized reactive oxygen species in human oral squamous carcinoma cells (SCC-25, SCC-9) and premalignant leukoplakia cells (MSK-Leuk1), but not in normal human gingival fibroblast cells (HGF-1). EGCG suppressed SIRT3 mRNA and protein expression, as well as, SIRT3 activity in SCC-25 cells, whereas it increased SIRT3 activity in HGF-1 cells. EGCG selectively decreased the nuclear localization of the estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα), the transcription factor regulating SIRT3 expression, in SCC-25 cells. This indicates that EGCG may regulate SIRT3 transcription in oral cancer cells via ERRα. EGCG also differentially modulated the mRNA expressions of SIRT3-associated downstream targets including glutathione peroxidase 1 and superoxide dismutase 2 in normal and oral cancer cells. SIRT3 represents a novel potential target through which EGCG exerts differential prooxidant effects in cancer and normal cells. Our results provide new biomarkers to be further explored in animal studies. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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... by-color guide for newborns: Black or dark green. After birth, a baby's first bowel movements are ... of baby poop is known as meconium. Yellow-green. As the baby begins digesting breast milk, meconium ...
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Association of green stem disorder with agronomic traits in soybean
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Green stem disorder (GSD) of soybean is the occurrence of non-senescent, fleshy green stems of plants with normal, fully mature pods and seeds. The main focus of this study was to determine the relationship between GSD incidence and agronomic traits and to determine if GSD incidence was associated w...
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Association of green stem disorder with agronomic traits in soybean
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Green stem disorder of soybean (GSD) is the occurrence of non-senescent, fleshy green stems of plants with normal, fully mature pods and seeds. Data on GSD incidence based on a percentage of plants in plots showing symptoms were collected for soybean cultivars in 86 trials from 2009 to 2012 at seven...
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GENETICS OF X-RAY INDUCED PIGMENTATION IN JUTE
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sarma, M.S.; Ghosh, K.
1961-03-01
A full-green strain of Corchorus capsularis having the constitution ccAARR for the anthocyanin factors was treated with x rays. In the X/sub 2/ generation of a bifurcated but otherwise normal looking selection from the 45 Kvp, 40,000 r treatment, a pigmented type was obtained as a recessive segregant. The pigmented mutant is indistinguishable from full-green in the early stages; at later stages the stem is dark-coppery-red and the integuments of ovules are pink even at the flowering stage. Although the embryos of seeds of the mutant are normal, the endosperm is imperfectiy developed; this results in extremely poor germination. Crossesmore » of the pigmented mutant with cAR, CAR and CA/sup D/r showed one, two, and four factor differences, respectively. On the basis of this evidence, it is concluded that the induced change is at a newly identified locus, Pi, and is recessive to the normal state; the action of pi is dependent on the presence of two doses of R; pi is epistatic over C; Pi or at least one dose of r is essential for the normal functioning of C; and in the absence of C-controlled anthocyamin, A and A/sup D/, the two alleles of A tested, have no recognizable action. (auth)« less
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Monitoring Start of Season in Alaska
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Robin, J.; Dubayah, R.; Sparrow, E.; Levine, E.
2006-12-01
In biomes that have distinct winter seasons, start of spring phenological events, specifically timing of budburst and green-up of leaves, coincides with transpiration. Seasons leave annual signatures that reflect the dynamic nature of the hydrologic cycle and link the different spheres of the Earth system. This paper evaluates whether continuity between AVHRR and MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is achievable for monitoring land surface phenology, specifically start of season (SOS), in Alaska. Additionally, two thresholds, one based on NDVI and the other on accumulated growing degree-days (GDD), are compared to determine which most accurately predicts SOS for Fairbanks. Ratio of maximum greenness at SOS was computed from biweekly AVHRR and MODIS composites for 2001 through 2004 for Anchorage and Fairbanks regions. SOS dates were determined from annual green-up observations made by GLOBE students. Results showed that different processing as well as spectral characteristics of each sensor restrict continuity between the two datasets. MODIS values were consistently higher and had less inter-annual variability during the height of the growing season than corresponding AVHRR values. Furthermore, a threshold of 131-175 accumulated GDD was a better predictor of SOS for Fairbanks than a NDVI threshold applied to AVHRR and MODIS datasets. The NDVI threshold was developed from biweekly AVHRR composites from 1982 through 2004 and corresponding annual green-up observations at University of Alaska-Fairbanks (UAF). The GDD threshold was developed from 20+ years of historic daily mean air temperature data and the same green-up observations. SOS dates computed with the GDD threshold most closely resembled actual green-up dates observed by GLOBE students and UAF researchers. Overall, biweekly composites and effects of clouds, snow, and conifers limit the ability of NDVI to monitor phenological changes in Alaska.
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Biomass and health based forest cover delineation using spectral un-mixing
Mohan Tiruveedhula; Joseph Fan; Ravi R. Sadasivuni; Surya S. Durbha; David L. Evans
2009-01-01
Remote sensing is a well-suited source of information on various forest characteristics such as forest cover type, leaf area, biomass, and health. The use of appropriate layers helps to quantify the variables of interest. For example, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and greenness help explain variability in biomass as well as health of forests....
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Transmission eigenchannels from nonequilibrium Green's functions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Paulsson, Magnus; Brandbyge, Mads
2007-09-01
The concept of transmission eigenchannels is described in a tight-binding nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) framework. A simple procedure for calculating the eigenchannels is derived using only the properties of the device subspace and quantities normally available in a NEGF calculation. The method is exemplified by visualization in real space of the eigenchannels for three different molecular and atomic wires.
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Larocque, Kristen; Ovadje, Pamela; Djurdjevic, Sinisa; Mehdi, Mariam; Green, James; Pandey, Siyaram
2014-01-01
Colchicine, a natural product of Colchicum autumnae currently used for gout treatment, is a tubulin targeting compound which inhibits microtubule formation by targeting fast dividing cells. This tubulin-targeting property has lead researchers to investigate the potential of colchicine and analogs as possible cancer therapies. One major study conducted on an analogue of allocolchicine, ZD 6126, was halted in phase 2 clinical trials due to severe cardio-toxicity associated with treatment. This study involves the development and testing of novel allocolchicine analogues that hold non-toxic anti-cancer properties. Currently we have synthesized and evaluated the anti-cancer activities of two analogues; N-acetyl-O-methylcolchinol (NSC 51046 or NCME), which is structurally similar to ZD 6126, and (S)-3,8,9,10-tetramethoxyallocolchicine (Green 1), which is a novel derivative of allocolchicine that is isomeric in the A ring. NSC 51046 was found to be non-selective as it induced apoptosis in both BxPC-3 and PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells and in normal human fibroblasts. Interestingly, we found that Green 1 was able to modestly induce pro-death autophagy in these pancreatic cancer cells and E6-1 leukemia cells but not in normal human fibroblasts. Unlike colchicine and NSC 51046, Green 1 does not appear to affect tubulin polymerization indicating that it has a different molecular target. Green 1 also caused increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in mitochondria isolated from pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, in vivo studies revealed that Green 1 was well tolerated in mice. Our findings suggest that a small change in the structure of colchicine has apparently changed the mechanism of action and lead to improved selectivity. This may lead to better selective treatments in cancer therapy. PMID:24466327
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Orban, Ester; Sutcliffe, Robynne; Dragano, Nico; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Moebus, Susanne
2017-04-01
Previous research suggests that green environments positively influence health. Several underlying mechanisms have been discussed; one of them is facilitation of social interaction. Further, greener neighborhoods may appear more aesthetic, contributing to satisfaction and well-being. Aim of this study was to analyze the association of residential surrounding greenness with self-rated health, using data from 4480 women and men aged 45-75 years that participated in the German population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study. We further aimed to explore the relationships of greenness and self-rated health with the neighborhood environment and social relations. Surrounding greenness was measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 100 m around participants' residence. As a result, we found that with higher greenness, poor self-rated health decreased (adjusted OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.98; per 0.1 increase in NDVI), while neighborhood satisfaction (1.41, 1.23-1.61) and neighborhood social capital (1.22, 1.12-1.32) increased. Further, we observed inverse associations of neighborhood satisfaction (0.70, 0.52-0.94), perceived safety (0.36, 0.22-0.60), social satisfaction (0.43, 0.31-0.58), and neighborhood social capital (0.53, 0.44-0.64) with poor self-rated health. These results underline the importance of incorporating green elements into neighborhoods for health-promoting urban development strategies.
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76 FR 61135 - Environmental Impact Statement: Theodore Francis Green Airport, Warwick, RI
Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-10-03
... efficiency improvements at Theodore Francis Green Airport, in Warwick, Rhode Island. The ROD documents the... available for review during normal business hours at the following locations: FAA New England Region...
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Deering, D. W.; Haas, R. H. (Principal Investigator)
1980-01-01
The author has identified the following significant results. Relationships between the quantity of mixed prairie rangeland vegetation and LANDSAT MSS response were studied during four growing seasons at test sites throughout the United States Great Plans region. A LANDSAT derived parameter, the normalized difference was developed from theoretical considerations fro statistical estimation of the amount and seasonal condition of rangeland vegetation. This parameter was tested for application to local assessment of green forage biomass and regional monitoring of range feed conditions and drought. Results show that for grasslands in the Great Plains with near continuous vegetative cover and free of heavy brush and forbs, the LANDSAT digital data can provide a useful estimate of the quantity of green forage biomass (within 250 kg/ha), and at least five levels of pasture and range feed conditions can be adequately mapped for extended regions.
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Pogorelko, Gennady V; Kambakam, Sekhar; Nolan, Trevor; Foudree, Andrew; Zabotina, Olga A; Rodermel, Steven R
2016-01-01
The immutans (im) variegation mutation of Arabidopsis has green- and white- sectored leaves due to action of a nuclear recessive gene. IM codes for PTOX, a plastoquinol oxidase in plastid membranes. Previous studies have revealed that the green and white sectors develop into sources (green tissues) and sinks (white tissues) early in leaf development. In this report we focus on white sectors, and show that their transformation into effective sinks involves a sharp reduction in plastid number and size. Despite these reductions, cells in the white sectors have near-normal amounts of plastid RNA and protein, and surprisingly, a marked amplification of chloroplast DNA. The maintenance of protein synthesis capacity in the white sectors might poise plastids for their development into other plastid types. The green and white im sectors have different cell wall compositions: whereas cell walls in the green sectors resemble those in wild type, cell walls in the white sectors have reduced lignin and cellulose microfibrils, as well as alterations in galactomannans and the decoration of xyloglucan. These changes promote susceptibility to the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Enhanced susceptibility can also be explained by repressed expression of some, but not all, defense genes. We suggest that differences in morphology, physiology and biochemistry between the green and white sectors is caused by a reprogramming of leaf development that is coordinated, in part, by mechanisms of retrograde (plastid-to-nucleus) signaling, perhaps mediated by ROS. We conclude that variegation mutants offer a novel system to study leaf developmental programming, cell wall metabolism and host-pathogen interactions.
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Jendrossek, Mario; Standl, Marie; Koletzko, Sibylle; Lehmann, Irina; Bauer, Carl-Peter; Schikowski, Tamara; von Berg, Andrea; Berdel, Dietrich; Heinrich, Joachim; Markevych, Iana
2017-07-01
The public health burden of hypertension is high, but its relationship with long-term residential air pollution, road traffic, and greenness remains unclear. To investigate associations between residential air pollution, traffic, greenness, and hypertension among mothers. Information on doctor-diagnosed maternal hypertension was collected at the 15-year follow-up of two large population-based multicenter German birth cohorts-GINIplus and LISAplus (n=3063). Residential air pollution was modelled by land use regression models within the ESCAPE and universal kriging within the APMoSPHERE projects. Road traffic was defined as traffic load on major roads within a 100-m buffer around residences. Vegetation level ( ie , greenness) was defined as the mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in a 500-m buffer around residences and was assessed from Landsat 5 TM satellite images. All the exposure variables were averaged over three residential addresses during the last 10 years and categorized into tertiles or dichotomized. The individual associations between each of the exposure variables and hypertension were assessed using logistic regression analysis. No significant and consistent associations across different levels of adjustment were observed between the exposures of interest and hypertension. The only significant estimate was found with coarse particulate matter concentrations (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.74; 3 rd vs 1 st tertile) among mothers residing in the Wesel area. No significant associations were observed with traffic load or greenness. This study does not provide evidence on detrimental effects of air pollution and road traffic or beneficial effects of greenness on hypertension among German adults.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Saha, Ratan K.; Fadhel, Muhannad N.; Lawrence, Aamna; Karmakar, Subhajit; Adhikari, Arunabha; Kolios, Michael C.
2017-03-01
Photoacoustic (PA) field calculations using a Green's function approach is presented. The method has been applied to predict PA spectra generated by normal (discocyte) and pathological (stomatocyte) red blood cells (RBCs). The contours of normal and pathological RBCs were generated by employing a popular parametric model and accordingly, fitted with the Legendre polynomial expansions for surface parametrization. The first frequency minimum of theoretical PA spectrum approximately appears at 607 MHz for a discocyte and 410 MHz for a stomatocyte when computed from the direction of symmetry axis. The same feature occurs nearly at 247 and 331 MHz, respectively, for those particles when measured along the perpendicular direction. The average experimental spectrum for normal RBCs is found to be flat over a bandwidth of 150-500 MHz when measured along the direction of symmetry axis. For spherical RBCs, both the theoretical and experimental spectra demonstrate negative slope over a bandwidth of 250-500 MHz. Using the Green's function method discussed, it may be possible to rapidly characterize cellular morphology from single-particle PA spectra.
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Climate warming shifts carbon allocation from stemwood to roots in calcium-depleted spruce forests
Andrei G. Lapenis; Gregory B. Lawrence; Alexander Heim; Chengyang Zheng; Walter Shortle
2013-01-01
Increased greening of northern forests, measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), has been presented as evidence that a warmer climate has increased both net primary productivity (NPP) and the carbon sink in boreal forests. However, higher production and greener canopies may accompany changes in carbon allocation that favor foliage or fine roots...
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Qingli; Liu, Hongying; Wang, Yiting; Sun, Zhen; Guo, Fangmin; Zhu, Jianzhong
2014-12-01
Histological observation of dual-stained colon sections is usually performed by visual observation under a light microscope, or by viewing on a computer screen with the assistance of image processing software in both research and clinical settings. These traditional methods are usually not sufficient to reliably differentiate spatially overlapping chromogens generated by different dyes. Hyperspectral microscopic imaging technology offers a solution for these constraints as the hyperspectral microscopic images contain information that allows differentiation between spatially co-located chromogens with similar but different spectra. In this paper, a hyperspectral microscopic imaging (HMI) system is used to identify methyl green and nitrotetrazolium blue chloride in dual-stained colon sections. Hyperspectral microscopic images are captured and the normalized score algorithm is proposed to identify the stains and generate the co-expression results. Experimental results show that the proposed normalized score algorithm can generate more accurate co-localization results than the spectral angle mapper algorithm. The hyperspectral microscopic imaging technology can enhance the visualization of dual-stained colon sections, improve the contrast and legibility of each stain using their spectral signatures, which is helpful for pathologist performing histological analyses.
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Surface Characteristics of Green Island Wakes from Satellite Imagery
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cheng, Kai-Ho; Hsu, Po-Chun; Ho, Chung-Ru
2017-04-01
Characteristics of an island wake induced by the Kuroshio Current flows pass by Green Island, a small island 40 km off southeast of Taiwan is investigated by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery. The MODIS sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) imagery is produced at 250-meter resolution from 2014 to 2015 using the SeaDAS software package which is developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The wake occurrence is 59% observed from SST images during the data span. The average cooling area is 190 km2, but the area is significantly changed with wind directions. The wake area is increased during southerly winds and is reduced during northerly winds. Besides, the average cooling SST was about 2.1 oC between the front and rear island. Comparing the temperature difference between the wake and its left side, the difference is 1.96 oC. In addition, the wakes have 1 3 times higher than normal in chlorophyll concentration. The results indicate the island mass effect makes the surface water of Green island wake colder and chl-a higher.
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GALAXY EVOLUTION IN THE MID-INFRARED GREEN VALLEY: A CASE OF THE A2199 SUPERCLUSTER
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lee, Gwang-Ho; Lee, Myung Gyoon; Sohn, Jubee
2015-02-20
We study the mid-infrared (MIR) properties of the galaxies in the A2199 supercluster at z = 0.03 to understand the star formation activity of galaxy groups and clusters in the supercluster environment. Using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer data, we find no dependence of mass-normalized integrated star formation rates of galaxy groups/clusters on their virial masses. We classify the supercluster galaxies into three classes in the MIR color-luminosity diagram: MIR blue cloud (massive, quiescent, and mostly early-type), MIR star-forming sequence (mostly late-type), and MIR green valley galaxies. These MIR green valley galaxies are distinguishable from the optical green valley galaxiesmore » in the sense that they belong to the optical red sequence. We find that the fraction of each MIR class does not depend on the virial mass of each group/cluster. We compare the cumulative distributions of surface galaxy number density and cluster/group-centric distance for the three MIR classes. MIR green valley galaxies show the distribution between MIR blue cloud and MIR star-forming (SF) sequence galaxies. However, if we fix galaxy morphology, early- and late-type MIR green valley galaxies show different distributions. Our results suggest a possible evolutionary scenario of these galaxies: (1) late-type MIR SF sequence galaxies → (2) late-type MIR green valley galaxies → (3) early-type MIR green valley galaxies → (4) early-type MIR blue cloud galaxies. In this sequence, the star formation of galaxies is quenched before the galaxies enter the MIR green valley, and then morphological transformation occurs in the MIR green valley.« less
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Junker, Laura Verena; Ensminger, Ingo
2016-06-01
The ability of plants to sequester carbon is highly variable over the course of the year and reflects seasonal variation in photosynthetic efficiency. This seasonal variation is most prominent during autumn, when leaves of deciduous tree species such as sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) undergo senescence, which is associated with downregulation of photosynthesis and a change of leaf color. The remote sensing of leaf color by spectral reflectance measurements and digital repeat images is increasingly used to improve models of growing season length and seasonal variation in carbon sequestration. Vegetation indices derived from spectral reflectance measurements and digital repeat images might not adequately reflect photosynthetic efficiency of red-senescing tree species during autumn due to the changes in foliar pigment content associated with autumn phenology. In this study, we aimed to assess how effectively several widely used vegetation indices capture autumn phenology and reflect the changes in physiology and photosynthetic pigments during autumn. Chlorophyll fluorescence and pigment content of green, yellow, orange and red leaves were measured to represent leaf senescence during autumn and used as a reference to validate and compare vegetation indices derived from leaf-level spectral reflectance measurements and color analysis of digital images. Vegetation indices varied in their suitability to track the decrease of photosynthetic efficiency and chlorophyll content despite increasing anthocyanin content. Commonly used spectral reflectance indices such as the normalized difference vegetation index and photochemical reflectance index showed major constraints arising from a limited representation of gradual decreases in chlorophyll content and an influence of high foliar anthocyanin levels. The excess green index and green-red vegetation index were more suitable to assess the process of senescence. Similarly, digital image analysis revealed that vegetation indices such as Hue and normalized difference index are superior compared with the often-used green chromatic coordinate. We conclude that indices based on red and green color information generally represent autumn phenology most efficiently. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Wu, Chih-Da; McNeely, Eileen; Cedeño-Laurent, J G; Pan, Wen-Chi; Adamkiewicz, Gary; Dominici, Francesca; Lung, Shih-Chun Candice; Su, Huey-Jen; Spengler, John D
2014-01-01
Various studies have reported the physical and mental health benefits from exposure to "green" neighborhoods, such as proximity to neighborhoods with trees and vegetation. However, no studies have explicitly assessed the association between exposure to "green" surroundings and cognitive function in terms of student academic performance. This study investigated the association between the "greenness" of the area surrounding a Massachusetts public elementary school and the academic achievement of the school's student body based on standardized tests with an ecological setting. Researchers used the composite school-based performance scores generated by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) to measure the percentage of 3rd-grade students (the first year of standardized testing for 8-9 years-old children in public school), who scored "Above Proficient" (AP) in English and Mathematics tests (Note: Individual student scores are not publically available). The MCAS results are comparable year to year thanks to an equating process. Researchers included test results from 2006 through 2012 in 905 public schools and adjusted for differences between schools in the final analysis according to race, gender, English as a second language (proxy for ethnicity and language facility), parent income, student-teacher ratio, and school attendance. Surrounding greenness of each school was measured using satellite images converted into the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in March, July and October of each year according to a 250-meter, 500-meter, 1,000-meter, and 2000-meter circular buffer around each school. Spatial Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) estimated the impacts of surrounding greenness on school-based performance. Overall the study results supported a relationship between the "greenness" of the school area and the school-wide academic performance. Interestingly, the results showed a consistently positive significant association between the greenness of the school in the Spring (when most Massachusetts students take the MCAS tests) and school-wide performance on both English and Math tests, even after adjustment for socio-economic factors and urban residency.
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Color preference in red-green dichromats.
Álvaro, Leticia; Moreira, Humberto; Lillo, Julio; Franklin, Anna
2015-07-28
Around 2% of males have red-green dichromacy, which is a genetic disorder of color vision where one type of cone photoreceptor is missing. Here we investigate the color preferences of dichromats. We aim (i) to establish whether the systematic and reliable color preferences of normal trichromatic observers (e.g., preference maximum at blue, minimum at yellow-green) are affected by dichromacy and (ii) to test theories of color preference with a dichromatic sample. Dichromat and normal trichromat observers named and rated how much they liked saturated, light, dark, and focal colors twice. Trichromats had the expected pattern of preference. Dichromats had a reliable pattern of preference that was different to trichromats, with a preference maximum rather than minimum at yellow and a much weaker preference for blue than trichromats. Color preference was more affected in observers who lacked the cone type sensitive to long wavelengths (protanopes) than in those who lacked the cone type sensitive to medium wavelengths (deuteranopes). Trichromats' preferences were summarized effectively in terms of cone-contrast between color and background, and yellow-blue cone-contrast could account for dichromats' pattern of preference, with some evidence for residual red-green activity in deuteranopes' preference. Dichromats' color naming also could account for their color preferences, with colors named more accurately and quickly being more preferred. This relationship between color naming and preference also was present for trichromat males but not females. Overall, the findings provide novel evidence on how dichromats experience color, advance the understanding of why humans like some colors more than others, and have implications for general theories of aesthetics.
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Color preference in red–green dichromats
Álvaro, Leticia; Moreira, Humberto; Lillo, Julio; Franklin, Anna
2015-01-01
Around 2% of males have red–green dichromacy, which is a genetic disorder of color vision where one type of cone photoreceptor is missing. Here we investigate the color preferences of dichromats. We aim (i) to establish whether the systematic and reliable color preferences of normal trichromatic observers (e.g., preference maximum at blue, minimum at yellow-green) are affected by dichromacy and (ii) to test theories of color preference with a dichromatic sample. Dichromat and normal trichromat observers named and rated how much they liked saturated, light, dark, and focal colors twice. Trichromats had the expected pattern of preference. Dichromats had a reliable pattern of preference that was different to trichromats, with a preference maximum rather than minimum at yellow and a much weaker preference for blue than trichromats. Color preference was more affected in observers who lacked the cone type sensitive to long wavelengths (protanopes) than in those who lacked the cone type sensitive to medium wavelengths (deuteranopes). Trichromats’ preferences were summarized effectively in terms of cone-contrast between color and background, and yellow-blue cone-contrast could account for dichromats’ pattern of preference, with some evidence for residual red–green activity in deuteranopes’ preference. Dichromats’ color naming also could account for their color preferences, with colors named more accurately and quickly being more preferred. This relationship between color naming and preference also was present for trichromat males but not females. Overall, the findings provide novel evidence on how dichromats experience color, advance the understanding of why humans like some colors more than others, and have implications for general theories of aesthetics. PMID:26170287
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Caminos, Elena; Vaquero, Cecilia F; García-Olmo, Dolores C
2014-12-01
Characterization of retinal cells, cell transplants and gene therapies may be helped by pre-labeled retinal cells, such as those transfected with vectors for green fluorescent protein expression. The aim of this study was to analyze retinal cells and optic nerve components from transgenic green mice (GM) with the 'enhanced' green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene under the control of the CAG promoter (a chicken β-actin promoter and a cytomegalovirus enhancer). The structural analysis and electroretinography recordings showed a normal, healthy retina. Surprisingly, EGFP expression was not ubiquitously located in the retina and optic nerve. Epithelial cells, photoreceptors and bipolar cells presented high green fluorescence levels. In contrast, horizontal cells, specific amacrine cells and ganglion cells exhibited a null EGFP expression level. The synaptic terminals of rod bipolar cells displayed a high green fluorescence level when animals were kept in the dark. Immature retinas exhibited different EGFP expression patterns to those noted in adults. Axons and glial cells in the optic nerve revealed a specific regional EGFP expression pattern, which correlated with the presence of myelin. These results suggest that EGFP expression might be related to the activity of both the CAG promoter and β-actin in mature retinal neurons and oligodendrocytes. Moreover, EGFP expression might be regulated by light in both immature and adult animals. Since GM are used in numerous retina bioassays, it is essential to know the differential EGFP expression in order to select cells of interest for each study.
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Wiltschko, Roswitha; Dehe, Lars; Gehring, Dennis; Thalau, Peter; Wiltschko, Wolfgang
2013-01-01
When magnetic compass orientation of migratory robins was tested, the birds proved well oriented under low intensity monochromatic light of shorter wavelengths up to 565 nm green; from 583 nm yellow onward, they were disoriented. In the present study, we tested robins under bichromatic lights composed (1) of 424 nm blue and 565 nm green and (2) of 565 nm green and 583 nm yellow at two intensities. Under dim blue-green light with a total quantal flux of ca. 8 × 10(15)quanta/sm(2), the birds were well oriented in their migratory direction by their inclination compass; under blue-green light of twice this intensity, their orientation became axial. In both cases, the magnetic directional information was mediated by the radical pair processes in the eye. When green and yellow light were combined, however, the nature of the behavior changed. Under green-yellow light of the higher intensity, the birds showed a 'fixed direction' response that was polar, no longer controlled by the normal inclination compass; under dim green-yellow light, the response became axial. Under these two light conditions, the respective directional information was mediated by the magnetite-based receptors in the skin of the upper beak. Apparently, yellow light leads to a change from one magnetoreception system to the other. How this change is effected is still unknown; it appears to reflect complex interactions between the visual and the two magnetoreception systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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van Leeuwen, Willem J. D.
2008-01-01
This study examines how satellite based time-series vegetation greenness data and phenological measurements can be used to monitor and quantify vegetation recovery after wildfire disturbances and examine how pre-fire fuel reduction restoration treatments impact fire severity and impact vegetation recovery trajectories. Pairs of wildfire affected sites and a nearby unburned reference site were chosen to measure the post-disturbance recovery in relation to climate variation. All site pairs were chosen in forested uplands in Arizona and were restricted to the area of the Rodeo-Chediski fire that occurred in 2002. Fuel reduction treatments were performed in 1999 and 2001. The inter-annual and seasonal vegetation dynamics before, during, and after wildfire events can be monitored using a time series of biweekly composited MODIS NDVI (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) data. Time series analysis methods included difference metrics, smoothing filters, and fitting functions that were applied to extract seasonal and inter-annual change and phenological metrics from the NDVI time series data from 2000 to 2007. Pre- and post-fire Landsat data were used to compute the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and examine burn severity at the selected sites. The phenological metrics (pheno-metrics) included the timing and greenness (i.e. NDVI) for the start, peak and end of the growing season as well as proxy measures for the rate of green-up and senescence and the annual vegetation productivity. Pre-fire fuel reduction treatments resulted in lower fire severity, which reduced annual productivity much less than untreated areas within the Rodeo-Chediski fire perimeter. The seasonal metrics were shown to be useful for estimating the rate of post-fire disturbance recovery and the timing of phenological greenness phases. The use of satellite time series NDVI data and derived pheno-metrics show potential for tracking vegetation cover dynamics and successional changes in response to drought, wildfire disturbances, and forest restoration treatments in fire-suppressed forests. PMID:27879809
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Robust colour constancy in red-green dichromats
Linhares, João M. M.; Moreira, Humberto; Lillo, Julio; Nascimento, Sérgio M. C.
2017-01-01
Colour discrimination has been widely studied in red-green (R-G) dichromats but the extent to which their colour constancy is affected remains unclear. This work estimated the extent of colour constancy for four normal trichromatic observers and seven R-G dichromats when viewing natural scenes under simulated daylight illuminants. Hyperspectral imaging data from natural scenes were used to generate the stimuli on a calibrated CRT display. In experiment 1, observers viewed a reference scene illuminated by daylight with a correlated colour temperature (CCT) of 6700K; observers then viewed sequentially two versions of the same scene, one illuminated by either a higher or lower CCT (condition 1, pure CCT change with constant luminance) or a higher or lower average luminance (condition 2, pure luminance change with a constant CCT). The observers’ task was to identify the version of the scene that looked different from the reference scene. Thresholds for detecting a pure CCT change or a pure luminance change were estimated, and it was found that those for R-G dichromats were marginally higher than for normal trichromats regarding CCT. In experiment 2, observers viewed sequentially a reference scene and a comparison scene with a CCT change or a luminance change above threshold for each observer. The observers’ task was to identify whether or not the change was an intensity change. No significant differences were found between the responses of normal trichromats and dichromats. These data suggest robust colour constancy mechanisms along daylight locus in R-G dichromacy. PMID:28662218
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Robust colour constancy in red-green dichromats.
Álvaro, Leticia; Linhares, João M M; Moreira, Humberto; Lillo, Julio; Nascimento, Sérgio M C
2017-01-01
Colour discrimination has been widely studied in red-green (R-G) dichromats but the extent to which their colour constancy is affected remains unclear. This work estimated the extent of colour constancy for four normal trichromatic observers and seven R-G dichromats when viewing natural scenes under simulated daylight illuminants. Hyperspectral imaging data from natural scenes were used to generate the stimuli on a calibrated CRT display. In experiment 1, observers viewed a reference scene illuminated by daylight with a correlated colour temperature (CCT) of 6700K; observers then viewed sequentially two versions of the same scene, one illuminated by either a higher or lower CCT (condition 1, pure CCT change with constant luminance) or a higher or lower average luminance (condition 2, pure luminance change with a constant CCT). The observers' task was to identify the version of the scene that looked different from the reference scene. Thresholds for detecting a pure CCT change or a pure luminance change were estimated, and it was found that those for R-G dichromats were marginally higher than for normal trichromats regarding CCT. In experiment 2, observers viewed sequentially a reference scene and a comparison scene with a CCT change or a luminance change above threshold for each observer. The observers' task was to identify whether or not the change was an intensity change. No significant differences were found between the responses of normal trichromats and dichromats. These data suggest robust colour constancy mechanisms along daylight locus in R-G dichromacy.
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Li, Haidong; Jiang, Jiang; Chen, Bin; Li, Yingkui; Xu, Yuyue; Shen, Weishou
2016-03-01
The eastern Himalayas, especially the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon Nature Reserve (YNR), is a global hotspot of biodiversity because of a wide variety of climatic conditions and elevations ranging from 500 to > 7000 m above sea level (a.s.l.). The mountain ecosystems at different elevations are vulnerable to climate change; however, there has been little research into the patterns of vegetation greening and their response to global warming. The objective of this paper is to examine the pattern of vegetation greening in different altitudinal zones in the YNR and its relationship with vegetation types and climatic factors. Specifically, the inter-annual change of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and its variation along altitudinal gradient between 1999 and 2013 was investigated using SPOT-VGT NDVI data and ASTER global digital elevation model (GDEM) data. We found that annual NDVI increased by 17.58% in the YNR from 1999 to 2013, especially in regions dominated by broad-leaved and coniferous forests at lower elevations. The vegetation greening rate decreased significantly as elevation increased, with a threshold elevation of approximately 3000 m. Rising temperature played a dominant role in driving the increase in NDVI, while precipitation has no statistical relationship with changes in NDVI in this region. This study provides useful information to develop an integrated management and conservation plan for climate change adaptation and promote biodiversity conservation in the YNR.
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The fabrication of a multi-spectral lens array and its application in assisting color blindness
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Di, Si; Jin, Jian; Tang, Guanrong; Chen, Xianshuai; Du, Ruxu
2016-01-01
This article presents a compact multi-spectral lens array and describes its application in assisting color-blindness. The lens array consists of 9 microlens, and each microlens is coated with a different color filter. Thus, it can capture different light bands, including red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet, near-infrared, and the entire visible band. First, the fabrication process is described in detail. Second, an imaging system is setup and a color blindness testing card is selected as the sample. By the system, the vision results of normal people and color blindness can be captured simultaneously. Based on the imaging results, it is possible to be used for helping color-blindness to recover normal vision.
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Stay-green traits to improve wheat adaptation in well-watered and water-limited environments
Christopher, John.T.; Christopher, Mandy J.; Borrell, Andrew K.; Fletcher, Susan; Chenu, Karine
2016-01-01
A stay-green phenotype enables crops to retain green leaves longer after anthesis compared with senescent types, potentially improving yield. Measuring the normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) during the whole senescence period allows quantification of component stay-green traits contributing to a stay-green phenotype. These objective and standardized traits can be compared across genotypes and environments. Traits examined include maximum NDVI near anthesis (Nmax), senescence rate (SR), a trait integrating senescence (SGint), plus time from anthesis to onset (OnS), mid-point (MidS), and near completion (EndS) of senescence. The correlation between stay-green traits and yield was studied in eight contrasting environments ranging from well watered to severely water limited. Environments were each classified into one of the four major drought environment types (ETs) previously identified for the Australian wheat cropping system. SGint, OnS, and MidS tended to have higher values in higher yielding environments for a given genotype, as well as for higher yielding genotypes within a given environment. Correlation between specific stay-green traits and yield varied with ET. In the studied population, SGint, OnS, and MidS strongly correlated with yield in three of the four ETs which included well-watered environments (0.43–0.86), but less so in environments with only moderate water-stress after anthesis (−0.03 to 0.31). In contrast, Nmax was most highly correlated with yield under moderate post-anthesis water stress (0.31–0.43). Selection for particular stay-green traits, combinations of traits, and/or molecular markers associated with the traits could enhance genetic progress toward stay-green wheats with higher, more stable yield in both well-watered and water-limited conditions. PMID:27443279
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Pogorelko, Gennady V.; Kambakam, Sekhar; Nolan, Trevor; ...
2016-04-06
The immutans (im) variegation mutation of Arabidopsis has green- and white- sectored leaves due to action of a nuclear recessive gene. IM codes for PTOX, a plastoquinol oxidase in plastid membranes. Previous studies have revealed that the green and white sectors develop into sources (green tissues) and sinks (white tissues) early in leaf development. In this report we focus on white sectors, and show that their transformation into effective sinks involves a sharp reduction in plastid number and size. Despite these reductions, cells in the white sectors have near-normal amounts of plastid RNA and protein, and surprisingly, a marked amplificationmore » of chloroplast DNA. The maintenance of protein synthesis capacity in the white sectors might poise plastids for their development into other plastid types. The green and white im sectors have different cell wall compositions: whereas cell walls in the green sectors resemble those in wild type, cell walls in the white sectors have reduced lignin and cellulose microfibrils, as well as alterations in galactomannans and the decoration of xyloglucan. These changes promote susceptibility to the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Enhanced susceptibility can also be explained by repressed expression of some, but not all, defense genes. We suggest that differences in morphology, physiology and biochemistry between the green and white sectors is caused by a reprogramming of leaf development that is coordinated, in part, by mechanisms of retrograde (plastid-tonucleus) signaling, perhaps mediated by ROS. Lastly, we conclude that variegation mutants offer a novel system to study leaf developmental programming, cell wall metabolism and hostpathogen interactions.« less
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Pogorelko, Gennady V.; Kambakam, Sekhar; Nolan, Trevor
The immutans (im) variegation mutation of Arabidopsis has green- and white- sectored leaves due to action of a nuclear recessive gene. IM codes for PTOX, a plastoquinol oxidase in plastid membranes. Previous studies have revealed that the green and white sectors develop into sources (green tissues) and sinks (white tissues) early in leaf development. In this report we focus on white sectors, and show that their transformation into effective sinks involves a sharp reduction in plastid number and size. Despite these reductions, cells in the white sectors have near-normal amounts of plastid RNA and protein, and surprisingly, a marked amplificationmore » of chloroplast DNA. The maintenance of protein synthesis capacity in the white sectors might poise plastids for their development into other plastid types. The green and white im sectors have different cell wall compositions: whereas cell walls in the green sectors resemble those in wild type, cell walls in the white sectors have reduced lignin and cellulose microfibrils, as well as alterations in galactomannans and the decoration of xyloglucan. These changes promote susceptibility to the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Enhanced susceptibility can also be explained by repressed expression of some, but not all, defense genes. We suggest that differences in morphology, physiology and biochemistry between the green and white sectors is caused by a reprogramming of leaf development that is coordinated, in part, by mechanisms of retrograde (plastid-tonucleus) signaling, perhaps mediated by ROS. Lastly, we conclude that variegation mutants offer a novel system to study leaf developmental programming, cell wall metabolism and hostpathogen interactions.« less
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Green and Blue Spaces and Behavioral Development in Barcelona Schoolchildren: The BREATHE Project
Amoly, Elmira; Forns, Joan; López-Vicente, Mónica; Basagaña, Xavier; Julvez, Jordi; Alvarez-Pedrerol, Mar; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.; Sunyer, Jordi
2014-01-01
Background: Green spaces have been associated with improved mental health in children; however, available epidemiological evidence on their impact on child behavioral development is scarce. Objectives: We investigated the impact of contact with green spaces and blue spaces (beaches) on indicators of behavioral development and symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in schoolchildren. Methods: This study was based on a sample of 2,111 schoolchildren (7–10 years of age) from 36 schools in Barcelona in 2012. We obtained data on time spent in green spaces and beaches and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) from parents, and ADHD/DSM-IV questionnaires from teachers. Surrounding greenness was abstracted as the average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in buffers of 100 m, 250 m, and 500 m around each home address. Proximity to green spaces was defined as living within 300 m of a major green space (≥ 0.05 km2). We applied quasi-Poisson mixed-effects models (with school random effect) to separately estimate associations between indicators of contact with green spaces and SDQ and ADHD total and subscale scores. Results: We generally estimated beneficial associations between behavioral indicators and longer time spent in green spaces and beaches, and with residential surrounding greenness. Specifically, we found statistically significant inverse associations between green space playing time and SDQ total difficulties, emotional symptoms, and peer relationship problems; between residential surrounding greenness and SDQ total difficulties and hyperactivity/inattention and ADHD/DSM-IV total and inattention scores; and between annual beach attendance and SDQ total difficulties, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior. For proximity to major green spaces, the results were not conclusive. Conclusion: Our findings support beneficial impacts of contact with green and blue spaces on behavioral development in schoolchildren. Citation: Amoly E, Dadvand P, Forns J, López-Vicente M, Basagaña X, Julvez J, Alvarez-Pedrerol M, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Sunyer J. 2014. Green and blue spaces and behavioral development in Barcelona schoolchildren: the BREATHE Project. Environ Health Perspect 122:1351–1358; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408215 PMID:25204008
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Large herbivores surf waves of green-up during spring
Monteith, Kevin L.; Aikens, Ellen O.; Hayes, Matthew M.; Hersey, Kent R.; Middleton, Arthur D.; Oates, Brendan A.; Sawyer, Hall; Scurlock, Brandon M.; Kauffman, Matthew J.
2016-01-01
The green wave hypothesis (GWH) states that migrating animals should track or ‘surf’ high-quality forage at the leading edge of spring green-up. To index such high-quality forage, recent work proposed the instantaneous rate of green-up (IRG), i.e. rate of change in the normalized difference vegetation index over time. Despite this important advancement, no study has tested the assumption that herbivores select habitat patches at peak IRG. We evaluated this assumption using step selection functions parametrized with movement data during the green-up period from two populations each of bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, moose and bison, totalling 463 individuals monitored 1–3 years from 2004 to 2014. Accounting for variables that typically influence habitat selection for each species, we found seven of 10 populations selected patches exhibiting high IRG—supporting the GWH. Nonetheless, large herbivores selected for the leading edge, trailing edge and crest of the IRG wave, indicating that other mechanisms (e.g. ruminant physiology) or measurement error inherent with satellite data affect selection for IRG. Our evaluation indicates that IRG is a useful tool for linking herbivore movement with plant phenology, paving the way for significant advancements in understanding how animals track resource quality that varies both spatially and temporally. PMID:27335416
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kim, Hyeon-Hye; Wheeler, Raymond M.; Sager, John C.; Yorio, Neil C.; Goins, Gregory D.
2005-01-01
The provision of sufficient light is a fundamental requirement to support long-term plant growth in space. Several types of electric lamps have been tested to provide radiant energy for plants in this regard, including fluorescent, high-pressure sodium, and metal halide lamps. These lamps vary in terms of spectral quality, which can result in differences in plant growth and morphology. Current lighting research for space-based plant culture is focused on innovative lighting technologies that demonstrate high electrical efficiency and reduced mass and volume. Among the lighting technologies considered for space are light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The combination of red and blue LEDs has proven to be an effective lighting source for several crops, yet the appearance of plants under red and blue lighting is purplish gray, making visual assessment of plant health difficult. Additional green light would make the plant leaves appear green and normal, similar to a natural setting under white light, and may also offer psychological benefits for the crew. The addition of 24% green light (500-600 nm) to red and blue LEDs enhanced the growth of lettuce plants compared with plants grown under cool white fluorescent lamps. Coincidentally, these plants grown under additional green light would have the additional aesthetic appeal of a green appearance.
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Impact of residential greenness on preschool children's emotional and behavioral problems.
Balseviciene, Birute; Sinkariova, Liuda; Grazuleviciene, Regina; Andrusaityte, Sandra; Uzdanaviciute, Inga; Dedele, Audrius; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J
2014-06-27
This study investigated the effects of the proximity to city parks and the influence of residential greenness on children's emotional and behavioral problems. This cross-sectional study included 1,468 mothers of children (ages 4 to 6) who were residents of the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. The mothers and their children were enrolled in the FP7 PHENOTYPE project study. The mothers reported on their parenting stress and their children's mental health. Residential greenness was characterized as an average of the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in a 300 m buffer around each home address, and the proximity to city parks was defined as the distance from the subject's residence to the nearest park. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association among the residence distances from city parks, greenness and children's mental health problems. Farther residential distance from city parks was associated with worse mental health (except for the emotional problems subscale) in children whose mothers had a lower education level. More residential greenness was associated with worse mental health (more conditional problems and less prosocial behavior) in children whose mothers had a higher education level. These relationships have important implications for the prevention of emotional and behavioral problems in children.
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Large herbivores surf waves of green-up during spring
Merkle, Jerod A.; Monteith, Kevin L.; Aikens, Ellen O.; Hayes, Matthew M.; Hersey, Kent R.; Middleton, Arthur D.; Oates, Brendan A.; Sawyer, Hall; Scurlock, Brandon M.; Kauffman, Matthew J.
2016-01-01
The green wave hypothesis (GWH) states that migrating animals should track or ‘surf’ high-quality forage at the leading edge of spring green-up. To index such high-quality forage, recent work proposed the instantaneous rate of green-up (IRG), i.e. rate of change in the normalized difference vegetation index over time. Despite this important advancement, no study has tested the assumption that herbivores select habitat patches at peak IRG. We evaluated this assumption using step selection functions parametrized with movement data during the green-up period from two populations each of bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, moose and bison, totalling 463 individuals monitored 1–3 years from 2004 to 2014. Accounting for variables that typically influence habitat selection for each species, we found seven of 10 populations selected patches exhibiting high IRG—supporting the GWH. Nonetheless, large herbivores selected for the leading edge, trailing edge and crest of the IRG wave, indicating that other mechanisms (e.g. ruminant physiology) or measurement error inherent with satellite data affect selection for IRG. Our evaluation indicates that IRG is a useful tool for linking herbivore movement with plant phenology, paving the way for significant advancements in understanding how animals track resource quality that varies both spatially and temporally.
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Large herbivores surf waves of green-up during spring.
Merkle, Jerod A; Monteith, Kevin L; Aikens, Ellen O; Hayes, Matthew M; Hersey, Kent R; Middleton, Arthur D; Oates, Brendan A; Sawyer, Hall; Scurlock, Brandon M; Kauffman, Matthew J
2016-06-29
The green wave hypothesis (GWH) states that migrating animals should track or 'surf' high-quality forage at the leading edge of spring green-up. To index such high-quality forage, recent work proposed the instantaneous rate of green-up (IRG), i.e. rate of change in the normalized difference vegetation index over time. Despite this important advancement, no study has tested the assumption that herbivores select habitat patches at peak IRG. We evaluated this assumption using step selection functions parametrized with movement data during the green-up period from two populations each of bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, moose and bison, totalling 463 individuals monitored 1-3 years from 2004 to 2014. Accounting for variables that typically influence habitat selection for each species, we found seven of 10 populations selected patches exhibiting high IRG-supporting the GWH. Nonetheless, large herbivores selected for the leading edge, trailing edge and crest of the IRG wave, indicating that other mechanisms (e.g. ruminant physiology) or measurement error inherent with satellite data affect selection for IRG. Our evaluation indicates that IRG is a useful tool for linking herbivore movement with plant phenology, paving the way for significant advancements in understanding how animals track resource quality that varies both spatially and temporally. © 2016 The Author(s).
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... and dark green vegetables Required for metabolism of nitrogen, the activation of certain enzymes, and normal cell ... normal nerve and muscle function Involved in electrolyte balance 3.5 grams — Selenium Meats, seafood, nuts, and ...
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Optimization of self-study room open problem based on green and low-carbon campus construction
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Baoyou
2017-04-01
The optimization of self-study room open arrangement problem in colleges and universities is conducive to accelerate the fine management of the campus and promote green and low-carbon campus construction. Firstly, combined with the actual survey data, the self-study area and living area were divided into different blocks, and the electricity consumption in each self-study room and distance between different living and studying areas were normalized. Secondly, the minimum of total satisfaction index and the minimum of the total electricity consumption were selected as the optimization targets respectively. The mathematical models of linear programming were established and resolved by LINGO software. The results showed that the minimum of total satisfaction index was 4055.533 and the total minimum electricity consumption was 137216 W. Finally, some advice had been put forward on how to realize the high efficient administration of the study room.
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Alken, R G; Belz, G G
1984-01-01
We tested the hypothesis that differences exist in the pharmacodynamic pattern of different cardiac glycosides. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled study in normal volunteers and evaluated the effects of weekly increased oral dosing of digoxin (n = 10; from 0.25 to 1.0 mg/day), meproscillarin (n = 10; from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/day), and placebo (n = 5). To determine the glycoside effects, corrected electromechanical systole (QS2c) was used to measure inotropy and the PQ interval to test dromotropy. Red-green discrimination and critical flicker fusion (CFF) assessed visual functions. Subjective complaints were collected using rating lists. Both glycosides dose dependently shortened QS2c and prolonged PQ interval. PQ prolongations over +20 ms occurred in seven of 10 digoxin subjects, in two of 10 meproscillarin, and in one of five placebo. Equi-inotropic response, identified at 12 ms mean QS2c shortening, revealed the relative potency of digoxin to be 2.4 times higher than meproscillarin; this ratio increased to sevenfold for equi-effective negative dromotropic effects at 12 ms mean PQ prolongation. Each drug was associated with a dominant subjective complaint: digoxin with anergy and meproscillarin with diarrhea. Red-green discrimination was better under meproscillarin and CFF was depressed by digoxin. The results indicate that pharmacodynamic differences exist between cardiac glycosides. A differential use of various glycosides should be considered and tested clinically.
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Use of the rice husk as an alternative substrate for growing media on green walls drip irrigation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Andrey Rivas-Sánchez, Yair; Fátima Moreno-Pérez, María; Roldán Cañas, José
2017-04-01
In the last years, we have been looking for alternatives to traditional growing mediums for green walls. Commercially available systems for green walls are commonly made with Sphagnum, rock wool or polymers that are unsustainable materials. In the design of the green wall, local components such as agricultural by-products should be considered more often. The objective of this research is to use alternative materials available in Andalusia that are suitable for use as a growing medium in green walls, using organic residues generated by agriculture as in this case the rice husk, compared to conventional and used materials as a growing media in green walls such as coconut fiber and rock wool. The physical-chemical characteristics of the water were analyzed through the collection of excess irrigation water, after passing through the prototypes of green walls, installed in the Rabanales Campus of the University of Córdoba between April and July 2016 and thus observe the feasibility of using rice husk as an alternative material. The 16 mm diameter irrigation pipes are at the top and middle of each module, with 12 adjustable drippers of 4 l / h for each module, 72 drippers in the whole experimental green wall prototype installed at every 15 centimeters of tube. Two different species of plant material (Lampranthus spectabilis) and (Lavandula stoechas), were selected, taking into account the solar exposition of the place of establishment of the prototype of the green wall and the easy acquisition of these plants in the region. Water samples were collected every day twice a day for 10 weeks of the experiment, taking a sample of the surplus runoff water from six green wall prototypes.PH 40 - pH - conductivity - TDS - temperature, CRISON. Differences in pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity and total solids of the treatments were examined by ANOVA with the test of normality and homogeneity of variances. It was observed that the substrates used in the prototypes of the experiment with rock wool and coconut fiber had a significant influence on the water characteristics, while the effect of the rice husk substrate was minimal. These results confirm that the rice husk is a valid substitute for the conventional substrates used in green walls. The use of rice husk as a growing medium material can replace less sustainable substrates such as Sphagnum moss and other polymers.
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Influence of vegetation dynamic modeling on the allocation of green and blue waters
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ruiz-Pérez, Guiomar; Francés, Félix
2015-04-01
The long history of the Mediterranean region is dominated by the interactions and co-evolution between man and its natural environment. It is important to consider that the Mediterranean region is recurrently or permanently confronted with the scarcity of the water. The issue of climate change is (and will be) aggravating this situation. This raises the question of a loss of services that ecosystems provide to human and also the amount of available water to be used by vegetation. The question of the water cycle, therefore, should be considered in an integrated manner by taking into account both blue water (water in liquid form used for the human needs or which flows into the oceans) and green water (water having the vapor for resulting from evaporation and transpiration processes). In spite of this, traditionally, very few hydrological models have incorporated the vegetation dynamic as a state variable. In fact, most of them are able to represent fairly well the observed discharge, but usually including the vegetation as a static parameter. However, in the last decade, the number of hydrological models which explicitly take into account the vegetation development as a state variable has increased substantially. In this work, we want to analyze if it is really necessary to use a dynamic vegetation model to quantify adequately the distribution of water into blue and green water. The study site is located in the Public Forest Monte de la Hunde y Palomeras (Spain). The vegetation in the study area is dominated by Aleppo pine of high tree density with scant presence of other species. Two different daily models were applied (with static and dynamic vegetation representation respectively) in three different scenarios: dry year (2005), normal year (2008) and wet year (2010). The static vegetation model simulates the evapotranspiration considering the vegetation as a stationary parameter. Contrarily, the dynamic vegetation model connects the hydrological model with a parsimonious dynamic vegetation sub-model which assumes the vegetation biomass as a state variable. Using both models, we estimated the amount of 'blue' water and the amount of 'green' water (according to the previous definitions) in each scenario. Comparing the results, we observed that the static model underestimated the amount of green water in any case (dry, normal or wet year). In fact, the value of the ratio between blue and green water is higher in all scenarios for the static option (0.23 in the dry year, 0.42 in the normal year and 0.96 in the wet year) than the obtained ones for the dynamic model (0.098, 0.29 and 0.76, respectively). It means that we are overestimating the amount of water available for human needs if we assume vegetation as static. This type of error can be very dangerous for water resources predictions with future climates, especially in Mediterranean areas due to their water scarcity.
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Matsumura, Kenta; Rolfe, Peter; Lee, Jihyoung; Yamakoshi, Takehiro
2014-01-01
Recent progress in information and communication technologies has made it possible to measure heart rate (HR) and normalized pulse volume (NPV), which are important physiological indices, using only a smartphone. This has been achieved with reflection mode photoplethysmography (PPG), by using a smartphone’s embedded flash as a light source and the camera as a light sensor. Despite its widespread use, the method of PPG is susceptible to motion artifacts as physical displacements influence photon propagation phenomena and, thereby, the effective optical path length. Further, it is known that the wavelength of light used for PPG influences the photon penetration depth and we therefore hypothesized that influences of motion artifact could be wavelength-dependant. To test this hypothesis, we made measurements in 12 healthy volunteers of HR and NPV derived from reflection mode plethysmograms recorded simultaneously at three different spectral regions (red, green and blue) at the same physical location with a smartphone. We then assessed the accuracy of the HR and NPV measurements under the influence of motion artifacts. The analyses revealed that the accuracy of HR was acceptably high with all three wavelengths (all rs > 0.996, fixed biases: −0.12 to 0.10 beats per minute, proportional biases: r = −0.29 to 0.03), but that of NPV was the best with green light (r = 0.791, fixed biases: −0.01 arbitrary units, proportional bias: r = 0.11). Moreover, the signal-to-noise ratio obtained with green and blue light PPG was higher than that of red light PPG. These findings suggest that green is the most suitable color for measuring HR and NPV from the reflection mode photoplethysmogram under motion artifact conditions. We conclude that the use of green light PPG could be of particular benefit in ambulatory monitoring where motion artifacts are a significant issue. PMID:24618594
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Yoshioka, S.; Fujita, H.; Kinoshita, S.; Matsuhana, B.
2014-01-01
It is known that the wing scales of the emerald-patched cattleheart butterfly, Parides sesostris, contain gyroid-type photonic crystals, which produce a green structural colour. However, the photonic crystal is not a single crystal that spreads over the entire scale, but it is separated into many small domains with different crystal orientations. As a photonic crystal generally has band gaps at different frequencies depending on the direction of light propagation, it seems mysterious that the scale is observed to be uniformly green under an optical microscope despite the multi-domain structure. In this study, we have carefully investigated the structure of the wing scale and discovered that the crystal orientations of different domains are not perfectly random, but there is a preferred crystal orientation that is aligned along the surface normal of the scale. This finding suggests that there is an additional factor during the developmental process of the microstructure that regulates the crystal orientation. PMID:24352678
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Dutta, Rishiraj
2013-08-15
This study tries to quantify the effects of green leaf tea parameters that influence tea quality in Northeast India. The study is to identify the different parameters that have a significant influence on tea quality through the use of remote sensing. It investigates the methods for estimating tea quality based on remotely sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data. Attention focused on high yielding TV clones (TV1, TV18, TV22, TV23, TV25 and TV26). NDVI was obtained from ASTER images. Statistical analysis shows that NDVI has a strong significant effect on the caffeine content followed by epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC) and to some extent in other chemical parameters. Relationships therefore exist between quality parameters and remote sensing in particular for the TV clones. This leads to the conclusion that NDVI has a large potential to be used for monitoring tea quality of individual cultivars in the future. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Peripheral visual response time and visual display layout
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Haines, R. F.
1974-01-01
Experiments were performed on a group of 42 subjects in a study of their peripheral visual response time to visual signals under positive acceleration, during prolonged bedrest, at passive 70 deg headup body lift, under exposures to high air temperatures and high luminance levels, and under normal stress-free laboratory conditions. Diagrams are plotted for mean response times to white, red, yellow, green, and blue stimuli under different conditions.
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Integrating Environmental Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Paterson, Jim
2009-01-01
Thinking green is normal for the current generation of high school students, who have always had recycling bins in their classrooms and green themes in their assemblies, their lessons, and their television shows. It follows that sophisticated, multidisciplinary programs are now operating in schools throughout the country to educate students about…
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Thermal Inactivation of Bacillus Anthracis using Laser Irradiation of Micro-Etched Platforms
2009-03-01
Application of Malachite Green Staining protocol for greater clarity of spore population; fluorescent staining techniques. Further assess toxicity or...to normal staining procedures. The primary stain in the endospore stain procedure, malachite green, is driven into the cells with heat. Malachite ...dimethyl-aniline is a toxic chemical primarily used as a dye. Since malachite green is water-soluble and does not adhere well to the cell, and since the
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Color associations among designers and non-designers for common warning and operation concepts.
Ng, Annie W Y; Chan, Alan H S
2018-07-01
This study examined color-concept associations among designers and non-designers with commonly used warning and operation concepts. This study required 199 designers and 175 non-designers to indicate their choice among nine colors to associate with each of the 38 concepts in a color-concept table. The results showed that the designers and non-designers had the same color associations and similar strengths of stereotypes for 17 concepts. The strongest color-concept stereotypes for both groups were red-danger, red-fire, and red-hot. However, the designers and non-designers had different color associations for the concepts of escape (green, red), increase (green, red), potential hazard (red, orange), fatal (black, red), and normal (white, green), while the strengths of the 16 remaining associations for both groups were not at equivalent levels. These findings provide ergonomists and design practitioners with a better understanding of population stereotypes for color coding, and consequently to effectively use colors in their user-centered designs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Protanomaly without darkened red is deuteranopia with rods.
Shevell, Steven K; Sun, Yang; Neitz, Maureen
2008-11-01
The Rayleigh match, a color match between a mixture of 545+670 nm lights and 589 nm light in modern instruments, is the definitive measurement for the diagnosis of inherited red-green color defects. All trichromats, whether normal or anomalous, have a limited range of 545+670 nm mixtures they perceive to match 589 nm: a typical color-normal match range is about 50-55% of 670 nm in the mixture (deutan mode), while deuteranomals have a range that includes mixtures with less 670 nm than normal and protanomals a range that includes mixtures with more 670 nm than normal. Further, the matching luminance of the 589 nm light for deuteranomals is the same as for normals but for protanomals is below normal. An example of an unexpected Rayleigh match, therefore, is a match range above normal (typical of protanomaly) and a normal luminance setting for 589 nm (typical of deuteranomaly), a match called protanomaly "when the red end of the spectrum is not darkened" [Pickford, R.W. (1950). Three pedigrees for color blindness. Nature, 165, 182.]. In this case, Rayleigh matching does not yield a clear diagnosis. Aside from Pickford, we are aware of only one other report of a similar observer [Pokorny, J., & Smith, V. C. (1981). A variant of red-green color defect. Vision Research, 21, 311-317]; this study predated modern genetic techniques that can reveal the cone photopigment(s) in the red-green range. We recently had the opportunity to conduct genetic and psychophysical tests on such an observer. Genetic results predict he is a deuteranope. His Rayleigh match is consistent with L cones and a contribution from rods. Further, with a rod-suppressing background, his Rayleigh match is characteristic of a single L-cone photopigment (deuteranopia).
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Li, Zongchao; Chen, Xueliang; Gao, Mengtan; Jiang, Han; Li, Tiefei
2017-03-01
Earthquake engineering parameters are very important in the engineering field, especially engineering anti-seismic design and earthquake disaster prevention. In this study, we focus on simulating earthquake engineering parameters by the empirical Green's function method. The simulated earthquake (MJMA6.5) occurred in Kyushu, Japan, 1997. Horizontal ground motion is separated as fault parallel and fault normal, in order to assess characteristics of two new direction components. Broadband frequency range of ground motion simulation is from 0.1 to 20 Hz. Through comparing observed parameters and synthetic parameters, we analyzed distribution characteristics of earthquake engineering parameters. From the comparison, the simulated waveform has high similarity with the observed waveform. We found the following. (1) Near-field PGA attenuates radically all around with strip radiation patterns in fault parallel while radiation patterns of fault normal is circular; PGV has a good similarity between observed record and synthetic record, but has different distribution characteristic in different components. (2) Rupture direction and terrain have a large influence on 90 % significant duration. (3) Arias Intensity is attenuating with increasing epicenter distance. Observed values have a high similarity with synthetic values. (4) Predominant period is very different in the part of Kyushu in fault normal. It is affected greatly by site conditions. (5) Most parameters have good reference values where the hypo-central is less than 35 km. (6) The GOF values of all these parameters are generally higher than 45 which means a good result according to Olsen's classification criterion. Not all parameters can fit well. Given these synthetic ground motion parameters, seismic hazard analysis can be performed and earthquake disaster analysis can be conducted in future urban planning.
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Seasonal decoupling between vegetation greenness and function over northern high latitude forests
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jeong, S. J.; Schimel, D.; Frankenberg, C.; Drewry, D.; Fisher, J. B.; Verma, M.; Berry, J. A.; Lee, J. E.; Joiner, J.; Guanter, L.
2014-12-01
It is still unclear how seasonal variations in vegetation greenness relate to vegetation function (i.e., photosynthesis). Currently, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is a widely used proxy for the period of terrestrial carbon uptake. However, new complementary measures are now available. In this study, we compare the seasonal cycle of NDVI with remote sensing of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and data-driven gross primary productivity (GPP) over the Northern Hemisphere high latitude forests (40°-55°N). Comparison of the seasonal cycle between these three datasets shows that the NDVI-based phenology has a longer estimated growing season than the growing season estimated using SIF/GPP. The differences are largely explained by a slower decrease in NDVI in the fall relative to SIF/GPP. In the transition seasons, NDVI is linearly related to temperature, while SIF/GPP show nonlinear relationships with respect to temperature. These results imply that autumn greening related to warming found in recent studies may not result in enhanced photosynthesis. Our method of combining remote sensing of NDVI and SIF can help improve our understanding of the large-scale vegetation structural and functional changes.
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Red-Green Color Vision Impairment in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Costa, Marcelo Fernandes ; Oliveira, Andre Gustavo Fernandes ; Feitosa-Santana, Claudia ; Zatz, Mayana ; Ventura, Dora Fix
2007-01-01
The present study evaluated the color vision of 44 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) (mean age 14.8 years; SD 4.9) who were submitted to a battery of four different color tests: Cambridge Colour Test (CCT), Neitz Anomaloscope, Ishihara, and American Optical Hardy-Rand-Rittler (AO H-R-R). Patients were divided into two groups according to the region of deletion in the dystrophin gene: upstream of exon 30 (n=12) and downstream of exon 30 (n=32). The control group was composed of 70 age-matched healthy male subjects with no ophthalmological complaints. Of the patients with DMD, 47% (21/44) had a red-green color vision defect in the CCT, confirmed by the Neitz Anomaloscope with statistical agreement (P<.001). The Ishihara and the AO H-R-R had a lower capacity to detect color defects—5% and 7%, respectively, with no statistical similarity between the results of these two tests nor between CCT and Anomaloscope results (P>.05). Of the patients with deletion downstream of exon 30, 66% had a red-green color defect. No color defect was found in the patients with deletion upstream of exon 30. A negative correlation between the color thresholds and age was found for the controls and patients with DMD, suggesting a nonprogressive color defect. The percentage (66%) of patients with a red-green defect was significantly higher than the expected <10% for the normal male population (P<.001). In contrast, patients with DMD with deletion upstream of exon 30 had normal color vision. This color defect might be partially explained by a retina impairment related to dystrophin isoform Dp260. PMID:17503325
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Ueyama, Hisao; Li, Yao-Hua; Fu, Gui-Lian; Lertrit, Patcharee; Atchaneeyasakul, La-ongsri; Oda, Sanae; Tanabe, Shoko; Nishida, Yasuhiro; Yamade, Shinichi; Ohkubo, Iwao
2003-01-01
We studied 247 Japanese males with congenital deutan color-vision deficiency and found that 37 subjects (15.0%) had a normal genotype of a single red gene followed by a green gene(s). Two of them had missense mutations in the green gene(s), but the other 35 subjects had no mutations in either the exons or their flanking introns. However, 32 of the 35 subjects, including all 8 subjects with pigment-color defect, a special category of deuteranomaly, had a nucleotide substitution, A−71C, in the promoter of a green gene at the second position in the red/green visual-pigment gene array. Although the −71C substitution was also present in color-normal Japanese males at a frequency of 24.3%, it was never at the second position but always found further downstream. The substitution was found in 19.4% of Chinese males and 7.7% of Thai males but rarely in Caucasians or African Americans. These results suggest that the A−71C substitution in the green gene at the second position is closely associated with deutan color-vision deficiency. In Japanese and presumably other Asian populations further downstream genes with −71C comprise a reservoir of the visual-pigment genes that cause deutan color-vision deficiency by unequal crossing over between the intergenic regions. PMID:12626747
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de Nazelle, Audrey; Triguero-Mas, Margarita; Schembari, Anna; Cirach, Marta; Amoly, Elmira; Figueras, Francesc; Basagaña, Xavier; Ostro, Bart; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark
2012-01-01
Background: Green spaces are reported to improve health status, including beneficial effects on pregnancy outcomes. Despite the suggestions of air pollution–related health benefits of green spaces, there is no available evidence on the impact of greenness on personal exposure to air pollution. Objectives: We investigated the association between surrounding greenness and personal exposure to air pollution among pregnant women and to explore the potential mechanisms, if any, behind this association. Methods: In total, 65 rounds of sampling were carried out for 54 pregnant women who resided in Barcelona during 2008–2009. Each round consisted of a 2-day measurement of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and a 1-week measurement of nitric oxides collected simultaneously at both the personal and microenvironmental levels. The study participants were also asked to fill out a time–microenvironment–activity diary during the sampling period. We used satellite retrievals to determine the surrounding greenness as the average of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in a buffer of 100 m around each maternal residential address. We estimated the impact of surrounding greenness on personal exposure levels, home-outdoor and home-indoor pollutant levels, and maternal time-activity. Results: Higher residential surrounding greenness was associated with lower personal, home-indoor, and home-outdoor PM2.5 levels, and more time spent at home-outdoor. Conclusions: We found lower levels of personal exposure to air pollution among pregnant women residing in greener areas. This finding may be partly explained by lower home-indoor pollutant levels and more time spent in less polluted home-outdoor environment by pregnant women in greener areas. PMID:22647671
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Hystad, Perry; Davies, Hugh W; Frank, Lawrence; Van Loon, Josh; Gehring, Ulrike; Tamburic, Lillian; Brauer, Michael
2014-10-01
Half the world's population lives in urban areas. It is therefore important to identify characteristics of the built environment that are beneficial to human health. Urban greenness has been associated with improvements in a diverse range of health conditions, including birth outcomes; however, few studies have attempted to distinguish potential effects of greenness from those of other spatially correlated exposures related to the built environment. We aimed to investigate associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes and evaluate the influence of spatially correlated built environment factors on these associations. We examined associations between residential greenness [measured using satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 100 m of study participants' homes] and birth outcomes in a cohort of 64,705 singleton births (from 1999-2002) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We also evaluated associations after adjusting for spatially correlated built environmental factors that may influence birth outcomes, including exposure to air pollution and noise, neighborhood walkability, and distance to the nearest park. An interquartile increase in greenness (0.1 in residential NDVI) was associated with higher term birth weight (20.6 g; 95% CI: 16.5, 24.7) and decreases in the likelihood of small for gestational age, very preterm (< 30 weeks), and moderately preterm (30-36 weeks) birth. Associations were robust to adjustment for air pollution and noise exposures, neighborhood walkability, and park proximity. Increased residential greenness was associated with beneficial birth outcomes in this population-based cohort. These associations did not change after adjusting for other spatially correlated built environment factors, suggesting that alternative pathways (e.g., psychosocial and psychological mechanisms) may underlie associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes.
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Dadvand, Payam; Pujol, Jesus; Macià, Dídac; Martínez-Vilavella, Gerard; Blanco-Hinojo, Laura; Mortamais, Marion; Alvarez-Pedrerol, Mar; Fenoll, Raquel; Esnaola, Mikel; Dalmau-Bueno, Albert; López-Vicente, Mónica; Basagaña, Xavier; Jerrett, Michael; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Sunyer, Jordi
2018-02-23
Proponents of the biophilia hypothesis believe that contact with nature, including green spaces, has a crucial role in brain development in children. Currently, however, we are not aware of evidence linking such exposure with potential effects on brain structure. We determined whether lifelong exposure to residential surrounding greenness is associated with regional differences in brain volume based on 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D MRI) among children attending primary school. We performed a series of analyses using data from a subcohort of 253 Barcelona schoolchildren from the Brain Development and Air Pollution Ultrafine Particles in School Children (BREATHE) project. We averaged satellite-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) across 100-m buffers around all residential addresses since birth to estimate each participant's lifelong exposure to residential surrounding greenness, and we used high-resolution 3D MRIs of brain anatomy to identify regional differences in voxel-wise brain volume associated with greenness exposure. In addition, we performed a supporting substudy to identify regional differences in brain volume associated with measures of working memory ( d' from computerized n -back tests) and inattentiveness (hit reaction time standard error from the Attentional Network Task instrument) that were repeated four times over one year. We also performed a second supporting substudy to determine whether peak voxel tissue volumes in brain regions associated with residential greenness predicted cognitive function test scores. Lifelong exposure to greenness was positively associated with gray matter volume in the left and right prefrontal cortex and in the left premotor cortex and with white matter volume in the right prefrontal region, in the left premotor region, and in both cerebellar hemispheres. Some of these regions partly overlapped with regions associated with cognitive test scores (prefrontal cortex and cerebellar and premotor white matter), and peak volumes in these regions predicted better working memory and reduced inattentiveness. Our findings from a study population of urban schoolchildren in Barcelona require confirmation, but they suggest that being raised in greener neighborhoods may have beneficial effects on brain development and cognitive function. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1876.
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Intracellular distribution of Photofrin in malignant and normal endothelial cell lines.
Saczko, J; Mazurkiewicz, M; Chwiłkowska, A; Kulbacka, J; Kramer, G; Ługowski, M; Snietura, M; Banaś, T
2007-01-01
Compared to current treatments including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, PDT offers the advantage of an effective and selective method of destroying diseased tissues without damaging surrounding healthy tissues. One of the aspects of antitumour effectiveness of PDT is related to the distribution of photosensitizing drugs. The localization of photosensitizers in cytoplasmic organelles during PDT plays a major role in the cell destruction; therefore, intracellular localization of Ph in malignant and normal cells was investigated. The cell lines used throughout the study were: human malignant A549, MCF-7, Me45 and normal endothelial cell line HUV-EC-C. After incubation with Ph cells were examined using fluorescence and confocal microscopy to visualize the photosensitizer accumulation. For cytoplasm and mitochondria identification, cells were stained with CellTracker Green and MitoTracker Green, respectively. Distribution of Ph was different in malignant and normal cells and dependent on the incubation time. The maximal concentration of Ph in two malignant cell lines (A549 and MCF-7) was observed after 4 hours of incubation, and the most intensive signal was observed around the nuclear envelope. Intracellular distribution of Ph in the Me45 cell line showed that the fluorescence emitted by Ph overlaid that from MitoTracker. This indicates preferential accumulation of the sensitizer in mitochondria. Our results based on the mitochondrial localization support the idea that PDT can contribute to elimination of malignant cells by inducing apoptosis, which is of physiological significance.
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Tan, Zhengxi; Liu, Shu-Guang; Jenkerson, Calli B.; Oeding, Jennifer; Wylie, Bruce K.; Rover, Jennifer R.; Young, Claudia J.
2012-01-01
Pronounced climate warming and increased wildfire disturbances are known to modify forest composition and control the evolution of the boreal ecosystem over the Yukon River Basin (YRB) in interior Alaska. In this study, we evaluate the post-fire green-up rate using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from 250 m 7 day eMODIS (an alternative and application-ready type of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data) acquired between 2000 and 2009. Our analyses indicate measureable effects on NDVI values from vegetation type, burn severity, post-fire time, and climatic variables. The NDVI observations from both fire scars and unburned areas across the Alaskan YRB showed a tendency of an earlier start to the growing season (GS); the annual variations in NDVI were significantly correlated to daytime land surface temperature (LST) fluctuations; and the rate of post-fire green-up depended mainly on burn severity and the time of post-fire succession. The higher average NDVI values for the study period in the fire scars than in the unburned areas between 1950 and 2000 suggest that wildfires enhance post-fire greenness due to an increase in post-fire evergreen and deciduous species components
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) synthesize the glycoalkaloids dehydrotomatine and a–tomatine, possibly as a defense against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and insects. We investigated six green and three red tomato extracts for their ability to induce cell death in human cancer and normal cells ...
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Integrating Environmental Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Paterson, Jim
2010-01-01
Thinking green is normal for the current generation of high school students, who have always had recycling bins in their classrooms and green themes in their assemblies, lessons, and in many of the television shows they watch. They have been well schooled in environmental messages. It follows that multidisciplinary programs now operate in schools…
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Determining density of maize canopy. 3: Temporal considerations
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Stoner, E. R.; Baumgardner, M. F.; Anuta, P. E.; Cipra, J. E.
1972-01-01
Multispectral scanner data were collected in two flights over ground cover plots at an altitude of 305 m. Eight ground reflectance panels in close proximity to the ground cover plots were used to normalize the scanner data obtained on different dates. Separate prediction equations were obtained for both flight dates for all eleven reflective wavelength bands of the multispectral scanner. Ratios of normalized scanner data were related to leaf area index over time. Normalized scanner data were used to plot relative reflectance versus wavelength for the ground cover plots. Spectral response curves were similar to those for bare soil and green vegetation as determined by laboratory measurements. The spectral response curves from the normalized scanner data indicated that reflectance in the 0.72 to 1.3 micron wavelength range increased as leaf area index increased. A decrease in reflectance was observed in the 0.65 micron chlorophyll absorption band as leaf area index increased.
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Green space and mortality following ischemic stroke.
Wilker, Elissa H; Wu, Chih-Da; McNeely, Eileen; Mostofsky, Elizabeth; Spengler, John; Wellenius, Gregory A; Mittleman, Murray A
2014-08-01
Residential proximity to green space has been associated with physical and mental health benefits, but whether green space is associated with post-stroke survival has not been studied. Patients ≥ 21 years of age admitted to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) between 1999 and 2008 with acute ischemic stroke were identified. Demographics, presenting symptoms, medical history and imaging results were abstracted from medical records at the time of hospitalization for stroke onset. Addresses were linked to average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, distance to roadways with more than 10,000 cars/day, and US census block group. Deaths were identified through June 2012 using the Social Security Death Index. There were 929 deaths among 1645 patients with complete data (median follow up: 5 years). In multivariable Cox models adjusted for indicators of medical history, demographic and socioeconomic factors, the hazard ratio for patients living in locations in the highest quartile of green space compared to the lowest quartile was 0.78 (95% Confidence Interval: 0.63-0.97) (p-trend = 0.009). This association remained statistically significant after adjustment for residential proximity to a high traffic road. Residential proximity to green space is associated with higher survival rates after ischemic stroke in multivariable adjusted models. Further work is necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for this association, and to better understand the exposure-response relationships and susceptibility factors that may contribute to higher mortality in low green space areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Use of digital webcam images to track spring green-up in a deciduous broadleaf forest.
Richardson, Andrew D; Jenkins, Julian P; Braswell, Bobby H; Hollinger, David Y; Ollinger, Scott V; Smith, Marie-Louise
2007-05-01
Understanding relationships between canopy structure and the seasonal dynamics of photosynthetic uptake of CO(2) by forest canopies requires improved knowledge of canopy phenology at eddy covariance flux tower sites. We investigated whether digital webcam images could be used to monitor the trajectory of spring green-up in a deciduous northern hardwood forest. A standard, commercially available webcam was mounted at the top of the eddy covariance tower at the Bartlett AmeriFlux site. Images were collected each day around midday. Red, green, and blue color channel brightness data for a 640 x 100-pixel region-of-interest were extracted from each image. We evaluated the green-up signal extracted from webcam images against changes in the fraction of incident photosynthetically active radiation that is absorbed by the canopy (f (APAR)), a broadband normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the light-saturated rate of canopy photosynthesis (A(max)), inferred from eddy flux measurements. The relative brightness of the green channel (green %) was relatively stable through the winter months. A steady rising trend in green % began around day 120 and continued through day 160, at which point a stable plateau was reached. The relative brightness of the blue channel (blue %) also responded to spring green-up, although there was more day-to-day variation in the signal because blue % was more sensitive to changes in the quality (spectral distribution) of incident radiation. Seasonal changes in blue % were most similar to those in f (APAR) and broadband NDVI, whereas changes in green % proceeded more slowly, and were drawn out over a longer period of time. Changes in A(max) lagged green-up by at least a week. We conclude that webcams offer an inexpensive means by which phenological changes in the canopy state can be quantified. A network of cameras could offer a novel opportunity to implement a regional or national phenology monitoring program.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Morino, L.
1980-01-01
Recent developments of the Green's function method and the computer program SOUSSA (Steady, Oscillatory, and Unsteady Subsonic and Supersonic Aerodynamics) are reviewed and summarized. Applying the Green's function method to the fully unsteady (transient) potential equation yields an integro-differential-delay equation. With spatial discretization by the finite-element method, this equation is approximated by a set of differential-delay equations in time. Time solution by Laplace transform yields a matrix relating the velocity potential to the normal wash. Premultiplying and postmultiplying by the matrices relating generalized forces to the potential and the normal wash to the generalized coordinates one obtains the matrix of the generalized aerodynamic forces. The frequency and mode-shape dependence of this matrix makes the program SOUSSA useful for multiple frequency and repeated mode-shape evaluations.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Miller, B. W.; Chong, G.; Steltzer, H.; Aikens, E.; Morisette, J. T.; Talbert, C.; Talbert, M.; Shory, R.; Krienert, J. M.; Gurganus, D.
2015-12-01
Climate change models for the northern Rocky Mountains predict warming and changes in water availability that may alter vegetation. Changes to vegetation may include timing of plant life-history events, or phenology, such as green-up, flowering, and senescence. These changes could make forage available earlier in the growing season, but shifts in phenology may also result in earlier senescence (die-off or dormancy) and reduced overall production. Greenness indices such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are regularly used to quantify greenness over large areas using remotely sensed reflectance data. The timing and scale of current satellite data, however, may be insufficient to capture fine-scale differences in phenology that are important indicators of habitat quality. The Wyoming Range Mule Deer herd is one of the largest in the west but it declined precipitously in the early 1990s and has not recovered. Accurate measurement of greenness over space and time would allow managers to better understand the role of plant phenology and productivity in mule deer population dynamics, for example. To connect spatial and temporal patterns of plant productivity with habitat quality, we compare greenness patterns (MODIS data) with migratory mule deer movement (GPS collars). Sagebrush systems provide winter habitat for mule deer. To understand sagebrush phenology as an indicator of productivity, we constructed NDVI time series and compared dates of phenological stages and magnitudes of greenness from three perspectives: at-surface/species-specific (mantis sensors: downward looking, <1m above vegetation); near surface/site-specific (PhenoCam: oblique, 2m); and satellite/landscape-scale (varied platforms). Greenness indices from these sensors contribute unique insights to understanding vegetation phenology, snow cover and reflectance. Understanding phenology and productivity at multiple scales can help guide resource management decisions related to habitat quality, and evaluate what remotely sensed phenology measurements mean on the ground. Monitoring changes in phenology and productivity over the long-term can provide insight into ecosystem responses to climate change.
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Beyond Correlation: Do Color Features Influence Attention in Rainforest?
Frey, Hans-Peter; Wirz, Kerstin; Willenbockel, Verena; Betz, Torsten; Schreiber, Cornell; Troscianko, Tomasz; König, Peter
2011-01-01
Recent research indicates a direct relationship between low-level color features and visual attention under natural conditions. However, the design of these studies allows only correlational observations and no inference about mechanisms. Here we go a step further to examine the nature of the influence of color features on overt attention in an environment in which trichromatic color vision is advantageous. We recorded eye-movements of color-normal and deuteranope human participants freely viewing original and modified rainforest images. Eliminating red–green color information dramatically alters fixation behavior in color-normal participants. Changes in feature correlations and variability over subjects and conditions provide evidence for a causal effect of red–green color-contrast. The effects of blue–yellow contrast are much smaller. However, globally rotating hue in color space in these images reveals a mechanism analyzing color-contrast invariant of a specific axis in color space. Surprisingly, in deuteranope participants we find significantly elevated red–green contrast at fixation points, comparable to color-normal participants. Temporal analysis indicates that this is due to compensatory mechanisms acting on a slower time scale. Taken together, our results suggest that under natural conditions red–green color information contributes to overt attention at a low-level (bottom-up). Nevertheless, the results of the image modifications and deuteranope participants indicate that evaluation of color information is done in a hue-invariant fashion. PMID:21519395
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Vegetation monitoring and classification using NOAA/AVHRR satellite data
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Greegor, D. H., Jr.; Norwine, J. R.
1983-01-01
A vegetation gradient model, based on a new surface hydrologic index and NOAA/AVHRR meteorological satellite data, has been analyzed along a 1300 km east-west transect across the state of Texas. The model was developed to test the potential usefulness of such low-resolution data for vegetation stratification and monitoring. Normalized Difference values (ratio of AVHRR bands 1 and 2, considered to be an index of greenness) were determined and evaluated against climatological and vegetation characteristics at 50 sample locations (regular intervals of 0.25 deg longitude) along the transect on five days in 1980. Statistical treatment of the data indicate that a multivariate model incorporating satellite-measured spectral greenness values and a surface hydrologic factor offer promise as a new technique for regional-scale vegetation stratification and monitoring.
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Violet and blue light-induced green fluorescence emissions from dental caries.
Shakibaie, F; Walsh, L J
2016-12-01
The objective of this laboratory study was to compare violet and visible blue LED light-elicited green fluorescence emissions from enamel and dentine in healthy or carious states. Microscopic digital photography was undertaken using violet and blue LED illumination (405 nm and 455 nm wavelengths) of tooth surfaces, which were photographed through a custom-made stack of green compensating filters which removed the excitation light and allowed green fluorescence emissions to pass. Green channel pixel data were analysed. Dry sound enamel and sound root surfaces showed strong green fluorescence when excited by violet or blue lights. Regions of cavitated dental caries gave lower green fluorescence, and this was similar whether the dentine in the lesions was the same colour as normal dentine or was darkly coloured. The presence of saliva on the surface did not significantly change the green fluorescence, while the presence of blood diluted in saliva depressed green fluorescence. Using violet or blue illumination in combination with green compensating filters could potentially aid in the assessment of areas of mineral loss. © 2016 Australian Dental Association.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kefauver, S. C.; Vergara-Diaz, O.; El-Haddad, G.; Das, B.; Suresh, L. M.; Cairns, J.; Araus, J. L.
2016-12-01
Maize is the top staple crop for low-income populations in Sub-Saharan Africa and is currently suffering from the appearance of new diseases, which, together with increased abiotic stresses from climate change, are challenging the very sustainability of African societies. Current constraints in field phenotyping remain a major bottleneck for future breeding advances, but RGB-based High-Throughput Phenotyping Platforms (HTPPs) have demonstrated promise for rapidly developing both disease-resistant and weather-resilient crops. RGB HTTPs have proven cost-effective in studies assessing the effect of abiotic stresses, but have yet to be fully exploited to phenotype disease resistance. RGB image quantification using different alternate color space transforms, including BreedPix indices, were produced as part of a FIJI plug-in (http://fiji.sc/Fiji; http://github.com/george-haddad/CIMMYT). For validation, Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) visual scale impact assessments from 1 to 5 were scored by the resident CIMMYT plant pathologist, with 1 being MLN resistant (healthy plants with no visual symptoms) and 5 being totally susceptible (entirely necrotic with no green tissue). Individual RGB vegetation indexes outperformed NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), with correlation values up to 0.72, compared to 0.56 for NDVI. Specifically, Hue, Green Area (GA), and the Normalized Green Red Difference Index (NGRDI) consistently outperformed NDVI in estimating MLN disease severity. In multivariate linear and various decision tree models, Necrosis Area (NA) and Chlorosis Area (CA), calculated similar to GA and GGA from Breedpix, also contributed significantly to estimating MLN impact scores. Results using UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems), proximal field photography of plants and plots and flatbed scanners of individual leaves have produced similar results, demonstrating the robustness of these cost-effective RGB indexes. Furthermore, the application of the indices using classification and regression trees and conditional inference trees allows for their immediate implementation within the same open-source plugin for providing real time tools to crop breeders.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rai, Brajesh; Prohofsky, Earl
2003-03-01
Dynamics of functionally active regions of biological macromolecules can be studied using a Green-function technique. This approach uses the fact that in most cases one has a good set of force constants for active sites, and rather poorly defined force field parameters for other regions of the macromolecule. The Green-function method is applied to study the iron vibrational modes of the heme active site in myoglobin. In this approach, the heme active site is viewed as a system interacting with surrounding globin, which acts as an excitation bath. The normal modes of heme and globin are separately calculated using the best available force fields for the two entities. The iron vibrational spectrum of myoglobin is then obtained using the solutions of the heme and globin, and by considering physically meaningful interactions between the two units. The refinement of the Green-function calculations to the experimental data from an x-ray synchrotron-based Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy provides important insights into the character of iron normal modes of myoglobin.
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Remote sensing of crop parameters with a polarized, frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kalshoven, James E., Jr.; Tierney, Michael R., Jr.; Daughtry, Craig S. T.; McMurtrey, James E., III
1995-05-01
Polarized laser remote-sensing measurements that correlate the yield, the normalized difference vegetation index, and the leaf area index with the depolarized backscattered radiation from corn plots grown with eight different nitrogen fertilization dosages are presented. A polarized Nd:YAG laser emitting at 1064 and 532 nm is used. Depolarization increased significantly with increasing fertilization at the infrared wavelength, and there was a decrease in the depolarization at the green wavelength. The depolarization spectral difference index, defined as the absolute difference in the depolarization at the two wavelengths, is introduced as a parameter that is an indicator of the condition of the internal leaf structure.
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Shi, Longqing; Vasseur, Liette; Huang, Huoshui; Zeng, Zhaohua; Hu, Guiping; Liu, Xin; You, Minsheng
2017-01-01
Insect behaviors are often influenced by light conditions including photoperiod, light intensity, and wavelength. Understanding pest insect responses to changing light conditions may help with developing alternative strategies for pest control. Little is known about the behavioral responses of leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) to light conditions. The behavior of the tea green leafhopper, Empoasca onukii Matsuda, was examined when exposed to different light photoperiods or wavelengths. Observations included the frequency of locomotion and cleaning activities, and the duration of time spent searching. The results suggested that under normal photoperiod both female and male adults were generally more active in darkness (i.e., at night) than in light. In continuous darkness (DD), the locomotion and cleaning events in Period 1 (7:00–19:00) were significantly increased, when compared to the leafhoppers under normal photoperiod (LD). Leafhoppers, especially females, changed their behavioral patterns to a two day cycle under DD. Under continuous illumination (continuous quartz lamp light, yellow light at night, and green light at night), the activities of locomotion, cleaning, and searching were significantly suppressed during the night (19:00–7:00) and locomotion activities of both females and males were significantly increased during the day (7:00–19:00), suggesting a shift in circadian rhythm. Our work suggests that changes in light conditions, including photoperiod and wavelength, can influence behavioral activities of leafhoppers, potentially affecting other life history traits such as reproduction and development, and may serve as a method for leafhopper behavioral control. PMID:28103237
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An extension of the Lighthill theory of jet noise to encompass refraction and shielding
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ribner, Herbert S.
1995-01-01
A formalism for jet noise prediction is derived that includes the refractive 'cone of silence' and other effects; outside the cone it approximates the simple Lighthill format. A key step is deferral of the simplifying assumption of uniform density in the dominant 'source' term. The result is conversion to a convected wave equation retaining the basic Lighthill source term. The main effect is to amend the Lighthill solution to allow for refraction by mean flow gradients, achieved via a frequency-dependent directional factor. A general formula for power spectral density emitted from unit volume is developed as the Lighthill-based value multiplied by a squared 'normalized' Green's function (the directional factor), referred to a stationary point source. The convective motion of the sources, with its powerful amplifying effect, also directional, is already accounted for in the Lighthill format: wave convection and source convection are decoupled. The normalized Green's function appears to be near unity outside the refraction dominated 'cone of silence', this validates our long term practice of using Lighthill-based approaches outside the cone, with extension inside via the Green's function. The function is obtained either experimentally (injected 'point' source) or numerically (computational aeroacoustics). Approximation by unity seems adequate except near the cone and except when there are shrouding jets: in that case the difference from unity quantifies the shielding effect. Further extension yields dipole and monopole source terms (cf. Morfey, Mani, and others) when the mean flow possesses density gradients (e.g., hot jets).
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Shi, Longqing; Vasseur, Liette; Huang, Huoshui; Zeng, Zhaohua; Hu, Guiping; Liu, Xin; You, Minsheng
2017-01-01
Insect behaviors are often influenced by light conditions including photoperiod, light intensity, and wavelength. Understanding pest insect responses to changing light conditions may help with developing alternative strategies for pest control. Little is known about the behavioral responses of leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) to light conditions. The behavior of the tea green leafhopper, Empoasca onukii Matsuda, was examined when exposed to different light photoperiods or wavelengths. Observations included the frequency of locomotion and cleaning activities, and the duration of time spent searching. The results suggested that under normal photoperiod both female and male adults were generally more active in darkness (i.e., at night) than in light. In continuous darkness (DD), the locomotion and cleaning events in Period 1 (7:00-19:00) were significantly increased, when compared to the leafhoppers under normal photoperiod (LD). Leafhoppers, especially females, changed their behavioral patterns to a two day cycle under DD. Under continuous illumination (continuous quartz lamp light, yellow light at night, and green light at night), the activities of locomotion, cleaning, and searching were significantly suppressed during the night (19:00-7:00) and locomotion activities of both females and males were significantly increased during the day (7:00-19:00), suggesting a shift in circadian rhythm. Our work suggests that changes in light conditions, including photoperiod and wavelength, can influence behavioral activities of leafhoppers, potentially affecting other life history traits such as reproduction and development, and may serve as a method for leafhopper behavioral control.
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Associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes across Texas.
Cusack, Leanne; Larkin, Andrew; Carozza, Sue; Hystad, Perry
2017-01-01
The amount of greenness around mothers' residences has been associated with positive birth outcomes; however, findings are inconclusive. Here we examine residential greenness and birth outcomes in a population-based birth cohort in Texas, a state with large regional variation in greenness levels, several distinct cities, and a diverse population. We used Vital Statistics data to create a birth cohort (n=3,026,603) in Texas from 2000 to 2009. Greenness exposure measures were estimated from full residential addresses across nine months of pregnancy, and each trimester specifically, using the mean of corresponding MODIS satellite 16-day normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) surfaces at a 250m resolution, which have not been previously used. Logistic and linear mixed models were used to determine associations with preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA) and term birth weight, controlling for individual and neighborhood factors. Unadjusted results demonstrated consistent protective effects of residential greenness on adverse birth outcomes for all of Texas and the four largest cities (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin). However, in fully adjusted models these effects almost completely disappeared. For example, mothers with the highest (>0.52) compared to the lowest (<0.37) NDVI quartiles had a 24.4g (95% CI: 22.7, 26.1) increase in term birth weight in unadjusted models, which was attenuated to 1.9g (95% CI: 0.1, 3.7) in fully adjusted models. Maternal and paternal race, ethnicity and education had the largest impact on reducing associations. Trimester-specific greenness exposures showed similar results to nine-month average exposures. Some evidence was seen for protective effects of greenness for Hispanics, mothers with low education and mothers living in low income neighborhoods. In this large population-based study, across multiple urban areas in Texas and diverse populations, we did not observe consistent associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Davies, Hugh W.; Frank, Lawrence; Van Loon, Josh; Gehring, Ulrike; Tamburic, Lillian; Brauer, Michael
2014-01-01
Background: Half the world’s population lives in urban areas. It is therefore important to identify characteristics of the built environment that are beneficial to human health. Urban greenness has been associated with improvements in a diverse range of health conditions, including birth outcomes; however, few studies have attempted to distinguish potential effects of greenness from those of other spatially correlated exposures related to the built environment. Objectives: We aimed to investigate associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes and evaluate the influence of spatially correlated built environment factors on these associations. Methods: We examined associations between residential greenness [measured using satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 100 m of study participants’ homes] and birth outcomes in a cohort of 64,705 singleton births (from 1999–2002) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We also evaluated associations after adjusting for spatially correlated built environmental factors that may influence birth outcomes, including exposure to air pollution and noise, neighborhood walkability, and distance to the nearest park. Results: An interquartile increase in greenness (0.1 in residential NDVI) was associated with higher term birth weight (20.6 g; 95% CI: 16.5, 24.7) and decreases in the likelihood of small for gestational age, very preterm (< 30 weeks), and moderately preterm (30–36 weeks) birth. Associations were robust to adjustment for air pollution and noise exposures, neighborhood walkability, and park proximity. Conclusions: Increased residential greenness was associated with beneficial birth outcomes in this population-based cohort. These associations did not change after adjusting for other spatially correlated built environment factors, suggesting that alternative pathways (e.g., psychosocial and psychological mechanisms) may underlie associations between residential greenness and birth outcomes. Citation: Hystad P, Davies HW, Frank L, Van Loon J, Gehring U, Tamburic L, Brauer M. 2014. Residential greenness and birth outcomes: evaluating the influence of spatially correlated built-environment factors. Environ Health Perspect 122:1095–1102; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1308049 PMID:25014041
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chui, T. F. M.; Yang, Y.
2017-12-01
Green infrastructures (GI) have been widely used to mitigate flood risk, improve surface water quality, and to restore predevelopment hydrologic regimes. Commonly-used GI include, bioretention system, porous pavement and green roof, etc. They are normally sized to fulfil different design criteria (e.g. providing certain storage depths, limiting peak surface flow rates) that are formulated for current climate conditions. While GI commonly have long lifespan, the sensitivity of their performance to climate change is however unclear. This study first proposes a method to formulate suitable design criteria to meet different management interests (e.g. different levels of first flush reduction and peak flow reduction). Then typical designs of GI are proposed. In addition, a high resolution stochastic design storm generator using copulas and random cascade model is developed, which is calibrated using recorded rainfall time series. Then, few climate change scenarios are generated by varying the duration and depth of design storms, and changing the parameters of the calibrated storm generator. Finally, the performance of GI with typical designs under the random synthesized design storms are then assessed using numerical modeling. The robustness of the designs is obtained by the comparing their performance in the future scenarios to the current one. This study overall examines the robustness of the current GI design criteria under uncertain future climate conditions, demonstrating whether current GI design criteria should be modified to account for climate change.
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Hughes, S.; Luetgert, J.H.; Christensen, N.I.
1993-01-01
The Grenvillian-Appalachian boundary is characterized by pervasive mylonitic deformation and retrograde alteration of a suite of imbricated allochthonous and parautochthonous gneisses that were thrust upon the Grenvillian continental margin during the lower Paleozoic. Seismic reflection profiling across this structural boundary zone reveals prominent dipping reflectors interpreted as overthrust basement slices (parautochthons) of the Green Mountain Anticlinorium. In contrast, a seismic refraction study of the Grenvillian-Appalachian boundary reveals a sub-horizontally layered seismic velocity model that is difficult to reconcile with the pronounced sub-vertical structures observed in the Green mountains. A suite of rock samples was collected from the Green Mountain Anticlinorium and measured at high pressures in the laboratory to determine the seismic properties of these allochthonous and parautochthonous gneisses. The laboratory-measured seismic velocities agree favorably with the modelled velocity structure across the Grenvillian-Appalachian boundary suggesting that the rock samples are reliable indicators of the rock mass as whole. Samples of the parautochthonous Grenvillian basement exposed in the Green Mountains have lower velocities, by about 0.5 km/s, than lithologically equivalent units exposed in the eastern Adirondack Highlands. Velocity reduction in the Green Mountain parautochthons can be accounted for by retrograde metamorphic alteration (hydration) of the paragneisses. Seismic anisotropies, ranging from 2 to 12%, in the mylonitized Green Mountain paragneisses may also contribute to the observation of lower seismic velocities, where the direction of ray propagation is normal to the foliation. The velocity properties of the Green Mountain paragneisses are thus insufficiently different from the mantling Appalachian allochthons to permit their resolution by the Ontario-New York-New England seismic refraction profile. ?? 1993.
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A conceptual method for monitoring locust habitat
Howard, Stephen M.; Loveland, Thomas R.; Ohlen, Donald O.; Moore, Donald G.; Gallo, Kevin P.; Olsson, Jonathon
1987-01-01
A procedure to map and monitor vegetation conditions in near-real time was developed at the United States Geological Survey;s Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center for use in locust control efforts. Meteorological satellite dat were acquired daily for 3 weeks in October and November 1986 over a 1.4-million-square-kilometer study area centered on Botswana in southern Africa. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer data were screened to remove cloud-contaminated data and registered to a 1-kilometer geographic base. Each day the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated to determine the presence and relative amounts of green vegetation in the area. Over a 10-day cycle, subsequent dates of NDVI data were composited to fill in data removed by the cloud-screening process. At any pixel location, the maximum NDVI value was retained. At the end of the 10-day cycle, a composite vegetation-greenness map was produced and another cycle started. Greenness-change maps were produced by comparing two 10-day composite greenness images. Automated map production procedures were used to merge the NDVI image data with cartographic data (boundaries, roads, tick marks) digitized from 1:1,000,000-scale operational navigation charts. The vegetation-greenness map shoes the current distribution of vegetation in the region and can be used to locate potential locust breeding area. The change map shows areas where increases and decreases in greenness have occurred between processing cycles. Significant areas of locust damage in remote regions are characterized by an unexpected decrease in greenness. These maps can be used by locust control teams to efficiently target areas for reconnaissance. In general, the procedures and products have utility for resource managers who are required to monitor vegetation resources over large geographic regions.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sulla-Menashe, Damien; Woodcock, Curtis E.; Friedl, Mark A.
2018-01-01
Recent studies have used satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series to explore geographic patterns in boreal forest greening and browning. A number of these studies indicate that boreal forests are experiencing widespread browning, and have suggested that these patterns reflect decreases in forest productivity induced by climate change. Here we use NDVI time series from Landsat, which has much higher quality and spatial resolution than imagery used in most previous studies, to characterize biogeographic patterns in greening and browning across Canada’s boreal forest and to explore the drivers behind observed trends. Our results show that the majority of NDVI changes in Canada’s boreal forest reflect disturbance-recovery dynamics not climate change impacts, that greening and browning trends outside of disturbed forests are consistent with expected ecological responses to regional changes in climate, and that observed NDVI changes are geographically limited and relatively small in magnitude. By examining covariance between changes in NDVI and temperature and precipitation in locations not affected by disturbance, our results isolate and characterize the nature and magnitude of greening and browning directly associated with climate change. Consistent with biogeographic theory, greening and browning unrelated to disturbance tended to be located in ecotones near boundaries of the boreal forest bioclimatic envelope. We observed greening to be most prevalent in Eastern Canada, which is more humid, and browning to be most prevalent in Western Canada, where forests are more prone to moisture stress. We conclude that continued long-term climate change has the potential to significantly alter the character and function of Canada’s boreal forest, but recent changes have been modest and near-term impacts are likely to be focused in or near ecotones.
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Minimal watering regime impacts on desert adapted green roof plant performance
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kovachich, S.; Pavao-Zuckerman, M.; Templer, S.; Livingston, M.; Stoltz, R.; Smith, S.
2011-12-01
Roof tops can cover one-fifth of urban areas and can greatly alter the movement of matter and energy in cities. With traditional roofing methods and materials, roof tops readily absorb heat and as a result, buildings and the surrounding urban area heat to unnaturally high temperatures. It is hypothesized that extensive green roofs would have wide-ranging benefits for arid environments. However, little is known about the cost of water use associated with green roof installations and how to balance energy reduction needs with water costs in this water limited environment. We are conducting a pilot study to test whether a) green roofs with native plants and environmentally-responsible watering regimes will prove successful in arid environments and if b) green roofs provide ecosystem services with responsible water application. Three species of Sonoran Desert natives, Dyssodia pentachaeta (groundcover), Calliandra eriophylla (shrub), and Hesperaloe parviflora (succulent) have been planted in experimental plots [1 m2 model houses and roofs, replicated in triplicate] with two sandy, rocky desert soil mixtures (light mix: 60% expanded shale and heavy mix: organic and sandy mix with 50% shale) at the Biosphere 2 campus near Oracle, Az. The green roofs are watered by two different techniques. The first technique provides "smart watering", the minimal amount of water needed by green roof plants based on precipitation and historical data. The second watering technique is considered heavy and does not take into account environmental conditions. Preliminary data from the experimental plots shows a 30% decrease in daytime roof top temperatures on green roofs and a 10% decrease in interior temperatures in buildings with green roofs. This trend occurs with both watering regimes (heavy and light). This finding suggests that additional irrigation yields no extra heat reduction and energy savings. In order to explain this phenomenon more clearly, we use co-located temperature and soil moisture readings on each green roof to analyze the spatial and temporal covariance of water and temperature. We link these patterns in soil moisture to measures of plant performance with weekly hyperspectral images (NDVI - Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) of each green roof. The data will allow us to determine the minimal amount of water use required for successful green roofs and healthy green roof plants. Preliminary data from a five week pilot study in the 2011 summer monsoon has shown a variation in NDVI by species. H. parviflora displayed the highest NDVI values, while D. pentachaeta and C. eriophylla shared similar, lower NDVI values. In general, the comparison of soil moisture and NDVI values expressed a very weak positive relationship but stronger species specific responses. D. pentachaeta demonstrated the strongest response to soil water and H. parviflora displayed the weakest response.
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Tornow, Ralf P.; Odstrcilik, Jan; Mayer, Markus A.; Gazarek, Jiri; Jan, Jiri; Kubena, Tomas; Cernosek, Pavel
2013-01-01
The retinal ganglion axons are an important part of the visual system, which can be directly observed by fundus camera. The layer they form together inside the retina is the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). This paper describes results of a texture RNFL analysis in color fundus photographs and compares these results with quantitative measurement of RNFL thickness obtained from optical coherence tomography on normal subjects. It is shown that local mean value, standard deviation, and Shannon entropy extracted from the green and blue channel of fundus images are correlated with corresponding RNFL thickness. The linear correlation coefficients achieved values 0.694, 0.547, and 0.512 for respective features measured on 439 retinal positions in the peripapillary area from 23 eyes of 15 different normal subjects. PMID:24454526
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Kolar, Radim; Tornow, Ralf P; Laemmer, Robert; Odstrcilik, Jan; Mayer, Markus A; Gazarek, Jiri; Jan, Jiri; Kubena, Tomas; Cernosek, Pavel
2013-01-01
The retinal ganglion axons are an important part of the visual system, which can be directly observed by fundus camera. The layer they form together inside the retina is the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). This paper describes results of a texture RNFL analysis in color fundus photographs and compares these results with quantitative measurement of RNFL thickness obtained from optical coherence tomography on normal subjects. It is shown that local mean value, standard deviation, and Shannon entropy extracted from the green and blue channel of fundus images are correlated with corresponding RNFL thickness. The linear correlation coefficients achieved values 0.694, 0.547, and 0.512 for respective features measured on 439 retinal positions in the peripapillary area from 23 eyes of 15 different normal subjects.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xu, Ping; Du, An
2017-09-01
A superlattice composed of spin-1 and spin-2 with ABAB … structure was described with Heisenberg model. The magnetizations and magnetic entropy changes under different magnetic fields were calculated by the Green's function method. The magnetization compensation phenomenon could be observed by altering the intralayer exchange interactions and the single-ion anisotropies of spins. Along with the temperature increasing, the system in the absence of magnetization compensation shows normal magnetic entropy change and displays a peak near the critical temperature, and yet the system with magnetization compensation shows normal magnetic entropy change near the compensation temperature but inverse magnetic entropy change near the critical temperature. Finally, we illustrated the reasons of different behaviors of magnetic entropy change by analyzing the contributions of two sublattices to the total magnetic entropy change.
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Motohashi, Reiko; Rödiger, Anja; Agne, Birgit; Baerenfaller, Katja; Baginsky, Sacha
2012-01-01
Research interest in proteomics is increasingly shifting toward the reverse genetic characterization of gene function at the proteome level. In plants, several distinct gene defects perturb photosynthetic capacity, resulting in the loss of chlorophyll and an albino or pale-green phenotype. Because photosynthesis is interconnected with the entire plant metabolism and its regulation, all albino plants share common characteristics that are determined by the switch from autotrophic to heterotrophic growth. Reverse genetic characterizations of such plants often cannot distinguish between specific consequences of a gene defect from generic effects in response to perturbations in photosynthetic capacity. Here, we set out to define common and specific features of protein accumulation in three different albino/pale-green plant lines. Using quantitative proteomics, we report a common molecular phenotype that connects the loss of photosynthetic capacity with other chloroplast and cellular functions, such as protein folding and stability, plastid protein import, and the expression of stress-related genes. Surprisingly, we do not find significant differences in the expression of key transcriptional regulators, suggesting that substantial regulation occurs at the posttranscriptional level. We examine the influence of different normalization schemes on the quantitative proteomics data and report all identified proteins along with their fold changes and P values in albino plants in comparison with the wild type. Our analysis provides initial guidance for the distinction between general and specific adaptations of the proteome in photosynthesis-impaired plants. PMID:23027667
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Esposti, C. Degli; Bizzocchi, L.
2008-01-01
This article describes a laboratory experiment that allows the students to investigate the radiative properties of the green and red emitting phosphors that are employed in commercial fluorescent lamps. Making use of a spectrofluorometer, students first record the emission spectrum of a fluorescent lamp under normal operating conditions, and then…
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Wendling, Carolin Charlotte; Huhn, Mareike; Ayu, Nurina; Bachtiar, Ramadian; von Juterzenka, Karen; Lenz, Mark
2013-06-15
It is unclear whether habitat degradation correlates with tolerance of marine invertebrates to abiotic stress. We therefore tested whether resistance to climate change-related stressors differs between populations of the green mussel Perna viridis from a heavily impacted and a mostly pristine site in West Java, Indonesia. In laboratory experiments, we compared their oxygen consumption and mortality under lowered salinity (-13 and -18 units, both responses), hypoxia (0.5 mg/l, mortality only) and thermal stress (+7 °C, mortality only). Mussels from the eutrophied and polluted Jakarta Bay showed a significantly smaller deviation from their normal oxygen consumption and higher survival rates when stressed than their conspecifics from the unaffected Lada Bay. This shows that human induced habitat degradation correlates with mussel tolerance to environmental stress. We discuss possible mechanisms - e.g. the selection of tolerant genotypes or habitat-specific differences in the nutritional status of the mussels - that could explain our observation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Syu, Kai-Yang; Lin, Chih-Li; Huang, Hsiu-Chen; Lin, Jen-Kun
2008-09-10
Dabsyl chloride (dimethylaminoazobenzene sulfonyl chloride), a useful chromophoric labeling reagent for amino acids and amines, was developed in this laboratory in 1975. Although several methods have been developed to determine various types of amino acids, a quick and easy method of determining theanine, GABA, and other amino acids has not been developed in one HPLC system. In this paper are analyzed the free amino acid contents of theanine and GABA in different teas (green tea, black tea, oolong tea, Pu-erh tea, and GABA tea) with a dabsylation and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system coupled with a detector at 425 nm absorbance. Two reverse phase columns, Hypersil GOLD and Zorbax ODS, were used and gave different resolutions of dabsyl amino acids in the gradient elution program. The data suggest that the tea source or the steps of tea-making may contribute to the theanine contents variations. High theanine contents of high-mountain tea were observed in both green tea and oolong tea. Furthermore, the raw (natural fermented) Pu-erh tea contained more theanine than ripe (wet fermented) Pu-erh tea, and the GABA contents in normal teas were generally lower than that in GABA tea.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gu, Ying; Li, Junheng; Guo, Zhong-He
1993-03-01
Using hepatocarcinoma transplanted rats, the present study made consecutive observation for the color change and indocyanine green (ICG) absorption peak of the normal liver and tumor tissues after intravenous injection of ICG. The normal liver tissue of the rat was found to turn violet-green soon after ICG injection and the optic density (OD) of ICG-characteristic spectral peak of the tissue homogenate reached its maximum value at 35 minutes post-injection, while neither color change nor OD value increase was noticed in the tissue of transplanted hepatocarcinoma, suggesting that there is a specific absorption of ICG by the normal liver tissue. Chemiluminescentoassay revealed inhibited luminal chemiluminescence by ICG, indicating the depression of singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) oxidation during HPD photosensitization by ICG. In PDT of the hepatocarcinoma, the irradiated area was examined under microscope and auto-microimage analysis system after ICG administration. For tumor-free tissue, the photosensitization induced necrotic area was found smaller in those with than those without ICG administration, whereas the tumor killing effect was almost the same of the two. It is suggested that ICG may offer selective protection for healthy hepatocytes without diminishing the destruction of tumor cells. The protection of healthy hepatocytes by ICG is thought to be in accordance with the amount of ICG in the cell and the distribution of light energy.
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2017-12-08
Subtle vegetation changes are visible in this year-long visualization. Large-scale patterns vary with seasons, but the local variations in green are also sensitive precipitation, drought and fire. High values of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI, represent dense green functioning vegetation and low NDVI values represent sparse green vegetation or vegetation under stress from limiting conditions, such as drought. The visualization was created from a year’s worth of data from April 2012 to April 2013. The information was sent back to Earth from the Visible-Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership or Suomi NPP satellite, a partnership between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. Credit: NASA/NOAA To read more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NPP/news/vegetation.html NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Devi, Sushila; Brogi, B. B.; Ahluwalia, P. K.; Chand, S.
2018-06-01
Electronic transport through asymmetric parallel coupled quantum dot system hybridized between normal leads has been investigated theoretically in the Coulomb blockade regime by using Non-Equilibrium Green Function formalism. A new decoupling scheme proposed by Rabani and his co-workers has been adopted to close the chain of higher order Green's functions appearing in the equations of motion. For resonant tunneling case; the calculations of current and differential conductance have been presented during transition of coupled quantum dot system from series to symmetric parallel configuration. It has been found that during this transition, increase in current and differential conductance of the system occurs. Furthermore, clear signatures of negative differential conductance and negative current appear in series case, both of which disappear when topology of system is tuned to asymmetric parallel configuration.
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Arctic Tundra Greening and Browning at Circumpolar and Regional Scales
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Epstein, H. E.; Bhatt, U. S.; Walker, D. A.; Raynolds, M. K.; Yang, X.
2017-12-01
Remote sensing data have historically been used to assess the dynamics of arctic tundra vegetation. Until recently the scientific literature has largely described the "greening" of the Arctic; from a remote sensing perspective, an increase in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), or a similar satellite-based vegetation index. Vegetation increases have been heterogeneous throughout the Arctic, and were reported to be up to 25% in certain areas over a 30-year timespan. However, more recently, arctic tundra vegetation dynamics have gotten more complex, with observations of more widespread tundra "browning" being reported. We used a combination of remote sensing data, including the Global Inventory Monitoring and Modeling System (GIMMS), as well as higher spatial resolution Landsat data, to evaluate the spatio-temporal patterns of arctic tundra vegetation dynamics (greening and browning) at circumpolar and regional scales over the past 3-4 decades. At the circumpolar scale, we focus on the spatial heterogeneity (by tundra subzone and continent) of tundra browning over the past 5-15 years, followed by a more recent recovery (greening since 2015). Landsat time series allow us to evaluate the landscape-scale heterogeneity of tundra greening and browning for northern Alaska and the Yamal Peninsula in northwestern Siberia, Russia. Multi-dataset analyses reveal that tundra greening and browning (i.e. increases or decreases in the NDVI respectively) are generated by different sets of processes. Tundra greening is largely a result of either climate warming, lengthening of the growing season, or responses to disturbances, such as fires, landslides, and freeze-thaw processes. Browning on the other hand tends to be more event-driven, such as the shorter-term decline in vegetation due to fire, insect defoliation, consumption by larger herbivores, or extreme weather events (e.g. winter warming or early summer frost damage). Browning can also be caused by local or regional cooling, or changes in the snow regime (e.g. depth, timing of melt). The spatio-temporal dynamics of tundra vegetation are only now beginning to get serious attention from the scientific community and the continual use of remote sensing data across spatial scales allows us to monitor these dynamics and elucidate their controls.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wang, H.
2017-12-01
Seasonal differences in climatic controls of vegetation growth in the Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Region of China Bin He1 , Haiyan Wan11 State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China Corresponding author: Bin He, email addresses: hebin@bnu.edu.cnPhone:+861058806506, Address: Beijing Normal University, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. Email addresses of co-authors: wanghaiyan@mail.bnu.edu.cnABSTRACTLaunched in 2000, the Beiing-Tainjin Sand Source Controlling Project (BTSSCP) is an ecological restoration project intended to prevent desertification in China. Evidence from multiple sources has confirmed increases in vegetation growth in the BTSSCP region since the initiation of the project. Precipitation and related soil moisture conditions typically are considered to be the main drivers of vegetation growth in this arid region. However, by investigating the relationships between vegetation growth and corresponding climatic factors, we identified seasonal variation in the climatic constraints of vegetation growth. In spring, vegetation growth is stimulated mainly by elevated temperature, whereas precipitation is the lead driver of summer greening. In autumn, positive effects of both temperature and precipitation on vegetation growth were observed. Furthermore, strong biosphere-atmosphere interactions were observed in this region. Spring warming promotes vegetation growth, but also reduces soil moisture. Summer greening has a strong cooling effect on land surface temperature. These results indicate that 1) precipitation-based projections of vegetation growth may be misleading; and 2) the ecological and environment consequences of ecological projects should be comprehensively evaluated. KEYWORDS: vegetation growth, climatic drivers, seasonal variation, BTSSCP
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Giannios, Panagiotis; Koutsoumpos, Spyridon; Toutouzas, Konstantinos G; Matiatou, Maria; Zografos, George C; Moutzouris, Konstantinos
2017-02-01
A multi-wavelength prism coupling refractometer is utilized to measure the angular reflectance of freshly excised human intestinal tissue specimens. Based on reflectance data, the real and imaginary part of the refractive index is calculated via Fresnel analysis for three visible (blue, green, red) and two near-infrared (963 nm and 1551 nm) wavelengths. Averaged values of the complex refractive index and corresponding Cauchy dispersion fits are given for the mucosa, submucosa and serosa layers of the colorectal wall at the normal state. The refractive constants of tumorous and normal mucosa are then cross-compared for the indicative cases of one patient diagnosed with a benign polyp and three patients diagnosed with adenocarcinomas of different phenotype. Significant index contrast exists between the normal and diseased states, indicating the potential use of refractive index as a marker of colorectal dysplasia. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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Pun, Vivian C; Manjourides, Justin; Suh, Helen H
2018-04-16
Neighborhood environment, such as green vegetation, has been shown to play a role in coping with stress and mental ill health. Yet, epidemiological evidence of the association between greenness and mental health is inconsistent. We examined whether living in green space is associated with self-perceived stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms in a nationally representative, longitudinal sample of community-dwelling older adults (N = 4118; aged 57-85 years) in the United States. We evaluated perceived stress, depression and anxiety symptoms using the Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - anxiety subscale, respectively. Greenness was assessed for each participant using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index at 250-m resolution, as well as a buffer of 1000-m. We conducted longitudinal analyses to assess the associations between greenness and mental health upon adjusting for confounders (e.g., education), and to examine potential mediation and effect modification. An interquartile range (0.25 point) increase in contemporaneous greenness was significantly associated with 0.238 unit (95% CI: - 0.346, - 0.130) and 0.162 unit (95% CI: - 0.271, - 0.054) decrease in the perceived stress in base and multivariable models, respectively. The magnitude of the association was similar or even stronger when examining summer (- 0.161; 95% CI: - 0.295, - 0.027) and annual average of greenness (- 0.188; 95% CI: - 0.337, - 0.038), as well as greenness buffer of 1000-m. The greenness-stress association was partially mediated by physical activity (15.1% mediated), where increased greenness led to increased physical activity and less stress, and by history of respiratory diseases (- 3.8% mediated), where increased greenness led to increased respiratory disease and more stress. The association was also significantly modified by race, social support, physical function, socioeconomic status, and region. While greenness was not significantly associated with anxiety and depressive scores across all participants, significant inverse associations were found for Whites participants, and for individuals with higher socioeconomic status, who were physically active, as compared to their counterparts. We found a direct association of greenness with perceived stress among older adults, and an indirect association mediated through physical activity and respiratory disease history. Our study findings warrant further examination of the mediation and modification of the greenness-mental health association.
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2008-07-01
for the two installations. We obtained monthly North American normalized differ- ence vegetation index ( NDVI ) satellite climate data sets for 1981-2005...from the Goddard Space Flight Center."*-" The NDVI measures the greenness of the earth, capturing in one index the combined effects of temperature...humidity, insola- tion, elevation, soils, land use. and precipitation on vegeta- tion. There is an almost-linear relationship between NDVI values and
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Modeling and dynamic monitoring of ecosystem performance in the Yukon River Basin
Wylie, Bruce K.; Zhang, L.; Ji, Lei; Tieszen, Larry L.; Bliss, N.B.
2008-01-01
Central Alaska is ecologically sensitive and experiencing stress in response to marked regional warming. Resource managers would benefit from an improved ability to monitor ecosystem processes in response to climate change, fire, insect damage, and management policies and to predict responses to future climate scenarios. We have developed a method for analyzing ecosystem performance as represented by the growing season integral of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is a measure of greenness that can be interpreted in terms of plant growth or photosynthetic activity (gross primary productivity). The approach illustrates the status and trends of ecosystem changes and separates the influences of climate and local site conditions from the influences of disturbances and land management.We emphasize the ability to quantify ecosystem processes, not simply changes in land cover, across the entire period of the remote sensing archive (Wylie and others, 2008). The method builds upon remotely sensed measures of vegetation greenness for each growing season. By itself, however, a time series of greenness often reflects annual climate variations in temperature and precipitation. Our method seeks to remove the influence of climate so that changes in underlying ecological conditions are identified and quantified. We define an "expected ecosystem performance" to represent the greenness response expected in a particular year given the climate of that year. We distinguish "performance anomalies" as cases where the ecosystem response is significantly different from the expected ecosystem performance. Maps of the performance anomalies (fig. 1) and trends in the anomalies give valuable information on the ecosystems for land managers and policy makers at a resolution of 1 km to 250 m.
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Application of simple all-sky imagers for the estimation of aerosol optical depth
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kazantzidis, Andreas; Tzoumanikas, Panagiotis; Nikitidou, Efterpi; Salamalikis, Vasileios; Wilbert, Stefan; Prahl, Christoph
2017-06-01
Aerosol optical depth is a key atmospheric constituent for direct normal irradiance calculations at concentrating solar power plants. However, aerosol optical depth is typically not measured at the solar plants for financial reasons. With the recent introduction of all-sky imagers for the nowcasting of direct normal irradiance at the plants a new instrument is available which can be used for the determination of aerosol optical depth at different wavelengths. In this study, we are based on Red, Green and Blue intensities/radiances and calculations of the saturated area around the Sun, both derived from all-sky images taken with a low-cost surveillance camera at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria, Spain. The aerosol optical depth at 440, 500 and 675nm is calculated. The results are compared with collocated aerosol optical measurements and the mean/median difference and standard deviation are less than 0.01 and 0.03 respectively at all wavelengths.
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de Tommaso, Marina; Ricci, Katia; Delussi, Marianna; Montemurno, Anna; Vecchio, Eleonora; Brunetti, Antonio; Bevilacqua, Vitoantonio
2016-01-01
We propose a virtual reality (VR) model, reproducing a house environment, where color modification of target places, obtainable by home automation in a real ambient, was tested by means of a P3b paradigm. The target place (bathroom door) was designed to be recognized during a virtual wayfinding in a realistic reproduction of a house environment. Different color and luminous conditions, easily obtained in the real ambient from a remote home automation control, were applied to the target and standard places, all the doors being illuminated in white (W), and only target doors colored with a green (G) or red (R) spotlight. Three different Virtual Environments (VE) were depicted, as the bathroom was designed in the aisle (A), living room (L) and bedroom (B). EEG was recorded from 57 scalp electrodes in 10 healthy subjects in the 60-80 year age range (O-old group) and 12 normal cases in the 20-30 year age range (Y-young group). In Young group, all the target stimuli determined a significant increase in P3b amplitude on the parietal, occipital and central electrodes compared to frequent stimuli condition, whatever was the color of the target door, while in elderly group the P3b obtained by the green and red colors was significantly different from the frequent stimulus, on the parietal, occipital, and central derivations, while the White stimulus did not evoke a significantly larger P3b with respect to frequent stimulus. The modulation of P3b amplitude, obtained by color and luminance change of target place, suggests that cortical resources, able to compensate the age-related progressive loss of cognitive performance, need to be facilitated even in normal elderly. The event-related responses obtained by virtual reality may be a reliable method to test the environmental feasibility to age-related cognitive changes.
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On the Computation of H/V and its Application to Microzonation and Seismic Design
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Perton, M.; Martínez, J. A.; Lermo, J. F.; Sanchez-Sesma, F. J.
2014-12-01
The H/V ratio is the square root of the ratio of horizontal to vertical energies of ground motion. It has been observed that the frequency of the main peak is well suited for the characterization of site effects and had been widely used for micro-zonation and seismic structural design. Historically that ratio was made from the average of individual H/V ratios obtained from noise autocorrelations. Nevertheless, it has been recently pointed out that the H/V ratio should be calculated differently as the ratio of the average of H over the average of V. This calculation is based on the relation between the directional energies (the imaginary part of Green's function) and the noise autocorrelations. In general, the average of ratios is different from the ratio of averages. Although the frequency of the main response was correctly obtained, the associated amplification factor has generally been badly predicted, having little matching with the amplification observed during strong earthquakes. The unexpected decay behavior of such ratios at high frequency and the lack of stability and reproducibility of the H/V ratios are other problems that face the method. These problems are addressed here from the point of view of normalization of noise correlations. In fact, several normalization techniques have already been proposed in order to correctly retrieve the Green's function. Some of them are well suited for the retrieval of the surface wave contribution, while others are more appropriate for bulk wave incidence. Since the H/V ratio may be used for various purposes like surface wave tomography, micro-zonation or seismic design, different normalizations are discussed in functions of the objectives. The H/V obtained from local historical earthquakes on top or far away from the subduction zone are also discussed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This research has been partially supported by DGAPA-UNAM under Project IN104712 and the AXA Research Fund.
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Normal and Reversed-Phase Thin Layer Chromatography of Green Leaf Extracts
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sjursnes, Birte Johanne; Kvittingen, Lise; Schmid, Rudolf
2015-01-01
Introductory experiments of chromatography are often conducted by separating colored samples, such as inks, dyes, and plant extracts, using filter paper, chalk, or thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates with various solvent systems. Many simple experiments have been reported. The relationship between normal chromatography and reversed-phase…
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Arbillaga-Etxarri, Ane; Gimeno-Santos, Elena; Barberan-Garcia, Anael; Benet, Marta; Borrell, Eulàlia; Dadvand, Payam; Foraster, Maria; Marín, Alicia; Monteagudo, Mònica; Rodriguez-Roisin, Robert; Vall-Casas, Pere; Vilaró, Jordi; Garcia-Aymerich, Judith
2017-01-01
Background Study of the causes of the reduced levels of physical activity in patients with COPD has been scarce and limited to biological factors. Aim To assess the relationship between novel socio-environmental factors, namely dog walking, grandparenting, neighbourhood deprivation, residential surrounding greenness and residential proximity to green or blue spaces, and amount and intensity of physical activity in COPD patients. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited 410 COPD patients from five Catalan municipalities. Dog walking and grandparenting were assessed by questionnaire. Neighbourhood deprivation was assessed using the census Urban Vulnerability Index, residential surrounding greenness by the satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and residential proximity to green or blue spaces as living within 300 m of such a space. Physical activity was measured during 1 week by accelerometer to assess time spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vector magnitude units (VMU) per minute. Findings Patients were 85% male, had a mean (SD) age of 69 (9) years, and post-bronchodilator FEV1 of 56 (17) %pred. After adjusting for age, sex, socio-economic status, dyspnoea, exercise capacity and anxiety in a linear regression model, both dog walking and grandparenting were significantly associated with an increase both in time in MVPA (18 min/day (p<0.01) and 9 min/day (p<0.05), respectively) and in physical activity intensity (76 VMU/min (p=0.05) and 59 VMUs/min (p<0.05), respectively). Neighbourhood deprivation, surrounding greenness and proximity to green or blue spaces were not associated with physical activity. Conclusions Dog walking and grandparenting are associated with a higher amount and intensity of physical activity in COPD patients. Trial registration number Pre-results, NCT01897298. PMID:28250201
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Nanfeng; Treitz, Paul
2016-10-01
In this study, digital images collected at a study site in the Canadian High Arctic were processed and classified to examine the spatial-temporal patterns of percent vegetation cover (PVC). To obtain the PVC of different plant functional groups (i.e., forbs, graminoids/sedges and mosses), field near infrared-green-blue (NGB) digital images were classified using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach. The PVC analyses comparing different vegetation types confirmed: (i) the polar semi-desert exhibited the lowest PVC with a large proportion of bare soil/rock cover; (ii) the mesic tundra cover consisted of approximately 60% mosses; and (iii) the wet sedge consisted almost exclusively of graminoids and sedges. As expected, the PVC and green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI; (RNIR - RGreen)/(RNIR + RGreen)), derived from field NGB digital images, increased during the summer growing season for each vegetation type: i.e., ∼5% (0.01) for polar semi-desert; ∼10% (0.04) for mesic tundra; and ∼12% (0.03) for wet sedge respectively. PVC derived from field images was found to be strongly correlated with WorldView-2 derived normalized difference spectral indices (NDSI; (Rx - Ry)/(Rx + Ry)), where Rx is the reflectance of the red edge (724.1 nm) or near infrared (832.9 nm and 949.3 nm) bands; Ry is the reflectance of the yellow (607.7 nm) or red (658.8 nm) bands with R2's ranging from 0.74 to 0.81. NDSIs that incorporated the yellow band (607.7 nm) performed slightly better than the NDSIs without, indicating that this band may be more useful for investigating Arctic vegetation that often includes large proportions of senescent vegetation throughout the growing season.
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Sweat, Michael J.
2013-01-01
During May through September 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, inventoried and assessed existing water wells in southwestern Wyoming for inclusion in a possible groundwater-monitor network. Records were located for 3,282 wells in the upper Green River Basin, which includes the U.S. Geological Survey study area and the proposed Normally Pressured Lance natural gas development project area. Records for 2,713 upper Green River Basin wells were determined to be unique (not duplicated) and to have a Wyoming State Engineers Office permit. Further, 376 of these wells were within the U.S. Geological Survey Normally Pressured Lance study area. Of the 376 wells in the U.S. Geological Survey Normally Pressured Lance study area, 141 well records had sufficient documentation, such as well depth, open interval, geologic log, and depth to water, to meet many, but not always all, established monitor well criteria. Efforts were made to locate each of the 141 wells and to document their current condition. Field crews were able to locate 121 of the wells, and the remaining 20 wells either were not located as described, or had been abandoned and the site reclaimed. Of the 121 wells located, 92 were found to meet established monitor well criteria. Results of the field efforts during May through September 2012, and specific physical characteristics of the 92 wells, are presented in this report.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hargrove, W. W.; Spruce, J.
2010-12-01
A prototype National Early Warning System (EWS) for Forest Disturbances was established in 2010 by producing national maps showing potential forest disturbance across the conterminous United States at 231m resolution every 8 days. Each map is based on Land-Surface Phenology (LSP), calculated using temporally smoothed MODIS MOD13 imagery obtained over the preceding 24-day analysis window. Potential disturbance maps are generated by comparing a spatially and temporally specific historical expectation of normal NDVI "greenness" with NDVI "greenness" from a series of current satellite views. Three different disturbance products are produced using differing lengths of historical baseline periods to calculate the expected normal greenness. The short-term baseline products show only disturbances newer than one year ago, while the intermediate baseline products show disturbances since the prior three years, and the long-term baseline products show all disturbances over the MODIS historical period. A Forest Change Assessment Viewer website, http://ews.forestthreats.org/NPDE/NPDE.html, showcases the three most recent national disturbance maps in full spatial context. Although 2010 was a wet el Nino year without major forest problems, disturbances in 2010 in MI, NY, CO and LA will be highlighted. Forest disturbances caused by wildfire, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, ice storms, and defoliating insects, including fall cankerworms, forest tent caterpillars, gypsy moths, baldcypress leafrollers and winter moths were successfully detected during the 2009 and 2010 field seasons. The EWS was used in 2010 to detect and alert Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Aerial Disturbance Survey personnel to an otherwise-unknown outbreak of forest tent caterpillar and baldcypress leafroller in the Atchafalaya and Pearl River regions of southern Louisiana. A local FHM Program Coordinator verified these EWS-detected outbreaks. Many defoliator-induced disturbances were ephemeral, and were followed by recovery in LSP, presumably due to refoliation. 2009 Vegetation Disturbances mapped as percent change in max NDVI from June 10 - July 27 2000-2008
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Drought in Southwestern United States
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2007-01-01
The southwestern United States pined for water in late March and early April 2007. This image is based on data collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite from March 22 through April 6, 2007, and it shows the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI, for the period. In this NDVI color scale, green indicates areas of healthier-than-usual vegetation, and only small patches of green appear in this image, near the California-Nevada border and in Utah. Larger areas of below-normal vegetation are more common, especially throughout California. Pale yellow indicates areas with generally average vegetation. Gray areas appear where no data were available, likely due to persistent clouds or snow cover. According to the April 10, 2007, update from the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of the southwestern United Sates, including Utah, Nevada, California, and Arizona, experienced moderate to extreme drought. The hardest hit areas were southeastern California and southwestern Arizona. Writing for the Drought Monitor, David Miskus of the Joint Agricultural Weather Facility reported that March 2007 had been unusually dry for the southwestern United States. While California's and Utah's reservoir storage was only slightly below normal, reservoir storage was well below normal for New Mexico and Arizona. In early April, an international research team published an online paper in Science noting that droughts could become more common for the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, as these areas were already showing signs of drying. Relying on the same computer models used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released in early 2007, the researchers who published in Science concluded that global warming could make droughts more common, not just in the American Southwest, but also in semiarid regions of southern Europe, Mediterranean northern Africa, and the Middle East.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Imukova, Kristina; Ingwersen, Joachim; Streck, Thilo
2014-05-01
The green vegetation fraction (GVF) is a key input variable to the evapotranspiration scheme applied in the widely used NOAH land surface model (LSM). In standard applications of the NOAH LSM, the GVF is taken from a global map with a 15 km×15 km resolution. The central objective of the present study was (a) to derive gridded GVF data in a high spatial and temporal resolution from RapidEye images for a region in Southwest Germany, and (b) to improve the representation of the GVF dynamics of croplands in the NOAH LSM for a better simulation of water and energy exchange between land surface and atmosphere. For the region under study we obtained monthly RapidEye satellite images with a resolution 5 m×5 m by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The images hold five spectral bands: blue, green, red, red-edge and near infrared (NIR). The GVF dynamics were determined based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) calculated from the red and near-infrared bands of the satellite images. The satellite GVF data were calibrated and validated against ground truth measurements. Digital colour photographs above the canopy were taken with a boom-mounted digital camera at fifteen permanently marked plots (1 m×1 m). Crops under study were winter wheat, winter rape and silage maize. The GVF was computed based on the red and the green band of the photographs according to Rundquist's method (2002). Based on the obtained calibration scheme GVF maps were derived in a monthly resolution for the region. Our results confirm a linear relationship between GVF and NDVI and demonstrate that it is possible to determine the GVF of croplands from RapidEye images based on a simple two end-member mixing model. Our data highlight the high variability of the GVF in time and space. At the field scale, the GVF was normally distributed with a coefficient of variation of about 32%. Variability was mainly caused by soil heterogeneities and management differences. At the regional scale the GVF showed a bimodal distribution, which could be related to the different cultivation schemes of crops. We suggest to divide croplands according their distinctly different temporal dynamics of the GVF into "early covering - maturing" crops (winter rape, winter wheat, spring barley) and "late covering - non-maturing" crops (sugar beet, silage maize). Based on the achieved results we recommend that simulations with LSM should take into account this differentiation of croplands since it is to be expected that these two crop groups have pronounced differences with regard to energy partitioning at the land surface.
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Hua, Rui; Yao, Kai; Xia, Fan; Li, Jun; Guo, Lei; Yang, Guoxing; Tao, Jun
2016-03-01
Chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is regarded as a type of severe diffuse retinal pigment epitheliopathy. There is an atrophic tract at level of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) due to hyper-permeability of choroidal vessels, along with photoreceptor (PR) atrophy. Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) is considered a gold standard for diagnosis. The purpose of this work is to investigate the hyper-fluorescent transitional bands (HFTB) between hypo-fluorescent and normal regions of the retina in the ultra-late phase of ICGA in CSCR. 26 chronic CSCR eyes and 12 relative normal eyes received spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and ICGA at the 24th hour after indocyanine green (ICG) intravenous injection. In the ultra-late phase, images showed homogenous fluorescence in all normal eyes. On the contrary, geographical hypofluorescent lesions with atrophy of RPE was noted in 26 chronic CSCR eyes. Moreover, HFTB with intact RPE and disrupted PR was detected in 20 out of 26 chronic CSCR eyes (76.9%). The HFTB may indicate the early damage in chronic CSCR. Ultra-late ICGA can monitor not only metabolic status by endogenous melanin, but also membrane function in RPE by exogenous ICG molecule. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Brown, Patrick B; Hudak, Sandra L; Horn, Susan D; Cohen, Lauren W; Reed, David Allen; Zimmerman, Sheryl
2016-02-01
To compare workforce characteristics and staff perceptions of safety, satisfaction, and stress between Green House (GH) and comparison nursing homes (CNHs). Primary data on staff perceptions of safety, stress, and satisfaction from 13 GHs and 8 comparison NHs in 11 states; secondary data from human resources records on workforce characteristics, turnover, and staffing from 01/01/2011-06/30/2012. Observational study. Workforce data were from human resources offices; staff perceptions were from surveys. Few significant differences were found between GH and CNHs. Exceptions were GH direct caregivers were older, provided twice the normalized hours per week budgeted per resident than CNAs in CNHs or Legacy NHs, and trended toward lower turnover. GH environment may promote staff longevity and does not negatively affect worker's stress, safety perceptions, or satisfaction. Larger studies are needed to confirm findings. © Health Research and Educational Trust.
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Development and Evaluation of Transgenic Nude Mice Expressing Ubiquitous Green Fluorescent Protein.
Iyer, Srikanth; Arindkar, Shailendra; Mishra, Alaknanda; Manglani, Kapil; Kumar, Jerald Mahesh; Majumdar, Subeer S; Upadhyay, Pramod; Nagarajan, Perumal
2015-08-01
Researchers had developed and characterized transgenic green/red fluorescent protein (GFP/RFP) nude mouse with ubiquitous RFP or GFP expression, but none has evaluated the level of immune cells and expression levels of GFP in this model. The nude GFP mice were evaluated by imaging, hematological indices, and flow cytometry to compare the proportion of immune T cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was done for evaluating the relative expression of GFP transcripts in few organs of the nude GFP mice. The hematological and immune cells of nude GFP were within the range of nude mice. However, the gene expression levels were relatively less in various tissues compared with B6 GFP mice. These findings suggest that nude GFP is an ideal model resembling normal nude mice; however, GFP expression in various tissues by fluorescence should be considered, as the expression of GFP differs in various organs.
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Zhang, L; Zhu, X D; Wang, X F; Li, J L; Gao, F; Zhou, G H
2016-11-01
Monochromatic green light-emitting diodes (LED) light stimuli influences the posthatch growth performance of chicks. This study was undertaken with the following objectives: i) to examine whether the green LED light stimuli induces an overheating effect by determining weight loss rate of fertile eggs during incubation period; ii) to look for the development of eyes and other primary organs at different ages of embryos and newly hatched chicks. Arbor Acres fertile broiler eggs (n = 480) were randomly assigned to 3 incubation groups and exposed to continuous white light, green light, or a dark environment (control) from the first day to 19 d of incubation. The light sourced from LED lamps with the intensity of 30 lx at eggshell level. The results showed that either green or white light stimuli during incubation did not significantly affect the weight loss rate of fertile eggs, hatching time, hatchability, chick embryo, or body weight (BW), the weight percentage of heart, liver, and eyes, as well as obvious systematic abnormalities in eye weight, side-to-side, back-to-front, or corneal diameter from 15 d of embryogenesis to 6 d of posthatch (p>0.05). Compared with the dark condition, green light stimuli during incubation tended to increase feed intake (p = 0.080), improved the BW gain of chicks during 0 to 6 day posthatch (p<0.05), and increased the percentage of pectoral muscle to the BW on 3- and 6-day-old chicks. In addition, embryos or chicks in green light had lower weight percentage of yolk retention on 19 d of embryogenesis and 1 d of posthatch in comparison to those in dark or white group (p<0.05). These results suggest that providing 30 lx green LED light stimuli during incubation has no detrimental effect on the development of eyes, heart and liver of embryos and hatchlings, but does have potential benefits in terms of enhancement of the chick growth during the early posthatch stages. In addition, the fertile broiler eggs stimulated with 30 lx green LED light during incubation does not cause an overheating effect.
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Kummara, Sivaiah; Patil, Mrityunjaya B; Uriah, Tiewlasubon
2016-12-01
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are superior cluster of nanomaterials that are recently recognized for their different applications in various pharmaceutical and clinical settings. The objective of this work deals with novel method for biosynthesis of AgNPs using Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf extract as reducing agent. These bio and chemical synthesized nanoparticles were characterized with the help of UV-vis Spectroscopy, Nanotarc, Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential (ZP), Transmission Electron Microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The obtained results from Nanotrac and TEM revealed that the synthesized AgNPs possess spherical shape with a mean diameter at 94nm for green and 104nm for chemical method, the zeta potential values was -12.02mV for green AgNPs and -10.4mV for chemical AgNPs. In addition, FT-IR measurement analysis was conceded out to identify the Ag + ions reduced from the specific functional groups on the AgNPs, which increased the stability of the particles. Further, we compared the toxicities of green and chemical AgNPs against human skin dermal fibroblast (HDFa) and brine shrimp followed by anticancer activity in NCI-H460 cells. We observed green AgNPs cause dose-dependent decrease in cell viability and increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Further, we proved to exhibit excellent cytotoxic effect and induction of cellular apoptosis in NCI-H460 cells. Furthermore, green AgNPs had no significant changes in cell viability, ROS production and apoptotic changes in HDFa cells. In contrary, we observed that the chemical AgNPs possess significant toxicities in HDFa cells. Hence, the green AgNPs were able to induce selective toxicity in cancer cells than the chemical AgNPs. Furthermore, green AgNPs exhibit less toxic effects against human red blood cells and brine shrimp (Artemia salina) nauplii than the chemical AgNPs. It was concluded, that apart from being superior over chemical AgNPs, the green AgNPs are effective and safer to the milieu as they show less toxic effect to normal cells and can be extensively applied in biomedical sciences particularly in cancer field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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2014-01-01
Background According to Ulrich’s psychoevolutionary theory, contact with green environments mitigates stress by activating the parasympathetic system, (specifically, by decreasing blood pressure (BP)). Experimental studies have confirmed this biological effect. However, greenness effects on BP have not yet been explored using an observational study design. We assessed whether surrounding residential greenness is associated with BP in 10 year-old German children. Methods Systolic and diastolic BPs were assessed in 10 year-old children residing in the Munich and Wesel study areas of the German GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts. Complete exposure, outcome and covariate data were available for 2,078 children. Residential surrounding greenness was defined as the mean of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values, derived from Landsat 5 TM satellite images, in circular 500-m buffers around current home addresses of participants. Generalized additive models assessed pooled and area-specific associations between BP and residential greenness categorized into area-specific tertiles. Results In the pooled adjusted model, the systolic BP of children living at residences with low and moderate greenness was 0.90 ± 0.50 mmHg (p-value = 0.073) and 1.23 ± 0.50 mmHg (p-value = 0.014) higher, respectively, than the systolic BP of children living in areas of high greenness. Similarly, the diastolic BP of children living in areas with low and moderate greenness was 0.80 ± 0.38 mmHg (p-value = 0.033) and 0.96 ± 0.38 mmHg (p-value = 0.011) higher, respectively, than children living in areas with high greenness. These associations were not influenced by environmental stressors (temperature, air pollution, noise annoyance, altitude and urbanisation level). When stratified by study area, associations were significant among children residing in the urbanised Munich area but null for those in the rural Wesel area. Conclusions Lower residential greenness was positively associated with higher BP in 10 year-old children living in an urbanised area. Further studies varying in participants’ age, geographical area and urbanisation level are required. PMID:24886243
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Residential greenness and adiposity: Findings from the UK Biobank.
Sarkar, Chinmoy
2017-09-01
With the rapid urbanization and prevailing obesity pandemic, the role of residential green exposures in obesity prevention has gained renewed focus. The study investigated the effects of residential green exposures on adiposity using a large and diverse population sample drawn from the UK Biobank. This was a population based cross-sectional study of 333,183 participants aged 38-73years with individual-level data on residential greenness and built environment exposures. Residential greenness was assessed through 0.50-metre resolution normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from spectral reflectance measurements in remotely sensed colour infrared data and measured around geocoded participants' dwelling. A series of continuous and binary outcome models examined the associations between residential greenness and markers of adiposity, expressed as body-mass index (BMI) in kg/m 2 , waist circumference (WC) in cm, whole body fat (WBF) in kg and obesity (BMI≥30kg/m 2 ) after adjusting for other activity-influencing built environment and individual-level confounders. Sensitivity analyses involved studying effect modification by gender, age, urbanicity and SES as well as examining relationships between residential greenness and active travel behaviour. Residential greenness was independently and consistently associated with lower adiposity, the association being robust to adjustments. An interquartile increment in NDVI greenness was associated with lower BMI (β BMI =-0.123kg/m 2 , 95% CI: -0.14, -0.10kg/m 2 ), WC (β WC =-0.551cm, 95% CI: -0.61, -0.50cm), and WBF (β WBF =-0.138kg, 95% CI: -0.18, -0.10kg) as well as a reduced relative risk of obesity (RR=0.968, 95% CI: 0.96, 0.98). Residential greenness was beneficially related with active travel, being associated with higher odds of using active mode for non-work travel (OR=1.093, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.11) as well as doing >30min walking (OR=1.039, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.05). Residing in greener areas was associated with healthy weight outcomes possibly through a physical activity-related mechanism. Green allocation and design may act as upstream-level public health interventions ameliorating the negative health externalities of obesogenic urban environments. Further prospective studies are needed to identify potential causal pathways and thereby effectively guide such interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chrisjatmiko, K.
2018-01-01
The paper aims to present a comprehensive framework for the influences of green perceived risk, green image, green trust and green satisfaction to green loyalty. The paper also seeks to account explicitly for the differences in green perceived risk, green image, green trust, green satisfaction and green loyalty found among green products customers. Data were obtained from 155 green products customers. Structural equation modeling was used in order to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings show that green image, green trust and green satisfaction has positive effects to green loyalty. But green perceived risk has negative effects to green image, green trust and green satisfaction. However, green perceived risk, green image, green trust and green satisfaction also seems to be a good device to gain green products customers from competitors. The contributions of the paper are, firstly, a more complete framework of the influences of green perceived risk, green image, green trust and green satisfaction to green loyalty analyses simultaneously. Secondly, the study allows a direct comparison of the difference in green perceived risk, green image, green trust, green satisfaction and green loyalty between green products customers.
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Malachite green interferes with postantibiotic recovery of mycobacteria.
Gelman, Ekaterina; McKinney, John D; Dhar, Neeraj
2012-07-01
The genus Mycobacterium comprises slow-growing species with generation times ranging from hours to weeks. The protracted incubation time before colonies appear on solid culture medium can result in overgrowth by faster-growing microorganisms. To prevent contamination, the solid media used in laboratories and clinics for cultivation of mycobacteria contain the arylmethane compound malachite green, which has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Malachite green has no impact on the plating efficiency of mycobacteria when cells are grown under normal conditions. However, we found that malachite green interfered with colony formation when bacteria were preexposed to antibiotics targeting cell wall biogenesis (isoniazid, ethionamide, ethambutol). This inhibitory effect of malachite green was not observed when bacteria were preexposed to antibiotics targeting cellular processes other than cell wall biogenesis (rifampin, moxifloxacin, streptomycin). Sputum specimens from tuberculosis patients are routinely evaluated on solid culture medium containing high concentrations of malachite green. This practice could lead to underestimation of bacterial loads and overestimation of chemotherapeutic efficacy.
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Malachite Green Interferes with Postantibiotic Recovery of Mycobacteria
Gelman, Ekaterina; McKinney, John D.
2012-01-01
The genus Mycobacterium comprises slow-growing species with generation times ranging from hours to weeks. The protracted incubation time before colonies appear on solid culture medium can result in overgrowth by faster-growing microorganisms. To prevent contamination, the solid media used in laboratories and clinics for cultivation of mycobacteria contain the arylmethane compound malachite green, which has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Malachite green has no impact on the plating efficiency of mycobacteria when cells are grown under normal conditions. However, we found that malachite green interfered with colony formation when bacteria were preexposed to antibiotics targeting cell wall biogenesis (isoniazid, ethionamide, ethambutol). This inhibitory effect of malachite green was not observed when bacteria were preexposed to antibiotics targeting cellular processes other than cell wall biogenesis (rifampin, moxifloxacin, streptomycin). Sputum specimens from tuberculosis patients are routinely evaluated on solid culture medium containing high concentrations of malachite green. This practice could lead to underestimation of bacterial loads and overestimation of chemotherapeutic efficacy. PMID:22526306
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Compensation for red-green contrast loss in anomalous trichromats
Boehm, A. E.; MacLeod, D. I. A.; Bosten, J. M.
2014-01-01
For anomalous trichromats, threshold contrasts for color differences captured by the L and M cones and their anomalous analogs are much higher than for normal trichromats. The greater spectral overlap of the cone sensitivities reduces chromatic contrast both at and above threshold. But above threshold, adaptively nonlinear processing might compensate for the chromatically impoverished photoreceptor inputs. Ratios of sensitivity for threshold variations and for color appearance along the two cardinal axes of MacLeod-Boynton chromaticity space were calculated for three groups: normals (N = 15), deuteranomals (N = 9), and protanomals (N = 5). Using a four-alternative forced choice (4AFC) task, threshold sensitivity was measured in four color-directions along the two cardinal axes. For the same participants, we reconstructed perceptual color spaces for the positions of 25 hues using multidimensional scaling (MDS). From the reconstructed color spaces we extracted “color difference ratios,” defined as ratios for the size of perceived color differences along the L/(L + M) axis relative to those along the S/(L + M) axis, analogous to “sensitivity ratios” extracted from the 4AFC task. In the 4AFC task, sensitivity ratios were 38% of normal for deuteranomals and 19% of normal for protanomals. Yet, in the MDS results, color difference ratios were 86% of normal for deuteranomals and 67% of normal for protanomals. Thus, the contraction along the L/(L + M) axis shown in the perceptual color spaces of anomalous trichromats is far smaller than predicted by their reduced sensitivity, suggesting that an adaptive adjustment of postreceptoral gain may magnify the cone signals of anomalous trichromats to exploit the range of available postreceptoral neural signals. PMID:25413625
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Emilda, A S; Veri, Nora; Alchalidi, Alchalidi
2017-01-01
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of green tea (GT) on the spiral artery density and endometrial thickness in female rats treated with the depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). A total of 24 female rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6 each): The control group (no treatment), the DMPA-treated group, treated with DMPA and GT doses of 165 mg/kg of body weight/day, and treated with DMPA and GT doses of 330 mg/kg of body weight/day. Spiral artery density and endometrial thickness were subjected to histopathological analysis. Spiral artery density decreased in the DMPA-treated group, despite the insignificant difference ( P > 0.05). With regard to the administration of GT at doses of 165 and 330 mg/g of body weight/day, only GT at the high dose was capable of significantly preventing a decrease in spiral artery density ( P < 0.05). At this dose, the spiral arteries achieved a density comparable to that of the control group ( P > 0.05). Meanwhile, the administration of DMPA and/or DMPA with GT did not cause significant changes in endometrial thickness relative to the control group ( P > 0.05). DMPA induced a decrease in spiral artery density, despite the insignificant differences, and these changes could be normalized by the administration of high doses of GT. Therefore, GT could be a candidate herb to prevent the adverse effects of the contraceptive DMPA.
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Applying remote sensing measurements of phenology to southern California vegetation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Willis, K. S.; Gillespie, T. W.
2012-12-01
Monitoring vegetation phenology can be used to assess the impacts of climate change on a localized region. This study aims to determine the most applicable remote sensing method for monitoring phenological changes in the largest urban National Park in the US: the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California. This is achieved by comparing the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), considered applicable to Mediterranean-type ecosystems due to the low amount of greenness present in the vegetation, with relative spectral mixture analysis (RMSA). RMSA is a technique developed to measure temporal changes in green vegetation (GV), nonphotosynthetic vegetation plus litter (NPV), and snow cover designed for the south-central US. This study analyzes areas of natural vegetation in the Santa Monica Mountains using MODIS imagery by comparing GV and NPV indices derived from RMSA with the classic NDVI. The phenological transition dates of focus here include: (1) greenup, the date of onset of photosynthetic activity; (2) maturity, the date at which plant green leaf area is maximum; (3) senescence, the date at which photosynthetic activity and green leaf area begin to rapidly decrease; (4) dormancy, the date at which physiological activity becomes near zero. Overall, this study tests the application of RMSA to a new environment, compares these results to those derived from NDVI, and provides insight regarding the impacts of climate change on southern California phenological cycles.
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Consistent response of vegetation dynamics to recent climate change in tropical mountain regions.
Krishnaswamy, Jagdish; John, Robert; Joseph, Shijo
2014-01-01
Global climate change has emerged as a major driver of ecosystem change. Here, we present evidence for globally consistent responses in vegetation dynamics to recent climate change in the world's mountain ecosystems located in the pan-tropical belt (30°N-30°S). We analyzed decadal-scale trends and seasonal cycles of vegetation greenness using monthly time series of satellite greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and climate data for the period 1982-2006 for 47 mountain protected areas in five biodiversity hotspots. The time series of annual maximum NDVI for each of five continental regions shows mild greening trends followed by reversal to stronger browning trends around the mid-1990s. During the same period we found increasing trends in temperature but only marginal change in precipitation. The amplitude of the annual greenness cycle increased with time, and was strongly associated with the observed increase in temperature amplitude. We applied dynamic models with time-dependent regression parameters to study the time evolution of NDVI-climate relationships. We found that the relationship between vegetation greenness and temperature weakened over time or was negative. Such loss of positive temperature sensitivity has been documented in other regions as a response to temperature-induced moisture stress. We also used dynamic models to extract the trends in vegetation greenness that remain after accounting for the effects of temperature and precipitation. We found residual browning and greening trends in all regions, which indicate that factors other than temperature and precipitation also influence vegetation dynamics. Browning rates became progressively weaker with increase in elevation as indicated by quantile regression models. Tropical mountain vegetation is considered sensitive to climatic changes, so these consistent vegetation responses across widespread regions indicate persistent global-scale effects of climate warming and associated moisture stresses. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Observed long-term greening of alpine vegetation—a case study in the French Alps
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Carlson, Bradley Z.; Corona, Monica C.; Dentant, Cédric; Bonet, Richard; Thuiller, Wilfried; Choler, Philippe
2017-11-01
We combined imagery from multiple sources (MODIS, Landsat-5, 7, 8) with land cover data to test for long-term (1984-2015) greening or browning trends of vegetation in a temperate alpine area, the Ecrins National Park, in the context of recent climate change and domestic grazing practices. We showed that over half (56%) of the Ecrins National Park displayed significant increases in peak normalized difference vegetation index (NDVImax) over the last 16 years (2000-2015). Importantly, the highest proportional increases in NDVImax occurred in rocky habitats at high elevations (> 2500 m a.s.l.). While spatial agreement in the direction of change in NDVImax as detected by MODIS and Landsat was high (76% overlap), correlations between log-response ratio values were of moderate strength (approx. 0.3). In the context of above treeline habitats, we found that proportional increases in NDVImax were higher between 1984 and 2000 than between 2000 and 2015, suggesting a slowing of greening dynamics during the recent decade. The timing of accelerated greening prior to 2000 coincided with a pronounced increase in the amount of snow-free growing degree-days that occurred during the 1980s and 1990s. In the case of grasslands and low-shrub habitats, we did not find evidence for a negative effect of grazing on greening trends, possibly due to the low grazing intensity typically found in the study area. We propose that the emergence of a longer and warmer growing season enabled high-elevation plant communities to produce more biomass, and also allowed for plant colonization of habitats previously characterized by long-lasting snow cover. Increasing plant productivity in an alpine context has potential implications for biodiversity trajectories and for ecosystem services in mountain landscapes. The presented evidence for long-term greening trends in a representative region of the European Alps provides the basis for further research on mechanisms of greening in alpine landscapes.
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Review of rare earth element concentrations in oil shales of the Eocene Green River Formation
Birdwell, Justin E.
2012-01-01
Concentrations of the lanthanide series or rare earth elements and yttrium were determined for lacustrine oil shale samples from the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin of Colorado and the Uinta Basin of Utah. Unprocessed oil shale, post-pyrolysis (spent) shale, and leached shale samples were examined to determine if oil-shale processing to generate oil or the remediation of retorted shale affects rare earth element concentrations. Results for unprocessed Green River oil shale samples were compared to data published in the literature on reference materials, such as chondritic meteorites, the North American shale composite, marine oil shale samples from two sites in northern Tibet, and mined rare earth element ores from the United States and China. The Green River oil shales had lower rare earth element concentrations (66.3 to 141.3 micrograms per gram, μg g-1) than are typical of material in the upper crust (approximately 170 μg g-1) and were also lower in rare earth elements relative to the North American shale composite (approximately 165 μg g-1). Adjusting for dilution of rare earth elements by organic matter does not account for the total difference between the oil shales and other crustal rocks. Europium anomalies for Green River oil shales from the Piceance Basin were slightly lower than those reported for the North American shale composite and upper crust. When compared to ores currently mined for rare earth elements, the concentrations in Green River oil shales are several orders of magnitude lower. Retorting Green River oil shales led to a slight enrichment of rare earth elements due to removal of organic matter. When concentrations in spent and leached samples were normalized to an original rock basis, concentrations were comparable to those of the raw shale, indicating that rare earth elements are conserved in processed oil shales.
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PERMEABLE PARKING: A GREEN APPROACH TO MANAGING WATER RUNOFF AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. FRANCIS
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Feng, Jieling; Li, Ning; Zhang, Zhengtao; Chen, Xi
2017-08-15
Vegetation phenology changes have been widely applied in the disaster risk assessments of the spring dust storms, and vegetation green-up date shifts have a strong influence on dust storms. However, the effect of earlier vegetation green-up dates due to climate warming on the evaluation of dust storms return periods remains an important, but poorly understood issue. In this study, we evaluate the spring dust storm return period (February to June) in Inner Mongolia, Northern China, using 165 observations of severe spring dust storm events from 16 weather stations, and regional vegetation green-up dates as an integrated factor from NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), covering a period from 1982 to 2007, by building the bivariate Copula model. We found that the joint return period showed better fitting results than without considering the integrated factor when the actual dust storm return period is longer than 2years. Also, for extremely severe dust storm events, the gap between simulation result and actual return period can be narrowed up to 0.4888years by using integrated factor. Furthermore, the risk map based on the return period results shows that the Mandula, Zhurihe, Sunitezuoqi, Narenbaolige stations are identified as high risk areas. In this study area, land surface is extensively covered by grasses and shrubs, vegetation green-up date can play a significant role in restraining spring dust storm outbreaks. Therefore, we suggest that Copula method can become a useful tool for joint return period evaluation and risk analysis of severe dust storms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Attribution of trends in global vegetation greenness from 1982 to 2011
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhu, Z.; Xu, L.; Bi, J.; Myneni, R.; Knyazikhin, Y.
2012-12-01
Time series of remotely sensed vegetation indices data provide evidence of changes in terrestrial vegetation activity over the past decades in the world. However, it is difficult to attribute cause-and-effect to vegetation trends because variations in vegetation productivity are driven by various factors. This study investigated changes in global vegetation productivity first, and then attributed the global natural vegetation with greening trend. Growing season integrated normalized difference vegetation index (GSI NDVI) derived from the new GIMMS NDVI3g dataset (1982-2011was analyzed. A combined time series analysis model, which was developed from simper linear trend model (SLT), autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) and Vogelsang's t-PST model shows that productivity of all vegetation types except deciduous broadleaf forest predominantly showed increasing trends through the 30-year period. The evolution of changes in productivity in the last decade was also investigated. Area of greening vegetation monotonically increased through the last decade, and both the browning and no change area monotonically decreased. To attribute the predominant increase trend of productivity of global natural vegetation, trends of eight climate time series datasets (three temperature, three precipitation and two radiation datasets) were analyzed. The attribution of trends in global vegetation greenness was summarized as relaxation of climatic constraints, fertilization and other unknown reasons. Result shows that nearly all the productivity increase of global natural vegetation was driven by relaxation of climatic constraints and fertilization, which play equally important role in driving global vegetation greenness.; Area fraction and productivity change fraction of IGBP vegetation land cover classes showing statistically significant (10% level) trend in GSI NDVIt;
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Sakuraba, Yasuhito; Lee, Sang-Hwa; Kim, Ye-Sol; Park, Ohkmae K.; Hörtensteiner, Stefan; Paek, Nam-Chon
2014-01-01
Plant autophagy, one of the essential proteolysis systems, balances proteome and nutrient levels in cells of the whole plant. Autophagy has been studied by analysing Arabidopsis thaliana autophagy-defective atg mutants, but the relationship between autophagy and chlorophyll (Chl) breakdown during stress-induced leaf yellowing remains unclear. During natural senescence or under abiotic-stress conditions, extensive cell death and early yellowing occurs in the leaves of atg mutants. A new finding is revealed that atg5 and atg7 mutants exhibit a functional stay-green phenotype under mild abiotic-stress conditions, but leaf yellowing proceeds normally in wild-type leaves under these conditions. Under mild salt stress, atg5 leaves retained high levels of Chls and all photosystem proteins and maintained a normal chloroplast structure. Furthermore, a double mutant of atg5 and non-functional stay-green nonyellowing1-1 (atg5 nye1-1) showed a much stronger stay-green phenotype than either single mutant. Taking these results together, it is proposed that autophagy functions in the non-selective catabolism of Chls and photosynthetic proteins during stress-induced leaf yellowing, in addition to the selective degradation of Chl–apoprotein complexes in the chloroplasts through the senescence-induced STAY-GREEN1/NYE1 and Chl catabolic enzymes. PMID:24510943
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Plant establishment on unirrigated green roof modules in a subtropical climate
Dvorak, Bruce D.; Volder, Astrid
2012-01-01
Background and aims The application of green roof technology has become more common in the central, northwestern and eastern USA, and is now being employed across the southern USA as well. However, there is little research in the literature that evaluated plant survival on unirrigated green roofs in subtropical climates that experience frequent drought and heat stress. Here, we summarize the results of a study of plant establishment on a modular green roof in south-central Texas. Methodology Fifteen plant species were field tested in 11.4-cm-deep green roof modules on a four-storey building in College Station, Texas, with irrigation limited to the first several weeks of establishment. Climate data, plant growth and species survival were measured over three growing seasons. Principal results Four species survived growing seasons without any losses: Graptopetalum paraguayense, Malephora lutea, Manfreda maculosa and Phemeranthus calycinus. Six species experienced varying levels of mortality: Bulbine frutescens, Delosperma cooperi, Lampranthus spectabilis, Sedum kamtschaticum, Sedum mexicanum and Nassella tenuissima. Five species had no survivors: Dichondra argentea, Stemodia lanata, Myoporum parvifolium, Sedum moranense and Sedum tetractinum. Conclusions The establishment and survival of several plant species without any mortality suggests that irrigation limited to the first few weeks after planting may be an effective approach on green roofs in spite of the more challenging climatic conditions in the southern USA. Since the climate in south-central Texas had been consistently drier and warmer than normal during the study period, longer-term research on these species is recommended to expand knowledge of establishment requirements for these species under a wider range of conditions, including wetter than normal years.
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Verstegen, Marco J T; Tummers, Quirijn R J G; Schutte, Pieter J; Pereira, Alberto M; van Furth, Wouter R; van de Velde, Cornelis J H; Malessy, Martijn J A; Vahrmeijer, Alexander L
2016-09-01
The intraoperative distinction between normal and abnormal pituitary tissue is crucial during pituitary adenoma surgery to obtain a complete tumor resection while preserving endocrine function. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging is a technique to intraoperatively visualize tumors by using indocyanine green (ICG), a contrast agent allowing visualization of differences in tissue vascularization. Although NIR fluorescence imaging has been described in pituitary surgery, it has, in contrast to other surgical areas, never become widely used. To evaluate NIR fluorescence imaging in pituitary surgery, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and to assess the additional value of resecting adenoma tissue under NIR fluorescence guidance. We included 10 patients planned to undergo transnasal transsphenoidal selective adenomectomy. Patients received multiple intravenous administrations of 5 mg ICG, up to a maximum of 15 mg per patient. Endoscopic NIR fluorescence imaging was performed at multiple points in time. The NIR fluorescent signal in both the adenoma and pituitary gland was obtained, and the fluorescence contrast ratio was assessed. Four patients had Cushing disease, 1 had acromegaly, and 1 had a prolactinoma. Four patients had a nonfunctioning macroadenoma. In 9 of 10 patients with a histologically proven pituitary adenoma, the normal pituitary gland showed a stronger fluorescent signal than the adenoma. A fluorescence contrast ratio of normal pituitary gland to adenoma of 1.5 ± 0.2 was obtained. In 2 patients; adenoma resection was actually performed under NIR fluorescence guidance instead of under white light. NIR fluorescence imaging can easily and safely be implemented in pituitary surgery. The timing of ICG administration is important for optimal results and warrants further study. It appears that injection of ICG can best be postponed until some part of the normal pituitary gland is identified. Subsequent repeated low-dose ICG administrations improved the distinction between adenoma and gland.
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Huang, Wen; Deng, Yun; Dong, Wei; Yuan, Wuzhou; Wan, Yongqi; Mo, Xiaoyan; Li, Yongqing; Wang, Zequn; Wang, Yuequn; Ocorr, Karen; Zhang, Bo; Lin, Shuo; Wu, Xiushan
2011-02-01
In order to study the impalpable effect of GFP in homozygous heart-specific GFP-positive zebrafish during the early stage, the researchers analyzed the heart function of morphology and physiology at the first 3 days after fertilization. This zebrafish line was produced by a large-scale Tol2 transposon mediated enhancer trap screen that generated a transgenic zebrafish with a heart-specific expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged under control of the nppa enhancer. In situ hybridization experiments showed that the nppa:GFP line faithfully recapitulated both the spatial and temporal expressions of the endogenous nppa. Green fluorescence was intensively and specifically expressed in the myocardial cells located both in the heart chambers and in the atrioventricular canal. The embryonic heart of nppa:GFP line developed normally compared with those in the wild type. There was no difference between the nappa:GFP and wild type lines with respect to heart rate, overall size, ejection volume, and fractional shortening. Thus the excess expression of GFP in this transgenic line seemed to exert no detrimental effects on zebrafish hearts during the early stages.
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Design of a smart, survivable sensor system for rapid transit applications
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Hogan, J.R.; Mitchell, J.L.
1994-08-01
An application of smart sensor technology developed by Sandia National Laboratories has been proposed for real-time monitoring and tracking in the transportation industry. Its primary purpose is to reduce operating costs by improving preventative maintenance scheduling, reducing the number, severity and consequence of accidents and by reducing losses due to theft. The concept uses a strap-on sensor package, the Green Box, that can be attached to any vehicle. The Green Box is designed as a valued-added component, integrated into existing transportation industry systems and standards. The device, designed to provide advanced warning of component failures, would be capable of survivingmore » most typical accidents. In an accident, the system would send a distress signal notifying authorities of the location and condition of the cargo; permitting them to respond in the most effective manner. In addition, the Green Box is adaptable for use as a notification/locator system to enhance the security of operators and passengers for various modes of public transportation. The modular architecture which facilitates system integration in a number of different applications is discussed. A test plan for evaluating performance in both normal and abnormal operating and accident conditions is described.« less
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Endoscopic near-infrared dental imaging with indocyanine green: a pilot study.
Li, Zhongqiang; Yao, Shaomian; Xu, Jian; Wu, Ye; Li, Chunhong; He, Ziying
2018-06-01
Current dental diagnosis, especially tooth abnormalities, relies largely on X-ray-based imaging, a technique that requires specialized skills and suffers from ionizing radiation. Here, we present a pilot study in rats of an efficient, ionizing-radiation-free and easy-to-use alternative for dental imaging. Postnatal rats at different ages were injected with indocyanine green and molars were imaged by a laboratory-designed endoscopic near-infrared (NIR) dental imaging system. The results indicate that the endoscopic NIR dental imaging can be used to observe the morphology of postnatal rat molars, especially at early postnatal stages when morphology of the molar is indistinguishable under visible conditions. A small abnormal cusp was observed and distinguished from the normal cusps by the NIR dental imaging system. Dental structures, such as unerupted molars, can be imaged as soon as 10 min after the injection of indocyanine green; imaging after 24 h shows improved imaging contrast. Overall, the endoscopic NIR fluorescence dental imaging system described here may be useful in dental research; this technique may serve as a safe, real-time imaging tool for dental diagnosis and treatment beyond experimental systems in the future. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.
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Mycelial antineoplastic activity of Agaricus blazei.
Bertéli, Míria Benetati Delgado; Umeo, Suzana Harue; Bertéli, André; do Valle, Juliana Silveira; Linde, Giani Andrea; Colauto, Nelson Barros
2014-08-01
Basidiocarp of Agaricus blazei (=Agaricus brasiliensis; =Agaricus subrufescens) is used as teas or capsules due to its antineoplastic effect but there are few reports of using mycelium for this purpose. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antineoplastic activity on sarcoma 180 cells implanted in mice of two forms of preparation of the mycelium from two A. blazei strains grown in culture medium with different concentrations of isolated soy protein. Mycelia were grown in Pontecorvo medium with different concentrations of isolated soybean protein (ISP). Mycelial hot water extract, moistened mycelial powder, hot water extract of green tea, Ifosfamida(®) (ifosfamide drug), and saline solution were administered daily by gavage in mice with sarcoma 180 cells to evaluate antineoplastic activity. It was concluded that antineoplastic activity was the same for both strains, except when used as moistened mycelial powder, which rules out the use of mycelial powder in capsules. Mycelial hot water extract had high antineoplastic activity with lower metabolic demand on the spleen and maintenance of normal blood parameters. Mycelial growth in different ISP concentrations had the same antineoplastic activity. Also the vegetative mycelium was as effective as the basidiocarp for sarcoma 180 tumor inhibition. Green tea was as effective as mycelial hot water extract.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Outten, S.; Miles, V.; Ezau, I.
2015-12-01
Changes in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the high Arctic have been reliably documented, with widespread "greening" (increase in NDVI), specifically along the northern rim of Eurasia and Alaska. Whereas in West Siberia south of 65N, widespread "browning" (decrease in NDVI) has been noted, although the causes remain largely unclear. In this study we report results of statistical analysis of the spatial and temporal changes in NDVI around 28 major urban areas in the arctic and subarctic Western Siberia. Exploration and exploitation of oil and gas reserves has led to rapid industrialization and urban development in the region. This development has significant impact on the environment and particularly in the vegetation cover in and around the urbanized areas. The analysis is based on 15 years (2000-2014) of high-resolution (250 m) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data acquired for summer months (June through August) over the entire arctic and subarctic Western Siberian region. The analysis shows that the NDVI background trends are generally in agreement with the trends reported in previous coarse-resolution NDVI studies. Our study reveals greening over the arctic (tundra and tundra-forest) part of the region. Simultaneously, the southern (boreal taiga forest) part is browning, with the more densely vegetation areas or areas with highest NDVI, particularly along Ob River showing strong negative trend. The unexpected and interesting finding of the study is statistically robust indication of the accelerated increase of NDVI ("greening") in the older urban areas. Many Siberian cities become greener even against the decrease in the NDVI background. Moreover, interannual variations of urban NDVI are not coherent with the NDVI background variability. We also find that in tundra zones, NDVI values are higher in a 5-10 km buffer zone around the city edge than in rural areas (40 km distance from the city edge), and in taiga in a 5-10 km buffer zone NDVI value are lower compare with rural zone. We speculate that the observed "greening" or "browning" around urban areas could be caused by the vegetation cover response to the anthropogenic urban heat island (UHI) effect. The general regional trend is amplified in very close proximity to the urban areas, possibly due to UHI effect.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Weil, Gilad; Lensky, Itamar M.; Levin, Noam
2017-10-01
The spectral reflectance of most plant species is quite similar, and thus the feasibility of identifying most plant species based on single date multispectral data is very low. Seasonal phenological patterns of plant species may enable to face the challenge of using remote sensing for mapping plant species at the individual level. We used a consumer-grade digital camera with near infra-red capabilities in order to extract and quantify vegetation phenological information in four East Mediterranean sites. After illumination corrections and other noise reduction steps, the phenological patterns of 1839 individuals representing 12 common species were analyzed, including evergreen trees, winter deciduous trees, semi-deciduous summer shrubs and annual herbaceous patches. Five vegetation indices were used to describe the phenology: relative green and red (green/red chromatic coordinate), excess green (ExG), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and green-red vegetation index (GRVI). We found significant differences between the phenology of the various species, and defined the main phenological groups using agglomerative hierarchical clustering. Differences between species and sites regarding the start of season (SOS), maximum of season (MOS) and end of season (EOS) were displayed in detail, using ExG values, as this index was found to have the lowest percentage of outliers. An additional visible band spectral index (relative red) was found as useful for characterizing seasonal phenology, and had the lowest correlation with the other four vegetation indices, which are more sensitive to greenness. We used a linear mixed model in order to evaluate the influences of various factors on the phenology, and found that unlike the significant effect of species and individuals on SOS, MOS and EOS, the sites' location did not have a direct significant effect on the timing of phenological events. In conclusion, the relative advantage of the proposed methodology is the exploitation of representative temporal information that is collected with accessible and simple devices, for the subsequent determination of optimal temporal acquisition of images by overhead sensors, for vegetation mapping over larger areas.
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Pieknik, Julianna R.; Tang, Shuang
2018-01-01
Fluorescent herpes simplex viruses (HSV) are invaluable tools for localizing virus in cells, permitting visualization of capsid trafficking and enhancing neuroanatomical research. Fluorescent viruses can also be used to study virus kinetics and reactivation in vivo. Such studies would be facilitated by fluorescent herpes simplex virus recombinants that exhibit wild-type kinetics of replication and reactivation and that are genetically stable. We engineered an HSV-2 strain expressing the fluorescent mNeonGreen protein as a fusion with the VP26 capsid protein. This virus has normal replication and in vivo recurrence phenotypes, providing an essential improved tool for further study of HSV-2 infection. PMID:29738431
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Utility of indocyanine green videoangiography in subcortical arteriovenous malformation resection.
Rustemi, Oriela; Scienza, Renato; Della Puppa, Alessandro
2017-07-01
Subcortical arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are surgically challenging. Localization is crucial for eloquent areas, and complete resection evaluation is uncertain. Indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA) can assist this surgery. An illustrative video of a subcortical frontoparietal bleeding AVM resection assisted by ICG-VA is presented. A bleeding arterial feeder aneurysm was embolized in the acute phase to protect against rebleeding. ICG-VA helped to detect the AVM's superficial arterialized draining vein, distinguishing it from normal cortical veins. This enabled a customized sulcus approach. ICG-VA showed normalized flow through the previously arterialized vein, confirming the AVM's complete resection. This applies when there is a single drainage remaining. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/L7yJEE66kV0 .
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Investigating Green: Creating Surveys to Answer Questions
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Farenga, Stephen; Joyce, Beverly A.; Ness, Daniel
2010-01-01
Being green means different things to different people. Some suggest that being green means saving energy, not wasting paper towels, going solar, harnessing wind, using less fertilizer, or buying products that are organically grown. Given that being green can mean a lot of things, what does "being green" or "going green" mean to both you and your…
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Jinxiu; Heiskanen, Janne; Aynekuly, Ermias; Pellikka, Petri
2016-04-01
Tree crown cover (CC) is an important vegetation attribute for land cover characterization, and for mapping and monitoring forest cover. Free data from Landsat and Sentinel-2 allow construction of fine resolution satellite image time series and extraction of seasonal features for predicting vegetation attributes. In the savannas, surface reflectance vary distinctively according to the rainy and dry seasons, and seasonal features are useful information for CC mapping. However, it is unclear if it is better to use spectral bands or vegetation indices (VI) for computation of seasonal features, and how feasible different VI are for CC prediction in the savanna woodlands and agroforestry parklands of West Africa. In this study, the objective was to compare seasonal features based on spectral bands and VI for CC mapping in southern Burkina Faso. A total of 35 Landsat images from November 2013 to October 2014 were processed. Seasonal features were computed using a harmonic model with three parameters (mean, amplitude and phase), and spectral bands, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI), normalized difference water index (NDWI), tasseled cap (TC) indices (brightness, greenness, wetness) as input data. The seasonal features were employed to predict field estimated CC (n = 160) using Random Forest algorithm. The most accurate results were achieved when using seasonal features based on TC indices (R2: 0.65; RMSE: 10.7%) and spectral bands (R2: 0.64; RMSE: 10.8%). GNDVI performed better than NDVI or NDWI, and NDWI resulted in the poorest results (R2: 0.56; RMSE: 11.9%). The results indicate that spectral features should be carefully selected for CC prediction as shown by relatively poor performance of commonly used NDVI. The seasonal features based on three TC indices and all the spectral bands provided superior accuracy in comparison to single VI. The method presented in this study provides a feasible method to map CC based on seasonal features with possibility to integrate medium resolution satellite observation from several sensors (e.g. Landsat and Sentinel-2) in the future.
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Possible causes of Arctic Tundra Vegetation Productivity Declines
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bhatt, U. S.; Walker, D. A.; Raynolds, M. K.; Bieniek, P.; Epstein, H. E.; Comiso, J. C.; Pinzon, J. E.; Tucker, C. J.
2017-12-01
Three decades of remotely sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data document an overall increase in Arctic tundra vegetation greenness but the trends display considerable spatial variability. Pan-Arctic tundra vegetation greening is associated with increases in summer warmth that are, in large-part, driven by summer sea-ice retreat along Arctic coasts. Trends covering the period 1982-2016 are overall positive for summer open water, Summer Warmth Index (SWI, the sum of the degree months above zero from May-August), MaxNDVI (peak NDVI) and time integrated NDVI (TI-NDVI, sum of biweekly NDVI above 0.05 from May-September). Upon closer examination, it is clear that not all regions have positive trends, for example, there is an area of cooling in western Eurasia, which is broadly co-located with maxNDVI and TI-NDVI declines. While sea ice decline has continued over the satellite record, summer landsurface temperatures and vegetation productivity measures have not simply increased. Regional differences between warming and greening trends suggest that it is likely that multiple processes influence vegetation productivity beyond secular greening with increased summer warmth. This paper will present Pan-Arctic and regional analyses of the NDVI data in the context of climate drivers. Other possible drivers of vegetation productivity decline will be discussed such as increased standing water, delayed spring snow-melt, and winter thaw events. The status and limitations of data sets and modeling needed to advance our understanding of tundra vegetation productivity will be summarized and will serve as a starting point for planning the next steps in this topic. Methodical multi-disciplinary synthesis research that jointly considers vegetation type, permafrost conditions, altitude, as well as climate factors such as temperature, heat and moisture transport, and timing of snowfall and spring snowmelt is needed to better understand recent tundra vegetation productivity declines.
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Green roof systems: a study of public attitudes and preferences in southern Spain.
Fernandez-Cañero, Rafael; Emilsson, Tobias; Fernandez-Barba, Carolina; Herrera Machuca, Miguel Ángel
2013-10-15
This study investigates people's preconceptions of green roofs and their visual preference for different green roof design alternatives in relation to behavioral, social and demographical variables. The investigation was performed as a visual preference study using digital images created to represent eight different alternatives: gravel roof, extensive green roof with Sedums not in flower, extensive green roof with sedums in bloom, semi-intensive green roof with sedums and ornamental grasses, semi-intensive green roof with shrubs, intensive green roof planted with a lawn, intensive green roof with succulent and trees and intensive green roof with shrubs and trees. Using a Likert-type scale, 450 respondents were asked to indicate their preference for each digital image. Results indicated that respondents' sociodemographic characteristics and childhood environmental background influenced their preferences toward different green roof types. Results also showed that green roofs with a more careful design, greater variety of vegetation structure, and more variety of colors were preferred over alternatives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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An investigation of surface albedo variations during the recent sahel drought. [ats 3 observations
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Norton, C. C.; Mosher, F. R.; Hinton, B.
1978-01-01
Applications Technology Satellite 3 green sensor data were used to measure surface reflectance variations in the Sahara/Sahel during the recent drought period; 1967 to 1974. The magnitude of the seasonal reflectance change is shown to be as much as 80% for years of normal precipitation and less than 50% for drought years. Year to year comparisons during both wet and dry seasons reveal the existence of a surface reflectance cycle coincident with the drought intensity. The relationship between the green reflectance and solar albedo is examined and estimated to be about 0.6 times the reflectance change observed by the green channel.
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Summer Student Breast Cancer Research Training Program
2005-05-01
screen of phytonutrients, the green tea compoutid.. EGCG ((-)- Butyrate, a normal constituent of the colonic luminal contents, has been epigallocatechin -3... gallate ) was the best caindidate. " EGCG has been i hypothesized that butyrate may inhibit the invasion of tumor calls. The linked to i’reduced risk of...34’ histories and strategies for increasing access for women in biochemistry. The Green Tea Compound EGCG Regulates Wnt Signaling through This year’s
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Mysterud, Atle; Vike, Brit Karen; Meisingset, Erling L; Rivrud, Inger Maren
2017-06-01
Large herbivores gain nutritional benefits from following the sequential flush of newly emergent, high-quality forage along environmental gradients in the landscape, termed green wave surfing. Which landscape characteristics underlie the environmental gradient causing the green wave and to what extent landscape characteristics alone explain individual variation in nutritional benefits remain unresolved questions. Here, we combine GPS data from 346 red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) from four partially migratory populations in Norway with the satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), an index of plant phenology. We quantify whether migratory deer had access to higher quality forage than resident deer, how landscape characteristics within summer home ranges affected nutritional benefits, and whether differences in landscape characteristics could explain differences in nutritional gain between migratory and resident deer. We found that migratory red deer gained access to higher quality forage than resident deer but that this difference persisted even after controlling for landscape characteristics within the summer home ranges. There was a positive effect of elevation on access to high-quality forage, but only for migratory deer. We discuss how the landscape an ungulate inhabits may determine its responses to plant phenology and also highlight how individual behavior may influence nutritional gain beyond the effect of landscape.
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Soybean varieties discrimination using non-imaging hyperspectral sensor
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
da Silva Junior, Carlos Antonio; Nanni, Marcos Rafael; Shakir, Muhammad; Teodoro, Paulo Eduardo; de Oliveira-Júnior, José Francisco; Cezar, Everson; de Gois, Givanildo; Lima, Mendelson; Wojciechowski, Julio Cesar; Shiratsuchi, Luciano Shozo
2018-03-01
Infrared region of electromagnetic spectrum has remarkable applications in crop studies. Infrared along with Red band has been used to develop certain vegetation indices. These indices like NDVI, EVI provide important information on any crop physiological stages. The main objective of this research was to discriminate 4 different soybean varieties (BMX Potência, NA5909, FT Campo Mourão and Don Mario) using non-imaging hyperspectral sensor. The study was conducted in four agricultural areas in the municipality of Deodápolis (MS), Brazil. For spectral analysis, 2400 field samples were taken from soybean leaves by means of FieldSpec 3 JR spectroradiometer in the range from 350 to 2500 nm. The data were evaluated through multivariate analysis with the whole set of spectral curves isolated by blue, green, red and near infrared wavelengths along with the addition of vegetation indices like (Enhanced Vegetation Index - EVI, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - NDVI, Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - GNDVI, Soil-adjusted Vegetation Index - SAVI, Transformed Vegetation Index - TVI and Optimized Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index - OSAVI). A number of the analysis performed where, discriminant (60 and 80% of the data), simulated discriminant (40 and 20% of data), principal component (PC) and cluster analysis (CA). Discriminant and simulated discriminant analyze presented satisfactory results, with average global hit rates of 99.28 and 98.77%, respectively. The results obtained by PC and CA revealed considerable associations between the evaluated variables and the varieties, which indicated that each variety has a variable that discriminates it more effectively in relation to the others. There was great variation in the sample size (number of leaves) for estimating the mean of variables. However, it was possible to observe that 200 leaves allow to obtain a maximum error of 2% in relation to the mean.
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The ability to rapidly screen a large number of individuals is the key to any successful plant breeding program. One of the primary bottlenecks in high throughput screening is the preparation of DNA samples, particularly the quantification and normalization of samples for downstream processing. A ...
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Plastid Ontogeny during Petal Development in Arabidopsis1
Pyke, Kevin A.; Page, Anton M.
1998-01-01
Imaging of chlorophyll autofluorescence by confocal microscopy in intact whole petals of Arabidopsis thaliana has been used to analyze chloroplast development and redifferentiation during petal development. Young petals dissected from unopened buds contained green chloroplasts throughout their structure, but as the upper part of the petal lamina developed and expanded, plastids lost their chlorophyll and redifferentiated into leukoplasts, resulting in a white petal blade. Normal green chloroplasts remained in the stalk of the mature petal. In epidermal cells the chloroplasts were normal and green, in stark contrast with leaf epidermal cell plastids. In addition, the majority of these chloroplasts had dumbbell shapes, typical of dividing chloroplasts, and we suggest that the rapid expansion of petal epidermal cells may be a trigger for the initiation of chloroplast division. In petals of the Arabidopsis plastid division mutant arc6, the conversion of chloroplasts into leukoplasts was unaffected in spite of the greatly enlarged size and reduced number of arc6 chloroplasts in cells in the petal base, resulting in few enlarged leukoplasts in cells from the white lamina of arc6 petals. PMID:9489024
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Green disease in optical coherence tomography diagnosis of glaucoma.
Sayed, Mohamed S; Margolis, Michael; Lee, Richard K
2017-03-01
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become an integral component of modern glaucoma practice. Utilizing color codes, OCT analysis has rendered glaucoma diagnosis and follow-up simpler and faster for the busy clinician. However, green labeling of OCT parameters suggesting normal values may confer a false sense of security, potentially leading to missed diagnoses of glaucoma and/or glaucoma progression. Conditions in which OCT color coding may be falsely negative (i.e., green disease) are identified. Early glaucoma in which retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and optic disc parameters, albeit labeled green, are asymmetric in both eyes may result in glaucoma being undetected. Progressively decreasing RNFL thickness may reveal the presence of progressive glaucoma that, because of green labeling, can be missed by the clinician. Other ocular conditions that can increase RNFL thickness can make the diagnosis of coexisting glaucoma difficult. Recently introduced progression analysis features of OCT may help detect green disease. Recognition of green disease is of paramount importance in diagnosing and treating glaucoma. Understanding the limitations of imaging technologies coupled with evaluation of serial OCT analyses, prompt clinical examination, and structure-function correlation is important to avoid missing real glaucoma requiring treatment.
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... doctor about the amount of vitamin K-rich foods to include in your diet while taking phytonadione. ... not increase or decrease your normal intake of foods such as green leafy vegetables, liver, broccoli, and ...
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Kim, Junil; Park, Sujin; An, Haein; Choi, Ji-Young; Choi, Myung-Sook; Choi, Sang-Woon; Kim, Seong-Jin
2017-09-01
Traditional medicines have been leveraged for the treatment and prevention of obesity, one of the fastest growing diseases in the world. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the effects of traditional medicine on obesity are not yet fully understood. We produced the transcriptomes of epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), liver, muscle, and hypothalamus harvested from mice fed a normal diet, high-fat-diet alone, high-fat-diet together with green tea, or a high-fat-diet together with Taeumjowitang, a traditional Korean medicine. We found tissue-specific gene expression patterns as follows: (i) the eWAT transcriptome was more significantly altered by Taeumjowitang than by green tea, (ii) the liver transcriptome was similarly altered by Taeumjowitang and green tea, and (iii) both the muscle and hypothalamus transcriptomes were more significantly altered by green tea than Taeumjowitang. We then applied integrated network analyses, which revealed that functional networks associated with lymphocyte activation were more effectively regulated by Taeumjowitang than by green tea in the eWAT. In contrast, green tea was a more effective regulator of functional networks associated with glucose metabolic processes in the eWAT. Taeumjowitang and green tea have a differential tissue-specific and pathway-specific therapeutic effect on obesity.
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Kim, Junil; Park, Sujin; An, Haein; Choi, Ji-Young; Choi, Myung-Sook; Choi, Sang-Woon; Kim, Seong-Jin
2017-01-01
Background Traditional medicines have been leveraged for the treatment and prevention of obesity, one of the fastest growing diseases in the world. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the effects of traditional medicine on obesity are not yet fully understood. Methods We produced the transcriptomes of epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), liver, muscle, and hypothalamus harvested from mice fed a normal diet, high-fat-diet alone, high-fat-diet together with green tea, or a high-fat-diet together with Taeumjowitang, a traditional Korean medicine. Results We found tissue-specific gene expression patterns as follows: (i) the eWAT transcriptome was more significantly altered by Taeumjowitang than by green tea, (ii) the liver transcriptome was similarly altered by Taeumjowitang and green tea, and (iii) both the muscle and hypothalamus transcriptomes were more significantly altered by green tea than Taeumjowitang. We then applied integrated network analyses, which revealed that functional networks associated with lymphocyte activation were more effectively regulated by Taeumjowitang than by green tea in the eWAT. In contrast, green tea was a more effective regulator of functional networks associated with glucose metabolic processes in the eWAT. Conclusions Taeumjowitang and green tea have a differential tissue-specific and pathway-specific therapeutic effect on obesity. PMID:29018779
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Immobilization of chromate in hyperalkaline waste streams by green rusts and zero-valent iron.
Rogers, Christine M; Burke, Ian T; Ahmed, Imad A M; Shaw, Samuel
2014-01-01
Zero-valent iron (ZVI) and green rusts can be used as reductants to convert chromium from soluble, highly toxic Cr(VI) to insoluble Cr(III). This study compared the reduction rates of Cr(VI) by ZVI and two carbonate green rust phases in alkaline/hyperalkaline solutions. Batch experiments were carried out with synthetic chromate solutions at pH 7.7-12.3 and a chromite ore processing residue (COPR) leachate (pH approximately 12.2). Green rust removes chromate from high pH solutions (pH 10-12.5) very rapidly (<400 s). Chromate reduction rates for both green rust phases were consistently higher than for ZVI throughout the pH range studied; the surface area normalized rate constants were two orders of magnitude higher in the COPR leachate solution at pH 12.2. The performances of both green rusts were unaffected by changes in pH. In contrast, ZVI exhibited a marked decline in reduction rate with increasing pH to become almost ineffective above pH12.
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Sonin, Dmitry; Papayan, Garry; Pochkaeva, Evgeniia; Chefu, Svetlana; Minasian, Sarkis; Kurapeev, Dmitry; Vaage, Jarle; Petrishchev, Nickolay; Galagudza, Michael
2016-01-01
The fluorophore indocyanine green accumulates in areas of ischemia-reperfusion injury due to an increase in vascular permeability and extravasation of the dye. The aim of the study was to validate an indocyanine green-based technique of in vivo visualization of myocardial infarction. A further aim was to quantify infarct size ex vivo and compare this technique with the standard triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Wistar rats were subjected to regional myocardial ischemia (30 minutes) followed by reperfusion (n = 7). Indocyanine green (0.25 mg/mL in 1 mL of normal saline) was infused intravenously for 10 minutes starting from the 25th minute of ischemia. Video registration in the near-infrared fluorescence was performed. Epicardial fluorescence of indocyanine green corresponded to the injured area after 30 minutes of reperfusion. Infarct size was similar when determined ex vivo using traditional triphenyltetrazolium chloride assay and indocyanine green fluorescent labeling. Intravital visualization of irreversible injury can be done directly by fluorescence on the surface of the heart. This technique may also be an alternative for ex vivo measurements of infarct size. PMID:28101408
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Sonin, Dmitry; Papayan, Garry; Pochkaeva, Evgeniia; Chefu, Svetlana; Minasian, Sarkis; Kurapeev, Dmitry; Vaage, Jarle; Petrishchev, Nickolay; Galagudza, Michael
2017-01-01
The fluorophore indocyanine green accumulates in areas of ischemia-reperfusion injury due to an increase in vascular permeability and extravasation of the dye. The aim of the study was to validate an indocyanine green-based technique of in vivo visualization of myocardial infarction. A further aim was to quantify infarct size ex vivo and compare this technique with the standard triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Wistar rats were subjected to regional myocardial ischemia (30 minutes) followed by reperfusion (n = 7). Indocyanine green (0.25 mg/mL in 1 mL of normal saline) was infused intravenously for 10 minutes starting from the 25th minute of ischemia. Video registration in the near-infrared fluorescence was performed. Epicardial fluorescence of indocyanine green corresponded to the injured area after 30 minutes of reperfusion. Infarct size was similar when determined ex vivo using traditional triphenyltetrazolium chloride assay and indocyanine green fluorescent labeling. Intravital visualization of irreversible injury can be done directly by fluorescence on the surface of the heart. This technique may also be an alternative for ex vivo measurements of infarct size.
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Takako, Hidaka; Hideki, Chuman; Nobuhisa, Nao-I
2017-10-01
To evaluate optic nerve head (ONH) blood flow in normal rats and a rodent model of non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (rNAION) in vivo using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG). Rats were under general anesthesia; to induce NAION, Rose Bengal (RB) was injected into the tail vein. After the administration of RB, the left ONH was photoactivated using an argon green laser. We measured ONH blood flow in the normal rats and the rNAION group (at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the induction of NAION) using an LSFG-Micro. We used the mean blur rate (MBR) of the vessel region (MV) and MBR of the tissue region (MT) as indicators of blood flow. We compared the MBR of the right and left eyes in both the normal rats and the rNAION group. In the normal rats, there were no significant differences in MV or MT between the right and left eyes. In the rNAION group, the MV and MT of the affected eyes were significantly lower than those of the unaffected eyes at all time points. There were significant differences between the left/right MV and MT ratios seen before the induction of NAION and those observed at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the induction of NAION. However, there were no significant differences in these parameters among any of post-NAION induction time points. Our results indicated that the ONH blood flow of the rNAION rats fell in the acute and chronic phases.
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Fungal Microbiomes Associated with Green and Non-Green Building Materials
Coombs, Kanistha; Vesper, Stephen; Green, Brett J.; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina
2018-01-01
Water-damaged buildings can lead to fungal growth and occupant health problems. Green building materials, derived from renewable sources, are increasingly utilized in construction and renovations. However, the question as to what fungi will grow on these green compared to non-green materials, after they get wet, has not been adequately studied. By determining what fungi grow on each type of material, the potential health risks can be more adequately assessed. In this study, we inoculated green and non-green pieces of ceiling tile, composite board, drywall, and flooring with indoor dust containing a complex mixture of naturally occurring fungi. The materials were saturated with water and incubated for two months in a controlled environment. The resulting fungal microbiomes were evaluated using ITS amplicon sequencing. Overall, the richness and diversity of the mycobiomes on each pair of green and non-green pieces were not significantly different. However, different genera dominated on each type of material. For example, Aspergillus spp. had the highest relative abundance on green and non-green ceiling tiles and green composite boards, but Peniophora spp. dominated the non-green composite board. In contrast, Penicillium spp. dominated green and non-green flooring samples. Green gypsum board was dominated by Phialophora spp. and Stachybotrys spp., but non-green gypsum board by Myrothecium spp. These data suggest that water-damaged green and non-green building materials can result in mycobiomes that are dominated by fungal genera whose member species pose different potentials for health risks. PMID:29681691
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Fungal Microbiomes Associated with Green and Non-Green Building Materials.
Coombs, Kanistha; Vesper, Stephen; Green, Brett J; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina
2017-01-01
Water-damaged buildings can lead to fungal growth and occupant health problems. Green building materials, derived from renewable sources, are increasingly utilized in construction and renovations. However, the question as to what fungi will grow on these green compared to non-green materials, after they get wet, has not been adequately studied. By determining what fungi grow on each type of material, the potential health risks can be more adequately assessed. In this study, we inoculated green and non-green pieces of ceiling tile, composite board, drywall, and flooring with indoor dust containing a complex mixture of naturally occurring fungi. The materials were saturated with water and incubated for two months in a controlled environment. The resulting fungal microbiomes were evaluated using ITS amplicon sequencing. Overall, the richness and diversity of the mycobiomes on each pair of green and non-green pieces were not significantly different. However, different genera dominated on each type of material. For example, Aspergillus spp. had the highest relative abundance on green and non-green ceiling tiles and green composite boards, but Peniophora spp. dominated the non-green composite board. In contrast, Penicillium spp. dominated green and non-green flooring samples. Green gypsum board was dominated by Phialophora spp. and Stachybotrys spp., but non-green gypsum board by Myrothecium spp. These data suggest that water-damaged green and non-green building materials can result in mycobiomes that are dominated by fungal genera whose member species pose different potentials for health risks.
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The potential role of natural tumor promoters in marine turtle fibropapillomatosis
Landsberg, Jan H.; Balazs, G.H.; Steidinger, K.A.; Baden, D.G.; Work, Thierry M.; Russel, D.J.
1999-01-01
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) in green turtles Chelonia mydas is a debilitating, neoplastic disease that has reached worldwide epizootic levels. The etiology of FP is unknown but has been linked to oncogenic viruses. Toxic benthic dinoflagellates (Prorocentrum spp.) are not typically considered tumorigenic agents, yet they have a worldwide distribution and produce a tumor promoter, okadaic acid (OA). Prorocentrum spp. are epiphytic on macroalgae and seagrasses that are normal components of green turtle diets. Here we show that green turtles in the Hawaiian Islands consume Prorocentrum and that high-risk FP areas are associated with areas where P. lima and P. concavum are both highly prevalent and abundant. The presence of presumptive OA in the tissues of Hawaiian green turtles further suggests exposure and a potential role for this tumor promoter in the etiology of FP.
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Variegation in Arum italicum leaves. A structural-functional study.
La Rocca, Nicoletta; Rascio, Nicoletta; Pupillo, Paolo
2011-12-01
The presence of pale-green flecks on leaves (speckling) is a frequent character among herbaceous species from shady places and is usually due to local loosening of palisade tissue (air space type of variegation). In the winter-green Arum italicum L. (Araceae), dark-green areas of variegated leaf blades are ca. 400 μm thick with a chlorophyll content of 1080 mg m⁻² and a palisade parenchyma consisting of a double layer of oblong cells. Pale-green areas are 25% thinner, have 26% less chlorophyll and contain a single, loose layer of short palisade cells. Full-green leaves generally present only one compact layer of cylindrical palisade cells and the same pigment content as dark-green sectors, but the leaf blade is 13% thinner. A spongy parenchyma with extensive air space is present in all leaf types. Green cells of all tissues have normal chloroplasts. Assays of photosynthetic activities by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and O₂ exchange measurements showed that variegated pale-green and dark-green sectors as well as full-green leaves have comparable photosynthetic activities on a leaf area basis at saturating illumination. However, full-green leaves require a higher saturating light with respect to variegated sectors, and pale-green sectors support relatively higher photosynthesis rates on a chlorophyll basis. We conclude that i) variegation in this species depends on number and organization of palisade cell layers and can be defined as a "variable palisade" type, and ii) the variegated habit has no limiting effects on the photosynthetic energy budget of A. italicum, consistent with the presence of variegated plants side by side to full-green ones in natural populations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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Mysterious coloring: structural origin of color mixing for two breeds of Papilio butterflies.
Diao, Ying-Ying; Liu, Xiang-Yang
2011-05-09
The structural origin of the coloration mechanisms and related extraordinary optical properties of the wing scales of two breeds of Papilio butterflies, namely, Papilio ulysses and Papilio blumei, are explored. The precise ordered biophotonic nanostructures of the wing scales are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Despite their structural similarities, the two breeds of Papilio butterflies do not exhibit any analogy in their optical performances. When illuminated with UV-Vis light, P. ulysses gives rise to two reflection peaks: one is from concavities, and the other is from ridges. These two spectral peaks shift their positions under different illumination angles (normal and 45° incident light). In contrast, the spectra for the green scales of P. blumei give one broad reflection peak, and the peak remains the same under normal and 45° incident light. The optical microscopy images indicate that the cap-shaped concavities on P. blumei's wing scales generate an abnormal bicolor reflection with a strong polarization effect. Both of these two breeds of butterflies take advantage of color mixing strategy: the blue color of P. ulysses is mixed by the colors reflected from concavities and ridges; the green color of P. blumei is produced by the biocolor reflection from concavities. The differences of their coloration mixing mechanisms and optical performances are due to the variations of their nanostructures. The investigation of the color mixing mechanisms of these biologically photonic nanostructures may offer a convenient way for fabricating optical devices based on biomimicry. © 2011 Optical Society of America
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Identification of a novel dynamic red blindness in human by event-related brain potentials.
Zhang, Jiahua; Kong, Weijia; Yang, Zhongle
2010-12-01
Dynamic color is an important carrier that takes information in some special occupations. However, up to the present, there are no available and objective tests to evaluate dynamic color processing. To investigate the characteristics of dynamic color processing, we adopted two patterns of visual stimulus called "onset-offset" which reflected static color stimuli and "sustained moving" without abrupt mode which reflected dynamic color stimuli to evoke event-related brain potentials (ERPs) in primary color amblyopia patients (abnormal group) and subjects with normal color recognition ability (normal group). ERPs were recorded by Neuroscan system. The results showed that in the normal group, ERPs in response to the dynamic red stimulus showed frontal positive amplitudes with a latency of about 180 ms, a negative peak at about 240 ms and a peak latency of the late positive potential (LPP) in a time window between 290 and 580 ms. In the abnormal group, ERPs in response to the dynamic red stimulus were fully lost and characterized by vanished amplitudes between 0 and 800 ms. No significant difference was noted in ERPs in response to the dynamic green and blue stimulus between the two groups (P>0.05). ERPs of the two groups in response to the static red, green and blue stimulus were not much different, showing a transient negative peak at about 170 ms and a peak latency of LPP in a time window between 350 and 650 ms. Our results first revealed that some subjects who were not identified as color blindness under static color recognition could not completely apperceive a sort of dynamic red stimulus by ERPs, which was called "dynamic red blindness". Furthermore, these results also indicated that low-frequency ERPs induced by "sustained moving" may be a good and new method to test dynamic color perception competence.
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Tornow, R P; Stilling, R; Zrenner, E
1999-10-01
To test the feasibility of scanning laser densitometry with a modified Rodenstock scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) to measure the rod and cone photopigment distribution in patients with retinal diseases. Scanning laser densitometry was performed using a modified Rodenstock scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The distribution of the photopigments was calculated from dark adapted and bleached images taken with the 514 nm laser of the SLO. This wavelength is absorbed by rod and cone photopigments. Discrimination is possible due to their different spatial distribution. Additionally, to measure retinal sensitivity profiles, dark adapted two color static perimetry with a Tübinger manual perimeter was performed along the horizontal meridian with 1 degree spacing. A patient with retinitis pigmentosa had slightly reduced photopigment density within the central +/- 5 degrees but no detectable photopigment for eccentricities beyond 5 degrees. A patient with cone dystrophy had nearly normal pigment density beyond +/- 5 degrees, but considerably reduced photopigment density within the central +/- 5 degrees. Within the central +/- 5 degrees, the patient with retinitis pigmentosa had normal sensitivity for the red stimulus and reduced sensitivity for the green stimulus. There was no measurable function beyond 7 degrees. The patient with cone dystrophy had normal sensitivity for the green stimulus outside the foveal center and reduced sensitivity for the red stimulus at the foveal center. The results of color perimetry for this patient with a central scotoma were probably influenced by eccentric fixation. Scanning laser densitometry with a modified Rodenstock SLO is a useful method to assess the human photopigment distribution. Densitometry results were confirmed by dark adapted two color static perimetry. Photopigment distribution and retinal sensitivity profiles can be measured with high spatial resolution. This may help to measure exactly the temporal development of retinal diseases and to test the success of different therapeutic treatments. Both methods have limitations at the present state of development. However, some of these limitations can be overcome by further improving the instruments.
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Micromechanics of Interfaces in High Temperature Composites
1992-05-30
the development of analytical solutions to solve the eigenstrain problem of both a single fiber (treated as a cylindrical inclusion) in an elastic... eigenstrain in a half space by using Green’s functions. Green’s functions were obtained for problems of an elastic half space with a free surface or rigidly...normal to the crack surface, the eigenstrain £3, for the equivalent inclusion method is introduced to simulate the bridged crack. Specially £33 in DO
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ON THE OXYGEN AND NITROGEN CHEMICAL ABUNDANCES AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE 'GREEN PEA' GALAXIES
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Amorin, Ricardo O.; Perez-Montero, Enrique; Vilchez, J. M., E-mail: amorin@iaa.e, E-mail: epm@iaa.e, E-mail: jvm@iaa.e
2010-06-01
We have investigated the oxygen and nitrogen chemical abundances in extremely compact star-forming galaxies (SFGs) with redshifts between {approx}0.11 and 0.35, popularly referred to as 'green peas'. Direct and strong-line methods sensitive to the N/O ratio applied to their Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra reveal that these systems are genuine metal-poor galaxies, with mean oxygen abundances {approx}20% solar. At a given metallicity these galaxies display systematically large N/O ratios compared to normal galaxies, which can explain the strong difference between our metallicities measurements and previous ones. While their N/O ratios follow the relation with stellar mass of local SFGsmore » in the SDSS, we find that the mass-metallicity relation of the 'green peas' is offset {approx_gt}0.3 dex to lower metallicities. We argue that recent interaction-induced inflow of gas, possibly coupled with a selective metal-rich gas loss, driven by supernova winds, may explain our findings and the known galaxy properties, namely high specific star formation rates, extreme compactness, and disturbed optical morphologies. The 'green pea' galaxy properties seem to be uncommon in the nearby universe, suggesting a short and extreme stage of their evolution. Therefore, these galaxies may allow us to study in great detail many processes, such as starburst activity and chemical enrichment, under physical conditions approaching those in galaxies at higher redshifts.« less
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A pseudoisochromatic test of color vision for human infants.
Mercer, Michele E; Drodge, Suzanne C; Courage, Mary L; Adams, Russell J
2014-07-01
Despite the development of experimental methods capable of measuring early human color vision, we still lack a procedure comparable to those used to diagnose the well-identified congenital and acquired color vision anomalies in older children, adults, and clinical patients. In this study, we modified a pseudoisochromatic test to make it more suitable for young infants. Using a forced choice preferential looking procedure, 216 3-to-23-mo-old babies were tested with pseudoisochromatic targets that fell on either a red/green or a blue/yellow dichromatic confusion axis. For comparison, 220 color-normal adults and 22 color-deficient adults were also tested. Results showed that all babies and adults passed the blue/yellow target but many of the younger infants failed the red/green target, likely due to the interaction of the lingering immaturities within the visual system and the small CIE vector distance within the red/green plate. However, older (17-23 mo) infants, color- normal adults and color-defective adults all performed according to expectation. Interestingly, performance on the red/green plate was better among female infants, well exceeding the expected rate of genetic dimorphism between genders. Overall, with some further modification, the test serves as a promising tool for the detection of early color vision anomalies in early human life. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Computing the Dynamic Response of a Stratified Elastic Half Space Using Diffuse Field Theory
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sanchez-Sesma, F. J.; Perton, M.; Molina Villegas, J. C.
2015-12-01
The analytical solution for the dynamic response of an elastic half-space for a normal point load at the free surface is due to Lamb (1904). For a tangential force, we have Chaós (1960) formulae. For an arbitrary load at any depth within a stratified elastic half space, the resulting elastic field can be given in the same fashion, by using an integral representation in the radial wavenumber domain. Typically, computations use discrete wave number (DWN) formalism and Fourier analysis allows for solution in space and time domain. Experimentally, these elastic Greeńs functions might be retrieved from ambient vibrations correlations when assuming a diffuse field. In fact, the field could not be totally diffuse and only parts of the Green's functions, associated to surface or body waves, are retrieved. In this communication, we explore the computation of Green functions for a layered media on top of a half-space using a set of equipartitioned elastic plane waves. Our formalism includes body and surface waves (Rayleigh and Love waves). These latter waves correspond to the classical representations in terms of normal modes in the asymptotic case of large separation distance between source and receiver. This approach allows computing Green's functions faster than DWN and separating the surface and body wave contributions in order to better represent Green's function experimentally retrieved.
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Satellite view of seasonal greenness trends and controls in South Asia
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sarmah, Sangeeta; Jia, Gensuo; Zhang, Anzhi
2018-03-01
South Asia (SA) has been considered one of the most remarkable regions for changing vegetation greenness, accompanying its major expansion of agricultural activities, especially irrigated farming. The influence of the monsoon climate on the seasonal trends and anomalies of vegetation greenness is poorly understood in this area. Herein, we used the satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to investigate various spatiotemporal patterns in vegetation activity during summer and winter monsoon (SM and WM) seasons and among irrigated croplands (IC), rainfed croplands (RC), and natural vegetation (NV) areas during 1982–2013. Seasonal NDVI variations with climatic factors (precipitation and temperature) and land use and cover changes (LUCC) have also been investigated. This study demonstrates that the seasonal dynamics of vegetation could improve the detailed understanding of vegetation productivity over the region. We found distinct greenness trends between two monsoon seasons and among the major land use/cover classes. Winter monsoons contributed greater variability to the overall vegetation dynamics of SA. Major greening occurred due to the increased productivity over irrigated croplands during the winter monsoon season; meanwhile, browning trends were prominent over NV areas during the same season. Maximum temperatures had been increasing tremendously during the WM season; however, the precipitation trend was not significant over SA. Both the climate variability and LUCC revealed coupled effects on the long term NDVI trends in NV areas, especially in the hilly regions, whereas anthropogenic activities (agricultural advancements) played a pivotal role in the rest of the area. Until now, advanced cultivation techniques have proven to be beneficial for the region in terms of the productivity of croplands. However, the crop productivity is at risk under climate change.
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Multi-index time series monitoring of drought and fire effects on desert grasslands
Villarreal, Miguel; Norman, Laura M.; Buckley, Steven; Wallace, Cynthia S.A.; Coe, Michelle A.
2016-01-01
The Western United States is expected to undergo both extended periods of drought and longer wildfire seasons under forecasted global climate change and it is important to understand how these disturbances will interact and affect recovery and composition of plant communities in the future. In this research paper we describe the temporal response of grassland communities to drought and fire in southern Arizona, where land managers are using repeated, prescribed fire as a habitat restoration tool. Using a 25-year atlas of fire locations, we paired sites with multiple fires to unburned control areas and compare satellite and field-based estimates of vegetation cover over time. Two hundred and fifty Landsat TM images, dating from 1985–2011, were used to derive estimates of Total Vegetation Fractional Cover (TVFC) of live and senescent grass using the Soil-Adjusted Total Vegetation Index (SATVI) and post-fire vegetation greenness using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We also implemented a Greenness to Cover Index that is the difference of time-standardized SATVI-TVFC and NDVI values at a given time and location to identify post-fire shifts in native, non-native, and annual plant cover. The results highlight anomalous greening and browning during drought periods related to amounts of annual and non-native plant cover present. Results suggest that aggressive application of prescribed fire may encourage spread of non-native perennial grasses and annual plants, particularly during droughts.
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Zhu, Hai-Feng; Zele, Andrew J; Suheimat, Marwan; Lambert, Andrew J; Atchison, David A
2016-08-01
This study compared neural resolution and detection limits of the human mid-/long-wavelength and short-wavelength cone systems with anatomical estimates of photoreceptor and retinal ganglion cell spacings and sizes. Detection and resolution limits were measured from central fixation out to 35° eccentricity across the horizontal visual field using a modified Lotmar interferometer. The mid-/long-wavelength cone system was studied using a green (550 nm) test stimulus to which S-cones have low sensitivity. To bias resolution and detection to the short-wavelength cone system, a blue (450 nm) test stimulus was presented against a bright yellow background that desensitized the M- and L-cones. Participants were three trichromatic males with normal visual functions. With green stimuli, resolution showed a steep central-peripheral gradient that was similar between participants, whereas the detection gradient was shallower and patterns were different between participants. Detection and resolution with blue stimuli were poorer than for green stimuli. The detection of blue stimuli was superior to resolution across the horizontal visual field and the patterns were different between participants. The mid-/long-wavelength cone system's resolution is limited by midget ganglion cell spacing and its detection is limited by the size of the M- and L-cone photoreceptors, consistent with previous observations. We found that no such simple relationships occur for the short-wavelength cone system between resolution and the bistratified ganglion cell spacing, nor between detection and the S-cone photoreceptor sizes.
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Detecting changes in water limitation in the West using integrated ecosystem modeling approaches
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Poulter, B.; Hoy, J.; Emmett, K.; Cross, M.; Maneta, M. P.; Al-Chokhachy, R.
2016-12-01
Water in the western United States is the critical currency for determining a range of ecosystem services, such as wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, and timber and water resources for an expanding human population. The current generation of catchment models trades a detailed representation of hydrologic processes for a generalization of vegetation processes and thus ignores many land-surface feedbacks that are driven by physiological responses to atmospheric CO2 and changes in vegetation structure following disturbance and climate change. Here we demonstrate how catchment scale modeling can better couple vegetation dynamics and disturbance processes to reconstruct historic streamflow, stream temperature and vegetation greening for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Using a new catchment routing model coupled to the LPJ-GUESS dynamic global vegetation model, simulations are made at 1 km spatial resolution using two different climate products. Decreased winter snowpack has led to increasing spring runoff and declines in summertime slow, and increasing the likelihood that stream temperature exceeds thresholds for cold-water fish growth. Since the mid-1980s, vegetation greening is projected by both the model and detected from space-borne normalized difference vegetation index observations. These greening trends are superimposed on a landscape matrix defined by frequent disturbance and intensive land management, making the climate and CO2 fingerprint difficult to discern. Integrating dynamical vegetation models with in-situ and spaceborne measurements to understand and interpret catchment-scale trends in water availability has potential to better disentangle historical climate, CO2, and human drivers and their ecosystem consequences.
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Coconut water solutions for the preservation of spleen, ovary, and skin autotransplants in rats.
Schettino César, J M; Petroianu, A; de Souza Vasconcelos, L; Cardoso, V N; das Graças Mota, L; Barbosa, A J A; Vianna Soares, C D; Lima de Oliveira, A
2015-03-01
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of coconut water in the preservation of spleen, ovary, and skin autotransplantations in rats. Fifty female Wistar rats were divided randomly into 5 groups on the basis of the following tissue graft preservation solutions: group 1, lactated Ringer's; group 2, Belzer's solution; group 3, mature coconut water; group 4, green coconut water; and group 5, modified green coconut water. In group 5, the green coconut water solution was modified to obtain the same electrolyte composition as Belzer's solution. The spleen, ovaries, and a skin fragment were removed from each animal, stored for 6 hours in one of the solutions, and then re-implanted. The recoveries of tissue functions were assessed 90 days after surgery by means of spleen scintigraphy and blood tests. The implanted tissues were collected for histological analyses. Higher immunoglobulin G levels were observed in the animals of group 5 than in the animals of group 1. Differences in follicle-stimulating hormone levels were observed between groups 1 and 2 (P < .001), between groups 4 and 2 (P = .03), and between groups 5 and 2 (P = .01). The spleen scintigraphy results did not differ among the groups. The ovarian tissue was better preserved in the mature coconut water group (P < .007). Solutions containing coconut water allowed for the preservation of the spleen, ovaries, and skin for 6 hours, and the normal functions of these tissues were maintained in rats. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Robertson, A.; Edie, R.; Soltis, J.; Field, R. A.; Murphy, S. M.
2017-12-01
Recent airborne and mobile lab-based studies by our group and others have demonstrated that production-normalized emission rates of methane can vary dramatically between different Western basins. Three oil and gas basins that are geographically near one another and have relatively similar production characteristics (all three basins produce a mix of natural gas and condensate) have starkly different production-normalized methane emission rates at both the facility and basin-wide levels. This presentation will review previously published data on methane emissions from these basins (Denver Julesburg, Uintah, and Upper Green River) and present new measurement work supporting and expanding upon previous estimates. Beyond this, we use facility level data emissions data combined with information about the date of last upgrade to determine what impact regulations have had on methane emission rates from facilities within the basins. We also investigate what impact different approaches to production may have, in particular the role of having many individual wells processed at a central facility with high throughput is analyzed in terms of its impact on methane emissions.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Regayre, L. A.; Johnson, J. S.; Yoshioka, M.; Pringle, K.; Sexton, D.; Booth, B.; Mann, G.; Lee, L.; Bellouin, N.; Lister, G. M. S.; Johnson, C.; Johnson, B. T.; Mollard, J.; Carslaw, K. S.
2016-12-01
Recent airborne and mobile lab-based studies by our group and others have demonstrated that production-normalized emission rates of methane can vary dramatically between different Western basins. Three oil and gas basins that are geographically near one another and have relatively similar production characteristics (all three basins produce a mix of natural gas and condensate) have starkly different production-normalized methane emission rates at both the facility and basin-wide levels. This presentation will review previously published data on methane emissions from these basins (Denver Julesburg, Uintah, and Upper Green River) and present new measurement work supporting and expanding upon previous estimates. Beyond this, we use facility level data emissions data combined with information about the date of last upgrade to determine what impact regulations have had on methane emission rates from facilities within the basins. We also investigate what impact different approaches to production may have, in particular the role of having many individual wells processed at a central facility with high throughput is analyzed in terms of its impact on methane emissions.
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Vortex locking in direct numerical simulations of quantum turbulence.
Morris, Karla; Koplik, Joel; Rouson, Damian W I
2008-07-04
Direct numerical simulations are used to examine the locking of quantized superfluid vortices and normal fluid vorticity in evolving turbulent flows. The superfluid is driven by the normal fluid, which undergoes either a decaying Taylor-Green flow or a linearly forced homogeneous isotropic turbulent flow, although the back reaction of the superfluid on the normal fluid flow is omitted. Using correlation functions and wavelet transforms, we present numerical and visual evidence for vortex locking on length scales above the intervortex spacing.
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Discriminating colors through a red filter by protanopes and colour normals.
Diaconu, Vasile; Sullivan, David; Bouchard, Jean F; Vucea, Valentina
2010-01-01
Individuals with color vision deficiency have difficulties in differentiating colour in their daily activities. Through certain coloured filters, dichromats may report an improvement of their capacity to differentiate colors, but it is not known if this is achieved by means of a chromatic mechanism. The present study attempts to explain the mechanism by which a coloured filter can produce a beneficial effect in dichromatic visual perception and what is the nature of this improvement. Four male protanopes and four normal trichromats (two males and two females) participated in the present study. We evaluated the effect of the red filter (with a spectral transmittance similar to that of the X-Chrom filter) on the detection thresholds for monochromatic light stimuli from 420 to 660 nm in 20 nm steps. The increment spectral sensitivity functions were measured for 1.2 degrees diameter test flashes presented for 300 ms on a 60-cd m(-2) illuminant C background using an optical bench with a monochromator, for both filter and no filter conditions. The capacity to correctly name green, yellow and red for the monochromatic lights of 550, 575 and 625 nm presented for 300 ms on a 60 cd m(-2) illuminant C background screen was also evaluated with and without the red filter. The spectral sensitivity data suggest that, the use of a red filter improves the protanope's capacity to detect long wavelength light stimuli. The results on the colors naming procedure demonstrate that the red filter modifies colour perception in normal and protanope subjects. In normals, only the red color perception is preserved, and typical colour perception for the green and the yellow is lost. Without the filter, all the protanopes demonstrated a residual colour perception for red and green colours. Through the red filter only red colour perception remains. A red filter does not improve the protanopic red-green perception, but it does improve the ability of the protanope to detect long-wavelength light. This improvement seems to arise by means of the luminance mechanism.
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Time-varying trends of global vegetation activity
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pan, N.; Feng, X.; Fu, B.
2016-12-01
Vegetation plays an important role in regulating the energy change, water cycle and biochemical cycle in terrestrial ecosystems. Monitoring the dynamics of vegetation activity and understanding their driving factors have been an important issue in global change research. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), an indicator of vegetation activity, has been widely used in investigating vegetation changes at regional and global scales. Most studies utilized linear regression or piecewise linear regression approaches to obtain an averaged changing rate over a certain time span, with an implicit assumption that the trend didn't change over time during that period. However, no evidence shows that this assumption is right for the non-linear and non-stationary NDVI time series. In this study, we adopted the multidimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition (MEEMD) method to extract the time-varying trends of NDVI from original signals without any a priori assumption of their functional form. Our results show that vegetation trends are spatially and temporally non-uniform during 1982-2013. Most vegetated area exhibited greening trends in the 1980s. Nevertheless, the area with greening trends decreased over time since the early 1990s, and the greening trends have stalled or even reversed in many places. Regions with browning trends were mainly located in southern low latitudes in the 1980s, whose area decreased before the middle 1990s and then increased at an accelerated rate. The greening-to-browning reversals were widespread across all continents except Oceania (43% of the vegetated areas), most of which happened after the middle 1990s. In contrast, the browning-to-greening reversals occurred in smaller area and earlier time. The area with monotonic greening and browning trends accounted for 33% and 5% of the vegetated area, respectively. By performing partial correlation analyses between NDVI and climatic elements (temperature, precipitation and cloud cover) and analyzing the MEEMD-extracted trends of these climatic elements, we discussed possible driving factors of the time-varying trends of NDVI in several specific regions where trend reversals occurred.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mishra, N. B.; Mainali, K. P.
2016-12-01
Climatic changes along with anthropogenic disturbances are causing dramatic ecological impacts in mid to high latitude mountain vegetation including in the Himalayas which are ecologically sensitive environments. Given the challenges associated with in situ vegetation monitoring in the Himalayas, remote sensing based quantification of vegetation dynamics can provide essential ecological information on changes in vegetation activity that may consist of alternative sequence of greening and/or browning periods. This study utilized a trend break analysis procedure for detection of monotonic as well as abrupt (either interruption or reversal) trend changes in smoothed normalized difference vegetation index satellite time-series data over the Himalayas. Overall, trend breaks in vegetation greenness showed high spatio-temporal variability in distribution considering elevation, ecoregion and land cover/use stratifications. Interrupted greening was spatially most dominant in all Himalayan ecoregions followed by abrupt browning. Areas showing trend reversal and monotonic trends appeared minority. Trend type distribution was strongly dependent on elevation as majority of greening (with or without interruption) occurred at lower elevation areas at higher elevation were dominantly. Ecoregion based stratification of trend types highlighted some exception to this elevational dependence as high altitude ecoregions of western Himalayas showed significantly less browning compared to the ecoregions in eastern Himalaya. Land cover/use based analysis of trend distribution showed that interrupted greening was most dominant in closed needleleafed forest following by rainfed cropland and mosaic croplands while interrupted browning most dominant in closed to open herbaceous vegetation found at higher elevation areas followed by closed needleleafed forest and closed to open broad leafed evergreen forests. Spatial analysis of trend break timing showed that for majority of areas experiencing interrupted greening, break in trend occurred later compared to areas with interrupted browning where break trend was observed much earlier. These results have significant implications for environmental management in the context of climate change and ecosystem dynamics in the Himalayas.
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Arbillaga-Etxarri, Ane; Gimeno-Santos, Elena; Barberan-Garcia, Anael; Benet, Marta; Borrell, Eulàlia; Dadvand, Payam; Foraster, Maria; Marín, Alicia; Monteagudo, Mònica; Rodriguez-Roisin, Robert; Vall-Casas, Pere; Vilaró, Jordi; Garcia-Aymerich, Judith
2017-09-01
Study of the causes of the reduced levels of physical activity in patients with COPD has been scarce and limited to biological factors. To assess the relationship between novel socio-environmental factors, namely dog walking, grandparenting, neighbourhood deprivation, residential surrounding greenness and residential proximity to green or blue spaces, and amount and intensity of physical activity in COPD patients. This cross-sectional study recruited 410 COPD patients from five Catalan municipalities. Dog walking and grandparenting were assessed by questionnaire. Neighbourhood deprivation was assessed using the census Urban Vulnerability Index, residential surrounding greenness by the satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and residential proximity to green or blue spaces as living within 300 m of such a space. Physical activity was measured during 1 week by accelerometer to assess time spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vector magnitude units (VMU) per minute. Patients were 85% male, had a mean (SD) age of 69 (9) years, and post-bronchodilator FEV 1 of 56 (17) %pred. After adjusting for age, sex, socio-economic status, dyspnoea, exercise capacity and anxiety in a linear regression model, both dog walking and grandparenting were significantly associated with an increase both in time in MVPA (18 min/day (p<0.01) and 9 min/day (p<0.05), respectively) and in physical activity intensity (76 VMU/min (p=0.05) and 59 VMUs/min (p<0.05), respectively). Neighbourhood deprivation, surrounding greenness and proximity to green or blue spaces were not associated with physical activity. Dog walking and grandparenting are associated with a higher amount and intensity of physical activity in COPD patients. Pre-results, NCT01897298. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.
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Lee, Jihyoung; Matsumura, Kenta; Yamakoshi, Ken-ichi; Rolfe, Peter; Tanaka, Shinobu; Yamakoshi, Takehiro
2013-01-01
Reflection photoplethysmography (PPG) using 530 nm (green) wavelength light has the potential to be a superior method for monitoring heart rate (HR) during normal daily life due to its relative freedom from artifacts. However, little is known about the accuracy of pulse rate (PR) measured by 530 nm light PPG during motion. Therefore, we compared the HR measured by electrocadiography (ECG) as a reference with PR measured by 530, 645 (red), and 470 nm (blue) wavelength light PPG during baseline and while performing hand waving in 12 participants. In addition, we examined the change of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by motion for each of the three wavelengths used for the PPG. The results showed that the limit of agreement in Bland-Altman plots between the HR measured by ECG and PR measured by 530 nm light PPG (±0.61 bpm) was smaller than that achieved when using 645 and 470 nm light PPG (±3.20 bpm and ±2.23 bpm, respectively). The ΔSNR (the difference between baseline and task values) of 530 and 470nm light PPG was significantly smaller than ΔSNR for red light PPG. In conclusion, 530 nm light PPG could be a more suitable method than 645 and 470nm light PPG for monitoring HR in normal daily life.
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An approach for using AVHRR data to monitor U.S. great plains grasslands
Reed, B.C.; Loveland, Thomas R.; Tieszen, L.L.
1996-01-01
Environmental monitoring requires regular observations regarding the status of the landscape- The concept behind most monitoring efforts using satellite data involve deriving normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values or accumulating the NDVI over a specified time period. These efforts attempt to estimate the continuous growth of green biomass by using continuous additions of NDVI as a surrogate measure. To build upon this concept, this study proposes three refinements; 1) use an objective definition of the current growing season to adjust the time window during which the NDVI is accumulated, 2) accumulate only the NDVI values which are affected by green vegetation, and 3) base monitoring units upon land cover type. These refinements improve the sensitivity of detecting interannual vegetation variability, reduce the need for extensive and detailed knowledge of ground conditions and crop calendars, provide a framework in which several types of monitoring can take place over diverse land cover types, and provide an objective time frame during which monitoring takes place.
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Green Synthesis of Metallic Nanoparticles via Biological Entities
Shah, Monaliben; Fawcett, Derek; Sharma, Shashi; Tripathy, Suraj Kumar; Poinern, Gérrard Eddy Jai
2015-01-01
Nanotechnology is the creation, manipulation and use of materials at the nanometre size scale (1 to 100 nm). At this size scale there are significant differences in many material properties that are normally not seen in the same materials at larger scales. Although nanoscale materials can be produced using a variety of traditional physical and chemical processes, it is now possible to biologically synthesize materials via environment-friendly green chemistry based techniques. In recent years, the convergence between nanotechnology and biology has created the new field of nanobiotechnology that incorporates the use of biological entities such as actinomycetes algae, bacteria, fungi, viruses, yeasts, and plants in a number of biochemical and biophysical processes. The biological synthesis via nanobiotechnology processes have a significant potential to boost nanoparticles production without the use of harsh, toxic, and expensive chemicals commonly used in conventional physical and chemical processes. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of recent trends in synthesizing nanoparticles via biological entities and their potential applications. PMID:28793638
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Seo, Jihye; An, Yuri; Lee, Jungsul; Choi, Chulhee
2015-03-01
Indocyanine green (ICG), a near-infrared fluorophore, has been used in visualization of vascular structure and non-invasive diagnosis of vascular disease. Although many imaging techniques have been developed, there are still limitations in diagnosis of vascular diseases. We have recently developed a minimally invasive diagnostics system based on ICG fluorescence imaging for sensitive detection of vascular insufficiency. In this study, we used principal component analysis (PCA) to examine ICG spatiotemporal profile and to obtain pathophysiological information from ICG dynamics. Here we demonstrated that principal components of ICG dynamics in both feet showed significant differences between normal control and diabetic patients with vascula complications. We extracted the PCA time courses of the first three components and found distinct pattern in diabetic patient. We propose that PCA of ICG dynamics reveal better classification performance compared to fluorescence intensity analysis. We anticipate that specific feature of spatiotemporal ICG dynamics can be useful in diagnosis of various vascular diseases.
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Accommodative performance for chromatic displays.
Lovasik, J V; Kergoat, H
1988-01-01
Over the past few years, video display units (VDUs) have been incorporated into many varieties of workplaces and occupational demands. The success of electro-optical displays in facilitating and improving job performance has spawned interest in extracting further advantage from VDUs by incorporating colour coding into such communication systems. However, concerns have been raised about the effect of chromatic stimuli on the visual comfort and task efficiency, because of the chromatic aberration inherent in the optics of the human eye. In this study, we used a computer aided laser speckle optometer system to measure the accommodative responses to brightness-matched chromatic letters displayed on a high-resolution RGB monitor. Twenty, visually normal, paid volunteers in a 22-35 year age category served as subjects. Stimuli were 14, 21, 28 minutes of arc letters presented in a 'monochromatic' (white, red, green or blue, on a black background) or 'multichromatic' (blue-red, blue-green, red-green, foreground-background combinations) mode at 40 and 80 cm viewing distances. The results demonstrated that while the accommodative responses were strongly influenced by the foreground-background colour combination, the group-averaged dioptric difference across colours was relatively small. Further, accommodative responses were not guided in any systematic fashion by the size of letters presented for fixation. Implications of these findings for display designs are discussed.
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Zawada, David G.; Jaffe, J.S.
2003-01-01
In order to evaluate the response of commonly occurring green and orange fluorescent host-based pigments, a thermal stress experiment was performed on specimens of the Caribbean coral Montastraea faveolata. Seven paired samples were collected from a small oceanic reef near Lee Stocking Island in the Bahamas. Seven of the fourteen corals were subjected to elevated temperatures for 28 d, followed by a recovery period lasting 53 d. Throughout the experiment, high-resolution (~400 µm pixel-1) multispectral images of induced fluorescence were recorded at wavelengths corresponding to the green and orange host pigments, plus chlorophyll. These images revealed that the fluorescence of both host pigments was concentrated at polyp centers and declined by 70–90% in regions between polyps. Chlorophyll fluorescence, however, was distributed almost uniformly across the entire coral surface, but with decreases of 10–30% around polyp centers. A normalized difference ratio between the green and orange pigments (GO ratio) was developed to facilitate comparison with chlorophyll fluorescence as a bleaching indicator. Analysis showed a high correspondence between a sustained GO ratio of less than zero and the death of corals. Finally, this ratio was resistant to contamination from other sources of chlorophyll fluorescence, such as filamentous algae.
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Vegetation greenness trend (2000 to 2009) and the climate controls in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Zhang, Li; Guo, Huadong; Ji, Lei; Lei, Liping; Wang, Cuizhen; Yan, Dongmei; Li, Bin; Li, Jing
2013-01-01
The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau has been experiencing a distinct warming trend, and climate warming has a direct and quick impact on the alpine grassland ecosystem. We detected the greenness trend of the grasslands in the plateau using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data from 2000 to 2009. Weather station data were used to explore the climatic drivers for vegetation greenness variations. The results demonstrated that the region-wide averaged normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) increased at a rate of 0.036 yr−1. Approximately 20% of the vegetation areas, which were primarily located in the northeastern plateau, exhibited significant NDVI increase trend (p-value <0.05). Only 4% of the vegetated area showed significant decrease trends, which were mostly in the central and southwestern plateau. A strong positive relationship between NDVI and precipitation, especially in the northeastern plateau, suggested that precipitation was a favorable factor for the grassland NDVI. Negative correlations between NDVI and temperature, especially in the southern plateau, indicated that higher temperature adversely affected the grassland growth. Although a warming climate was expected to be beneficial to the vegetation growth in cold regions, the grasslands in the central and southwestern plateau showed a decrease in trends influenced by increased temperature coupled with decreased precipitation.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
de Moura, Yhasmin Mendes; Galvão, Lênio Soares; Hilker, Thomas; Wu, Jin; Saleska, Scott; do Amaral, Cibele Hummel; Nelson, Bruce Walker; Lopes, Aline Pontes; Wiedeman, Kenia K.; Prohaska, Neill; de Oliveira, Raimundo Cosme; Machado, Carolyne Bueno; Aragão, Luiz E. O. C.
2017-09-01
The association between spectral reflectance and canopy processes remains challenging for quantifying large-scale canopy phenological cycles in tropical forests. In this study, we used a tower-mounted hyperspectral camera in an eastern Amazon forest to assess how canopy spectral signals of three species are linked with phenological processes in the 2012 dry season. We explored different approaches to disentangle the spectral components of canopy phenology processes and analyze their variations over time using 17 images acquired by the camera. The methods included linear spectral mixture analysis (SMA); principal component analysis (PCA); continuum removal (CR); and first-order derivative analysis. In addition, three vegetation indices potentially sensitive to leaf flushing, leaf loss and leaf area index (LAI) were calculated: the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the entitled Green-Red Normalized Difference (GRND) index. We inspected also the consistency of the camera observations using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and available phenological data on new leaf production and LAI of young, mature and old leaves simulated by a leaf demography-ontogeny model. The results showed a diversity of phenological responses during the 2012 dry season with related changes in canopy structure and greenness values. Because of the differences in timing and intensity of leaf flushing and leaf shedding, Erisma uncinatum, Manilkara huberi and Chamaecrista xinguensis presented different green vegetation (GV) and non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) SMA fractions; distinct PCA scores; changes in depth, width and area of the 681-nm chlorophyll absorption band; and variations over time in the EVI, GRND and NDVI. At the end of dry season, GV increased for Erisma uncinatum, while NPV increased for Chamaecrista xinguensis. For Manilkara huberi, the NPV first increased in the beginning of August and then decreased toward September with new foliage. Variations in red-edge position were not statistically significant between the species and across dates at the 95% confidence level. The camera data were affected by view-illumination effects, which reduced the SMA shade fraction over time. When MODIS data were corrected for these effects using the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction Algorithm (MAIAC), we observed an EVI increase toward September that closely tracked the modeled LAI of mature leaves (3-5 months). Compared to the EVI, the GRND was a better indicator of leaf flushing because the modeled production of new leaves peaked in August and then declined in September following the GRND closely. While the EVI was more related to changes in mature leaf area, the GRND was more associated with new leaf flushing.
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Green Space Attachment and Health: A Comparative Study in Two Urban Neighborhoods
Zhang, Yang; van Dijk, Terry; Tang, Jianjun; van den Berg, Agnes E.
2015-01-01
The positive relationships between urban green space and health have been well documented. Little is known, however, about the role of residents’ emotional attachment to local green spaces in these relationships, and how attachment to green spaces and health may be promoted by the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. The present research aimed to examine the links between self-reported health, attachment to green space, and the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. Data were collected via paper-mailed surveys in two neighborhoods (n = 223) of a medium-sized Dutch city in the Netherlands. These neighborhoods differ in the perceived and objectively measured accessibility and usability of green spaces, but are matched in the physically available amount of urban green space, as well as in demographic and socio-economic status, and housing conditions. Four dimensions of green space attachment were identified through confirmatory factor analysis: place dependence, affective attachment, place identity and social bonding. The results show greater attachment to local green space and better self-reported mental health in the neighborhood with higher availability of accessible and usable green spaces. The two neighborhoods did not differ, however, in physical and general health. Structural Equation Modelling confirmed the neighborhood differences in green space attachment and mental health, and also revealed a positive path from green space attachment to mental health. These findings convey the message that we should make green places, instead of green spaces. PMID:26569280
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Green Space Attachment and Health: A Comparative Study in Two Urban Neighborhoods.
Zhang, Yang; van Dijk, Terry; Tang, Jianjun; van den Berg, Agnes E
2015-11-12
The positive relationships between urban green space and health have been well documented. Little is known, however, about the role of residents' emotional attachment to local green spaces in these relationships, and how attachment to green spaces and health may be promoted by the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. The present research aimed to examine the links between self-reported health, attachment to green space, and the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. Data were collected via paper-mailed surveys in two neighborhoods (n = 223) of a medium-sized Dutch city in the Netherlands. These neighborhoods differ in the perceived and objectively measured accessibility and usability of green spaces, but are matched in the physically available amount of urban green space, as well as in demographic and socio-economic status, and housing conditions. Four dimensions of green space attachment were identified through confirmatory factor analysis: place dependence, affective attachment, place identity and social bonding. The results show greater attachment to local green space and better self-reported mental health in the neighborhood with higher availability of accessible and usable green spaces. The two neighborhoods did not differ, however, in physical and general health. Structural Equation Modelling confirmed the neighborhood differences in green space attachment and mental health, and also revealed a positive path from green space attachment to mental health. These findings convey the message that we should make green places, instead of green spaces.
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Estimating plant area index for monitoring crop growth dynamics using Landsat-8 and RapidEye images
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shang, Jiali; Liu, Jiangui; Huffman, Ted; Qian, Budong; Pattey, Elizabeth; Wang, Jinfei; Zhao, Ting; Geng, Xiaoyuan; Kroetsch, David; Dong, Taifeng; Lantz, Nicholas
2014-01-01
This study investigates the use of two different optical sensors, the multispectral imager (MSI) onboard the RapidEye satellites and the operational land imager (OLI) onboard the Landsat-8 for mapping within-field variability of crop growth conditions and tracking the seasonal growth dynamics. The study was carried out in southern Ontario, Canada, during the 2013 growing season for three annual crops, corn, soybeans, and winter wheat. Plant area index (PAI) was measured at different growth stages using digital hemispherical photography at two corn fields, two winter wheat fields, and two soybean fields. Comparison between several conventional vegetation indices derived from concurrently acquired image data by the two sensors showed a good agreement. The two-band enhanced vegetation index (EVI2) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were derived from the surface reflectance of the two sensors. The study showed that EVI2 was more resistant to saturation at high biomass range than NDVI. A linear relationship could be used for crop green effective PAI estimation from EVI2, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.85 and root-mean-square error of 0.53. The estimated multitemporal product of green PAI was found to be able to capture the seasonal dynamics of the three crops.
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Preliminary study of coconut water for graft tissues preservation in transplantation.
César, Jorge Miguel Schettino; Petroianu, Andy; Vasconcelos, Leonardo de Souza; Cardoso, Valbert Nascimento; Mota, Luciene das Graças; Barbosa, Alfredo José Afonso; Soares, Cristina Duarte Vianna; de Oliveira, Amanda Lima
2015-01-01
to verify the effectiveness of coconut water in preserving tissues for transplant. Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly distributed in five groups, according to the following preservation solutions for tissue grafts: Group 1: Lactated Ringer; Group 2: Belzer solution; Group 3: mature coconut water; Group 4: green coconut water; Group 5: modified coconut water. In Group 5, the green coconut water has been modified like the Belzer solution. From each animal we harvested the spleen, ovaries and skin of the back segment. These tissues were preserved for six hours in one of the solutions. Then, the grafts were reimplanted. The recovery of the function of the implanted tissues was assessed 90 days after surgery, by splenic scintigraphy and blood exam. The implanted tissues were collected for histopathological examination. The serum levels did not differ among groups, except for the animals in Group 5, which showed higher levels of IgG than Group 1, and differences in relation to FSH between groups 1 and 2 (p <0.001), 4 and 2 (p = 0.03) and 5 and 2 (p = 0.01). The splenic scintigraphy was not different between groups. The ovarian tissue was better preserved in mature coconut water (p <0.007). the coconut water-based solutions preserves spleen, ovary, and rat skin for six hours, maintaining their normal function.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Baptiste Barré, Jean; Bourrier, Franck; Bertrand, David; Rey, Freddy
2015-04-01
Ecological engineering corresponds to the design of efficient solutions for protection against natural hazards such as shallow landslides and soil erosion. In particular, bioengineering structures can be composed of a living part, made of plants, cuttings or seeds, and an inert part, a timber logs structure. As wood is not treated by preservatives, fungal degradation can occur from the start of the construction. It results in wood strength loss, which practitioners try to evaluate with non-destructive tools (NDT). Classical NDT are mainly based on density measurements. However, the fungal activity reduces the mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity - MOE) well before well before a density change could be measured. In this context, it would be useful to provide a tool for assessing the residual mechanical strength at different decay stages due to a fungal community. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can be used for that purpose, as it can allow evaluating wood mechanical properties as well as wood chemical changes due to brown and white rots. We monitored 160 silver fir samples (30x30x6000mm) from green state to different levels of decay. The degradation process took place in a greenhouse and samples were inoculated with silver fir decayed debris in order to accelerate the process. For each sample, we calculated the normalized bending modulus of elasticity loss (Dw moe) and defined it as decay extent. Near infrared spectra collected from both green and decayed ground samples were corrected by the subtraction of baseline offset. Spectra of green samples were averaged into one mean spectrum and decayed spectra were subtracted from the mean spectrum to calculate the absorption loss. Partial least square regression (PLSR) has been performed between the normalized MOE loss Dw moe (0 < Dw moe < 1) and the absorption loss, with a correlation coefficient R² equal to 0.85. Finally, the prediction of silver fir biodegradation rate by NIRS was significant (RMSEP = 0.13). This tool improves the evaluation accuracy of wood decay extent in the context of ecological engineering structures used for natural hazard mitigation.
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Green-light supplementation for enhanced lettuce growth under red- and blue-light-emitting diodes
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kim, Hyeon-Hye; Goins, Gregory D.; Wheeler, Raymond M.; Sager, John C.
2004-01-01
Plants will be an important component of future long-term space missions. Lighting systems for growing plants will need to be lightweight, reliable, and durable, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have these characteristics. Previous studies demonstrated that the combination of red and blue light was an effective light source for several crops. Yet the appearance of plants under red and blue lighting is purplish gray making visual assessment of any problems difficult. The addition of green light would make the plant leave appear green and normal similar to a natural setting under white light and may also offer a psychological benefit to the crew. Green supplemental lighting could also offer benefits, since green light can better penetrate the plant canopy and potentially increase plant growth by increasing photosynthesis from the leaves in the lower canopy. In this study, four light sources were tested: 1) red and blue LEDs (RB), 2) red and blue LEDs with green fluorescent lamps (RGB), 3) green fluorescent lamps (GF), and 4) cool-white fluorescent lamps (CWF), that provided 0%, 24%, 86%, and 51% of the total PPF in the green region of the spectrum, respectively. The addition of 24% green light (500 to 600 nm) to red and blue LEDs (RGB treatment) enhanced plant growth. The RGB treatment plants produced more biomass than the plants grown under the cool-white fluorescent lamps (CWF treatment), a commonly tested light source used as a broad-spectrum control.
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Tips for Living with Scleroderma
... raw foods – about 50% of your diet – especially dark, leafy greens to provide chlorophyll and other nutrients. ... normal levels to dangerously high levels in a matter of days. If it continues without treatment, the ...
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fang, Xiuqin; Zhu, Qiuan; Chen, Huai; Ma, Zhihai; Wang, Weifeng; Song, Xinzhang; Zhao, Pengxiang; Peng, Changhui
2014-01-01
Using time series of moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data from 2000 to 2009, we assessed decadal vegetation dynamics across Canada and examined the relationship between NDVI and climatic variables (precipitation and temperature). The Palmer drought severity index and vapor pressure difference (VPD) were used to relate the vegetation changes to the climate, especially in cases of drought. Results indicated that MODIS NDVI measurements provided a dynamic picture of interannual variation in Canadian vegetation patterns. Greenness declined in 2000, 2002, and 2009 and increased in 2005, 2006, and 2008. Vegetation dynamics varied across regions during the period. Most forest land shows little change, while vegetation in the ecozone of Pacific Maritime, Prairies, and Taiga Shield shows more dynamics than in the others. Significant correlations were found between NDVI and the climatic variables. The variation of NDVI resulting from climatic variability was more highly correlated to temperature than to precipitation in most ecozones. Vegetation grows better with higher precipitation and temperature in almost all ecozones. However, vegetation grows worse under higher temperature in the Prairies ecozone. The annual changes in NDVI corresponded well with the change in VPD in most ecozones.
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Herbivore Impact on Tundra Plant Community Dynamics Using Long-term Remote Sensing Observation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Yu, Q.; Engstrom, R.; Shiklomanov, N. I.
2014-12-01
Arctic tundra biome is now experiencing dramatic environmental changes accentuated by summer sea-ice decline, permafrost thaw, and shrub expansion. Multi-decadal time-series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, a spectral metric of vegetation productivity) shows an overall "greening" trend across the Arctic tundra biome. Regional trends in climate plausibly explain large-scale patterns of increasing plant productivity, as diminished summer sea-ice extent warms the adjacent land causing tundra vegetation to respond positively (increased photosynthetic aboveground biomass). However, at more local scales, there is a great deal of spatial variability in NDVI trends that likely reflects differences in hydrology and soil conditions, disturbance history, and use by wildlife and humans. Particularly, habitat use by large herbivores, such as reindeer and caribou, has large impacts on vegetation dynamics at local and regional scales, but the role of herbivores in modulating the response of vegetation to warming climate has received little attention. This study investigates regional tundra plant community dynamics within inhabits of different sizes of wild caribou/reindeer herds across the Arctic using GIMMS NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) 3g data product. The Taimyr herd in Russia is one of the largest herds in the world with a population increase from 450,000 in 1975 to about 1 million animals in 2000. The population of the porcupine caribou herd has fluctuated in the past three decades between 100,000 and 180,000. Time-series of the maximum NDVI within the inhabit area of the Taimyr herd has increased about 2% per decade over the past three decades, while within the inhabit area of the Porcupine herd the maximum NDVI has increased about 5% per decade. Our results indicate that the impact of large herbivores can be detected from space and further analyses on seasonal dynamics of vegetation indices and herbivore behavior may provide more understanding of the plant-herbivore interactions within the context of a 'greening' Arctic.
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Remote sensing with simulated unmanned aircraft imagery for precision agriculture applications
Hunt, E. Raymond; Daughtry, Craig S.T.; Mirsky, Steven B.; Hively, W. Dean
2014-01-01
An important application of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) may be remote-sensing for precision agriculture, because of its ability to acquire images with very small pixel sizes from low altitude flights. The objective of this study was to compare information obtained from two different pixel sizes, one about a meter (the size of a small vegetation plot) and one about a millimeter. Cereal rye (Secale cereale) was planted at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center for a winter cover crop with fall and spring fertilizer applications, which produced differences in biomass and leaf chlorophyll content. UAS imagery was simulated by placing a Fuji IS-Pro UVIR digital camera at 3-m height looking nadir. An external UV-IR cut filter was used to acquire true-color images; an external red cut filter was used to obtain color-infrared-like images with bands at near-infrared, green, and blue wavelengths. Plot-scale Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was correlated with dry aboveground biomass ( ${mbi {r}} = 0.58$ ), whereas the Triangular Greenness Index (TGI) was not correlated with chlorophyll content. We used the SamplePoint program to select 100 pixels systematically; we visually identified the cover type and acquired the digital numbers. The number of rye pixels in each image was better correlated with biomass ( ${mbi {r}} = 0.73$ ), and the average TGI from only leaf pixels was negatively correlated with chlorophyll content ( ${mbi {r}} = -0.72$ ). Thus, better information for crop requirements may be obtained using very small pixel sizes, but new algorithms based on computer vision are needed for analysis. It may not be necessary to geospatially register large numbers of photographs with very small pixel sizes. Instead, images could be analyzed as single plots along field transects.
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Hong, Yang-Hee; Jung, Eun Young; Noh, Dong Ouk; Suh, Hyung Joo
2014-03-01
Green tea contains numerous polyphenols, which have health-promoting effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tannase-converted green tea extract (TGE) formulation on the physical stability and activities of skin-related enzymes. Physical stability was evaluated by measuring the pH, precipitation, and colors at 25 ± 2 °C/ambient humidity and at 40 ± 2 °C/70% ± 5% relative humidity for 4 months. Activities of collagenase, elastase, and tyrosinase as skin-related enzymes were assessed on TGE formulation. The concentrations of epigallocatechin-3-gallate and epicatechin-3-gallate in green tea extract were greatly decreased to the extent of negligible level when treated with tannase. The formulation containing 5% tannase-converted green tea extract showed relatively stable pH, precipitation, and color features for 16 weeks. When TGE was added to the formulation, there was a significant increase in the inhibition of elastase and tyrosinase activities ( p < 0.05) compared with the formulation containing 5% normal green tea extract. The TGE could be used in cosmetics as skin antiwrinkling or depigmenting agent.
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Wang, Yunfeng; Sun, Yu; Chang, Qing; Ahmad, Shoeb; Zhou, Binfei; Kim, Yeunjung; Li, Huawei; Lin, Xi
2013-01-01
Gene transfer into the inner ear is a promising approach for treating sensorineural hearing loss. The special electrochemical environment of the scala media raises a formidable challenge for effective gene delivery at the same time as keeping normal cochlear function intact. The present study aimed to define a suitable strategy for preserving hearing after viral inoculation directly into the scala media performed at various postnatal developmental stages. We assessed transgene expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) mediated by various types of adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentivirus (LV) in the mouse cochlea. Auditory brainstem responses were measured 30 days after inoculation to assess effects on hearing. Patterns of GFP expression confirmed extensive exogenous gene expression in various types of cells lining the endolymphatic space. The use of different viral vectors and promoters resulted in specific cellular GFP expression patterns. AAV2/1 with cytomegalovirus promoter apparently gave the best results for GFP expression in the supporting cells. Histological examination showed normal cochlear morphology and no hair cell loss after either AAV or LV injections. We found that hearing thresholds were not significantly changed when the injections were performed in mice younger than postnatal day 5, regardless of the type of virus tested. Viral inoculation and expression in the inner ear for the restoration of hearing must not damage cochlear function. Using normal hearing mice as a model, we have achieved this necessary step, which is required for the treatment of many types of congenital deafness that require early intervention. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Impact of Infrared Lunar Laser Ranging on Lunar Dynamics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Viswanathan, Vishnu; Fienga, Agnès; Manche, Hervé; Gastineau, Mickael; Courde, Clément; Torre, Jean-Marie; Exertier, Pierre; Laskar, Jacques; LLR Observers : Astrogeo-OCA, Apache Point, McDonald Laser Ranging Station, Haleakala Observatory, Matera Laser Ranging Observatory
2016-10-01
Since 2015, in addition to the traditional green (532nm), infrared (1064nm) has been the preferred wavelength for lunar laser ranging at the Calern lunar laser ranging (LLR) site in France. Due to the better atmospheric transmission of IR with respect to Green, nearly 3 times the number of normal points have been obtained in IR than in Green [ C.Courde et al 2016 ]. In our study, in addition to the historical data obtained from various other LLR sites, we include the recent IR normal points obtained from Calern over the 1 year time span (2015-2016), constituting about 4.2% of data spread over 46 years of LLR. Near even distribution of data provided by IR on both the spatial and temporal domain, helps us to improve constraints on the internal structure of the Moon modeled within the planetary ephemeris : INPOP [ Fienga et al 2015 ]. IERS recommended models have been used in the data reduction software GINS (GRGS,CNES) [ V.Viswanathan et al 2015 ]. Constraints provided by GRAIL, on the Lunar gravitational potential and Love numbers have been taken into account in the least-square fit procedure. New estimates on the dynamical parameters of the lunar core will be presented.
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Quality over Quantity: Contribution of Urban Green Space to Neighborhood Satisfaction
Zhang, Yang; Van den Berg, Agnes E.; Van Dijk, Terry; Weitkamp, Gerd
2017-01-01
There is increasing evidence that the quality of green space significantly contributes to neighborhood satisfaction and well-being, independent of the mere amount of green space. In this paper, we examined residents’ perceptions of the quality and beneficial affordances of green space in relation to objectively assessed accessibility and usability. We used data from a survey in two neighborhoods (N = 223) of a medium-sized city in the Netherlands, which were similar in the amount of green space and other physical and socio-demographic characteristics, but differed in the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. Results show that residents of the neighborhood with a higher availability of accessible and usable green spaces were more satisfied with their neighborhood. This difference was statistically mediated by the higher level of perceived green space quality. Neighborhood satisfaction was significantly positively related to well-being. However, residents of the two neighborhoods did not differ in self-reported well-being and beneficial affordances of green space. These analyses contribute to a further understanding of how the accessibility and usability of green spaces may increase people’s neighborhood satisfaction. It highlights the importance of perceived quality in addition to the amount of green space when examining the beneficial effects of green space. PMID:28509879
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Quality over Quantity: Contribution of Urban Green Space to Neighborhood Satisfaction.
Zhang, Yang; Van den Berg, Agnes E; Van Dijk, Terry; Weitkamp, Gerd
2017-05-16
There is increasing evidence that the quality of green space significantly contributes to neighborhood satisfaction and well-being, independent of the mere amount of green space. In this paper, we examined residents' perceptions of the quality and beneficial affordances of green space in relation to objectively assessed accessibility and usability. We used data from a survey in two neighborhoods ( N = 223) of a medium-sized city in the Netherlands, which were similar in the amount of green space and other physical and socio-demographic characteristics, but differed in the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. Results show that residents of the neighborhood with a higher availability of accessible and usable green spaces were more satisfied with their neighborhood. This difference was statistically mediated by the higher level of perceived green space quality. Neighborhood satisfaction was significantly positively related to well-being. However, residents of the two neighborhoods did not differ in self-reported well-being and beneficial affordances of green space. These analyses contribute to a further understanding of how the accessibility and usability of green spaces may increase people's neighborhood satisfaction. It highlights the importance of perceived quality in addition to the amount of green space when examining the beneficial effects of green space.
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Protanomaly-without-darkened-red is deuteranopia with rods
Shevell, Steven K.; Sun, Yang; Neitz, Maureen
2008-01-01
The Rayleigh match, a color match between a mixture of 545+670 nm lights and 589 nm light in modern instruments, is the definitive measurement for the diagnosis of inherited red/green color defects. All trichromats, whether normal or anomalous, have a limited range of 545+670 nm mixtures they perceive to match 589 nm: a typical color-normal match-range is about 50–55% of 670 nm in the mixture (deutan mode), while deuteranomals have a range that includes mixtures with less 670 nm than normal and protanomals a range that includes mixtures with more 670 nm than normal. Further, the matching luminance of the 589 nm light for deuteranomals is the same as for normals but for protanomals is below normal. An example of an unexpected Rayleigh match, therefore, is a match range above normal (typical of protanomaly) and a normal luminance setting for 589 nm (typical of deuteranomaly), a match that Pickford (1950) called protanomaly “when the red end of the spectrum is not darkened”. In this case, Rayleigh matching does not yield a clear diagnosis. Aside from Pickford, we are aware of only one other report of a similar observer (Pokorny and Smith, 1981); this study predated modern genetic techniques that can reveal the cone photopigment(s) in the red/green range. We recently had the opportunity to conduct genetic and psychophysical tests on such an observer. Genetic results predict he is a deuteranope. His Rayleigh match is consistent with L cones and a contribution from rods. Further, with a rod-suppressing background, his Rayleigh match is characteristic of a single L-cone photopigment (deuteranopia). PMID:18423511
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Assessment of tumor angiogenesis using fluorescence contrast agents
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chen, Yu; Liu, Qian; Huang, Ping; Hyman, Shay; Intes, Xavier; Lee, William; Chance, Britton
2003-12-01
Angiogenesis is an important factor for further tumor growth and thus could be an attractive therapeutic target. Optical imaging can provide a non-invasive way to measure the permeability of tumor blood vessels and assess the tumor vasculature. We have developed a dual-channel near-infrared fluorescence system for simultaneous measurement of the pharmacokinetics of tumorous and normal tissues with exogenous contrast agents. This frequency-domain system consists of the light source (780 nm laser diode), fiber optics, interference filter (830 nm) and the detector (PMT). The fluorescent contrast agent used in this study is Indocyanine Green (ICG), and the normal dosage is 100 μl at a concentration of 5 μM. In vivo animal study is performed on the K1735 melanoma-bearing mouse. The fluorescence signals both tumorous and normal tissues after the bolus injection of ICG through the tail vein are continuously recorded as a function of time. The data is fitted by a double-exponential model to reveal the wash-in and wash-out parameters of different tissues. We observed an elongated wash-out from the tumor compared with normal tissue (leg). The effect of radiation therapy on the tumor vasculature is also discussed.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Conney, Allan H.; Zhou, Sherry; Lee Maojung
Oral administration of green tea or a caffeine solution, but not decaffeinated green tea, inhibits UVB-induced complete carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice. Oral administration of green tea, coffee or a caffeine solution for 2 weeks enhanced UVB-induced increases in apoptosis in the epidermis, but these treatments had no effect in non-UVB treated normal epidermis. Our results suggest that administration of green tea, coffee and caffeine may inhibit UVB-induced carcinogenesis - at least in part - by enhancing UVB-induced apoptosis. Plasma levels of caffeine observed after its oral administration at cancer-preventive dose levels were within the range observed in moderate coffee drinkers.more » Topical applications of caffeine to mice previously treated with UVB for 20 weeks (high risk mice without tumors) inhibited the formation of tumors and stimulated apoptosis in the tumors but not in areas of the epidermis away from tumors. The selective effects of caffeine administration to stimulate UVB-induced apoptosis or apoptosis in tumors but not in normal epidermis or in areas of the epidermis away from tumors is of considerable interest, but the reasons for the selective effects of caffeine on apoptosis in DNA damaged tissues are unknown. Further studies are needed to determine mechanisms of these effects of caffeine and to determine the effects of caffeine administration on sunlight-induced actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinomas in humans.« less
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What Are Some of the Basics of Infant Health?
... them if they occur. Mostly, it is a matter of the caregivers learning about what is normal ... movements usually consist of a thick, black or dark green substance called meconium (pronounced mi-KOH-nee- ...
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Finite-frequency structural sensitivities of short-period compressional body waves
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fuji, Nobuaki; Chevrot, Sébastien; Zhao, Li; Geller, Robert J.; Kawai, Kenji
2012-07-01
We present an extension of the method recently introduced by Zhao & Chevrot for calculating Fréchet kernels from a precomputed database of strain Green's tensors by normal mode summation. The extension involves two aspects: (1) we compute the strain Green's tensors using the Direct Solution Method, which allows us to go up to frequencies as high as 1 Hz; and (2) we develop a spatial interpolation scheme so that the Green's tensors can be computed with a relatively coarse grid, thus improving the efficiency in the computation of the sensitivity kernels. The only requirement is that the Green's tensors be computed with a fine enough spatial sampling rate to avoid spatial aliasing. The Green's tensors can then be interpolated to any location inside the Earth, avoiding the need to store and retrieve strain Green's tensors for a fine sampling grid. The interpolation scheme not only significantly reduces the CPU time required to calculate the Green's tensor database and the disk space to store it, but also enhances the efficiency in computing the kernels by reducing the number of I/O operations needed to retrieve the Green's tensors. Our new implementation allows us to calculate sensitivity kernels for high-frequency teleseismic body waves with very modest computational resources such as a laptop. We illustrate the potential of our approach for seismic tomography by computing traveltime and amplitude sensitivity kernels for high frequency P, PKP and Pdiff phases. A comparison of our PKP kernels with those computed by asymptotic ray theory clearly shows the limits of the latter. With ray theory, it is not possible to model waves diffracted by internal discontinuities such as the core-mantle boundary, and it is also difficult to compute amplitudes for paths close to the B-caustic of the PKP phase. We also compute waveform partial derivatives for different parts of the seismic wavefield, a key ingredient for high resolution imaging by waveform inversion. Our computations of partial derivatives in the time window where PcP precursors are commonly observed show that the distribution of sensitivity is complex and counter-intuitive, with a large contribution from the mid-mantle region. This clearly emphasizes the need to use accurate and complete partial derivatives in waveform inversion.
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Lynch, William T
2015-10-01
The article examines and extends work bringing together engineering ethics and Science and Technology Studies, which had built upon Diane Vaughan's analysis of the Challenger shuttle accident as a test case. Reconsidering the use of her term "normalization of deviance," the article argues for a middle path between moralizing against and excusing away engineering practices contributing to engineering disaster. To explore an illustrative pedagogical case and to suggest avenues for constructive research developing this middle path, it examines the emergence of green chemistry and green engineering. Green chemistry began when Paul Anastas and John Warner developed a set of new rules for chemical synthesis that sought to learn from missed opportunities to avoid environmental damage in the twentieth century, an approach that was soon extended to engineering as well. Examination of tacit assumptions about historical counterfactuals in recent, interdisciplinary discussions of green chemistry illuminate competing views about the field's prospects. An integrated perspective is sought, addressing how both technical practice within chemistry and engineering and the influence of a wider "social movement" can play a role in remedying environmental problems.
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Color discrimination in carriers of color deficiency.
Hood, S M; Mollon, J D; Purves, L; Jordan, G
2006-09-01
Carriers of X-linked color vision deficiencies have previously been reported to exhibit mild abnormalities of color matching and discrimination. In a sample of 55 carriers of protan and deutan deficiencies and 55 age-matched normal controls, we measured chromatic discrimination along a red-green axis. We found that discrimination was impaired in the case of carriers of deutan deficiencies (which affect the middle-wave-sensitive cones of the retina), but was normal in the case of carriers of protan deficiencies (which affect the long-wave-sensitive cones). We argue that this result can be explained by the difference in the relative numbers of middle- and long-wave cones in heterozygous retinae: the imbalance of the two cone types is predicted to be much greater in the case of the deutan heterozygote than in the case of the protan heterozygote. In future studies it will be necessary to consider separately the two types of heterozygote.
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Arumai Selvan, D; Mahendiran, D; Senthil Kumar, R; Kalilur Rahiman, A
2018-03-01
Phyto-synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was achieved using aqueous garlic, green tea and turmeric extracts, and characterized by different spectroscopic techniques. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of rich amount of biochemicals in these extracts, which serve as reducing and capping agents for converting silver nitrate into AgNPs. FT IR spectroscopy confirmed the role of biomolecules in the bioreduction and efficient stabilization of AgNPs. UV-Vis DRS spectra showed a band around 450 nm characteristics of AgNPs. XRD patterns revealed the crystalline nature of the synthesized AgNPs with fcc structure. SEM and TEM analysis revealed the spherical shape of the synthesized AgNPs with an average particle size of 8 nm. EDX analysis confirmed the purity of the synthesized AgNPs with a strong signal at 3.2 keV. The antioxidant activity was assessed by ABTS, DPPH, p-NDA, H 2 O 2 and DMSO scavenging assays, in which the AgNPs synthesized using green method showed remarkable activity with respect to the standard antioxidants ascorbic acid and rutin. In vitro cytotoxicity activity was tested on four cancer cell lines such as human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), cervical (HeLa), epithelioma (Hep-2) and lung (A549) along with one normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) cell line. The AgNPs synthesized using turmeric extract exhibits excellent antioxidant and cytotoxicity activity compared to that synthesized using other extracts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Influence of skin type and wavelength on light wave reflectance.
Fallow, Bennett A; Tarumi, Takashi; Tanaka, Hirofumi
2013-06-01
A new application of photoplethysmography (PPG) has emerged recently to provide the possibility of heart rate monitoring without a telemetric chest strap. The aim of this study was to determine if a new device could detect pulsation over a broad range of skin types, and what light wavelength would be most suitable for detecting the signals. A light emitting diode-based PPG system was used to detect changes in pulsatile blood flow on 23 apparently healthy individuals (11 male and 12 female, 20-59 years old) of varying skin types classified according to a questionnaire in combination with digital photographs with a skin type chart. Four different light wavelengths (470, 520, 630, and 880 nm) were tested. Normalized modulation level is calculated as the AC/DC component ratio and represents the change in flow over the underlying constant state of flow or perfusion. In the resting condition, green light wavelength (520 nm) displayed greater modulation (p < 0.001) than all the other wavelengths analyzed regardless of skin types. Type V (dark brown) skin type was significantly lower in modulation than all other skin types. In the exercise condition, both blue (470 nm) and green (520 nm) light wavelengths displayed greater signal-to-noise ratios than red (630 nm) or infrared (880 nm) light wavelengths (p < 0.001). We concluded that a PPG-based device can detect pulsation across all skin types and that a greater resolution was obtained using a green light wavelength at rest and a green or blue light wavelength during exercise.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Townshend, J. R. G.; Choudhury, B. J.; Tucker, C. J.; Giddings, L.; Justice, C. O.
1989-01-01
Comparison between the microwave polarized difference temperature (MPDT) derived from 37 GHz band data and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from near-infrared and red bands, from several empirical investigations are summarized. These indicate the complementary character of the two measures in environmental monitoring. Overall the NDVI is more sensitive to green leaf activity, whereas the MPDT appears also to be related to other elements of the above-ground biomass. Monitoring of hydrological phenomena is carried out much more effectively by the MPDT. Further work is needed to explain spectral and temporal variation in MPDT both through modelling and field experiments.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jawak, Shridhar D.; Luis, Alvarinho J.
2016-05-01
This work presents various normalized difference water indices (NDWI) to delineate lakes from Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica, by using a very high resolution WorldView-2 (WV-2) satellite imagery. Schirmacher oasis region hosts a number of fresh as well as saline water lakes, such as epishelf lakes, ice-free or landlocked lakes, which are completely frozen or semi-frozen and in a ice-free state. Hence, detecting all these types of lakes distinctly on satellite imagery was the major challenge, as the spectral characteristics of various types of lakes were identical to the other land cover targets. Multiband spectral index pixel-based approach is most experimented and recently growing technique because of its unbeatable advantages such as its simplicity and comparatively lesser amount of processing-time. In present study, semiautomatic extraction of lakes in cryospheric region was carried out by designing specific spectral indices. The study utilized number of existing spectral indices to extract lakes but none could deliver satisfactory results and hence we modified NDWI. The potentials of newly added bands in WV-2 satellite imagery was explored by developing spectral indices comprising of Yellow (585 - 625 nm) band, in combination with Blue (450 - 510 nm), Coastal (400 - 450 nm) and Green (510 - 580 nm) bands. For extraction of frozen lakes, use of Yellow (585 - 625 nm) and near-infrared 2 (NIR2) band pair, and Yellow and Green band pair worked well, whereas for ice-free lakes extraction, a combination of Blue and Coastal band yielded appreciable results, when compared with manually digitized data. The results suggest that the modified NDWI approach rendered bias error varying from 1 to 34 m2.
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Using spectrotemporal indices to improve the fruit-tree crop classification accuracy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Peña, M. A.; Liao, R.; Brenning, A.
2017-06-01
This study assesses the potential of spectrotemporal indices derived from satellite image time series (SITS) to improve the classification accuracy of fruit-tree crops. Six major fruit-tree crop types in the Aconcagua Valley, Chile, were classified by applying various linear discriminant analysis (LDA) techniques on a Landsat-8 time series of nine images corresponding to the 2014-15 growing season. As features we not only used the complete spectral resolution of the SITS, but also all possible normalized difference indices (NDIs) that can be constructed from any two bands of the time series, a novel approach to derive features from SITS. Due to the high dimensionality of this "enhanced" feature set we used the lasso and ridge penalized variants of LDA (PLDA). Although classification accuracies yielded by the standard LDA applied on the full-band SITS were good (misclassification error rate, MER = 0.13), they were further improved by 23% (MER = 0.10) with ridge PLDA using the enhanced feature set. The most important bands to discriminate the crops of interest were mainly concentrated on the first two image dates of the time series, corresponding to the crops' greenup stage. Despite the high predictor weights provided by the red and near infrared bands, typically used to construct greenness spectral indices, other spectral regions were also found important for the discrimination, such as the shortwave infrared band at 2.11-2.19 μm, sensitive to foliar water changes. These findings support the usefulness of spectrotemporal indices in the context of SITS-based crop type classifications, which until now have been mainly constructed by the arithmetic combination of two bands of the same image date in order to derive greenness temporal profiles like those from the normalized difference vegetation index.
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Micro-Raman spectroscopy study of ALVAC virus infected chicken embryo cells
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Misra, Anupam K.; Kamemoto, Lori E.; Hu, Ningjie; Dykes, Ava C.; Yu, Qigui; Zinin, Pavel V.; Sharma, Shiv K.
2011-05-01
Micro- Raman spectroscopic investigation of ALVAC virus and of normal chicken embryo fibroblast cells and the cells infected with ALVAC virus labeled with green fluorescence protein (GFP) were performed with a 785 nm laser. Good quality Micro-Raman spectra of the Alvac II virus were obtained. These spectra show that the ALVAC II virus contains buried tyrosine residues and the coat protein of the virus has α-helical structure. A comparison of Raman spectra of normal and virus infected chicken embryo fibroblast cells revealed that the virus infected cells show additional bands at 535, 928, and 1091 cm-1, respectively, corresponding to δ(C-O-C) glycosidic ring, protein α-helix, and DNA (O-P-O) modes. In addition, the tyrosine resonance double (833 and 855 cm-1) shows reversal in the intensity of the higher-frequency band as compared to the normal cells that can be used to identify the infected cells. In the C-H stretching region, the infected cells show bands with higher intensity as compared to that of the corresponding bands in the normal cells. We also found that the presence of GFP does not affect the Raman spectra of samples when using a 785 nm micro-Raman system because the green fluorescence wavelength of GFP is well below the Stokes-Raman shifted spectral region.
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Ojewole, J A O; Adewunmi, C O
2003-01-01
Diabetes mellitus is a debilitating hormonal disorder in which strict glycemic control and prevention of associated complications are of crucial importance. This study was designed to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of methanolic extract of mature, green fruits of Musa paradisiaca (MEMP) in normal (normoglycemic) and streptozotocin (STZ)-treated, diabetic (hyperglycemic) mice, using chlorpropamide as the reference antidiabetic agent. MEMP (100-800 mg/kg p.o.) induced significant, dose-related (p < 0.05-0.001) reductions in the blood glucose concentrations of both normal and diabetic mice. Chlorpropamide (250 mg/kg p.o.) also produced significant (p < 0.01-0.001) reductions in the blood glucose concentrations of normal and diabetic mice. The results of this experimental study indicate that, in the mammalian model used, MEMP possesses hypoglycemic activity. Although the precise mechanism of the hypoglycemic action of MEMP is still unclear and will have to await further studies, it could be due, at least in part, to stimulation of insulin production and subsequent glucose utilization. Nevertheless, the findings of this experimental animal study indicate that MEMP possesses hypoglycemic activity, and thus lends credence to the suggested folkloric use of the plant in the management and/or control of adult-onset, type-2 diabetic mellitus among the Yoruba-speaking people of South-Western Nigeria.
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E-WOM Review Adoption: Consumers’ Demographic Profile Influence on Green Purchase Intention
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rahim, Roslin Abdul; Sulaiman, Zuraidah; Chin, Thoo Ai; Arif, Mohd Shoki Mohd; Hamid, Mohd Hakim Abdul
2017-06-01
Nowadays, green products are getting popular in their acceptance by the Malaysian consumers. Due to the advancement of the Internet technologies and the wide spread of electronic word of mouth (E-WOM), consumers seem to be more influenced in purchasing the green products. In this study, consumers’ demographic profiles, such as age, gender, income, education background, and occupation are being explored to investigate their influences on consumers’ green product purchase intention. The purpose of this paper is to showcase the results of the differences between several demographic profile groups on green product purchase intention using descriptive analysis, ANOVA and independent sample T-Test. T-test results showed that there is a statistically significant difference between gender on consumers’ green product purchase intention. Meanwhile, the results generated by ANOVA indicated that there are no significant differences between age, income, education background and occupation on consumers’ green product purchase intention. These results shed light on the potential market segment that should be targeted by marketers and producers of green products in Malaysia.
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Ruhi, Mustafa Kemal; Ak, Ayşe; Gülsoy, Murat
2018-03-01
The Food and Drug Administration-approved Indocyanine Green can be used as a photosensitizer to kill cancer cells selectively. Although indocyanine green is advantageous as a photosensitizer in terms of strong absorption in the near-infrared region, indocyanine green-based cancer treatment is still not approved as a clinical method. Some reasons for this are aggregation at high concentrations, rapid clearance of the photosensitizer from the body, low singlet oxygen quantum yield, and the uncertainty concerning its action mechanism. This in vitro study focuses on two of these points: "what is the cell inhibition mechanism of indocyanine green-based therapy?" and "how the dose-dependent aggregation problem of indocyanine green alters its cell inhibition efficiency?" The following experiments were conducted to provide insight into these points. Nontoxic doses of indocyanine green and near-infrared laser were determined. The aggregation behavior of indocyanine green was verified through experiments. The singlet oxygen quantum yield of indocyanine green at different concentrations were calculated. Various indocyanine green and energy densities of near-infrared light were applied to prostate cancer, neuroblastoma, and colon cancer cells. An MTT assay was performed at the end of the first, second, and third days following the treatments to determine the cell viability. Temperature changes in the medium during laser exposure were recorded. ROS generation following the treatment was verified by using a Total Reactive Oxygen Species detection kit. An apoptosis detection test was performed to establish the cell death mechanism and, finally, the cellular uptakes of the three different cells were measured. According to the results, indocyanine green-based therapy causes cell viability decrease for three cancer cell lines by means of excessive reactive oxygen species production. Different cells have different sensitivities to the therapy possibly because of the differentiation level and structural differences. The singlet oxygen generation of indocyanine green decreases at high concentrations because of aggregation. Nevertheless, better cancer cell killing effect was observed at higher photosensitizer concentrations. This result reveals that the cellular uptake of indocyanine green was determinant for better cancer cell inhibition. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McFarlane, S. A.; Gaustad, K. L.; Mlawer, E. J.; Long, C. N.; Delamere, J.
2011-09-01
We present a method for identifying dominant surface type and estimating high spectral resolution surface albedo at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma for use in radiative transfer calculations. Given a set of 6-channel narrowband visible and near-infrared irradiance measurements from upward and downward looking multi-filter radiometers (MFRs), four different surface types (snow-covered, green vegetation, partial vegetation, non-vegetated) can be identified. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used to distinguish between vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces, and a scaled NDVI index is used to estimate the percentage of green vegetation in partially vegetated surfaces. Based on libraries of spectral albedo measurements, a piecewise continuous function is developed to estimate the high spectral resolution surface albedo for each surface type given the MFR albedo values as input. For partially vegetated surfaces, the albedo is estimated as a linear combination of the green vegetation and non-vegetated surface albedo values. The estimated albedo values are evaluated through comparison to high spectral resolution albedo measurements taken during several Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs) and through comparison of the integrated spectral albedo values to observed broadband albedo measurements. The estimated spectral albedo values agree well with observations for the visible wavelengths constrained by the MFR measurements, but have larger biases and variability at longer wavelengths. Additional MFR channels at 1100 nm and/or 1600 nm would help constrain the high resolution spectral albedo in the near infrared region.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McFarlane, S. A.; Gaustad, K. L.; Mlawer, E. J.; Long, C. N.; Delamere, J.
2011-05-01
We present a method for identifying dominant surface type and estimating high spectral resolution surface albedo at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma for use in radiative transfer calculations. Given a set of 6-channel narrowband visible and near-infrared irradiance measurements from upward and downward looking multi-filter radiometers (MFRs), four different surface types (snow-covered, green vegetation, partial vegetation, non-vegetated) can be identified. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used to distinguish between vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces, and a scaled NDVI index is used to estimate the percentage of green vegetation in partially vegetated surfaces. Based on libraries of spectral albedo measurements, a piecewise continuous function is developed to estimate the high spectral resolution surface albedo for each surface type given the MFR albedo values as input. For partially vegetated surfaces, the albedo is estimated as a linear combination of the green vegetation and non-vegetated surface albedo values. The estimated albedo values are evaluated through comparison to high spectral resolution albedo measurements taken during several Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs) and through comparison of the integrated spectral albedo values to observed broadband albedo measurements. The estimated spectral albedo values agree well with observations for the visible wavelengths constrained by the MFR measurements, but have larger biases and variability at longer wavelengths. Additional MFR channels at 1100 nm and/or 1600 nm would help constrain the high resolution spectral albedo in the near infrared region.
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Satellite-Based Evidence for Shrub and Graminoid Tundra Expansion in Northern Quebec from 1986-2010
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
McManus, K. M.; Morton, D. C.; Masek, J. G.; Wang, D.; Sexton, J. O.; Nagol, J.; Ropars, P.; Boudreau, S.
2012-01-01
Global vegetation models predict rapid poleward migration of tundra and boreal forest vegetation in response to climate warming. Local plot and air-photo studies have documented recent changes in high-latitude vegetation composition and structure, consistent with warming trends. To bridge these two scales of inference, we analyzed a 24-year (1986-2010) Landsat time series in a latitudinal transect across the boreal forest-tundra biome boundary in northern Quebec province, Canada. This region has experienced rapid warming during both winter and summer months during the last forty years. Using a per-pixel (30 m) trend analysis, 30% of the observable (cloud-free) land area experienced a significant (p < 0.05) positive trend in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). However, greening trends were not evenly split among cover types. Low shrub and graminoid tundra contributed preferentially to the greening trend, while forested areas were less likely to show significant trends in NDVI. These trends reflect increasing leaf area, rather than an increase in growing season length, because Landsat data were restricted to peak-summer conditions. The average NDVI trend (0.007/yr) corresponds to a leaf-area index (LAI) increase of 0.6 based on the regional relationship between LAI and NDVI from the Moderate Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Across the entire transect, the area-averaged LAI increase was 0.2 during 1986-2010. A higher area-averaged LAI change (0.3) within the shrub-tundra portion of the transect represents a 20-60% relative increase in LAI during the last two decades. Our Landsat-based analysis subdivides the overall high-latitude greening trend into changes in peak-summer greenness by cover type. Different responses within and among shrub, graminoid, and tree-dominated cover types in this study indicate important fine-scale heterogeneity in vegetation growth. Although our findings are consistent with community shifts in low-biomass vegetation types over multi-decadal time scales, the response in tundra and forest ecosystems to recent warming was not uniform.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shen, M.; Piao, S.
2013-12-01
Vegetation spring phenology in temperate and cold regions is widely expected to advance with temperature elevation and is often used as an indicator of regional climatic change. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has experienced intensive warming recently, but substantial contradictions exist about the changes of vegetation spring phenology. We investigated spatiotemporal variations in green-up dates in the QTP from 2000 to 2011 determined through five methods using four satellite-derived datasets including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), Système Pour l'Observation de la Terre, and MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the enhanced vegetation index from MODIS. On regional scale, no significant temporal trends (all P > 0.05) were found in the green-up dates, consistently among all the vegetation indices and methods. This insignificance was resulted from the substantial spatial heterogeneity of trends in green-up date, with delay by greater than 0.5 day yr-1 in the southwest region, and extensive advance in the other areas, although the temperature elevation was region-wide. These changes doubled the altitudinal gradient of green-up date, from 0.63 day 100m-1 in the early 2000s to 1.30 days 100m-1 in the early 2010s. The delay in the southwest region and high altitudes was likely caused by the decline in spring precipitation, despite the increasing spring temperature. This study suggests that spring precipitation is an important regulator of phenological response to climatic warming in QTP, and that, even in cold region, delay of vegetation spring phenology does not necessarily indicate spring cooling. Besides, the phenological changes retrieved from the widely used AVHRR NDVI differed from those from the other 3 vegetation indices, necessitating the use of multi-datasets while monitoring vegetation dynamics from space.
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Hettige, Samantha; Walsh, Daniel
2010-03-01
To illustrate the use of indocyanine green (ICG) video-angiography to confirm abolition of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF) and preserve the normal vascular anatomy intraoperatively. A 73-year-old woman presenting with progressive myelopathy was diagnosed with an SDAVF, where the origin of the fistula was in close proximity to the origin of the posterior spinal artery. ICG was injected intravenously. Using a filter on the microscope, dynamic filling of the abnormal vasculature was visualised. After applying a clip to the fistulous connection, we were able to see the successful interruption of the dural fistula, on-table in real time. ICG video angiography confirmed interruption of the fistula and preservation of the associated posterior spinal artery. We find the application of this relatively new technology has the potential to shorten operating times, gives additional reassurance of completeness of surgical treatment and preservation of normal spinal vasculature.
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Analysis of urban regions using AVHRR thermal infrared data
Wright, Bruce
1993-01-01
Using 1-km AVHRR satellite data, relative temperature difference caused by conductivity and inertia were used to distinguish urban and non urban land covers. AVHRR data that were composited on a biweekly basis and distributed by the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, were used for the classification process. These composited images are based on the maximum normalized different vegetation index (NDVI) of each pixel during the 2-week period using channels 1 and 2. The resultant images are nearly cloud-free and reduce the need for extensive reclassification processing. Because of the physiographic differences between the Eastern and Western United States, the initial study was limited to the eastern half of the United States. In the East, the time of maximum difference between the urban surfaces and the vegetated non urban areas is the peak greenness period in late summer. A composite image of the Eastern United States for the 2-weel time period from August 30-Septmeber 16, 1991, was used for the extraction of the urban areas. Two channels of thermal data (channels 3 and 4) normalized for regional temperature differences and a composited NDVI image were classified using conventional image processing techniques. The results compare favorably with other large-scale urban area delineations.
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Evaluation of forest fire on Madeira Island using Sentinel-2A MSI imagery
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Navarro, Gabriel; Caballero, Isabel; Silva, Gustavo; Parra, Pedro-Cecilio; Vázquez, Águeda; Caldeira, Rui
2017-06-01
A forest fire started on August 8th, 2016 in several places on Madeira Island causing damage and casualties. As of August 10th the local media had reported the death of three people, over 200 people injured, over 950 habitants evacuated, and 50 houses damaged. This study presents the preliminary results of the assessment of several spectral indices to evaluate the burn severity of Madeira fires during August 2016. These spectral indices were calculated using the new European satellite Sentinel-2A launched in June 2015. The study confirmed the advantages of several spectral indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (GNDVI), Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVIreXn) using red-edge spectral bands to assess the post-fire conditions. Results showed high correlation between NDVI, GNDVI, NBR and NDVIre1n spectral indices and the analysis performed by Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMSR175), considered as the reference truth. Regarding the red-edge spectral indices, the NDVIre1n (using band B5, 705 nm) presented better results compared with B6 (740 nm) and B7 (783 nm) bands. These preliminary results allow us to assume that Sentinel-2 will be a valuable tool for post-fire monitoring. In the future, the two twin Sentinel-2 satellites will offer global coverage of the Madeira Archipelago every five days, therefore allowing the simultaneous study of the evolution of the burnt area and reforestation information with high spatial (up to 10 m) and temporal resolution (5 days).
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Haug, P.; Schnoes, H. K.; Burlingame, A. L.
1971-01-01
Study of solvent extractable acidic constituents of oil shale from the Colorado Green River Formation. Identification of individual components is based on gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric data obtained for their respective methyl esters. Normal acids, isoprenoidal acids, alpha, omega-dicarboxylic acids, mono-alpha-methyl dicarboxylic acids and methyl ketoacids were identified. In addition, the presence of monocyclic, benzoic, phenylalkanoic and naphthyl-carboxylic acids, as well as cycloaromatic acids, is demonstrated by partial identification.
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Climate-disease connections: Rift Valley Fever in Kenya
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Anyamba, A.; Linthicum, K. J.; Tucker, C. J.
2001-01-01
All known Rift Valley fever(RVF) outbreaks in Kenya from 1950 to 1998 followed periods of abnormally high rainfall. On an interannual scale, periods of above normal rainfall in East Africa are associated with the warm phase of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Anomalous rainfall floods mosquito-breeding habitats called dambos, which contain transovarially infected mosquito eggs. The eggs hatch Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the RVF virus preferentially to livestock and to humans as well. Analysis of historical data on RVF outbreaks and indicators of ENSO (including Pacific and Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures and the Southern Oscillation Index) indicates that more than three quarters of the RVF outbreaks have occurred during warm ENSO event periods. Mapping of ecological conditions using satellite normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data show that areas where outbreaks have occurred during the satellite recording period (1981-1998) show anomalous positive departures in vegetation greenness, an indicator of above-normal precipitation. This is particularly observed in arid areas of East Africa, which are predominantly impacted by this disease. These results indicate a close association between interannual climate variability and RVF outbreaks in Kenya.
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Climate-disease connections: Rift Valley Fever in Kenya.
Anyamba, A; Linthicum, K J; Tucker, C J
2001-01-01
All known Rift Valley fever(RVF) outbreaks in Kenya from 1950 to 1998 followed periods of abnormally high rainfall. On an interannual scale, periods of above normal rainfall in East Africa are associated with the warm phase of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Anomalous rainfall floods mosquito-breeding habitats called dambos, which contain transovarially infected mosquito eggs. The eggs hatch Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the RVF virus preferentially to livestock and to humans as well. Analysis of historical data on RVF outbreaks and indicators of ENSO (including Pacific and Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures and the Southern Oscillation Index) indicates that more than three quarters of the RVF outbreaks have occurred during warm ENSO event periods. Mapping of ecological conditions using satellite normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data show that areas where outbreaks have occurred during the satellite recording period (1981-1998) show anomalous positive departures in vegetation greenness, an indicator of above-normal precipitation. This is particularly observed in arid areas of East Africa, which are predominantly impacted by this disease. These results indicate a close association between interannual climate variability and RVF outbreaks in Kenya.
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The impact of ecolabel knowledge to purchase decision of green producton biology students
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sigit, Diana Vivanti; Fauziah, Rizky; Heryanti, Erna
2017-08-01
The world needs real solutions to reduce the impact of environmental damages. Students as agents of changes have a role to overcome these problems. One of the important solution is to be a critical consumer who has purchase decisions in a green product. To show the quality of an environmental friendly product, it is then required an ecolabel on the green product which indicates that the product has been through the production processed and come from environmental friendly substances. The research aimed at finding out whether there was an impact of ecolabel knowledge with purchase decision of green product on biology students. This research was conducted in Biology Department. This research used a survey descriptive method. The population used was biology students of Universitas Negeri Jakarta while the sampling technique was done through simple random sampling technique with 147 respondents. Instrument used were ecolabel knowledge test and a questionnaire of green product purchase decision. The result of prerequisite test showed that the data was normally distributed and homogenous variance. The regression model obtained was Ŷ=77.083+ 0.370X. Meanwhile, the determinant coefficient (r2) obtained was 0.047 or 4.7% that mean ecolabel knowledge just contributed 4,71% to the green product purchase decision. These implied that many factors contributed in the purchase decision of green product instead of ecolabel knowledge.
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Petrakis, Roy; Villarreal, Miguel; Wu, Zhuoting; Hetzler, Robert; Middleton, Barry R.; Norman, Laura M.
2018-01-01
The practice of fire suppression across the western United States over the past century has led to dense forests, and when coupled with drought has contributed to an increase in large and destructive wildfires. Forest management efforts aimed at reducing flammable fuels through various fuel treatments can help to restore frequent fire regimes and increase forest resilience. Our research examines how different fuel treatments influenced burn severity and post-fire vegetative stand dynamics on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, in east-central Arizona, U.S.A. Our methods included the use of multitemporal remote sensing data and cloud computing to evaluate burn severity and post-fire vegetation conditions as well as statistical analyses. We investigated how forest thinning, commercial harvesting, prescribed burning, and resource benefit burning (managed wildfire) related to satellite measured burn severity (the difference Normalized Burn Ratio – dNBR) following the 2013 Creek Fire and used spectral measures of post-fire stand dynamics to track changes in land surface characteristics (i.e., brightness, greenness and wetness). We found strong negative relationships between dNBR and post-fire greenness and wetness, and a positive non-linear relationship between dNBR and brightness, with greater variability at higher severities. Fire severity and post-fire surface changes also differed by treatment type. Our results showed harvested and thinned sites that were not treated with prescribed fire had the highest severity fire. When harvesting was followed by a prescribed burn, the sites experienced lower burn severity and reduced post-fire changes in vegetation greenness and wetness. Areas that had previously experienced resource benefit burns had the lowest burn severities and the highest post-fire greenness measurements compared to all other treatments, except for where the prescribed burn had occurred. These results suggest that fire treatments may be most effective at reducing the probability of hazardous fire and increasing post-fire recovery. This research demonstrates the utility of remote sensing and spatial data to inform forest management, and how various fuel treatments can influence burn severity and post-fire vegetation response within ponderosa pine forests across the southwestern U.S.
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Plant-herbivore-hydroperiod interactions: effects of native mammals on floodplain tree recruitment
Andersen, D.C.; Cooper, D.J.
2000-01-01
Floodplain plant–herbivore–hydroperiod interactions have received little attention despite their potential as determinants of floodplain structure and functioning. We used five types of exclosures to differentially exclude small-, medium-, and large-sized mammals from accessing Fremont cottonwood (Populus deltoides Marshall subsp. wizlizenii (Watson) Eckenwalder) seedlings and saplings growing naturally on four landform types at an alluvial reach on each of two rivers, the Green and Yampa, in Colorado and Utah. The two study reaches differed primarily as a result of flow regulation on the Green River, which began in 1962. Landforms were a rarely flooded portion of the alluvial plain, geomorphically active slow- and fast-water channel margin sites on the Yampa reach, and an aggrading side channel on the Green. Small-mammal live-trapping and observational data indicated that, with minor exceptions, the kinds of mammals eating cottonwood within each reach were identical. We monitored condition and fates of individual cottonwood plants from October 1993 through the 1997 growing season. Differences in survival and growth were noted both within and between reaches, and both due to, and independent of, mammalian herbivory. Comparisons of cottonwood growth and survivorship among exclosures and between exclosures and controls indicated that a small mammal, Microtus montanus, reduced seedling and sapling survivorship at the Green River reach, but to a lesser extent (seedlings) or not at all (saplings) on the Yampa reach. In contrast, reductions in sapling height increment attributable to medium- and large-sized herbivores were detected only at the Yampa site. We suggest that these differences are a result of (1) flow regulation allowing Microtus populations to escape the mortality normally accompanying the large, snowmelt-driven spring flood, as well as regulation promoting a herbaceous understory favorable to voles, and (2) greater browsing pressure from overwintering deer and elk at the Yampa reach, unrelated to flow regulation. Within areas used by foraging beaver, the probability of a sapling being cut by beaver was similar on the two reaches. This study suggests that changes in riparian plant–herbivore relationships due to shifts in river hydrology may be a common and important consequence of river regulation.
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Changes in Gene Expression during Tomato Fruit Ripening 1
Biggs, M. Scott; Harriman, Robert W.; Handa, Avtar K.
1986-01-01
Total proteins from pericarp tissue of different chronological ages from normally ripening tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Rutgers) fruits and from fruits of the isogenic ripening-impaired mutants rin, nor, and Nr were extracted and separated by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Analysis of the stained bands revealed increases in 5 polypeptides (94, 44, 34, 20, and 12 kilodaltons), decreases in 12 polypeptides (106, 98, 88, 76, 64, 52, 48, 45, 36, 28, 25, and 15 kilodaltons), and fluctuations in 5 polypeptides (85, 60, 26, 21, and 16 kilodaltons) as normal ripening proceeded. Several polypeptides present in ripening normal pericarp exhibited very low or undetectable levels in developing mutant pericarp. Total RNAs extracted from various stages of Rutgers pericarp and from 60 to 65 days old rin, nor, and Nr pericarp were fractionated into poly(A)+ and poly(A)− RNAs. Peak levels of total RNA, poly(A)+ RNA, and poly(A)+ RNA as percent of total RNA occurred between the mature green to breaker stages of normal pericarp. In vitro translation of poly(A)+ RNAs from normal pericarp in rabbit reticulocyte lysates revealed increases in mRNAs for 9 polypeptides (116, 89, 70, 42, 38, 33, 31, 29, and 26 kilodaltons), decreases in mRNAs for 2 polypeptides (41 and 35 kilodaltons), and fluctuations in mRNAs for 5 polypeptides (156, 53, 39, 30, and 14 kilodaltons) during normal ripening. Analysis of two-dimensional separation of in vitro translated polypeptides from poly(A)+ RNAs isolated from different developmental stages revealed even more extensive changes in mRNA populations during ripening. In addition, a polygalacturonase precursor (54 kilodaltons) was immunoprecipitated from breaker, turning, red ripe, and 65 days old Nr in vitro translation products. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 3 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 PMID:16664828
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Green Banks | State, Local, and Tribal Governments | NREL
, and a commercial property assessed clean energy (PACE) product for a variety of different energy , Green Banks can help to help secure private capital by a number of different means including lowering Formation State and local governments have established Green Banks under a variety of different structures
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Balzarolo, M.; Papale, D.; Richardson, A. D.
2009-04-01
Phenological observations of foliar development and senescence are needed to understand the relationship between canopy properties and seasonal productivity dynamics (e.g., carbon uptake) of terrestrial ecosystems. Traditional phenological ground observations based on a visual observation of different vegetation growth phases (from first leaf opening, to first leaf flowering, full bloom until senescence) are laborious and typically limited to observations on just a few individual subjects. On the contrary, remote sensing techniques appear to offer the potential for assessing long-term variability in primary productivity at a global scale (Field et al., 1993). Recent studies have shown that biochemical and biophysical canopy properties can be measured with a quantifiable uncertainty that can be incorporated in the land-biosphere models (Ustin et al., 2004a; Ollinger et al 2008). Canopy greenness can be quantified by the use of vegetation indices (VIs) as, for example, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, Rouse et al., 1974; Deering, 1978), but a disadvantage of this approach is that there are uncertainties associated with these indices (due to the spatial and temporal resolution of the data), and the interpretation of a specific VI value, in the context of on-the-ground phenology, is not clear. Improved ground-based datasets are needed to validate and improve remotely-sensed phenological indices. Continuous monitoring of vegetation canopies with digital webcams (Richardson et al. 2007) may offer a direct link between phenological changes in canopy state and what is "seen" by satellite sensors. The general objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between biosphere-atmosphere CO2 exchange (measured by eddy covariance) and phenological canopy status, or greenness, of a Mediterranean deciduous broadleaf forest in central Italy (Roccarespampani, 42°24' N, 11°55' E). Canopy greenness is quantify using two different approaches: from digital webcam images, using indices derived from red, green and blue (RGB) color channel brightness (RGBi, after Richardson et al. 2007) and with VIs (e.g. NDVI, SR, MSR, GRDI, NCI, CI and SLAVI) derived from MODIS surface reflectance data (MOD09A1). Since MOD09A1 reflectance data represent the maximum surface reflectance of each band for a consecutive 8-day period, webcam imagery, as fluxes data, acquired whit half-hourly temporal resolution have been time averaged on 8 day period. Evaluation of performance of RGBi-VIs, RGBi-CO2flux and MODIS-CO2flux relationships were performed by linear regression analyses using the classical least squares (LS) statistical technique. Among all calculated vegetation indexes, GRDI (Green Red Difference Index: Gitelson et al., 2002) and SLAVI (Specific Leaf Area Vegetation Index: Lymburner et al., 2000) showed best linear fit with webcam RGBi greenness. SLAVI was also one of the vegetation indices best correlated with mean daily CO2 flux (R2=0.79). Finally, the relationship between RGBi and CO2 flux had a R2 of 0.67. Concluding, both webcam and MODIS greenness indices offer potential for assessing seasonal variation in the productivity of terrestrial ecosystems. Future work will focus on reducing the uncertainties inherent in these approaches, and integrating field observations of phenology into this study.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2002-01-01
This image shows the difference between the amount of vegetation in July 2000 and the average July vegetation for North America. Of particular interest are the dry conditions in the western United States. This spring and summer the Rocky Mountains have been relatively dry, and the brown regions stretching from the Canadian to the Mexican border, indicate the effect on the regions' forests. Western Montana and eastern Idaho are particularly parched, and appear darker brown. The dry conditions have contributed to this year's devastating fire season, during which millions of acres have burned in the west. Scientists find that during the growing season, land plants can be used to measure drought. Healthy, thriving plants reflect and absorb visible and near-infrared light differently than plants under stress. These variations in reflectance and absorption can be measured by satellites to produce maps of healthy and stressed vegetation. This image shows Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) anomaly, which indicates where vegetation growth was above average (green pixels), below average (brown pixels), or normal (white pixels). For more images and information about measuring vegetation and drought from space visit: Drought and Vegetation Monitoring. Image courtesy NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Biospheric Sciences Branch, based on data from NOAA.
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Non-local electron transport through normal and topological ladder-like atomic systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kurzyna, Marcin; Kwapiński, Tomasz
2018-05-01
We propose a locally protected ladder-like atomic system (nanoconductor) on a substrate that is insensitive to external perturbations. The system corresponds to coupled atomic chains fabricated on different surfaces. Electron transport properties of such conductors are studied theoretically using the model tight-binding Su-Schriffer-Hegger (SSH) Hamiltonian and Green's function formalism. We have found that the conductance of the system is almost insensitive to single adatoms and oscillates as a function of the side chain length with very large periods. Non-local character of the electron transport was observed also for topological SSH chains where nontrivial end states survive in the presence of disturbances as well as for different substrates. We have found that the careful inspection of the density of states or charge waves can provide the information about the atom energy levels and hopping amplitudes. Moreover, the ladder-like geometry allows one to distinguish between normal and topological zero-energy states. It is important that topological chains do not reveal Friedel oscillations which are observed in non-topological chains.
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Donovan, Geoffrey H; Gatziolis, Demetrios; Longley, Ian; Douwes, Jeroen
2018-05-07
We assessed the association between the natural environment and asthma in 49,956 New Zealand children born in 1998 and followed up until 2016 using routinely collected data. Children who lived in greener areas, as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index, were less likely to be asthmatic: a 1 s.d. increase in normalized difference vegetation index was associated with a 6.0% (95% CI 1.9-9.9%) lower risk of asthma. Vegetation diversity was also protective: a 1 s.d. increase in the number of natural land-cover types in a child's residential meshblock was associated with a 6.7% (95% CI 1.5-11.5%) lower risk. However, not all land-cover types were protective. A 1 s.d. increase in the area covered by gorse (Ulex europaeus) or exotic conifers, both non-native, low-biodiversity land-cover types, was associated with a 3.2% (95% CI 0.0-6.0%) and 4.2% (95% CI 0.9-7.5%) increased risk of asthma, respectively. The results suggest that exposure to greenness and vegetation diversity may be protective of asthma.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rankine, C.; Sánchez-Azofeifa, G. A.; Guzmán, J. Antonio; Espirito-Santo, M. M.; Sharp, Iain
2017-10-01
Tropical dry forests (TDFs) present strong seasonal greenness signals ideal for tracking phenology and primary productivity using remote sensing techniques. The tightly synchronized relationship these ecosystems have with water availability offer a valuable natural experiment for observing the complex interactions between the atmosphere and the biosphere in the tropics. To investigate how well the MODIS vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI)) represented the phenology of different successional stages of naturally regenerating TDFs, within a widely conserved forest fragment in the semi-arid southeast of Brazil, we installed several canopy towers with radiometric sensors to produce high temporal resolution near-surface vegetation greenness indices. Direct comparison of several years of ground measurements with a combined Aqua/Terra 8 day satellite product showed similar broad temporal trends, but MODIS often suffered from cloud contamination during the onset of the growing season and occasionally during the peak growing season. The strength of the in-situ and MODIS linear relationship was greater for NDVI than for EVI across sites but varied with forest stand age. Furthermore, we describe the onset dates and duration of canopy development phases for three years of in-situ monitoring. A seasonality analysis revealed significant discrepancies between tower and MODIS phenology transitions dates, with up to five weeks differences in growing season length estimation. Our results indicate that 8 and 16 day MODIS satellite vegetation monitoring products are suitable for tracking general patterns of tropical dry forest phenology in this region but are not temporally sufficient to characterize inter-annual differences in phenology phase onset dates or changes in productivity due to mid-season droughts. Such rapid transitions in canopy greenness are important indicators of climate change sensitivity of these already endangered forest ecosystems and should be further monitored using both ground and satellite approaches.
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Changes in Landscape Greenness and Climatic Factors over ...
Monitoring and quantifying changes in vegetation cover over large areas using remote sensing can be achieved using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), an indicator of greenness. However, distinguishing gradual shifts in NDVI (e.g. climate change) versus direct and rapid changes (e.g., fire, land development) is challenging as changes can be confounded by time-dependent patterns, and variation associated with climatic factors. In the present study we leveraged a method, that we previously developed for a pilot study, to address these confounding factors by evaluating NDVI change using autoregression techniques that compare results from univariate (NDVI vs. time) and multivariate analyses (NDVI vs. time and climatic factors) for ~7,660,636 1-km2 pixels comprising the 48 contiguous states of the USA, over a 25-year period (1989−2013). NDVI changed significantly for 48% of the nation over the 25-year in the univariate analyses where most significant trends (85%) indicated an increase in greenness over time. By including climatic factors in the multivariate analyses of NDVI over time, the detection of significant NDVI trends increased to 53% (an increase of 5%). Comparisons of univariate and multivariate analyses for each pixel showed that less than 4% of the pixels had a significant NDVI trend attributable to gradual climatic changes while the remainder of pixels with a significant NDVI trend indicated that changes were due to direct factors. Whi
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Investigations on blood coagulation in the green iguana (Iguana iguana).
Kubalek, S; Mischke, R; Fehr, M
2002-05-01
The prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time, kaolin clotting time (KCT), dilute Russell's viper venom time (DRVVT) and reptilase time, as well as five different plasma fibrinogen assays [gravimetry, Jacobsson method (extinction at 280 nm), Millar method (heat precipitation), kinetic turbidometry, Clauss method] and resonance thrombography were performed in 26 clinically healthy green iguanas. All assays were carried out in comparison with pooled normal canine plasma. In iguana plasma, the PT [median (x0.50) = 453-831 s, dependent on the reagent], APTT (x0.50 = 170-242 s, dependent on the reagent), thrombin time (x0.50 = 118 - > 1000 s, dependent on thrombin activity), KCT (x0.50 = 274 s), DRVVT (x0.50 = 349 s) and reptilase time (all samples > 1000 s) were widely scattered at the limit of measurability. Only fibrinogen concentrations measured using the Jacobsson method (x0.50 = 4.40 g/l) correlated well (r = 0.91) with gravimetry (x0.50 = 4.22 g/l). The results of this study indicate a limited suitability and a confined diagnostic significance of the selected methods in the green iguana. This may be caused by the species specificity of certain components of the reagents used, as well as a less optimal test system, i.e. relationship of test reagent to clotting factor concentrations in iguana plasma.
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Midgley, J M; Hill, M P; Villet, M H
2008-02-01
Chicory, Chicorium intybus L. (Compositae), is a major field crop in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Several pests feed on the leaves of the plant, resulting in reduced yield. The most important of these are the noctuid moths Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Chrysodeixis acuta (Walker), and Trichoplusia orichalcea (F.). The use of attract-and-kill traps offers an alternative to broad-based insecticides in the control of these species. Three fields were treated with normal insecticides and three fields with yellow-baited traps. Eight additional traps were placed in each field, with half of the traps containing the insecticide 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate (dichlorvos) and half without dichlorvos; and half yellow and half green. Total moth numbers and nonphytophage diversity were measured from these eight traps. Although no differences in H. armigera or T. orichalcea catches were observed between insecticide- and trap-treated fields, numbers of C. acuta and the total number of moths were significantly higher in insecticide-treated fields. Yellow traps containing dichlorvos contained more moths than yellow traps without dichlorvos, or green traps with dichlorvos, or green traps without dichlorvos; but they also contained more nonphytophagous insects. Yellow traps also enhanced the catches of thrips on card traps associated with them. These results offer an opportunity for the South African chicory industry to reduce pesticide applications and thus mitigate environmental impacts.
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Monitoring Springs in the Mojave Desert Using Landsat Time Series Analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Potter, Christopher S.
2018-01-01
The purpose of this study, based on Landsat satellite data was to characterize variations and trends over 30 consecutive years (1985-2016) in perennial vegetation green cover at over 400 confirmed Mojave Desert spring locations. These springs were surveyed between in 2015 and 2016 on lands managed in California by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and on several land trusts within the Barstow, Needles, and Ridgecrest BLM Field Offices. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from July Landsat images was computed at each spring location and a trend model was first fit to the multi-year NDVI time series using least squares linear regression.Â
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Wall-to-lumen ratio of intracranial arteries measured by indocyanine green angiography
Nakagawa, Daichi; Shojima, Masaaki; Yoshino, Masanori; Kin, Taichi; Imai, Hideaki; Nomura, Seiji; Saito, Toki; Nakatomi, Hirofumi; Oyama, Hiroshi; Saito, Nobuhito
2016-01-01
Background: The wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) is an important parameter in vascular medicine because it indicates the character of vascular wall as well as the degree of stenosis. Despite the advances in medical imaging technologies, it is still difficult to measure the thin-walled normal intracranial arteries, and the reports on the WLR of normal intracranial artery are limited. It might be possible to calculate the WLR using the indocyanine green (ICG) angiography, which is used to observe intracranial vessels during microsurgery. Purpose: To evaluate the WLR of normal intracranial arteries using ICG angiography. Materials and Methods: From the three cases in which ICG angiography was recorded with a ruler during microsurgery, 20 measurement points were chosen for the analysis. The ICG was injected intravenously with a dose of 0.2 mg/kg, and the vessels were inspected at high magnification using an operating microscope equipped with near-infrared illumination system. The vessel outer diameter and the luminal diameter were measured using the images before and after the ICG arrival based on the pixel ratio method using a ruler as reference, respectively. The WLR was calculated as 0.5 × (vessel outer diameter − vessel luminal diameter). Results: The WLR (mean ± standard deviation) of normal intracranial arteries was 0.086 ± 0.022. The WLR tended to be high in small arteries. Conclusion: The WLR of normal intracranial arteries calculated using ICG angiography was consistent with the WLR reported in the previous reports based on human autopsy. PMID:27695538
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Din, Mairaj; Zheng, Wen; Rashid, Muhammad; Wang, Shanqin; Shi, Zhihua
2017-01-01
Hyperspectral reflectance derived vegetation indices (VIs) are used for non-destructive leaf area index (LAI) monitoring for precise and efficient N nutrition management. This study tested the hypothesis that there is potential for using various hyperspectral VIs for estimating LAI at different growth stages of rice under varying N rates. Hyperspectral reflectance and crop canopy LAI measurements were carried out over 2 years (2015 and 2016) in Meichuan, Hubei, China. Different N fertilization, 0, 45, 82, 127, 165, 210, 247, and 292 kg ha-1, were applied to generate various scales of VIs and LAI values. Regression models were used to perform quantitative analyses between spectral VIs and LAI measured under different phenological stages. In addition, the coefficient of determination and RMSE were employed to evaluate these models. Among the nine VIs, the ratio vegetation index, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), modified soil-adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI), modified triangular vegetation index (MTVI2) and exhibited strong and significant relationships with the LAI estimation at different phenological stages. The enhanced vegetation index performed moderately. However, the green normalized vegetation index and blue normalized vegetation index confirmed that there is potential for crop LAI estimation at early phenological stages; the soil-adjusted vegetation index and optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index were more related to the soil optical properties, which were predicted to be the least accurate for LAI estimation. The noise equivalent accounted for the sensitivity of the VIs and MSAVI, MTVI2, and NDVI for the LAI estimation at phenological stages. The results note that LAI at different crop phenological stages has a significant influence on the potential of hyperspectral derived VIs under different N management practices. PMID:28588596
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2012-01-01
Background Humanitarian relief agencies use scales to assess levels of critical food shortage to efficiently target and allocate food to the neediest. These scales are often labor-intensive. A lesser used approach is assessing gathering and consumption of wild food plants. This gathering per se is not a reliable signal of emerging food stress. However, the gathering and consumption of some specific plant species could be considered markers of food shortage, as it indicates that people are compelled to eat very poor or even health-threatening food. Methods We used the traffic light metaphor to indicate normal (green), alarmingly low (amber) and fully depleted (red) food supplies and identified these conditions for Konso (Ethiopia) on the basis of wild food plants (WFPs), crop parts (crop parts not used for human consumption under normal conditions; CPs) and crop residues (CRs) being gathered and consumed. Plant specimens were collected for expert identification and deposition in the National Herbarium. Two hundred twenty individual households free-listed WFPs, CPs, and CRs gathered and consumed during times of food stress. Through focus group discussions, the species list from the free-listing that was further enriched through key informants interviews and own field observations was categorized into species used for green, amber and red conditions. Results The study identified 113 WFPs (120 products/food items) whose gathering and consumption reflect the three traffic light metaphors: red, amber and green. We identified 25 food items for the red, 30 food items for the amber and 65 food items for the green metaphor. We also obtained reliable information on 21 different products/food items (from 17 crops) normally not consumed as food, reflecting the red or amber metaphor and 10 crop residues (from various crops), plus one recycled stuff which are used as emergency foods in the study area clearly indicating the severity of food stress (red metaphor) households are dealing with. Our traffic light metaphor proved useful to identify and closely monitor the types of WFPs, CPs, and CRs collected and consumed and their time of collection by subsistence households in rural settings. Examples of plant material only consumed under severe food stress included WFPs with health-threatening features like Dobera glabra (Forssk.) Juss. ex Poir. and inkutayata, parts of 17 crops with 21 food items conventionally not used as food (for example, maize tassels, husks, empty pods), ten crop residues (for example bran from various crops) and one recycled food item (tata). Conclusions We have complemented the conventional seasonal food security assessment tool used by humanitarian partners by providing an easy, cheap tool to scale food stress encountered by subsistence farmers. In cognizance of environmental, socio-cultural differences in Ethiopia and other parts of the globe, we recommend analogous studies in other parts of Ethiopia and elsewhere in the world where recurrent food stress also occurs and where communities intensively use WFPs, CPs, and CRs to cope with food stress. PMID:22871123
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Men, Xiao; Dong, Kang
2013-11-01
The Orange (Or) gene is a gene mutation that can increase carotenoid content in plant tissues normally devoid of pigments. It affects plastid division and is involved in the differentiation of proplastids or non-colored plastids into chromoplasts. In this study, the de-etiolation process of the wild type (WT) cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis) and Or mutant seedlings was investigated. We analyzed pigment content, plastid development, transcript abundance and protein levels of genes involved in the de-etiolation process. The results showed that Or can increase the carotenoid content in green tissues, although not as effectively as in non-green tissues, and this effect might be caused by the changes in biosynthetic pathway genes at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. There was no significant difference in the plastid development process between the two lines. However, the increased content of antheraxanthin and anthocyanin, and higher expression levels of violaxanthin de-epoxidase gene (VDE) suggested a stress situation leading to photoinhibition and enhanced photoprotection in the Or mutant. The up-regulated expression levels of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced genes, ZAT10 for salt tolerance zinc finger protein and ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE2 (APX2), suggested the existence of photo-oxidative stress in the Or mutant. In summary, abovementioned findings provide additional insight into the functions of the Or gene in different tissues and at different developmental stages.
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Doi, Ryoichi; Arif, Chusnul
2014-01-01
Red-green-blue (RGB) channels of RGB digital photographs were loaded with luminosity-adjusted R, G, and completely white grayscale images, respectively (RGwhtB method), or R, G, and R + G (RGB yellow) grayscale images, respectively (RGrgbyB method), to adjust the brightness of the entire area of multi-temporally acquired color digital photographs of a rice canopy. From the RGwhtB or RGrgbyB pseudocolor image, cyan, magenta, CMYK yellow, black, L*, a*, and b* grayscale images were prepared. Using these grayscale images and R, G, and RGB yellow grayscale images, the luminosity-adjusted pixels of the canopy photographs were statistically clustered. With the RGrgbyB and the RGwhtB methods, seven and five major color clusters were given, respectively. The RGrgbyB method showed clear differences among three rice growth stages, and the vegetative stage was further divided into two substages. The RGwhtB method could not clearly discriminate between the second vegetative and midseason stages. The relative advantages of the RGrgbyB method were attributed to the R, G, B, magenta, yellow, L*, and a* grayscale images that contained richer information to show the colorimetrical differences among objects than those of the RGwhtB method. The comparison of rice canopy colors at different time points was enabled by the pseudocolor imaging method. PMID:25302325
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Yu, Ruby; Wang, Dan; Leung, Jason; Lau, Kevin; Kwok, Timothy; Woo, Jean
2018-06-01
To examine whether neighborhood green space was related to frailty risk longitudinally and to examine the relative contributions of green space, physical activity, and individual health conditions to the frailty transitions. Four thousand community-dwelling Chinese adults aged ≥65 years participating in the Mr. and Ms. Os (Hong Kong) study in 2001-2003 were followed up for 2 years. The percentage of green space within a 300-meter radial buffer around the participants' place of residence was derived for each participant at baseline based on the normalized difference vegetation index. Frailty status was classified according to the Fried criteria at baseline and after 2 years. Ordinal logistic regression and path analysis were used to examine associations between green space and the frailty transitions, adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, health conditions, and baseline frailty status. At baseline, 53.5% of the participants met the criterion for robust, 41.5% were classified as prefrailty, and 5.0% were frail. After 2 years, 3240 participants completed all the measurements. Among these, 18.6% of prefrail or frail participants improved, 66% remained in their frailty state, and 26.8% of robust or prefrail participants progressed in frailty status. In multivariable models, the frailty status of participants living in neighborhoods with more than 34.1% green space (the highest quartile) at baseline was more likely to improve at the 2-year follow-up than it was for those living in neighborhoods with 0 to 4.5% (the lowest quartile) [odds ratio (OR): 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.60; P for trend: 0.022]. When men and women were analyzed separately, the association between green space and frailty remained significant in men (OR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.03-1.90) but not in women. Path analysis showed that green space directly affects frailty transitions (β = 0.041, P < .05) and also exerts an effect through physical activity (β = 0.034, P < .05). Physical activity directly affects frailty (β = 0.134, P < .05), and also indirectly affects frailty through health conditions including number of diseases (β = -0.057, P < .05) and cognitive functions (β = 0.041, P < .05). The magnitude of the direct effect of green space on the 2-year frailty transitions is comparable to those of the indirect effect through physical activity. Older people living in neighborhoods with a higher percentage of green space were associated with improvement in frailty status, independent of a wide range of individual characteristics. Copyright © 2018 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Lee, Jeehyun; Chambers, Delores H
2010-03-01
In the past, green tea has been one of the least popular nonalcoholic beverages for U.S. consumers. However, green tea has been receiving attention because of its potential health benefits. Knowing which green tea flavor attributes contribute to consumer liking will help the fast growing green tea business including green tea importers, tea shops, and beverage companies to understand which characteristics are most accepted by U.S. consumers. The objectives of this study were (1) to examine differences in acceptability of commonly available loose leaf and bagged green teas available from the major exporters to the U.S. (Japan, Korea, and China) and (2) to determine which green tea flavor characteristics are related to consumers' liking. In the study, consumers from the U.S. evaluated 6 green tea samples from China, Japan, and Korea for acceptability. A highly trained panel also evaluated the green tea samples to provide descriptive sensory attributes that might be related to acceptability. We found that U.S. consumers liked green tea samples with lower flavor intensity and lower bitterness intensity. Consumers' acceptability of green tea was negatively correlated with spinach and animalic flavor and bitterness and astringency of green teas evaluated using descriptive sensory analysis, but the correlation was only moderate. To learn what green tea flavor characteristics influence consumers' liking, future studies using more green tea samples with different flavor profiles are needed.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sulla-menashe, D. J.; Woodcock, C. E.; Friedl, M. A.
2017-12-01
Recent studies have used satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) to explore geographic patterns in boreal forest greening and browning. A number of these studies indicate that boreal forests are experiencing widespread browning, and have suggested that these patterns reflect decreases in forest productivity induced by climate change. A key limitation of these studies, however, is their reliance on AVHRR data, which provides imagery with very coarse spatial resolution and lower radiometric quality relative to other available remote sensing time series. Here we use NDVI time series from Landsat, which has much higher radiometric quality and spatial resolution than AVHRR, to characterize spatial patterns in greening and browning across Canada's boreal forest and to explore the drivers behind the observed trends. Our results show that the majority of NDVI changes in Canada's boreal forest reflect disturbance-recovery dynamics not climate change impacts, that greening and browning trends outside of disturbed forests are consistent with expected ecological responses to regional changes in climate, and that observed NDVI changes are geographically limited and relatively small in magnitude. Consistent with biogeographic theory, greening and browning unrelated to disturbance tended to be located in ecotones near boundaries of the boreal forest bioclimatic envelope. We observe greening to be most prevalent in Eastern Canada, which is more humid, and browning to be most prevalent in Western Canada, where there is more moisture stress. We conclude that continued long-term climate change has the potential to significantly alter the character and function of Canada's boreal forest, but recent changes have been modest and near-term impacts are likely to be focused in or near ecotones. As part of a NASA funded project supporting the Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE), we have extended the scope of this study from a set of 46 sites to the entire ABoVE domain covering Alaska and Northwestern Canada (over 6 million square kilometers). Using the full Landsat record, we will also be investigating climate change impacts to the timing of leaf phenology and disturbance frequency in these rapidly warming regions.
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de Keijzer, Carmen; Agis, David; Ambrós, Albert; Arévalo, Gustavo; Baldasano, Jose M; Bande, Stefano; Barrera-Gómez, Jose; Benach, Joan; Cirach, Marta; Dadvand, Payam; Ghigo, Stefania; Martinez-Solanas, Èrica; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark; Cadum, Ennio; Basagaña, Xavier
2017-02-01
Air pollution exposure has been associated with an increase in mortality rates, but few studies have focused on life expectancy, and most studies had restricted spatial coverage. A limited body of evidence is also suggestive for a beneficial association between residential exposure to greenness and mortality, but the evidence for such an association with life expectancy is still very scarce. To investigate the association of exposure to air pollution and greenness with mortality and life expectancy in Spain. Mortality data from 2148 small areas (average population of 20,750 inhabitants, and median population of 7672 inhabitants) covering Spain for years 2009-2013 were obtained. Average annual levels of PM 10 , PM 2.5 , NO 2 and O 3 were derived from an air quality forecasting system at 4×4km resolution. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used to assess greenness in each small area. Air pollution and greenness were linked to standardized mortality rates (SMRs) using Poisson regression and to life expectancy using linear regression. The models were adjusted for socioeconomic status and lung cancer mortality rates (as a proxy for smoking), and accounted for spatial autocorrelation. The increase of 5μg/m 3 in PM 10 , NO 2 and O 3 or of 2μg/m 3 in PM 2.5 concentration resulted in a loss of life in years of 0.90 (95% credibility interval CI: 0.83, 0.98), 0.13 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.17), 0.20years (95% CI: 0.16, 0.24) and 0.64 (0.59, 0.70), respectively. Similar associations were found in the SMR analysis, with stronger associations for PM 2.5 and PM 10 , which were associated with an increased mortality risk of 3.7% (95% CI: 3.5%, 4.0%) and 5.7% (95% CI: 5.4%, 6.1%). For greenness, a protective effect on mortality and longer life expectancy was only found in areas with lower socioeconomic status. Air pollution concentrations were associated to important reductions in life expectancy. The reduction of air pollution should be a priority for public health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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I've Never Had My Period, So What Is This Discharge?
... gray, or green), it's a sign of a vaginal infection. If that happens, see a doctor. Sometimes a ... Vaginal Discharge: What's Normal, What's Not Gyn Checkups Vaginal Yeast Infections All About Menstruation Everything You Wanted to Know ...
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Hypoxia, color vision deficiencies, and blood oxygen saturation.
DOT National Transportation Integrated Search
2013-11-01
Chromatic thresholds were measured using the Cambridge Color Test (CCT), Color Assessment and Diagnosis : (CAD) test, and Cone Specific Contrast Test at ground and 3780 m (12,400 ft) for subjects with normal color : vision and red-green color vision ...
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Liu, Ping; Zhang, Min; Xie, Xing; Jin, Jie; Holman, C D'Arcy J
2017-03-01
Green tea may have a beneficial role of inhibiting leukemia. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are known to detoxify certain carcinogens. We investigated the roles of green tea consumption and polymorphisms of GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 on the risk of adult leukemia, and to determine whether the associations varied within GSTs genotypes. A multicenter case-control study was conducted in China, 2008-2013. It comprised 442 incident, hematologically confirmed adult leukemia cases and 442 outpatient controls, individually matched to cases by gender, birth quinquennium and study site. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a validated questionnaire. Genetic polymorphisms were assayed by PCR. An inverse association between green tea consumption and adult leukemia risk was observed. Compared with non-tea drinkers, the adjusted odds ratios (95 % confidence intervals) were 0.50 (0.27-0.93), 0.31 (0.17-0.55) and 0.53 (0.29-0.99) for those who, respectively, consumed green tea >20 years, ≥2 cups daily and dried tea leaves >1000 g annually. In assessing the associations by GSTs genotypes, risk reduction associated with green tea consumption was stronger in individuals with the GSTT1-null genotype (OR 0.24; 95 % CI 0.11-0.53) than GSTT1-normal carriers (OR 0.67; 95 % CI 0.42-1.05; P interaction = 0.02). GSTM1 and GSTP1 did not significantly modify the inverse association of leukemia with green tea. The results suggest that regular daily green tea consumption may reduce leukemia risk in Chinese adults regardless of GSTM1 and GSTP1 polymorphic status. The association between green tea and adult leukemia risk varied with GSTT1 genotype and highlights further study.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shahriari Nia, Morteza; Wang, Daisy Zhe; Bohlman, Stephanie Ann; Gader, Paul; Graves, Sarah J.; Petrovic, Milenko
2015-01-01
Hyperspectral images can be used to identify savannah tree species at the landscape scale, which is a key step in measuring biomass and carbon, and tracking changes in species distributions, including invasive species, in these ecosystems. Before automated species mapping can be performed, image processing and atmospheric correction is often performed, which can potentially affect the performance of classification algorithms. We determine how three processing and correction techniques (atmospheric correction, Gaussian filters, and shade/green vegetation filters) affect the prediction accuracy of classification of tree species at pixel level from airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer imagery of longleaf pine savanna in Central Florida, United States. Species classification using fast line-of-sight atmospheric analysis of spectral hypercubes (FLAASH) atmospheric correction outperformed ATCOR in the majority of cases. Green vegetation (normalized difference vegetation index) and shade (near-infrared) filters did not increase classification accuracy when applied to large and continuous patches of specific species. Finally, applying a Gaussian filter reduces interband noise and increases species classification accuracy. Using the optimal preprocessing steps, our classification accuracy of six species classes is about 75%.
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Mapping landscape phenology preference of yellow-billed cuckoo with AVHRR data
Wallace, Cynthia S.A.; Villarreal, Miguel; van Riper, Charles
2013-01-01
We mapped habitat for threatened Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccycus americanus occidentalis) in the State of Arizona using the temporal greenness dynamics of the landscape, or the landscape phenology. Landscape phenometrics were derived from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data for 1998 and 1999 by using Fourier harmonic analysis to analyze the waveform of the annual NDVI profile at each pixel. We modeled the spatial distribution of Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat by coupling the field data of Cuckoo presence or absence and point-based samples of riparian and cottonwood-willow vegetation types with satellite phenometrics for 1998. Models were validated using field and satellite data collected in 1999. The results indicate that Yellow-billed Cuckoo occupy locations within their preferred habitat that exhibit peak greenness after the start of the summer monsoon and are greener and more dynamic than “average” habitat. Identification of preferred phenotypes within recognized habitat areas can be used to refine habitat models, inform predictions of habitat response to climate change, and suggest adaptation strategies.
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Room-temperature ionic liquids enhanced green synthesis of β-glycosyl 1-ester.
Cui, Yanli; Xu, Minghan; Yao, Weirong; Mao, Jianwei
2015-04-30
We herein report an efficient synthesis of β-glycosyl 1-ester in room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) promoted via silver salt and quaternary ammonium salt (PTC) with good or excellent yields. All products were isolated exclusively as the β-anomers. Four different RTILs, eight metal salts and four quaternary ammonium salts were screened in the glycosylation reaction. The synergistic effect of C6mim·OTf, Ag2O and tetrabutylammonium iodine gave the best results. Their promotion to the system was integral. Thorough study provided insight into the catalytic activity of ionic liquid structure, metal salts and quaternary ammonium salt to these reactions. It is worth mentioning that the yield of aliphatic compound 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-galactopyranosyl butyrate (3l) was highly improved when using C6mim·OTf as solvent compared with the normal volatile solvents under the same catalysts. This green approach has been proved to be practical and compatible with a wide range from aliphatic to aromatic substrates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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2017-12-08
The Rocky, Cascade, and Coast Mountain Ranges dominate the landscape of the Pacific Northwest in this image created June 11-17, 2012 from the Visible-Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership or Suomi NPP satellite, a partnership between NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. Potato and other agriculture can be seen in the bottom center of the image, as the Rockies transition to the plains of Idaho. High values of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI, represent dense green functioning vegetation and low NDVI values represent sparse green vegetation or vegetation under stress from limiting conditions, such as drought. Credit: NASA/NOAA To read more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NPP/news/vegetation.html NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram
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Automatic Mexican sign language and digits recognition using normalized central moments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Solís, Francisco; Martínez, David; Espinosa, Oscar; Toxqui, Carina
2016-09-01
This work presents a framework for automatic Mexican sign language and digits recognition based on computer vision system using normalized central moments and artificial neural networks. Images are captured by digital IP camera, four LED reflectors and a green background in order to reduce computational costs and prevent the use of special gloves. 42 normalized central moments are computed per frame and used in a Multi-Layer Perceptron to recognize each database. Four versions per sign and digit were used in training phase. 93% and 95% of recognition rates were achieved for Mexican sign language and digits respectively.
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The changing value of the `green' label on the US municipal bond market
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Karpf, Andreas; Mandel, Antoine
2018-01-01
Green bonds are seen as a key instrument to unlock climate finance. While their volume has grown steadily in recent years, the impact of the `green' label on the bond market is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the differences between the yield term structures of green and conventional bonds in the US municipal bond market. We show that, although returns on conventional bonds are on average higher than for green bonds, the differences can largely be explained by the fundamental properties of the bonds. Historically, green bonds have been penalized on the municipal market, being traded at lower prices and higher yields than expected by their credit profiles. In recent years, however, the credit quality of municipal green bonds has increased and the premium turned positive. Green bonds are thus becoming an increasingly attractive investment, with scope to bridge the climate finance gap for mitigation and adaptation.
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Plant mediated green synthesis: modified approaches.
Das, Ratul Kumar; Brar, Satinder Kaur
2013-11-07
Plant mediated green synthesis of different metallic nanoparticles has emerged as one of the options for implementation of green chemistry principles, and successfully made an important contribution towards green nanotechnology. However, beyond the synthesis and application aspects, the science of green synthesis has carried some wrong perceptions in an unforeseen fashion. In this review, some of the key issues related to the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles employing plants as reducing/capping agents have been addressed. Random selection of plants and its overall impact on the different aspects of green synthesis have been discussed. Emphasis is given to the setting of some standard selection criteria to be adopted for selecting a plant for use in green synthesis. How selection of a plant can positively or negatively influence both procedure and products of a green synthesis process is the prime concern of this article. In addition to selection, the key issue of biocompatibility associated with green synthesized metallic nanoparticles has been considered. Both selection of plant and biocompatibility were reconsidered for their minute details in terms of synthesis, analysis and data interpretation in the green synthesis approach. The key factors capable of fine tuning the core meaning of "green" in the synthesis of any metallic nanoparticles were taken into consideration. This article is an effort towards keeping the core meaning of green synthesis.
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Zhang, Dabin; Yao, Pengwei; Na, Zhao; Cao, Weidong; Zhang, Suiqi; Li, Yangyang; Gao, Yajun
2016-01-01
Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) monoculture is conventionally cultivated followed by two to three months of summer fallow in the Loess Plateau. To develop a sustainable cropping system, we conducted a six-year field experiment to investigate the effect of leguminous green manure (LGM) instead of bare fallow on the yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat and the soil water balance (SWB) in different precipitation years in a semi-arid region of northwest China. Results confirmed that planting LGM crop consumes soil water in the fallow season can bring varied effects to the subsequent wheat. The effect is positive or neutral when the annual precipitation is adequate, so that there is no significant reduction in the soil water supplied to wheat. If this is not the case, the effect is negative. On average, the LGM crop increased wheat yield and WUE by 13% and 28%, respectively, and had considerable potential for maintaining the SWB (0–200 cm) compared with fallow management. In conclusion, cultivation of the LGM crop is a better option than fallow to improve the productivity and WUE of the next crop and maintain the soil water balance in the normal and wet years in the Loess Plateau. PMID:27225842
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Wu, Mingquan; Yang, Chenghai; Song, Xiaoyu; Hoffmann, Wesley Clint; Huang, Wenjiang; Niu, Zheng; Wang, Changyao; Li, Wang; Yu, Bo
2018-01-31
To better understand the progression of cotton root rot within the season, time series monitoring is required. In this study, an improved spatial and temporal data fusion approach (ISTDFA) was employed to combine 250-m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI) and 10-m Sentinetl-2 NDVI data to generate a synthetic Sentinel-2 NDVI time series for monitoring this disease. Then, the phenology of healthy cotton and infected cotton was modeled using a logistic model. Finally, several phenology parameters, including the onset day of greenness minimum (OGM), growing season length (GLS), onset of greenness increase (OGI), max NDVI value, and integral area of the phenology curve, were calculated. The results showed that ISTDFA could be used to combine time series MODIS and Sentinel-2 NDVI data with a correlation coefficient of 0.893. The logistic model could describe the phenology curves with R-squared values from 0.791 to 0.969. Moreover, the phenology curve of infected cotton showed a significant difference from that of healthy cotton. The max NDVI value, OGM, GSL and the integral area of the phenology curve for infected cotton were reduced by 0.045, 30 days, 22 days, and 18.54%, respectively, compared with those for healthy cotton.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
de Moura, Yhasmin Mendes; Galvão, Lênio Soares; Hilker, Thomas
The association between spectral reflectance and canopy processes remains challenging for quantifying large-scale canopy phenological cycles in tropical forests. In this paper, we used a tower-mounted hyperspectral camera in an eastern Amazon forest to assess how canopy spectral signals of three species are linked with phenological processes in the 2012 dry season. We explored different approaches to disentangle the spectral components of canopy phenology processes and analyze their variations over time using 17 images acquired by the camera. The methods included linear spectral mixture analysis (SMA); principal component analysis (PCA); continuum removal (CR); and first-order derivative analysis. In addition, threemore » vegetation indices potentially sensitive to leaf flushing, leaf loss and leaf area index (LAI) were calculated: the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the entitled Green-Red Normalized Difference (GRND) index. We inspected also the consistency of the camera observations using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and available phenological data on new leaf production and LAI of young, mature and old leaves simulated by a leaf demography-ontogeny model. The results showed a diversity of phenological responses during the 2012 dry season with related changes in canopy structure and greenness values. Because of the differences in timing and intensity of leaf flushing and leaf shedding, Erisma uncinatum, Manilkara huberi and Chamaecrista xinguensis presented different green vegetation (GV) and non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) SMA fractions; distinct PCA scores; changes in depth, width and area of the 681-nm chlorophyll absorption band; and variations over time in the EVI, GRND and NDVI. At the end of dry season, GV increased for Erisma uncinatum, while NPV increased for Chamaecrista xinguensis. For Manilkara huberi, the NPV first increased in the beginning of August and then decreased toward September with new foliage. Variations in red-edge position were not statistically significant between the species and across dates at the 95% confidence level. The camera data were affected by view-illumination effects, which reduced the SMA shade fraction over time. When MODIS data were corrected for these effects using the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction Algorithm (MAIAC), we observed an EVI increase toward September that closely tracked the modeled LAI of mature leaves (3–5 months). Compared to the EVI, the GRND was a better indicator of leaf flushing because the modeled production of new leaves peaked in August and then declined in September following the GRND closely. Finally, while the EVI was more related to changes in mature leaf area, the GRND was more associated with new leaf flushing.« less
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de Moura, Yhasmin Mendes; Galvão, Lênio Soares; Hilker, Thomas; ...
2017-09-01
The association between spectral reflectance and canopy processes remains challenging for quantifying large-scale canopy phenological cycles in tropical forests. In this paper, we used a tower-mounted hyperspectral camera in an eastern Amazon forest to assess how canopy spectral signals of three species are linked with phenological processes in the 2012 dry season. We explored different approaches to disentangle the spectral components of canopy phenology processes and analyze their variations over time using 17 images acquired by the camera. The methods included linear spectral mixture analysis (SMA); principal component analysis (PCA); continuum removal (CR); and first-order derivative analysis. In addition, threemore » vegetation indices potentially sensitive to leaf flushing, leaf loss and leaf area index (LAI) were calculated: the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the entitled Green-Red Normalized Difference (GRND) index. We inspected also the consistency of the camera observations using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and available phenological data on new leaf production and LAI of young, mature and old leaves simulated by a leaf demography-ontogeny model. The results showed a diversity of phenological responses during the 2012 dry season with related changes in canopy structure and greenness values. Because of the differences in timing and intensity of leaf flushing and leaf shedding, Erisma uncinatum, Manilkara huberi and Chamaecrista xinguensis presented different green vegetation (GV) and non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) SMA fractions; distinct PCA scores; changes in depth, width and area of the 681-nm chlorophyll absorption band; and variations over time in the EVI, GRND and NDVI. At the end of dry season, GV increased for Erisma uncinatum, while NPV increased for Chamaecrista xinguensis. For Manilkara huberi, the NPV first increased in the beginning of August and then decreased toward September with new foliage. Variations in red-edge position were not statistically significant between the species and across dates at the 95% confidence level. The camera data were affected by view-illumination effects, which reduced the SMA shade fraction over time. When MODIS data were corrected for these effects using the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction Algorithm (MAIAC), we observed an EVI increase toward September that closely tracked the modeled LAI of mature leaves (3–5 months). Compared to the EVI, the GRND was a better indicator of leaf flushing because the modeled production of new leaves peaked in August and then declined in September following the GRND closely. Finally, while the EVI was more related to changes in mature leaf area, the GRND was more associated with new leaf flushing.« less
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Childhood exposure to green space - A novel risk-decreasing mechanism for schizophrenia?
Engemann, Kristine; Pedersen, Carsten Bøcker; Arge, Lars; Tsirogiannis, Constantinos; Mortensen, Preben Bo; Svenning, Jens-Christian
2018-03-21
Schizophrenia risk has been linked to urbanization, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Green space is hypothesized to positively influence mental health and might mediate risk of schizophrenia by mitigating noise and particle pollution exposure, stress relief, or other unknown mechanisms. The objectives for this study were to determine if green space are associated with schizophrenia risk, and if different measures of green space associate differently with risk. We used satellite data from the Landsat program to quantify green space in a new data set for Denmark at 30×30m resolution for the years 1985-2013. The effect of green space at different ages and within different distances from each person's place of residence on schizophrenia risk was estimated using Cox regression on a very large longitudinal population-based sample of the Danish population (943,027 persons). Living at the lowest amount of green space was associated with a 1.52-fold increased risk of developing schizophrenia compared to persons living at the highest level of green space. This association remained after adjusting for known risk factors for schizophrenia: urbanization, age, sex, and socioeconomic status. The strongest protective association was observed during the earliest childhood years and closest to place of residence. This is the first nationwide population-based study to demonstrate a protective association between green space during childhood and schizophrenia risk; suggesting limited green space as a novel environmental risk factor for schizophrenia. This study supports findings from other studies highlighting positive effects of exposure to natural environments for human health. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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The advantages of wearable green reflected photoplethysmography.
Maeda, Yuka; Sekine, Masaki; Tamura, Toshiyo
2011-10-01
This report evaluates the efficacy of reflected-type green light photoplethysmography (green light PPG). Transmitted infrared light was used for PPG and the arterial pulse was monitored transcutaneously. The reflected PPG signal contains AC components based on the heartbeat-related signal from the arterial blood flow and DC components, which include reflectance and scattering from tissue. Generally, changes in AC components are monitored, but the DC components play an important role during heat stress. In this study, we compared the signal of green light PPG to infrared PPG and ECG during heat stress. The wavelengths of the green and infrared light were 525 nm and 880 nm, respectively. Experiments were performed on young healthy subjects in cold (10°C), hot (45°C), and normal environments. The pulse rates were compared among three measurement devices and the AC and DC components of the PPG signal were evaluated during heat stress. The pulse rates obtained from green light PPG were strongly correlated with the R-R interval of an electrocardiogram in all environments, but those obtained from infrared light PPG displayed a weaker correlation with cold exposure. The AC components were of similar signal output for both wavelengths during heat stress. Also, the DC components for green light PPG were similar during heat stress, but showed less signal output for infrared light PPG during hot exposure. The main reason for the reduced DC components was speculated to be the increased blood flow at the vascular bed. Therefore, reflected green light PPG can be useful for pulse rate monitoring because it is less influenced by the tissue and vein region.
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Veisten, Knut; Smyrnova, Yuliya; Klæboe, Ronny; Hornikx, Maarten; Mosslemi, Marjan; Kang, Jian
2012-01-01
Economic unit values of soundscape/acoustic effects have been based on changes in the number of annoyed persons or on decibel changes. The normal procedure has been the application of these unit values to noise-attenuation measures affecting the noisier façade of a dwelling. Novel modular vegetation-based soundscape measures, so-called green walls, might be relevant for both noisy and quieter areas. Moreover, their benefits will comprise noise attenuation as well as non-acoustic amenity effects. One challenge is to integrate the results of some decades of non-acoustic research on the amenity value of urban greenery into design of the urban sound environment, and incorporate these non-acoustic properties in the overall economic assessment of noise control and overall sound environment improvement measures. Monetised unit values for green walls have been included in two alternative cases, or demonstration projects, of covering the entrances to blocks of flats with a green wall. Since these measures improve the noise environment on the quiet side of the dwellings and courtyards, not the most exposed façade, adjustment factors to the nominal quiet side decibel reductions to arrive at an estimate of the equivalent overall acoustic improvement have been applied. A cost-benefit analysis of the green wall case indicates that this measure is economically promising, when valuing the noise attenuation in the quieter area and adding the amenity/aesthetic value of the green wall. PMID:23202816
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Tannase-converted green tea catechins and their anti-wrinkle activity in humans.
Hong, Yang-Hee; Jung, Eun Young; Shin, Kwang-Soon; Yu, Kwang-Won; Chang, Un Jae; Suh, Hyung Joo
2013-06-01
This study was performed to investigate the anti-wrinkle effects of topical applications of green tea extract with high antioxidant activity by tannase treatment. Increases in gallic acid (GA), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), and (-)-epicatechin (EC) were observed in the green tea extract after tannase treatment. This study was performed to investigate the anti-wrinkle effects of topical applications of green tea extract exhibiting high antioxidant activity after tannase treatment. Subjects, randomly divided into two groups, received the application of either tannase-converted green tea extract (TGE) or normal green tea extract (NGE) on their crow's feet for 8 weeks. The anti-wrinkle effects were evaluated with two methods: (i) self-assessment; and (ii) average roughness of skin surface (R(a), R(z), and R(t) value) using skin replica and Skin-Visiometer SV 600. The scavenging abilities of TGE against radicals were significantly higher compared to NGE. The evaluation of skin wrinkle index values after 8 weeks of treatment showed that reductions of R(a), R(z), and R(t) values in the TGE group were significantly greater than in the NGE group, which indicated that tannase treatment improved the anti-wrinkle effects of green tea extract. According to the overall ratings for wrinkle treatment by applying the formulations, most of the TGE group (63.60%) reported marked or moderate improvement in wrinkles compared with only 36.30% of the NGE group. Tannase treatment can improve the antioxidant activity of green tea extract, conferring anti-wrinkle activities. These results suggest that TGE may have beneficial properties as an anti-wrinkle agent. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Green tea extract selectively targets nanomechanics of live metastatic cancer cells
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cross, Sarah E.; Jin, Yu-Sheng; Lu, Qing-Yi; Rao, JianYu; Gimzewski, James K.
2011-05-01
Green tea extract (GTE) is known to be a potential anticancer agent (Yang et al 2009 Nat. Rev. Cancer 9 429-39) with various biological activities (Lu et al 2005 Clin. Cancer Res. 11 1675-83 Yang et al 1998 Carcinogenesis 19 611-6) yet the precise mechanism of action is still unclear. The biomechanical response of GTE treated cells taken directly from patient's body samples was measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM) (Binnig et al 1986 Phys. Rev. Lett. 56 930). We found significant increase in stiffness of GTE treated metastatic tumor cells, with a resulting value similar to untreated normal mesothelial cells, whereas mesothelial cell stiffness after GTE treatment is unchanged. Immunofluorescence analysis showed an increase in cytoskeletal-F-actin in GTE treated tumor cells, suggesting GTE treated tumor cells display mechanical, structural and morphological features similar to normal cells, which appears to be mediated by annexin-I expression, as determined by siRNA analysis of an in vitro cell line model. Our data indicates that GTE selectively targets human metastatic cancer cells but not normal mesothelial cells, a finding that is significantly advantageous compared to conventional chemotherapy agents.
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Trend Change Detection in NDVI Time Series: Effects of Inter-Annual Variability and Methodology
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Forkel, Matthias; Carvalhais, Nuno; Verbesselt, Jan; Mahecha, Miguel D.; Neigh, Christopher S.R.; Reichstein, Markus
2013-01-01
Changing trends in ecosystem productivity can be quantified using satellite observations of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). However, the estimation of trends from NDVI time series differs substantially depending on analyzed satellite dataset, the corresponding spatiotemporal resolution, and the applied statistical method. Here we compare the performance of a wide range of trend estimation methods and demonstrate that performance decreases with increasing inter-annual variability in the NDVI time series. Trend slope estimates based on annual aggregated time series or based on a seasonal-trend model show better performances than methods that remove the seasonal cycle of the time series. A breakpoint detection analysis reveals that an overestimation of breakpoints in NDVI trends can result in wrong or even opposite trend estimates. Based on our results, we give practical recommendations for the application of trend methods on long-term NDVI time series. Particularly, we apply and compare different methods on NDVI time series in Alaska, where both greening and browning trends have been previously observed. Here, the multi-method uncertainty of NDVI trends is quantified through the application of the different trend estimation methods. Our results indicate that greening NDVI trends in Alaska are more spatially and temporally prevalent than browning trends. We also show that detected breakpoints in NDVI trends tend to coincide with large fires. Overall, our analyses demonstrate that seasonal trend methods need to be improved against inter-annual variability to quantify changing trends in ecosystem productivity with higher accuracy.
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Vijayaraghavan, K; Joshi, Umid Man
2014-11-01
The present study examines whether green roofs act as a sink or source of contaminants based on various physico-chemical parameters (pH, conductivity and total dissolved solids) and metals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb). The performance of green roof substrate prepared using perlite, vermiculite, sand, crushed brick, and coco-peat, was compared with local garden soil based on improvement of runoff quality. Portulaca grandiflora was used as green roof vegetation. Four different green roof configurations, with vegetated and non-vegetated systems, were examined for several artificial rain events (un-spiked and metal-spiked). In general, the vegetated green roof assemblies generated better-quality runoff with less conductivity and total metal ion concentration compared to un-vegetated assemblies. Of the different green roof configurations examined, P. grandiflora planted on green roof substrate acted as sink for various metals and showed the potential to generate better runoff. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Kim, Youngmok; Lee, Kwang-Geun; Kim, Mina K
2016-10-01
Current study was designed to find out how tea harvesting time affects the volatile and non-volatile compounds profiles of green tea. In addition, correlation of instrumental volatile and non-volatile compounds analyses to consumer perception were analyzed. Overall, earlier harvested green tea had stronger antioxidant capacity (~61.0%) due to the polyphenolic compounds from catechin (23,164 mg/L), in comparison to later harvested green teas (11,961 mg/L). However, high catechin content in green tea influenced negatively the consumer likings of green tea, due to high bitterness (27.6%) and astringency (13.4%). Volatile compounds drive consumer liking of green tea products were also identified, that included linalool, 2,3-methyl butanal, 2-heptanone, (E,E)-3,5-Octadien-2-one. Finding from current study are useful for green tea industry as it provide the difference in physiochemical properties of green tea harvested at different intervals.
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Lu, Ruoying; Ma, Li; He, Feng; Yu, Dong; Fan, Ruozhi; Zhang, Yangming; Long, Zheping; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Yang, Yang
2016-03-01
The ability of the white-rot fungus Ganoderma sp.En3 to decolorize different kinds of dyes widely applied in the textile and dyeing industry, including the anthraquinone dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR), indigo dye indigo carmine and triphenylmethane dye methyl green, was evaluated in this study. Ganoderma sp.En3 had a strong capability of decolorizing high concentrations of RBBR, indigo carmine and methyl green. Obvious reduction of Chemical Oxygen Demand was observed after decolorization of different dyes. Ganoderma sp.En3 had a strong ability to tolerate RBBR, indigo carmine and methyl green with high concentrations. High concentrations of RBBR, indigo carmine and methyl green could also be efficiently decolorized by the crude enzyme of Ganoderma sp.En3. Different redox mediators such as syringaldehyde, acetosyringone and acetovanillone could enhance the decolorization capability for higher concentration of indigo carmine and methyl green. Different metal ions had little effect on the ability of the crude enzyme to decolorize indigo carmine and methyl green. Our study suggested that Ganoderma sp.En3 had a strong capability for decolorizing and tolerating high concentrations of different types of dyes such as RBBR, indigo carmine and methyl green.
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Residential green space and birth outcomes in a coastal setting.
Glazer, Kimberly B; Eliot, Melissa N; Danilack, Valery A; Carlson, Lynn; Phipps, Maureen G; Dadvand, Payam; Savitz, David A; Wellenius, Gregory A
2018-05-01
Residential green space may improve birth outcomes, with prior studies reporting higher birthweight among infants of women living in greener areas. However, results from studies evaluating associations between green space and preterm birth have been mixed. Further, the potential influence of residential proximity to water, or 'blue space', on health has not previously been evaluated. To evaluate associations between green and blue space and birth outcomes in a coastal area of the northeastern United States. Using residential surrounding greenness (measured by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index [NDVI]) and proximity to recreational facilities, coastline, and freshwater as measures of green and blue space, we examined associations with preterm birth (PTB), term birthweight, and term small for gestational age (SGA) among 61,640 births in Rhode Island. We evaluated incremental adjustment for socioeconomic and environmental metrics. In models adjusted for individual - and neighborhood-level markers of socioeconomic status (SES), an interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI was associated with a 12% higher (95% CI: 4, 20%) odds of PTB and, conversely, living within 500 m of a recreational facility was associated with a 7% lower (95% CI: 1, 13%) odds of PTB. These associations were eliminated after further adjustment for town of residence. NDVI was associated with higher birthweight (7.4 g, 95% CI: 0.4-14.4 g) and lower odds of SGA (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.98) when adjusted for individual-level markers of SES, but not when further adjusted for neighborhood SES or town. Living within 500 m of a freshwater body was associated with a higher birthweight of 10.1 g (95% CI: 2.0, 18.2) in fully adjusted models. Findings from this study do not support the hypothesis that residential green space is associated with reduced risk of preterm birth or higher birthweight after adjustment for individual and contextual socioeconomic factors, but variation in results with incremental adjustment raises questions about the optimal degree of control for confounding by markers of SES. We found that living near a freshwater body was associated with higher birthweight. This result is novel and bears further investigation in other settings and populations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Neurobiological hypothesis of color appearance and hue perception
Schmidt, Brian P.; Neitz, Maureen; Neitz, Jay
2014-01-01
DeValois and DeValois (1993) showed that to explain hue appearance, S-cone signals have to be combined with M vs. L opponent signals in two different ways to produce red-green and yellow-blue axes respectively. Recently, it has been shown that color appearance is normal for individuals with genetic mutations that block S-cone input to blue-on ganglion cells. This is inconsistent with the DeValois hypothesis in which S-opponent konio-geniculate signals are combined with L−M signals at a 3rd processing stage in cortex. Instead, here we show that color appearance, including individual differences never explained before, are predicted by a model in which S-cone signals are combined with L vs. M signals in the outer retina. PMID:24695170
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Study on Green Supply Chain Management Based on Circular Economy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ying, Jiang; Li-jun, Zhou
The article starts with circular economy and the connotation of green supply chain, then analyzes the difference between green supply chain and traditional supply chain and elaborates the content of green supply chain management. On that basis, the approach to implement green supply chain management in china shall be put forward.
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Liang, Sihui; Were, Lilian M
2018-02-15
Sunflower butter use as an allergen-free alternative to tree and legume nut butter in baking is limited by chlorogenic acid induced greening that occurs at alkaline pH. Limited information is available on controlling this greening in a food matrix. This study examined how different liquid sweeteners and relative humidity influenced greening of sunflower butter cookies. Doughs had similar initial pH (7.52-7.66) which increased to 8.44-9.13 after baking as ranked: xylitol>maple syrup>corn syrup>honey>agave syrup. Cookies made with maple syrup had the highest moisture and greening corresponding with lowest free chlorogenic acid. The % greening followed the same trend as greening intensity, and was positively correlated (r=0.9101) with chlorogenic-lysine adduct content. Our findings provide an ingredient solution to controlling greening, as results demonstrate that greening can be promoted with high relative humidity storage, and use of high moisture and pH ingredients. Unwanted greening can be inhibited by simply changing the liquid sweetener. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Browning in Desert Boundaries in Asia in Recent Decades
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Jeong, Su-Jong; Ho, Chang-Hoi; Brown, Molly E.; Kug, Jong-Seong; Piao, Shilong
2011-01-01
In this study, the changes in desert boundaries in Asia (Gobi, Karakum, Lut, Taklimakan, and Thar deserts) during the growing season (April October) in the years 1982 2008 were investigated by analyzing the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), precipitation, and temperature. In the desert boundary regions, the domain mean NDVI values increased by 7.2% per decade in 1982 1998 but decreased by 6.8% per decade thereafter. Accordingly, the bare soil areas (or nonvegetated areas) of the inside of the desert boundaries contracted by 9.8% per decade in the 1990s and expanded by 8.7% per decade in the 2000s. It is noted that the five deserts experience nearly simultaneous NDVI changes although they cover a very diverse area of Asia. In contrast, changes in temperature and precipitation in the deserts show rather diverse results. In desert boundaries located along 40 N (Gobi, Taklimakan, and Karakum), the decadal changes in vegetation greenness were mainly related to regional climate during the entire analysis period. Precipitation increased in the 1990s, providing favorable conditions for vegetation growth (i.e., greening), but precipitation reduced (19 mm per decade) and warming intensified (0.7 C per decade) in the 2000s, causing less moisture to be available for vegetation growth (i.e., browning). In desert boundaries below 40 N (Lut and Thar), although an increase in precipitation (8 mm per decade) led to greening in the 1990s, local changes in precipitation and temperature did not necessarily cause browning in the 2000s. Observed multidecadal changes in vegetation greenness in the present study suggest that under significant global and/or regional warming, changes in moisture availability for vegetation growth in desert boundaries are an important factor when understanding decadal changes in areas vulnerable to desertification over Asia.
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Shifting Patterns of Boreal Forest Succession and Browning Over the Last 30 Years
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Goulden, M.; Czimczik, C. I.; Randerson, J. T.
2017-12-01
Climate and fire largely control the productivity ("greenness") and biodiversity of boreal forests in North America. Our research focuses on better understanding: 1) the patterns of, controls on, and recent changes in North American Boreal Forest "Browning" and the declining Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) observed in satellite records, and 2) the patterns of, controls on, and recent changes in North American Boreal Forest fire recovery and succession. Much of our effort has used the Landsat archive to analyze the patterns of wildfire and forest recovery along a transect cutting across central Canada; this study areas covers 3 Landsat rows x 25 paths with 2500 summer images. Key findings include: 1) Most (80-90%) of the recent NDVI trends in our study area are attributable to wildfire (areas that burned after 1995 and also before 1975 show browning; areas that burned in 1975-1995 show greening). 2) There are a significant number of non-fire related patches that show either browning or greening; some of these patches are related to fires or human disturbances that aren't in our disturbance database, but others occur in wetter areas, where there is a general tendency toward browning with many specific cases of greening. 3) Various remote sensing metrics yield complementary information providing a clearer sense of the biophysical trends during succession. 4) We see evidence of accelerating succession from 1985-1995 to 2005-2015. This acceleration isn't dramatic, just 1-3 years during early recovery and more during later succession, but it is a consistent feature of the analysis. We are not seeing a systematic decline in old-stand LAI. While NDVI declines in old stands with the loss of deciduous trees, we are not seeing a systematic decrease in old stand LAI or wide spread mortality.
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A modern robust approach to remotely estimate chlorophyll in coastal and inland zones
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shanmugam, Palanisamy; He, Xianqiang; Singh, Rakesh Kumar; Varunan, Theenathayalan
2018-05-01
The chlorophyll concentration of a water body is an important proxy for representing the phytoplankton biomass. Its estimation from multi or hyper-spectral remote sensing data in natural waters is generally achieved by using (i) the waveband ratioing in two or more bands in the blue-green or (ii) by using a combination of the radiance peak position and magnitude in the red-near-infrared (NIR) spectrum. The blue-green ratio algorithms have been extensively used with satellite ocean color data to investigate chlorophyll distributions in open ocean and clear waters and the application of red-NIR algorithms is often restricted to turbid productive water bodies. These issues present the greatest obstacles to our ability to formulate a modern robust method suitable for quantitative assessments of the chlorophyll concentration in a diverse range of water types. The present study is focused to investigate the normalized water-leaving radiance spectra in the visible and NIR region and propose a robust algorithm (Generalized ABI, GABI algorithm) for chlorophyll concentration retrieval based on Algal Bloom index (ABI) which separates phytoplankton signals from other constituents in the water column. The GABI algorithm is validated using independent in-situ data from various regional to global waters and its performance is further evaluated by comparison with the blue-green waveband ratios and red-NIR algorithms. The results revealed that GABI yields significantly more accurate chlorophyll concentrations (with uncertainties less than 13.5%) and remains more stable in different waters types when compared with the blue-green waveband ratios and red-NIR algorithms. The performance of GABI is further demonstrated using HICO images from nearshore turbid productive waters and MERIS and MODIS-Aqua images from coastal and offshore waters of the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and East China Sea.
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Clark, Charlotte; Sbihi, Hind; Tamburic, Lillian; Brauer, Michael; Frank, Lawrence D; Davies, Hugh W
2017-08-31
Evidence for an association between transportation noise and cardiovascular disease has increased; however, few studies have examined metabolic outcomes such as diabetes or accounted for environmental coexposures such as air pollution, greenness, or walkability. Because diabetes prevalence is increasing and may be on the causal pathway between noise and cardiovascular disease, we examined the influence of long-term residential transportation noise exposure and traffic-related air pollution on the incidence of diabetes using a population-based cohort in British Columbia, Canada. We examined the influence of transportation noise exposure over a 5-y period (1994-1998) on incident diabetes cases in a population-based prospective cohort study (n=380,738) of metropolitan Vancouver (BC) residents who were 45-85 y old, with 4-y of follow-up (1999-2002). Annual average transportation noise (Lden), air pollution [black carbon, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5μm (PM 2.5 ), nitrogen oxides], greenness [Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)], and neighborhood walkability at each participant's residence were modeled. Incident diabetes cases were identified using administrative health records. Transportation noise was associated with the incidence of diabetes [interquartile range (IQR) increase, 6.8 A-weighted decibels (dBA); OR=1.08 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.10)]. This association remained after adjustment for environmental coexposures including traffic-related air pollutants, greenness, and neighborhood walkability. After adjustment for coexposure to noise, traffic-related air pollutants were not associated with the incidence of diabetes, whereas greenness was protective. We found a positive association between residential transportation noise and diabetes, adding to the growing body of evidence that noise pollution exposure may be independently linked to metabolic health and should be considered when developing public health interventions. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1279.
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Nedelcu, Aurora M.; Lee, Robert W.; Lemieux, Claude; Gray, Michael W.; Burger, Gertraud
2000-01-01
Two distinct mitochondrial genome types have been described among the green algal lineages investigated to date: a reduced–derived, Chlamydomonas-like type and an ancestral, Prototheca-like type. To determine if this unexpected dichotomy is real or is due to insufficient or biased sampling and to define trends in the evolution of the green algal mitochondrial genome, we sequenced and analyzed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of Scenedesmus obliquus. This genome is 42,919 bp in size and encodes 42 conserved genes (i.e., large and small subunit rRNA genes, 27 tRNA and 13 respiratory protein-coding genes), four additional free-standing open reading frames with no known homologs, and an intronic reading frame with endonuclease/maturase similarity. No 5S rRNA or ribosomal protein-coding genes have been identified in Scenedesmus mtDNA. The standard protein-coding genes feature a deviant genetic code characterized by the use of UAG (normally a stop codon) to specify leucine, and the unprecedented use of UCA (normally a serine codon) as a signal for termination of translation. The mitochondrial genome of Scenedesmus combines features of both green algal mitochondrial genome types: the presence of a more complex set of protein-coding and tRNA genes is shared with the ancestral type, whereas the lack of 5S rRNA and ribosomal protein-coding genes as well as the presence of fragmented and scrambled rRNA genes are shared with the reduced–derived type of mitochondrial genome organization. Furthermore, the gene content and the fragmentation pattern of the rRNA genes suggest that this genome represents an intermediate stage in the evolutionary process of mitochondrial genome streamlining in green algae. [The sequence data described in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank data library under accession no. AF204057.] PMID:10854413
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Reliability Analysis of a Green Roof Under Different Storm Scenarios
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
William, R. K.; Stillwell, A. S.
2015-12-01
Urban environments continue to face the challenges of localized flooding and decreased water quality brought on by the increasing amount of impervious area in the built environment. Green infrastructure provides an alternative to conventional storm sewer design by using natural processes to filter and store stormwater at its source. However, there are currently few consistent standards available in North America to ensure that installed green infrastructure is performing as expected. This analysis offers a method for characterizing green roof failure using a visual aid commonly used in earthquake engineering: fragility curves. We adapted the concept of the fragility curve based on the efficiency in runoff reduction provided by a green roof compared to a conventional roof under different storm scenarios. We then used the 2D distributed surface water-groundwater coupled model MIKE SHE to model the impact that a real green roof might have on runoff in different storm events. We then employed a multiple regression analysis to generate an algebraic demand model that was input into the Matlab-based reliability analysis model FERUM, which was then used to calculate the probability of failure. The use of reliability analysis as a part of green infrastructure design code can provide insights into green roof weaknesses and areas for improvement. It also supports the design of code that is more resilient than current standards and is easily testable for failure. Finally, the understanding of reliability of a single green roof module under different scenarios can support holistic testing of system reliability.
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Color analysis of the human airway wall
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gopalakrishnan, Deepa; McLennan, Geoffrey; Donnelley, Martin; Delsing, Angela; Suter, Melissa; Flaherty, Dawn; Zabner, Joseph; Hoffman, Eric A.; Reinhardt, Joseph M.
2002-04-01
A bronchoscope can be used to examine the mucosal surface of the airways for abnormalities associated with a variety of lung diseases. The diagnosis of these abnormalities through the process of bronchoscopy is based, in part, on changes in airway wall color. Therefore it is important to characterize the normal color inside the airways. We propose a standardized method to calibrate the bronchoscopic imaging system and to tabulate the normal colors of the airway. Our imaging system consists of a Pentium PC and video frame grabber, coupled with a true color bronchoscope. The calibration procedure uses 24 standard color patches. Images of these color patches at three different distances (1, 1.5, and 2 cm) were acquired using the bronchoscope in a darkened room, to assess repeatability and sensitivity to illumination. The images from the bronchoscope are in a device-dependent Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color space, which was converted to a tri-stimulus image and then into a device-independent color space sRGB image by a fixed polynomial transformation. Images were acquired from five normal human volunteer subjects, two cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and one normal heavy smoker subject. The hue and saturation values of regions within the normal airway were tabulated and these values were compared with the values obtained from regions within the airways of the CF patients and the normal heavy smoker. Repeated measurements of the same region in the airways showed no measurable change in hue or saturation.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mukherjee, Sananda
In recent years, there has been great interest in the potential of green roofs as an alternative roofing option to reduce the energy consumed by individual buildings as well as mitigate large scale urban environmental problems such as the heat island effect. There is a widespread recognition and a growing literature of measured data that suggest green roofs can reduce building energy consumption. This thesis investigates the potential of green roofs in reducing the building energy loads and focuses on how the different parameters of a green roof assembly affect the thermal performance of a building. A green roof assembly is modeled in Design Builder- a 3D graphical design modeling and energy use simulation program (interface) that uses the EnergyPlus simulation engine, and the simulated data set thus obtained is compared to field experiment data to validate the roof assembly model on the basis of how accurately it simulates the behavior of a green roof. Then the software is used to evaluate the thermal performance of several green roof assemblies under three different climate types, looking at the whole building energy consumption. For the purpose of this parametric simulation study, a prototypical single story small office building is considered and one parameter of the green roof is altered for each simulation run in order to understand its effect on building's energy loads. These parameters include different insulation thicknesses, leaf area indices (LAI) and growing medium or soil depth, each of which are tested under the three different climate types. The energy use intensities (EUIs), the peak and annual heating and cooling loads resulting from the use of these green roof assemblies are compared with each other and to a cool roof base case to determine the energy load reductions, if any. The heat flux through the roof is also evaluated and compared. The simulation results are then organized and finally presented as a decision support tool that would facilitate the adoption and appropriate utilization of green roof technologies and make it possible to account for green roof benefits in energy codes and related energy efficiency standards and rating systems such as LEED.
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A Guided Tour of Mathematical Methods
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Snieder, Roel
2009-04-01
1. Introduction; 2. Dimensional analysis; 3. Power series; 4. Spherical and cylindrical co-ordinates; 5. The gradient; 6. The divergence of a vector field; 7. The curl of a vector field; 8. The theorem of Gauss; 9. The theorem of Stokes; 10. The Laplacian; 11. Conservation laws; 12. Scale analysis; 13. Linear algebra; 14. The Dirac delta function; 15. Fourier analysis; 16. Analytic functions; 17. Complex integration; 18. Green's functions: principles; 19. Green's functions: examples; 20. Normal modes; 21. Potential theory; 22. Cartesian tensors; 23. Perturbation theory; 24. Asymptotic evaluation of integrals; 25. Variational calculus; 26. Epilogue, on power and knowledge; References.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nayak, Avinash; Taira, Taka'aki; Dreger, Douglas S.; Gritto, Roland
2018-04-01
We retrieve empirical Green's functions in the frequency range (˜0.2-0.9 Hz) for interstation distances ranging from ˜1 to ˜30 km (˜0.22 to ˜6.5 times the wavelength) at The Geysers geothermal field, Northern California, from coherency of ambient seismic noise being recorded by a variety of sensors (broad-band, short-period surface and borehole sensors, and one accelerometer). The applied methodology preserves the intercomponent relative amplitudes of the nine-component Green's tensor that allows us to directly compare noise-derived Green's functions (NGFs) with normalized displacement waveforms of complete single-force synthetic Green's functions (SGFs) computed with various 1-D and 3-D velocity models using the frequency-wavenumber integration method and a 3-D finite-difference wave propagation method, respectively. These comparisons provide an effective means of evaluating the suitability of different velocity models to different regions of The Geysers, and assessing the quality of the sensors and the NGFs. In the T-Tangential, R-Radial, Z-Vertical reference frame, the TT, RR, RZ, ZR and ZZ components (first component: force direction, second component: response direction) of NGFs show clear surface waves and even body-wave phases for many station pairs. They are also broadly consistent in phase and intercomponent relative amplitudes with SGFs for the known local seismic velocity structure that was derived primarily from body-wave traveltime tomography, even at interstation distances less than one wavelength. We also find anomalous large amplitudes in TR, TZ, RT and ZT components of NGFs at small interstation distances (≲4 km) that can be attributed to ˜10°-30° sensor misalignments at many stations inferred from analysis of longer period teleseismic waveforms. After correcting for sensor misalignments, significant residual amplitudes in these components for some longer interstation distance (≳8 km) paths are better reproduced by the 3-D velocity model than by the 1-D models incorporating known values and fast axis directions of crack-induced VS anisotropy in the geothermal field. We also analyse the decay of Fourier spectral amplitudes of the TT component of NGFs at 0.72 Hz with distance in terms of geometrical spreading and attenuation. While there is considerable scatter in the NGF amplitudes, we find the average decay to be consistent with the decay expected from SGF amplitudes and with the decay of tangential component local-earthquake ground-motion amplitudes with distance at the same frequency.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sánchez-Sesma, Francisco J.
2017-07-01
Microtremor H/ V spectral ratio (MHVSR) has gained popularity to assess the dominant frequency of soil sites. It requires measurement of ground motion due to seismic ambient noise at a site and a relatively simple processing. Theory asserts that the ensemble average of the autocorrelation of motion components belonging to a diffuse field at a given receiver gives the directional energy densities (DEDs) which are proportional to the imaginary parts of the Green's function components when both source and receiver are the same point and the directions of force and response coincide. Therefore, the MHVSR can be modeled as the square root of 2 × Im G 11/Im G 33, where Im G 11 and Im G 33 are the imaginary parts of Green's functions at the load point for the horizontal (sub-index 1) and vertical (sub-index 3) components, respectively. This connection has physical implications that emerge from the duality DED force and allows understanding the behavior of the MHVSR. For a given model, the imaginary parts of the Green's functions are integrals along a radial wavenumber. To deal with these integrals, we have used either the popular discrete wavenumber method or the Cauchy's residue theorem at the poles that account for surface waves normal modes giving the contributions due to Rayleigh and Love waves. For the retrieval of the velocity structure, one can minimize the weighted differences between observations and calculated values using the strategy of an inversion scheme. In this research, we used simulated annealing but other optimization techniques can be used as well. This last approach allows computing separately the contributions of different wave types. An example is presented for the mouth of Andarax River at Almería, Spain. [Figure not available: see fulltext.
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Humic acid batteries derived from vermicomposts at different C/N ratios
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shamsuddin, R. M.; Borhan, A.; Lim, W. K.
2017-06-01
Humic acid is a known fertilizer derived from decomposed organic matters. Organic wastes are normally landfilled for disposal which had contributed negatively to the environment. From waste-to-wealth perspective, such wastes are potential precursors for compost fertilizers. When worms are added into a composting process, the process is termed as vermicomposting. In this work, humic acid from vermicompost derived from campus green wastes was developed into a battery. This adds value proposition to compost instead of being traditionally used solely as soil improver. This research work aimed to study the correlation between electrical potential generated by humic acid at different Carbon to Nitrogen (C/N) ratios of vermicompost at 20, 25, 30 and 35. The temperature and pH profiles of composting revealed that the compost was ready after 55 days. The humic acid was extracted from compost via alkaline extraction followed by precipitation in a strong acid. The extracted humic acid together with other additives were packed into a compartment and termed as vermibattery. Another set of battery running only on the additives was also prepared as a control. The net voltage produced by a single vermibattery cell with Zn and PbO electrodes was in the range of 0.31 to 0.44 V with compost at C/N ratio of 30 gave the highest voltage. The battery can be connected in series to increase the voltage generation. Quality assessment on the compost revealed that the final carbon content is between 16 to 23 wt%, nitrogen content of 0.4 to 0.5 wt%, humic acid yield of 0.7 to 1.5 wt% and final compost mass reduction of 10 to 35 wt%. Composting campus green wastes carries multi-fold benefits of reducing labour requirement, generating fertilizer for campus greenery and green battery construction.
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Thiering, Elisabeth; Markevych, Iana; Brüske, Irene; Fuertes, Elaine; Kratzsch, Jürgen; Sugiri, Dorothea; Hoffmann, Barbara; von Berg, Andrea; Bauer, Carl-Peter; Koletzko, Sibylle; Berdel, Dietrich; Heinrich, Joachim
2016-01-01
Background: Epidemiological studies have identified associations between air pollution and green space access with type 2 diabetes in adults. However, it remains unclear to what extent associations with greenness are attributable to air pollution exposure. Objectives: We aimed to investigate associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and satellite-derived greenness with insulin resistance in adolescents. Methods: A total of 837 participants of two German birth cohorts (LISAplus and GINIplus) were included in the analysis. Generalized additive models were used to determine the association of individual satellite-derived greenness defined by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), long-term air pollution exposure estimated by land-use regression (LUR) models with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in 15-year-old adolescents. Models were adjusted for study area, cohort, socioeconomic, and individual characteristics such as body mass index, physical activity, and smoking. Results: Increases of 2 SDs in nitrogen dioxide (NO2; 8.9 μg/m3) and particulate matter ≤ 10 μm in diameter (PM10; 6.7 μg/m3) were significantly associated with 11.4% (95% CI: 4.4, 18.9) and 11.4% (95% CI: 0.4, 23.7) higher HOMA-IR. A 2-SD increase in NDVI in a 1,000-m buffer (0.2 units) was significantly associated with a lower HOMA-IR (–7.4%; 95% CI: –13.3, –1.1). Associations tended to be stronger in adolescents who spent more time outside and in those with lower socioeconomic status. In combined models including both air pollution and greenness, only NO2 remained significantly associated with HOMA-IR, whereas effect estimates for all other exposures attenuated after adjustment for NO2. Conclusions: NO2, often considered as a marker of traffic, was independently associated with insulin resistance. The observed association between higher greenness exposure and lower HOMA-IR in adolescents might thus be attributable mainly to the lower co-exposure to traffic-related air pollution. Citation: Thiering E, Markevych I, Brüske I, Fuertes E, Kratzsch J, Sugiri D, Hoffmann B, von Berg A, Bauer CP, Koletzko S, Berdel D, Heinrich J. 2016. Associations of residential long-term air pollution exposures and satellite-derived greenness with insulin resistance in German adolescents. Environ Health Perspect 124:1291–1298; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509967 PMID:26863688
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Feng, Xiaoqi; Astell-Burt, Thomas
2017-02-27
Recent reviews of the rapidly growing scientific literature on neighbourhood green space and health show strong evidence for protective and restorative effects on mental wellbeing. However, multiple informants are common when reporting mental wellbeing in studies of children. Do different informants lead to different results? This study utilised nationally representative data on Goodman's 25-item Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire reported by 3083 children (aged 12-13 years old), and their parents and teachers. Multilevel models were used to investigate whether similar associations between child mental wellbeing (as measured using the total difficulties score and the internalising and externalising subscales) and neighbourhood green space quantity and quality are obtained regardless of the informant. After adjustment for confounders, higher green space quantity and quality were associated with consistently more favourable child mental wellbeing on all three measures, regardless of the informant. However, associations with green space quantity were statistically significant ( p < 0.05) only for the parent-reported total difficulties score and the internalising subscale. Significant associations with green space quality were consistently observed for both parent- and child-reported outcomes. Teacher-reported outcomes were not significantly associated with green space exposure. Future studies of green space and child health should acknowledge when different informants of outcomes could lead to different conclusions.
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Feng, Xiaoqi; Astell-Burt, Thomas
2017-01-01
Recent reviews of the rapidly growing scientific literature on neighbourhood green space and health show strong evidence for protective and restorative effects on mental wellbeing. However, multiple informants are common when reporting mental wellbeing in studies of children. Do different informants lead to different results? This study utilised nationally representative data on Goodman’s 25-item Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire reported by 3083 children (aged 12–13 years old), and their parents and teachers. Multilevel models were used to investigate whether similar associations between child mental wellbeing (as measured using the total difficulties score and the internalising and externalising subscales) and neighbourhood green space quantity and quality are obtained regardless of the informant. After adjustment for confounders, higher green space quantity and quality were associated with consistently more favourable child mental wellbeing on all three measures, regardless of the informant. However, associations with green space quantity were statistically significant (p < 0.05) only for the parent-reported total difficulties score and the internalising subscale. Significant associations with green space quality were consistently observed for both parent- and child-reported outcomes. Teacher-reported outcomes were not significantly associated with green space exposure. Future studies of green space and child health should acknowledge when different informants of outcomes could lead to different conclusions. PMID:28264461
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Burkart, Katrin; Meier, Fred; Schneider, Alexandra; Breitner, Susanne; Canário, Paulo; Alcoforado, Maria João; Scherer, Dieter; Endlicher, Wilfried
2016-07-01
Urban populations are highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of heat, with heat-related mortality showing intra-urban variations that are likely due to differences in urban characteristics and socioeconomic status. We investigated the influence of urban green and urban blue, that is, urban vegetation and water bodies, on heat-related excess mortality in the elderly > 65 years old in Lisbon, Portugal, between 1998 and 2008. We used remotely sensed data and geographic information to determine the amount of urban vegetation and the distance to bodies of water (the Atlantic Ocean and the Tagus Estuary). Poisson generalized additive models were fitted, allowing for the interaction between equivalent temperature [universal thermal climate index (UTCI)] and quartiles of urban greenness [classified using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)] and proximity to water (≤ 4 km vs. > 4 km), while adjusting for potential confounders. The association between mortality and a 1°C increase in UTCI above the 99th percentile (24.8°C) was stronger for areas in the lowest NDVI quartile (14.7% higher; 95% CI: 1.9, 17.5%) than for areas in the highest quartile (3.0%; 95% CI: 2.0, 4.0%). In areas > 4 km from water, a 1°C increase in UTCI above the 99th percentile was associated with a 7.1% increase in mortality (95% CI: 6.2, 8.1%), whereas in areas ≤ 4 km from water, the estimated increase in mortality was only 2.1% (95% CI: 1.2, 3.0%). Urban green and blue appeared to have a mitigating effect on heat-related mortality in the elderly population in Lisbon. Increasing the amount of vegetation may be a good strategy to counteract the adverse effects of heat in urban areas. Our findings also suggest potential benefits of urban blue that may be present several kilometers from a body of water. Burkart K, Meier F, Schneider A, Breitner S, Canário P, Alcoforado MJ, Scherer D, Endlicher W. 2016. Modification of heat-related mortality in an elderly urban population by vegetation (urban green) and proximity to water (urban blue): evidence from Lisbon, Portugal. Environ Health Perspect 124:927-934; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409529.
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Factors affecting the implementation of green specifications in construction.
Lam, Patrick T I; Chan, Edwin H W; Poon, C S; Chau, C K; Chun, K P
2010-01-01
Green specifications constitute one of the important elements in green construction. New sustainability requirements and changing priorities in construction management have spurred the emerging green specifications to a faster pace of development. A cross-sectional survey has been conducted in Hong Kong in 2007 to identify principal factors leading to the success of preparing green specifications. Based on extensive construction management literature, 20 variables concerning sustainable construction were summarized. Using the Mann-Whitney U-test, the subtle differences between stakeholders in specifying construction work have been detected even with the high consistency of the responses among the groups. Moreover, five independent factors for successful specification of green construction have been categorized by factor analysis. They are related to (1) green technology and techniques, (2) reliability and quality of specification, (3) leadership and responsibility, (4) stakeholder involvement, and (5) guide and benchmarking systems. Whilst the first and fourth factors are generally more important, different stakeholder groups have different emphases. The results of the survey have been validated against established principles. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Banzato, Tommaso; Selleri, Paolo; Veladiano, Irene A; Martin, Andrea; Zanetti, Emanuele; Zotti, Alessandro
2012-05-11
Radiology and computed tomography are the most commonly available diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of pathologies affecting the head and skull in veterinary practice. Nevertheless, accurate interpretation of radiographic and CT studies requires a thorough knowledge of the gross and the cross-sectional anatomy. Despite the increasing success of reptiles as pets, only a few reports over their normal imaging features are currently available. The aim of this study is to describe the normal cadaveric, radiographic and computed tomographic features of the heads of the green iguana, tegu and bearded dragon. 6 adult green iguanas, 4 tegus, 3 bearded dragons, and, the adult cadavers of: 4 green iguana, 4 tegu, 4 bearded dragon were included in the study. 2 cadavers were dissected following a stratigraphic approach and 2 cadavers were cross-sectioned for each species. These latter specimens were stored in a freezer (-20°C) until completely frozen. Transversal sections at 5 mm intervals were obtained by means of an electric band-saw. Each section was cleaned and photographed on both sides. Radiographs of the head of each subject were obtained. Pre- and post- contrast computed tomographic studies of the head were performed on all the live animals. CT images were displayed in both bone and soft tissue windows. Individual anatomic structures were first recognised and labelled on the anatomic images and then matched on radiographs and CT images. Radiographic and CT images of the skull provided good detail of the bony structures in all species. In CT contrast medium injection enabled good detail of the soft tissues to be obtained in the iguana whereas only the eye was clearly distinguishable from the remaining soft tissues in both the tegu and the bearded dragon. The results provide an atlas of the normal anatomical and in vivo radiographic and computed tomographic features of the heads of lizards, and this may be useful in interpreting any imaging modality involving these species.
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2012-01-01
Background Radiology and computed tomography are the most commonly available diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of pathologies affecting the head and skull in veterinary practice. Nevertheless, accurate interpretation of radiographic and CT studies requires a thorough knowledge of the gross and the cross-sectional anatomy. Despite the increasing success of reptiles as pets, only a few reports over their normal imaging features are currently available. The aim of this study is to describe the normal cadaveric, radiographic and computed tomographic features of the heads of the green iguana, tegu and bearded dragon. Results 6 adult green iguanas, 4 tegus, 3 bearded dragons, and, the adult cadavers of : 4 green iguana, 4 tegu, 4 bearded dragon were included in the study. 2 cadavers were dissected following a stratigraphic approach and 2 cadavers were cross-sectioned for each species. These latter specimens were stored in a freezer (−20°C) until completely frozen. Transversal sections at 5 mm intervals were obtained by means of an electric band-saw. Each section was cleaned and photographed on both sides. Radiographs of the head of each subject were obtained. Pre- and post- contrast computed tomographic studies of the head were performed on all the live animals. CT images were displayed in both bone and soft tissue windows. Individual anatomic structures were first recognised and labelled on the anatomic images and then matched on radiographs and CT images. Radiographic and CT images of the skull provided good detail of the bony structures in all species. In CT contrast medium injection enabled good detail of the soft tissues to be obtained in the iguana whereas only the eye was clearly distinguishable from the remaining soft tissues in both the tegu and the bearded dragon. Conclusions The results provide an atlas of the normal anatomical and in vivo radiographic and computed tomographic features of the heads of lizards, and this may be useful in interpreting any imaging modality involving these species. PMID:22578088
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Park, Jae B
2017-01-01
Javamide-I/javamide-II are phenolic amides found in coffee. Recent reports suggested that they may contain several biological activities related to human health. Therefore, there is emergent interest about their quantities in coffee-related products. Green coffee extract is a powder extract made of unroasted green coffee beans, available as a dietary supplement. However, there is little information about the amounts of javamide-I/javamide-II in green coffee extract products in the market. Therefore, in this paper, javamide-I/javamide-II were extracted from green coffee extract products and their identifications were confirmed by NMR. After that, the amounts of javamide-I/javamide-II were individually quantified from seven different green coffee extract samples using the HPLC method coupled to an electrochemical detector. The HPLC method provided accurate and reliable measurement of javamide-I/javamide-II with excellent peak resolution and low detection limit. In all seven green coffee extract samples, javamide-II was found to be between 0.28 and 2.96 mg/g, but javamide-I was detected in only five samples in the concentration levels of 0.15-0.52 mg/g, suggesting that green coffee extract products contain different amounts of javamide-I/javamide-II. In summary, javamide-I/javamide-II can be found in green coffee extract products sold in the market, but their amounts are likely to be comparatively different in between green coffee extract brands.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Darling, A.; Karlstrom, K.; Kirby, E.; Ouimet, W.; Coblentz, D.; Aslan, A.
2008-12-01
The goal of the Colorado Rockies Experiment and Seismic Transects (CREST) is to image the velocity structure beneath the Rocky Mountains (2008-2009) and evaluate mantle to surface interconnections that may illuminate causes and timing of uplift of the Rockies. Existing mantle tomography shows a zone of low- density mantle, the Aspen Anomaly, that underlies the highest topography in Colorado. The tectonic geomorphic component of the project involves understanding incision patterns in time and space throughout the bedrock fluvial systems of western Rocky Mountains and eastern Colorado Plateau. The Colorado River and its tributaries drain the western slope of highest topography of the Colorado Rockies; The Green River drains the Wyoming Rockies and northern Colorado Plateau. Both cross highly variable substrates (Precambrian basement to Cretaceous Mancos shale) and active faults. Preliminary analysis of longitudinal profiles of the trunk rivers indicates that for a given drainage area, the Colorado generally has a higher steepness index (a measure of gradient normalized for upstream drainage area) than the Green. Localized reaches of high steepness index along the Green are interpreted to reflect resistant substrate. We suggest that these rivers, of similar stream power, are responding to different sustained forcings, wherein the Colorado River is responding to uplift above the Aspen Anomaly. We have compiled all known incision rates for the region for the last 10 Ma. The bedrock incision rate at a given reach is determined by dates on elevated straths where gravels are overlain by or inter-layered with basalt flows (Ar-Ar dates), ash layers (tephrochronology), or can be dated by cosmogenic burial ages. A suite of new samples have also been taken for undated reaches of the Colorado River, with plans for sampling the Green for comparison of incision rates. Available data show differential incision along both the Green and Colorado rivers. When combined with profile analysis that shows non-equilibrium profiles, we identify important transient knick-points, convexities, and over-steepened reaches that are interpreted to represent a combination of tectonic and geomorphic features. Regionally important knick-points in the upper Colorado River drainage occur at Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Gore Canyon of the Colorado. These features show crude spatial correlation to the edges of the hypothesized uplift regional above the Aspen Anomaly. Gradients in topographic roughness, lithospheric geoid anomaly, normalized river gradients, and incision rate through time in these areas may be associated with dynamic uplift associated with the Aspen anomaly. Combined data sets are needed to show interactions between climate forcings, base-level fall and drainage reorganization, and tectonic epeirogeny.
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Braaker, Sonja; Obrist, Martin Karl; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Moretti, Marco
2017-05-01
Increasing development of urban environments creates high pressure on green spaces with potential negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. There is growing evidence that green roofs - rooftops covered with vegetation - can contribute mitigate the loss of urban green spaces by providing new habitats for numerous arthropod species. Whether green roofs can contribute to enhance taxonomic and functional diversity and increase connectivity across urbanized areas remains, however, largely unknown. Furthermore, only limited information is available on how environmental conditions shape green roof arthropod communities. We investigated the community composition of arthropods (Apidae, Curculionidae, Araneae and Carabidae) on 40 green roofs and 40 green sites at ground level in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. We assessed how the site's environmental variables (such as area, height, vegetation, substrate and connectivity among sites) affect species richness and functional diversity using generalized linear models. We used an extension of co-inertia analysis (RLQ) and fourth-corner analysis to highlight the mechanism underlying community assemblages across taxonomic groups on green roof and ground communities. Species richness was higher at ground-level sites, while no difference in functional diversity was found between green roofs and ground sites. Green roof arthropod diversity increased with higher connectivity and plant species richness, irrespective of substrate depth, height and area of green roofs. The species trait analysis reviewed the mechanisms related to the environmental predictors that shape the species assemblages of the different taxa at ground and roof sites. Our study shows the important contribution of green roofs in maintaining high functional diversity of arthropod communities across different taxonomic groups, despite their lower species richness compared with ground sites. Species communities on green roofs revealed to be characterized by specific trait assemblages. The study also provides details on the environmental conditions that influence arthropod diversity and gives new perspectives on how the design of green roofs can be improved to increase their ecological value. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of integrating green roofs in planning policies which aim to enhance urban habitat connectivity. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.
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Van Dorsten, Ferdi A; Daykin, Clare A; Mulder, Theo P J; Van Duynhoven, John P M
2006-09-06
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of black and green tea consumption on human metabolism. Seventeen healthy male volunteers consumed black tea, green tea, or caffeine in a randomized crossover study. Twenty-four-hour urine and blood plasma samples were analyzed by NMR-based metabonomics, that is, high-resolution 1H NMR metabolic profiling combined with multivariate statistics. Green and black tea consumption resulted in similar increases in urinary excretion of hippuric acid and 1,3-dihydroxyphenyl-2-O-sulfate, both of which are end products of tea flavonoid degradation by colonic bacteria. Several unidentified aromatic metabolites were detected in urine specifically after green tea intake. Interestingly, green and black tea intake also had a different impact on endogenous metabolites in urine and plasma. Green tea intake caused a stronger increase in urinary excretion of several citric acid cycle intermediates, which suggests an effect of green tea flavanols on human oxidative energy metabolism and/or biosynthetic pathways.
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Plantar fascia softening in plantar fasciitis with normal B-mode sonography.
Wu, Chueh-Hung; Chen, Wen-Shiang; Wang, Tyng-Guey
2015-11-01
To investigate plantar fascia elasticity in patients with typical clinical manifestations of plantar fasciitis but normal plantar fascia morphology on B-mode sonography. Twenty patients with plantar fasciitis (10 unilateral and 10 bilateral) and 30 healthy volunteers, all with normal plantar fascia morphology on B-mode sonography, were included in the study. Plantar fascia elasticity was evaluated by sonoelastographic examination. All sonoelastograms were quantitatively analyzed, and less red pixel intensity was representative of softer tissue. Pixel intensity was compared among unilateral plantar fasciitis patients, bilateral plantar fasciitis patients, and healthy volunteers by one-way ANOVA. A post hoc Scheffé's test was used to identify where the differences occurred. Compared to healthy participants (red pixel intensity: 146.9 ± 9.1), there was significantly less red pixel intensity in the asymptomatic sides of unilateral plantar fasciitis (140.4 ± 7.3, p = 0.01), symptomatic sides of unilateral plantar fasciitis (127.1 ± 7.4, p < 0.001), and both sides of bilateral plantar fasciitis (129.4 ± 7.5, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in plantar fascia thickness or green or blue pixel intensity among these groups. Sonoelastography revealed that the plantar fascia is softer in patients with typical clinical manifestations of plantar fasciitis, even if they exhibit no abnormalities on B-mode sonography.
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Pedersen, Hilde R; Hagen, Lene A; Landsend, Erlend C S; Gilson, Stuart J; Utheim, Øygunn A; Utheim, Tor P; Neitz, Maureen; Baraas, Rigmor C
2018-04-01
To assess color vision and its association with retinal structure in persons with congenital aniridia. We included 36 persons with congenital aniridia (10-66 years), and 52 healthy, normal trichromatic controls (10-74 years) in the study. Color vision was assessed with Hardy-Rand-Rittler (HRR) pseudo-isochromatic plates (4th ed., 2002); Cambridge Color Test and a low-vision version of the Color Assessment and Diagnosis test (CAD-LV). Cone-opsin genes were analyzed to confirm normal versus congenital color vision deficiencies. Visual acuity and ocular media opacities were assessed. The central 30° of both eyes were imaged with the Heidelberg Spectralis OCT2 to grade the severity of foveal hypoplasia (FH, normal to complete: 0-4). Five participants with aniridia had cone opsin genes conferring deutan color vision deficiency and were excluded from further analysis. Of the 31 with aniridia and normal opsin genes, 11 made two or more red-green (RG) errors on HRR, four of whom also made yellow-blue (YB) errors; one made YB errors only. A total of 19 participants had higher CAD-LV RG thresholds, of which eight also had higher CAD-LV YB thresholds, than normal controls. In aniridia, the thresholds were higher along the RG than the YB axis, and those with a complete FH had significantly higher RG thresholds than those with mild FH (P = 0.038). Additional increase in YB threshold was associated with secondary ocular pathology. Arrested foveal formation and associated alterations in retinal processing are likely to be the primary reason for impaired red-green color vision in aniridia.
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Chia, Jean-San; Du, Jia-Ling; Wu, Ming-Shiou; Hsu, Wei-Bin; Chiang, Chun-Pin; Sun, Andy; Lu, John Jenn-Yenn; Wang, Won-Bo
2013-05-01
Previous studies have shown that soybean fermentation products can act as cancer chemoprevention or therapeutic agents. In this study, the anticancer activities of a fermentation product of soybean, black bean, and green bean mixture (BN999) were investigated. We found that BN999 inhibited the growth of human breast cancer AU565 cells and prostate adenocarcinoma PC-3 cells but not that of normal human cells. BN999 induced apoptosis in various human cancer cells but not in normal human cells. BN999 treatment of AU565 cancer cells resulted in activation of calpain and caspase-8, -9, and -3, suggesting that BN999 induces apoptosis via receptor-, mitochondria-, and endoplasmic reticulum-mediated pathways. Finally, we showed that BN999 inhibited the growth of mouse CT-26 colon cancer xenografts in syngenic BALB/c mice without causing obvious side effects. Together, these data suggest that BN999 has potential to be used as a cancer chemoprevention or therapeutic agent.
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What was Glaucoma Called Before the 20th Century?
Leffler, Christopher T.; Schwartz, Stephen G.; Giliberti, Francesca M.; Young, Matthew T.; Bermudez, Dennis
2015-01-01
Glaucoma involves a characteristic optic neuropathy, often with elevated intraocular pressure. Before 1850, poor vision with a normal eye appearance, as occurs in primary open-angle glaucoma, was termed amaurosis, gutta serena, or black cataract. Few observers noted palpable hardness of the eye in amaurosis. On the other hand, angle-closure glaucoma can produce a green or gray pupil, and therefore was called, variously, glaucoma (derived from the Greek for glaucous, a nonspecific term connoting blue, green, or light gray) and viriditate oculi. Angle closure, with palpable hardness of the eye, mydriasis, and anterior prominence of the lens, was described in greater detail in the 18th and 19th centuries. The introduction of the ophthalmoscope in 1850 permitted the visualization of the excavated optic neuropathy in eyes with a normal or with a dilated greenish-gray pupil. Physicians developed a better appreciation of the role of intraocular pressure in both conditions, which became subsumed under the rubric “glaucoma”. PMID:26483611
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O'odham I:waki. Wild Greens of the Desert People. Sourcebook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Meals for Millions/Freedom from Hunger Foundation, Tucson, AZ.
I:waki are what the O'odham (Papago and Pima People) call young green leafy plants that they eat as cooked "greens" and serve as an important part of the traditional Papago diet. Sketches of five different kinds of i:waki are presented in the booklet to help identify the "greens." Names of each of the "greens" are…
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2002-07-31
This diagram shows the normal pathways of calcium movement in the body and indicates changes (green arrows) seen during preliminary space flight experiments. Calcium plays a central role because 1) it gives strength and structure to bone and 2) all types of cells require it to function normally. To better understand how and why weightlessness induces bone loss, astronauts have participated in a study of calcium kinetics -- that is, the movement of calcium through the body, including absorption from food, and its role in the formation and breakdown of bone.
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Yeh, Hsiao-Pu; Stone, Joseph Antony; Churchill, Sarah May; Wheat, Jonathan Stephen; Brymer, Eric; Davids, Keith
2016-07-01
Increasing evidence supports the multiple benefits to physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing of green physical activity, a topic of increasing interest in the past decade. Research has revealed a synergistic benefit of green physical activity, which includes all aspects of exercise and physical activity in the presence of nature. Our theoretical analysis suggests there are three distinct levels of engagement in green physical activity, with each level reported to have a positive effect on human behaviours. However, the extent to which each level of green physical activity benefits health and wellbeing is assumed to differ, requiring confirmation in future research. This elucidation of understanding is needed because previous literature has tended to focus on recording empirical evidence rather than developing a sound theoretical framework to understand green physical activity effects. Here we propose an ecological dynamics rationale to explain how and why green physical activity might influence health and wellbeing of different population groups. This framework suggests a number of unexplored, interacting constraints related to types of environment and population groups, which shape reported levels of benefit of green physical activity. Further analysis is needed to clarify the explicit relationship between green physical activity and health and wellbeing, including levels of engagement, types of environmental constraints, levels of physical activity, adventure effects, skill effects and sampling of different populations.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sett, Soumyadip; Lee, Minwook; Yarin, Alexander; Moghadam, S. M. Alavi; Meinke, Matthias; Schroeder, Wolfgang
2015-11-01
Biodegradable and biocompatible soy protein/petroleum-derived polymer monolithic fibers containing adhesives were electrospun on commercial rayon pads. The polymers used, PVA and PCL, are widely used in the biomedical industry, including such applications as drug delivery and scaffold manufacturing. Soy protein is an abundant waste of SoyDiesel production, and is widely used as a nutrient. The soy content in our fibers was as high as 40% w/w. Four different adhesives, including ordinary wood glue, repositionable glue and FDA-approved pressure-sensitive glue were used for electrospinning and electrospraying. The normal and shear adhesive strengths of the patches developed in this work were measured and compared. The adhesive strength was sufficient enough to withstand normal atmospheric conditions. These biodegradable and biocompatible nano-textured patches are ready to be used on prune locations without being carried away by wind and will protect plants against fungi attack at these locations, preventing diseases like Vine Decline.
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Banzato, T; Selleri, P; Veladiano, I A; Zotti, A
2013-12-01
Contrast-enhanced computed tomographic studies of the coelomic cavity in four green iguanas, four black and white tegus and four bearded dragons were performed using a conventional CT scanner. Anatomical reference cross sections were obtained from four green iguana, four black and white tegu and six bearded dragon cadavers; the specimens were stored in a -20°C freezer for 24 h then sliced into 5-mm intervals. The frozen sections were cleaned with water and photographed on both sides. The individual anatomical structures were identified by means of the available literature; these were labelled first on the anatomical images and then matched to the corresponding computed tomography images. The results provide an atlas of the normal cross-sectional and computed tomographic anatomy of the coelomic cavity in the green iguana, the black and white tegu and the bearded dragon, which is useful in the interpretation of any imaging modality. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dziekan, Thomas; Weissbach, Carmen; Voigt, Jan; Ebert, Bernd; MacDonald, Rainer; Bahner, Malte L.; Mahler, Marianne; Schirner, Michael; Berliner, Michael; Berliner, Birgitt; Osel, Jens; Osel, Ilka
2011-07-01
Fluorescence imaging using the dye indocyanine green as a contrast agent was investigated in a prospective clinical study for the detection of rheumatoid arthritis. Normalized variances of correlated time series of fluorescence intensities describing the bolus kinetics of the contrast agent in certain regions of interest were analyzed to differentiate healthy from inflamed finger joints. These values are determined using a robust, parameter-free algorithm. We found that the normalized variance of correlation functions improves the differentiation between healthy joints of volunteers and joints with rheumatoid arthritis of patients by about 10% compared to, e.g., ratios of areas under the curves of raw data.
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Electromagnetic properties of proximity systems
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kresin, Vladimir Z.
1985-07-01
Magnetic screening in the proximity system Sα-Mβ, where Mβ is a normal metal N, semiconductor (semimetal), or a superconductor, is studied. Main attention is paid to the low-temperature region where nonlocality plays an important role. The thermodynamic Green's-function method is employed in order to describe the behavior of the proximity system in an external field. The temperature and thickness dependences of the penetration depth λ are obtained. The dependence λ(T) differs in a striking way from the dependence in usual superconductors. The strong-coupling effect is taken into account. A special case of screening in a superconducting film backed by a size-quantizing semimetal film is considered. The results obtained are in good agreement with experimental data.
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[New trends in the treatment of amyloidosis].
Martínez-Valle, Fernando; Gironella-Mesa, Mercedes; Solans-Laqué, Roser
2012-05-26
Amyloidosis is a clinical disorder caused by extracellular deposition of proteins that are normally soluble as insoluble fibrils that damage different organs. More than 20 proteins can form amyloid deposits. All types of amyloid fibrils have a secondary structure with a β folded shape that is characteristic and makes them to adopt a green birefringence after stained with Congo red and viewed under cross-polarized light. Amyloidosis can be acquired or hereditary, systemic or localized, and are classified by the fibril precursor protein. Advances in the knowledge of the pathogenesis of amyloidosis allows the development of new diagnostic and therapeutical schemes that are currently under investigation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.
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Diversity effect of capsaicin on different types of skeletal muscle.
Zhou, Gan; Wang, Lina; Xu, Yaqiong; Yang, Kelin; Luo, Lv; Wang, Leshan; Li, Yongxiang; Wang, Jiawen; Shu, Gang; Wang, Songbo; Gao, Ping; Zhu, Xiaotong; Xi, Qianyun; Sun, Jiajie; Zhang, Yongliang; Jiang, Qingyan
2018-06-01
Capsaicin is a major pungent content in green and red peppers which are widely used as spice, and capsaicin may activate different receptors. To determine whether capsaicin has different effects on different types of skeletal muscle, we applied different concentrations (0, 0.01, and 0.02%) of capsaicin in the normal diet and conducted a four-week experiment on Sprague-Dawley rats. The fiber type composition, glucose metabolism enzyme activity, and different signaling molecules' expressions of receptors were detected. Our results suggested that capsaicin reduced the body fat deposition, while promoting the slow muscle-related gene expression and increasing the enzyme activity in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. However, fatty acid metabolism was significantly increased only in the soleus muscle. The study of intracellular signaling suggested that the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and cannabinoid receptors in the soleus muscle were more sensitive to capsaicin. In conclusion, the distribution of TRPV1 and cannabinoid receptors differs in different types of muscle, and the different roles of capsaicin in different types of muscle may be related to the different degrees of activation of receptors.
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Fujioka, Kouki; Iwamoto, Takeo; Shima, Hidekazu; Tomaru, Keiko; Saito, Hideki; Ohtsuka, Masaki; Yoshidome, Akihiro; Kawamura, Yuri; Manome, Yoshinobu
2016-04-11
For serving green tea, there are two prominent methods: steeping the leaf or the powdered leaf (matcha style) in hot water. The purpose of the present study was to reveal chemical and functional differences before and after the powdering process of green tea leaf, since powdered green tea may contribute to expanding the functionality because of the different ingesting style. In this study, we revealed that the powdering process with a ceramic mill and stirring in hot water increased the average extracted concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) by more than three times compared with that in leaf tea using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses. Moreover, powdered green tea has a higher inhibition effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in vitro compared with the same amount of leaf tea. Our data suggest that powdered green tea might have a different function from leaf tea due to the higher catechin contents and particles.
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Normal state of metallic hydrogen sulfide
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kudryashov, N. A.; Kutukov, A. A.; Mazur, E. A.
2017-02-01
A generalized theory of the normal properties of metals in the case of electron-phonon (EP) systems with a nonconstant density of electron states has been used to study the normal state of the SH3 and SH2 phases of hydrogen sulfide at different pressures. The frequency dependence of the real Re Σ (ω) and imaginary ImΣ (ω) parts of the self-energy Σ (ω) part (SEP) of the Green's function of the electron Σ (ω), real part Re Z (ω), and imaginary part Im Z (ω) of the complex renormalization of the mass of the electron; the real part Re χ (ω) and the imaginary part Imχ (ω) of the complex renormalization of the chemical potential; and the density of electron states N (ɛ) renormalized by strong electron-phonon interaction have been calculated. Calculations have been carried out for the stable orthorhombic structure (space group Im3¯ m) of the hydrogen sulfide SH3 for three values of the pressure P = 170, 180, and 225 GPa; and for an SH2 structure with a symmetry of I4/ mmm ( D4 h1¯7) for three values of pressure P = 150, 180, and 225 GP at temperature T = 200 K.
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Noninvasive tumor detection using spectrally-resolved in-vivo imaging
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kostenich, Gennady; Kimel, Sol; Malik, Zvi; Orenstein, Arie
2000-11-01
A novel spectral image-analysis system was used for tumor fluorescence and reflectance imaging in an animal model and in patients. Transcutaneous fluorescence imaging was carried out on Balb/c mice bearing subcutaneous C26 colon carcinoma after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a metabolic precursor of protoporphyrin-IX (PP), and of a novel photosensitizer tetrahydroporphyrin (THP). Tumors were clearly observable by fluorescence detection using green light excitation. Tumor versus normal tissue uptake of the photosensitizing agents was determined by monitoring fluorescence intensity. Maximal PP accumulation in tumor was observed 3 h after i.p. injection of ALA, whereas THP showed selective accumulation in tumor 24 h after administration. Reflectance spectroscopy was employed to study pigmented human skin lesions (nevus, pigmented BCC and pigmented melanoma). In the near-infrared region (800-880 nm) pigmented BCC and melanoma exhibited a differently shaped reflectance spectrum compared to normal skin and nevus. Spatially and spectrally resolved imaging, in combination with mathematical algorithms (such as normalization, spectral similarity mapping and division) allowed unambiguous detection of malignancies. Optical biopsy results from a total of 51 patients showed 45 benign nevi, 3 pigmented BCC and 3 malignant melanomas, as confirmed by histology.
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Extracts from black carrot tissue culture as potent anticancer agents.
Sevimli-Gur, Canan; Cetin, Burcu; Akay, Seref; Gulce-Iz, Sultan; Yesil-Celiktas, Ozlem
2013-09-01
Black carrots contain anthocyanins possessing enhanced physiological activities. Explants of young black carrot shoots were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium for callus initiation and were transferred to new MS medium supplemented with four different combinations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and kinetin. Subsequently, the lyophilized calli and black carrot harvested from fields were subjected to ultrasound extraction with ethanol at a ratio of 1:15 (w:v). Obtained extracts were applied to various human cancer cell lines including MCF-7 SK-BR-3 and MDA-MB-231 (human breast adenocarcinomas), HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma), PC-3 (human prostate adenocarcinoma), Neuro 2A (Musmusculus neuroblastoma) cancer cell lines and VERO (African green monkey kidney) normal cell line by MTT assay. The highest cytotoxic activity was achieved against Neuro-2A cell lines exhibiting viability of 38-46% at 6.25 μg/ml concentration for all calli and natural extracts. However, a significantly high IC50 value of 170.13 μg/ml was attained in normal cell line VERO indicating that its natural counterpart is an ideal candidate for treatment of brain cancer without causing negative effects to normal healthy cells.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kahn, Bruce S.; Kass, Alex J.; Waalen, Jill; Levitz, David
2015-03-01
Objective: Compare an inexpensive cell-phone based Mobile Colposcope, with a standard colposcope in the evaluation of women with abnormal Pap smear screening. Methodology: The study was a prospective, parallel noninferiority trial. Thirty women underwent colposcopy for the evaluation of an abnormal Pap smear. After application of acetic acid, images of the cervix were obtained with both a standard colposcope and the Mobile Colposcope. An additional set of images using both devices were obtained using the red-free (green filter) mode. Eight experienced gynecologists then evaluated 100 paired images (plain and green filter) from two different sites in random order using a web based assessment program. After reviewing each set of paired images, the expert would make an assessment of: 1) normal (no biopsy/ random biopsy), or 2) abnormal. For abnormal images, the expert then electronically marked the site(s) on the image where a biopsy was recommended. In image analysis, the cervical image was divided into 12 radial sectors and the marked sites for biopsy on the matched pairs were compared. Matched pairs that were considered normal, or those where biopsy site recommendations were within +/- 30° were considered equivalent; unmatched biopsy sites were considered non-equivalent. Results were compared using Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Signed Ranks Test. Expert assessment of Mobile Colposcope images compared with assessment by standard colposcope is currently onging. Conclusions: if the Mobile Colposcope demonstrates non-inferiority to imaging obtained with a standard colposcope and due to its low cost, it has the potential help improve cervical cancer screening in low resource settings.
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Reaction Scale and Green Chemistry: Microscale or Macroscale, Which is Greener?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Duarte, Rita C. C.; Ribeiro, M. Gabriela T. C.; Machado, Adelio A. S. C.
2017-01-01
The different ways microscale and green chemistry allow reducing the deleterious impacts of chemistry on human health and the environment are discussed in terms of their different basic paradigms: green chemistry follows the ecologic paradigm and microscale the risk paradigm. A study of the synthesis of 1-bromobutane at macro- ? microscale (109.3…
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wilson, Alex
2008-01-01
To those entrenched in the green building world, the benefits seem obvious. Why would anyone choose to build in a way that isn't comfortable, healthy, energy efficient, and environmentally responsible? Even within a single college or university project, different team members often have different reasons for promoting a green agenda. Architects…
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MacNaughton, Piers; Eitland, Erika; Kloog, Itai; Schwartz, Joel; Allen, Joseph
2017-02-20
Chronic absenteeism is associated with poorer academic performance and higher attrition in kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) schools. In prior research, students who were chronically absent generally had fewer employment opportunities and worse health after graduation. We examined the impact that environmental factors surrounding schools have on chronic absenteeism. We estimated the greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)) and fine particulate matter air pollution (PM 2.5 ) within 250 m and 1000 m respectively of each public school in Massachusetts during the 2012-2013 academic year using satellite-based data. We modeled chronic absenteeism rates in the same year as a function of PM 2.5 and NDVI, controlling for race and household income. Among the 1772 public schools in Massachusetts, a 0.15 increase in NDVI during the academic year was associated with a 2.6% ( p value < 0.0001) reduction in chronic absenteeism rates, and a 1 μg/m³ increase in PM 2.5 during the academic year was associated with a 1.58% ( p value < 0.0001) increase in chronic absenteeism rates. Based on these percentage changes in chronic absenteeism, a 0.15 increase in NDVI and 1 μg/m³ increase in PM 2.5 correspond to 25,837 fewer students and 15,852 more students chronically absent each year in Massachusetts respectively. These environmental impacts on absenteeism reinforce the need to protect green spaces and reduce air pollution around schools.
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Caorsi, Valentina Zaffaroni; Colombo, Patrick; Abadie, Michelle; Brack, Ismael Verrastro; Dasoler, Bibiana Terra; Borges-Martins, Márcio
2018-01-01
Aposematic signals as well as body behaviours may be important anti-predator defences. Species of the genus Melanophryniscus are characterised by having toxic lipophilic alkaloids in the skin and for presenting a red ventral colouration, which can be observed when they perform the behaviour called the unken reflex. Both the reflex behaviour and the colouration pattern are described as defence mechanisms. However, there are currently no studies testing their effectiveness against predators. This study aimed to test experimentally if both ventral conspicuous colouration and the unken reflex in Melanophryniscus cambaraensis function as aposematic signals against visually oriented predators (birds). We simulated the species studied using three different clay toad models as follows: (a) in a normal position with green coloured bodies, (b) in the unken reflex position with green coloured body and extremities and (c) in the unken reflex position with a green body and red extremities. Models were distributed on a known M. cambaraensis breeding site and in the adjacent forest. More than half of the attacks on the models were from birds; however, there was no preference for any model type. Thus, just the presence of the red colour associated with the motionless unken reflex position does not seem to prevent attacks from potential predators. It is possible that the effective aposematic signal in Melanophryniscus is achieved through the unken reflex movement together with the subsequent exhibition of the warning colouration and the secretion of toxins. PMID:29596437
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Lin, Xiao-Sheng; Tang, Jie; Li, Zhao-Yang; Li, Hai-Yi
2016-01-01
Liao River basin in Jilin Province is the place of origin of the Dongliao River. This study gives a comprehensive analysis of the vegetation coverage in the region and provides a potential theoretical basis for ecological restoration. The seasonal variation of vegetation greenness and dynamics based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in major land cover types in the region was studied. Analyzing the relationship NDVI, temperature and rainfall, we derived a set of predictor variables from 2001 to 2012 using the MODIS Terra level 1 Product (MOD02QKM). The results showed a general increasing trend in NDVI value in the region, while 34.63 % of the region showed degradation. NDVI values begin to rise from April when plants are regreening and they drop in September when temperature are decreasing and the leaves are falling in the study area and temperature was found decreasing during the period of 2001-2012 while rainfall showed an increasing trend. This model could be used to observe the change in vegetation greenness and the dynamic effects of temperature and rainfall. This study provided important data for the environmental protection of the basin area. And we hope to provide scientific analysis for controlling water and soil erosion, maintaining the sustainable productivity of land resources, enhancing the treatment of water pollution and stimulating the virtuous cycle of the ecological system.
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Barboni, Mirella Telles Salgueiro; Martins, Cristiane Maria Gomes; Nagy, Balázs Vince; Tsai, Tina; Damico, Francisco Max; da Costa, Marcelo Fernandes; de Cassia, Rita; Pavanello, M; Lourenço, Naila Cristina Vilaça; de Cerqueira, Antonia Maria Pereira; Zatz, Mayana; Kremers, Jan; Ventura, Dora Fix
2016-07-01
Visual information is processed in parallel pathways in the visual system. Parallel processing begins at the synapse between the photoreceptors and their postreceptoral neurons in the human retina. The integrity of this first neural connection is vital for normal visual processing downstream. Of the numerous elements necessary for proper functioning of this synaptic contact, dystrophin proteins in the eye play an important role. Deficiency of muscle dystrophin causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an X-linked disease that affects muscle function and leads to decreased life expectancy. In DMD patients, postreceptoral retinal mechanisms underlying scotopic and photopic vision and ON- and OFF-pathway responses are also altered. In this study, we recorded the electroretinogram (ERG) while preferentially activating the (red-green) opponent or the luminance pathway, and compared data from healthy participants (n = 16) with those of DMD patients (n = 10). The stimuli were heterochromatic sinusoidal modulations at a mean luminance of 200 cd/m2. The recordings allowed us also to analyze ON and OFF cone-driven retinal responses. We found significant differences in 12-Hz response amplitudes and phases between controls and DMD patients, with conditions with large luminance content resulting in larger response amplitudes in DMD patients compared to controls, whereas responses of DMD patients were smaller when pure chromatic modulation was given. The results suggest that dystrophin is required for the proper function of luminance and red-green cone opponent mechanisms in the human retina.
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Peter, Beatrix; Bosze, Szilvia; Horvath, Robert
2017-01-01
Herbs and traditional medicines have been applied for thousands of years, but researchers started to study their mode of action at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels only recently. Nowadays, just like in ancient times, natural compounds are still determining factors in remedies. To support this statement, the recently won Nobel Prize for an anti-malaria agent from the plant sweet wormwood, which had been used to effectively treat the disease, could be mentioned. Among natural compounds and traditional Chinese medicines, the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) is one of the most studied active substances. In the present review, we summarize the molecular scale interactions of proteins and EGCg with special focus on its limited stability and antioxidant properties. We outline the observed biophysical effects of EGCg on various cell lines and cultures. The alteration of cell adhesion, motility, migration, stiffness, apoptosis, proliferation as well as the different impacts on normal and cancer cells are all reviewed. We also handle the works performed using animal models, microbes and clinical trials. Novel ways to develop its utilization for therapeutic purposes in the future are discussed too, for instance, using nanoparticles and green tea polyphenols together to cure illnesses and the combination of EGCg and anticancer compounds to intensify their effects. The limitations of the employed experimental models and criticisms of the interpretation of the obtained experimental data are summarized as well.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Clapp, Christa
2018-01-01
The growing green bond market reflects the financial sector's awakening to climate risk. New research examining the US municipal bond market suggests a positive green bond premium in recent years, driven by differences in credit quality. As climate-risk disclosure becomes more widespread, investors may show willingness to pay green premiums.
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Sinigalliano, Christopher D.; Ervin, Jared S.; Van De Werfhorst, Laurie C.; Badgley, Brian D.; Ballestée, Elisenda; Bartkowiaka, Jakob; Boehm, Alexandria B.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara N.; Goodwin, Kelly D.; Gourmelon, Michèle; Griffith, John; Holden, Patricia A.; Jay, Jenny; Layton, Blythe; Lee, Cheonghoon; Lee, Jiyoung; Meijer, Wim G.; Noble, Rachel; Raith, Meredith; Ryu, Hodon; Sadowsky, Michael J.; Schriewer, Alexander; Wang, Dan; Wanless, David; Whitman, Richard; Wuertz, Stefan; Santo Domingo, Jorge W.
2013-01-01
Here we report results from a multi-laboratory (n = 11) evaluation of four different PCR methods targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Catellicoccus marimammalium originally developed to detect gull fecal contamination in coastal environments. The methods included a conventional end-point PCR method, a SYBR® Green qPCR method, and two TaqMan® qPCR methods. Different techniques for data normalization and analysis were tested. Data analysis methods had a pronounced impact on assay sensitivity and specificity calculations. Across-laboratory standardization of metrics including the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), target detected but not quantifiable (DNQ), and target not detected (ND) significantly improved results compared to results submitted by individual laboratories prior to definition standardization. The unit of measure used for data normalization also had a pronounced effect on measured assay performance. Data normalization to DNA mass improved quantitative method performance as compared to enterococcus normalization. The MST methods tested here were originally designed for gulls but were found in this study to also detect feces from other birds, particularly feces composited from pigeons. Sequencing efforts showed that some pigeon feces from California contained sequences similar to C. marimammalium found in gull feces. These data suggest that the prevalence, geographic scope, and ecology of C. marimammalium in host birds other than gulls require further investigation. This study represents an important first step in the multi-laboratory assessment of these methods and highlights the need to broaden and standardize additional evaluations, including environmentally relevant target concentrations in ambient waters from diverse geographic regions.
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Stavenga, Doekele G.; Wilts, Bodo D.; Leertouwer, Hein L.; Hariyama, Takahiko
2011-01-01
The elytra of the Japanese jewel beetle Chrysochroa fulgidissima are metallic green with purple stripes. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy demonstrated that the elytral surface is approximately flat. The accordingly specular green and purple areas have, with normal illumination, 100–150 nm broad reflectance bands, peaking at about 530 and 700 nm. The bands shift progressively towards shorter wavelengths with increasing oblique illumination, and the reflection then becomes highly polarized. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the epicuticle of the green and purple areas consists of stacks of 16 and 12 layers, respectively. Assuming gradient refractive index values of the layers between 1.6 and 1.7 and applying the classical multilayer theory allowed modelling of the measured polarization- and angle-dependent reflectance spectra. The extreme polarized iridescence exhibited by the elytra of the jewel beetle may have a function in intraspecific recognition. PMID:21282175
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The effect of fast and regeneration in light versus dark on regulation in the hydra-algal symbiosis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bossert, P.; Slobodkin, L. B.
1983-01-01
Green hydra are able to regenerate tentacles after fast durations which cause brown, i.e., asymbiotic, hydra to fail completely, but the presence of endosymbiotic algae does not always enhance regeneration in fasted hydra. Green hydra whose nutritional state falls below some threshold, exhibit a light induced inhibition of regeneration. That is, hydra, fasted in the light, then randomly assigned to light or dark after decapitation, regenerate better in the dark. This effect of light does not appear to be present either in brown hydra or in normally green hydra from which the algae were removed. In a large strain of Chlorohydra viridissima, after fasts of intermediate duration (10 and 15 days), this light induced inhibition of regeneration is associated with an increase in the number of algae per gastric cell in regenerating hydra relative to non-regenerating controls.
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Your Aging Eyes: How You See as Time Goes By
... Lengthen Life Keep an Eye on Your Eyes Building Social Bonds Coping with Caregiving Wise Choices Protect Your Vision Have a comprehensive eye exam each year after age 50. Stop smoking. Eat a diet rich in green, leafy vegetables and fish. Exercise. Maintain normal blood ...
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USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Vitamin K was identified in the early 1930’s when it was shown to be essential for normal blood coagulation. Phylloquinone (2-methyl-3-phytyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) found in green plants is the major source of the vitamin. Large amounts of menaquinones with lengthy side chains are also synthesized in...
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Rauscher, Franziska G; Plant, Gordon T; James-Galton, Merle; Barbur, John L
2011-01-01
Damage to ventral occipito-temporal extrastriate visual cortex leads to the syndrome of prosopagnosia often with coexisting cerebral achromatopsia. A patient with this syndrome resulting in a left upper homonymous quadrantanopia, prosopagnosia, and incomplete achromatopsia is described. Chromatic sensitivity was assessed at a number of locations in the intact visual field using a dynamic luminance contrast masking technique that isolates the use of colour signals. In normal subjects chromatic detection thresholds form an elliptical contour when plotted in the Commission Internationale d'Eclairage, (x-y), chromaticity diagram. Because the extraction of colour signals in early visual processing involves opponent mechanisms, subjects with Daltonism (congenital red/green loss of sensitivity) show symmetric increase in thresholds towards the long wavelength ("red") and middle wavelength ("green") regions of the spectrum locus. This is also the case with acquired loss of chromatic sensitivity as a result of retinal or optic nerve disease. Our patient's results were an exception to this rule. Whilst his chromatic sensitivity in the central region of the visual field was reduced symmetrically for both "red/green" and "yellow/blue" directions in colour space, the subject's lower left quadrant showed a marked asymmetry in "red/green" thresholds with the greatest loss of sensitivity towards the "green" region of the spectrum locus. This spatially localized asymmetric loss of "green" but not "red" sensitivity has not been reported previously in human vision. Such loss is consistent with selective damage of neural substrates in the visual cortex that process colour information, but are spectrally non-opponent.
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Spectral and spatial selectivity of luminance vision in reef fish.
Siebeck, Ulrike E; Wallis, Guy Michael; Litherland, Lenore; Ganeshina, Olga; Vorobyev, Misha
2014-01-01
Luminance vision has high spatial resolution and is used for form vision and texture discrimination. In humans, birds and bees luminance channel is spectrally selective-it depends on the signals of the long-wavelength sensitive photoreceptors (bees) or on the sum of long- and middle-wavelength sensitive cones (humans), but not on the signal of the short-wavelength sensitive (blue) photoreceptors. The reasons of such selectivity are not fully understood. The aim of this study is to reveal the inputs of cone signals to high resolution luminance vision in reef fish. Sixteen freshly caught damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, were trained to discriminate stimuli differing either in their color or in their fine patterns (stripes vs. cheques). Three colors ("bright green", "dark green" and "blue") were used to create two sets of color and two sets of pattern stimuli. The "bright green" and "dark green" were similar in their chromatic properties for fish, but differed in their lightness; the "dark green" differed from "blue" in the signal for the blue cone, but yielded similar signals in the long-wavelength and middle-wavelength cones. Fish easily learned to discriminate "bright green" from "dark green" and "dark green" from "blue" stimuli. Fish also could discriminate the fine patterns created from "dark green" and "bright green". However, fish failed to discriminate fine patterns created from "blue" and "dark green" colors, i.e., the colors that provided contrast for the blue-sensitive photoreceptor, but not for the long-wavelength sensitive one. High resolution luminance vision in damselfish, Pomacentrus amboinensis, does not have input from the blue-sensitive cone, which may indicate that the spectral selectivity of luminance channel is a general feature of visual processing in both aquatic and terrestrial animals.
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Wang, Y; Smallwood, P M; Cowan, M; Blesh, D; Lawler, A; Nathans, J
1999-04-27
This study examines the mechanism of mutually exclusive expression of the human X-linked red and green visual pigment genes in their respective cone photoreceptors by asking whether this expression pattern can be produced in a mammal that normally carries only a single X-linked visual pigment gene. To address this question, we generated transgenic mice that carry a single copy of a minimal human X chromosome visual pigment gene array in which the red and green pigment gene transcription units were replaced, respectively, by alkaline phosphatase and beta-galactosidase reporters. As determined by histochemical staining, the reporters are expressed exclusively in cone photoreceptor cells. In 20 transgenic mice carrying any one of three independent transgene insertion events, an average of 63% of expressing cones have alkaline phosphatase activity, 10% have beta-galactosidase activity, and 27% have activity for both reporters. Thus, mutually exclusive expression of red and green pigment transgenes can be achieved in a large fraction of cones in a dichromat mammal, suggesting a facile evolutionary path for the development of trichromacy after visual pigment gene duplication. These observations are consistent with a model of visual pigment expression in which stochastic pairing occurs between a locus control region and either the red or the green pigment gene promotor.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tambichik, M. A.; Mohamad, N.; Samad, A. A. A.; Bosro, M. Z. M.; Iman, M. A.
2018-04-01
Green Concrete (GC) is defined as a concrete that utilize a waste material for at least one of its component. The production of GC has been increasing due to the drawback of conventional concrete that create many environmental problems. In Malaysia, the amount of waste generates from agricultural and construction industries were increasing every year. Hence, one of the solutions to reduce the impact of conventional concrete and limited landfill spaces due to excessive waste is by utilizing it in concrete. This paper reviews the possible use of construction waste (Recycle Concrete Aggregate) and agricultural waste (Palm Oil Fuel Ash, Rice Husk Ash and Palm Oil Fibre) as partial replacement for the basic material in a concrete to produce an innovative Green Concrete. The optimum replacement level for each type of waste was also been review. Green Concrete also has the potential to reduce environmental pollution and solve the depletion of natural sources. The result from this review shows that the addition of agricultural waste or construction waste in concrete indicate positive and satisfactory strength when compared to normal concrete. Finally, a mass production of Green Concrete can fulfil the Construction Industry Transformation Plan (CITP) 2016-2020 made by CIDB that emphasizes on a construction system which is environmentally sustainable.
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Waheed, Waqas; Alazzam, Anas; Mathew, Bobby; Christoforou, Nicolas; Abu-Nada, Eiyad
2018-06-15
This short communication introduces a continuous-flow, dielectrophoresis-based lateral fluid flow fractionation microdevice for detection/isolation of circulating tumor cells in the presence of other haematological cells. The device utilizes two sets of planar interdigitated transducer electrodes micropatterned on top of a glass wafer using standard microfabrication techniques. A microchannel with a single inlet and two outlets, realized in polydimethylsiloxane, is bonded on the glass substrate. The two sets of electrodes slightly protrude into the microchannel. Both of the electrode sets are energized with signals at different frequencies and different operating voltages ensuring that the cancer cells experience positive dielectrophoretic force from one set of the electrodes and negative dielectrophoretic force from the other array. Normal cells experience unequal negative dielectrophoretic forces from opposing sets of electrodes. The resultant dielectrophoretic forces on cancer and normal cells push them to flow towards their designed outlets. Successful isolation of green fluorescent protein-labelled MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells from regular blood cells, both suspended in a sucrose/dextrose medium, is reported in this work. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dardner, B. R.; Blad, B. L.; Thompson, D. R.; Henderson, K. E.
1985-01-01
Reflectance and agronomic Thematic Mapper (TM) data were analyzed to determine possible data transformations for evaluating several plant parameters of corn. Three transformation forms were used: the ratio of two TM bands, logarithms of two-band ratios, and normalized differences of two bands. Normalized differences and logarithms of two-band ratios responsed similarly in the equations for estimating the plant growth parameters evaluated in this study. Two-term equations were required to obtain the maximum predictability of percent ground cover, canopy moisture content, and total wet phytomass. Standard error of estimate values were 15-26 percent lower for two-term estimates of these parameters than for one-term estimates. The terms log(TM4/TM2) and (TM4/TM5) produced the maximum predictability for leaf area and dry green leaf weight, respectively. The middle infrared bands TM5 and TM7 are essential for maximizing predictability for all measured plant parameters except leaf area index. The estimating models were evaluated over bare soil to discriminate between equations which are statistically similar. Qualitative interpretations of the resulting prediction equations are consistent with general agronomic and remote sensing theory.
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Determining successional stage of temperate coniferous forests with Landsat satellite data
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fiorella, Maria; Ripple, William J.
1993-01-01
Thematic Mapper (TM) digital imagery was used to map forest successional stages and to evaluate spectral differences between old-growth and mature forests in the central Cascade Range of Oregon. Relative sun incidence values were incorporated into the successional stage classification to compensate for topographic induced variation. Relative sun incidence improved the classification accuracy of young successional stages, but did not improve the classification accuracy of older, closed canopy forest classes or overall accuracy. TM bands 1, 2, and 4; the normalized difference vegetation index; and TM 4/3, 4/5, and 4/7 band ratio values for o|d-growth forests were found to be significantly lower than the values of mature forests. The Tasseled Cap features of brightness, greenness, and wetness also had significantly lower old-growth values as compared to mature forest values .
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Mechanical Stress and Antioxidant Protection in the Retina of Hindlimb Suspended Rats
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Glass, Aziza; Theriot, Corey A.; Alway, Stephen E.; Zanello, Susana B.
2012-01-01
It has been postulated that hindlimb suspension (HS) causes a cephalad fluid shift in quadrupeds similar to that occurring to humans in microgravity. Therefore, HS may provide a suitable animal model in which to recapitulate the ocular changes observed in the human Visual Impairment and Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) syndrome. This work reports preliminary results from a tissue sharing project using 34 week-old Brown Norway rats. Two different experiments compared normal posture controls and HS rats for 2 weeks and rats exposed to HS for 2 weeks but allowed to recover in normal posture for 2 additional weeks. The effects of two nutritional countermeasures, green tea extract (GT) and plant polyphenol resveratrol (Rv), were also evaluated. Green tea contains the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). qPCR gene expression analysis of selected targets was performed on RNA from isolated retinas, and histologic analysis was done on one fixed eye per rat. The transcription factor early growth response protein 1 (Egr1) was upregulated almost 2-fold in HS retinas relative to controls (P = 0.059), and its expression returned to control levels after 2 weeks of recovery in normal posture (P = 0.023). HS-induced upregulation of Egr1 was attenuated (but not significantly) in retinas from rats fed an antioxidant rich (GT extract) diet. In rats fed the GT-enriched diet, antioxidant enzymes were induced, evidenced by the upregulation of the gene heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) (P = 0.042) and the gene superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2) (P = 0.0001). Egr1 is a stretch-activated transcription factor, and the Egr1 mechanosensitive response to HS may have been caused by a change in the translaminal pressure and/or mechanical deformation of the eye globe. The observed histologic measurements of the various retinal layers in the HS rats were lower in value than those of the control animal (n = 1), however insufficient data were available for statistical analysis. Aquaporin 4, a water-selective channel involved in interstitial fluid homeostasis, showed an upregulated trend in HS retinas; however, these results are preliminary. Total retinal thickness increased significantly (P = 0.049) in HS rats fed a resveratrol enriched diet compared to HS rats on a normal diet. This change appeared to be reversed during the 2 weeks of recovery post HS, but no differences in retina thickness were observed between HS animals and HS recovered animals when both groups consumed a normal diet. The reversibility of the increase in retinal thickness induced by resveratrol during HS may therefore reflect an interaction between the stress provoked by HS and the cytoprotective mechanisms elicited by resveratrol
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Self-force calculations with matched expansions and quasinormal mode sums
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Casals, Marc; Dolan, Sam; Ottewill, Adrian C.
2009-06-15
Accurate modeling of gravitational wave emission by extreme-mass ratio inspirals is essential for their detection by the LISA mission. A leading perturbative approach involves the calculation of the self-force acting upon the smaller orbital body. In this work, we present the first application of the Poisson-Wiseman-Anderson method of 'matched expansions' to compute the self-force acting on a point particle moving in a curved spacetime. The method employs two expansions for the Green function, which are, respectively, valid in the 'quasilocal' and 'distant past' regimes, and which may be matched together within the normal neighborhood. We perform our calculation in amore » static region of the spherically symmetric Nariai spacetime (dS{sub 2}xS{sup 2}), in which scalar-field perturbations are governed by a radial equation with a Poeschl-Teller potential (frequently used as an approximation to the Schwarzschild radial potential) whose solutions are known in closed form. The key new ingredients in our study are (i) very high order quasilocal expansions and (ii) expansion of the distant past Green function in quasinormal modes. In combination, these tools enable a detailed study of the properties of the scalar-field Green function. We demonstrate that the Green function is singular whenever x and x{sup '} are connected by a null geodesic, and apply asymptotic methods to determine the structure of the Green function near the null wave front. We show that the singular part of the Green function undergoes a transition each time the null wave front passes through a caustic point, following a repeating fourfold sequence {delta}({sigma}), 1/{pi}{sigma}, -{delta}({sigma}), -1/{pi}{sigma}, etc., where {sigma} is Synge's world function. The matched-expansion method provides insight into the nonlocal properties of the self-force. We show that the self-force generated by the segment of the worldline lying outside the normal neighborhood is not negligible. We apply the matched-expansion method to compute the scalar self-force acting on a static particle on the Nariai spacetime, and validate against an alternative method, obtaining agreement to six decimal places. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for wave propagation and self-force calculations. On black hole spacetimes, any expansion of the Green function in quasinormal modes must be augmented by a branch-cut integral. Nevertheless, we expect the Green function in Schwarzschild spacetime to inherit certain key features, such as a fourfold singular structure manifesting itself through the asymptotic behavior of quasinormal modes. In this way, the Nariai spacetime provides a fertile testing ground for developing insight into the nonlocal part of the self-force on black hole spacetimes.« less
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Joint Decisions on Production and Pricing with Strategic Consumers for Green Crowdfunding Products.
Chen, Yuting; Zhang, Rong; Liu, Bin
2017-09-20
Green crowdfunding is developing as a novel and popular transaction method, which can largely improve the efficiency of raising initial funds and selling innovative green products or services. In this paper, we explore the creator's joint decisions regarding green crowdfunding products of different quality levels that can sufficiently satisfy consumer preferences. Firstly, considering the characteristics of a green crowdfunding product, we present four pricing strategies when substitutes exist. Then we propose the optimal pricing strategies to maximize the total profit for the creator under different circumstances, facing strategic and myopic consumers. Finally, for the heterogeneity of consumer valuations, we compare the total profits of the four pricing strategies under different values of the substitution coefficient to obtain the optimal pricing and product strategies under the coexistence of strategic and myopic consumers. According to the result, we find that when the fraction of high-type consumers and the gap between high and low valuations is big, or when they are both small, traditional single pricing shows its benefit. However, when the green crowdfunding products are better than their substitute, a line of green products is more likely to be optimal.
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Urban green and grey space in relation to respiratory health in children.
Tischer, Christina; Gascon, Mireia; Fernández-Somoano, Ana; Tardón, Adonina; Lertxundi Materola, Aitana; Ibarluzea, Jesus; Ferrero, Amparo; Estarlich, Marisa; Cirach, Marta; Vrijheid, Martine; Fuertes, Elaine; Dalmau-Bueno, Albert; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Antó, Josep M; Sunyer, Jordi; Dadvand, Payam
2017-06-01
We assessed the effect of three different indices of urban built environment on allergic and respiratory conditions.This study involved 2472 children participating in the ongoing INMA birth cohort located in two bio-geographic regions (Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean) in Spain. Residential surrounding built environment was characterised as 1) residential surrounding greenness based on satellite-derived normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), 2) residential proximity to green spaces and 3) residential surrounding greyness based on urban land use patterns. Information on wheezing, bronchitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis up to age 4 years was obtained from parent-completed questionnaires. Logistic regression and generalised estimating equation modelling were performed.Among children from the Euro-Siberian region, higher residential surrounding greenness and higher proximity to green spaces were negatively associated with wheezing. In the Mediterranean region, higher residential proximity to green spaces was associated with a reduced risk for bronchitis. A higher amount of residential surrounding greyness was found to increase the risk for bronchitis in this region.Associations between indices of urban residential greenness and greyness with respiratory diseases differ by region. The pathways underlying these associations require further exploration. Copyright ©ERS 2017.
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Joint Decisions on Production and Pricing with Strategic Consumers for Green Crowdfunding Products
Chen, Yuting; Zhang, Rong
2017-01-01
Green crowdfunding is developing as a novel and popular transaction method, which can largely improve the efficiency of raising initial funds and selling innovative green products or services. In this paper, we explore the creator’s joint decisions regarding green crowdfunding products of different quality levels that can sufficiently satisfy consumer preferences. Firstly, considering the characteristics of a green crowdfunding product, we present four pricing strategies when substitutes exist. Then we propose the optimal pricing strategies to maximize the total profit for the creator under different circumstances, facing strategic and myopic consumers. Finally, for the heterogeneity of consumer valuations, we compare the total profits of the four pricing strategies under different values of the substitution coefficient to obtain the optimal pricing and product strategies under the coexistence of strategic and myopic consumers. According to the result, we find that when the fraction of high-type consumers and the gap between high and low valuations is big, or when they are both small, traditional single pricing shows its benefit. However, when the green crowdfunding products are better than their substitute, a line of green products is more likely to be optimal. PMID:28930198
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Britz, Steven; Caldwell, Charles; Mirecki, Roman; Slusser, James; Gao, Wei
2005-08-01
Eight cultivars each of red and green leaf lettuce were raised in a greenhouse with supplemental UV radiation, either UV-A (wavelengths greater than ca. 315 nm) or UV-A+UV-B (wavelengths greater than ca. 290 nm; 6.4 kJ m-2 daily biologically effective UV-B), or no supplemental UV (controls). Several phytonutrients were analyzed in leaf flours to identify lines with large differences in composition and response to UV-B. Red leaf lettuce had higher levels of phenolic acid esters, flavonols and anthocyanins than green lines. Both green and red lines exposed to UV-B for 9 days showed 2-3-fold increases in flavonoids compared to controls, but only 45% increases in phenolic acid esters, suggesting these compounds may be regulated by different mechanisms. There were large differences between cultivars in levels of phenolic compounds under control conditions and also large differences in UV-B effects. Among red varieties, cv. Galactic was notable for high levels of phenolics and a large response to UV-B. Among green varieties, cvs. Black-Seeded Simpson and Simpson Elite had large increases in phenolics with UV-B exposure. Photosynthetic pigments were also analyzed. Green leaf lettuce had high levels of pheophytin, a chlorophyll degradation product. Total chlorophylls (including pheophytin) were much lower in green compared to red varieties. Lutein, a carotenoid, was similar for green and red lines. Total chlorophylls and lutein increased 2-fold under supplemental UV-B in green lines but decreased slightly under UV-B in red lines. Lettuce appears to be a valuable crop to use to study phytochemical-environment interactions.
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Yoon, Ju Young; Brown, Roger L; Bowers, Barbara J; Sharkey, Siobhan S; Horn, Susan D
2016-01-01
Growing attention in the past few decades has focused on improving care quality and quality of life for nursing home residents. Many traditional nursing homes have attempted to transform themselves to become more homelike emphasizing individualized care. This trend is referred to as nursing home culture change in the U.S. A promising culture change nursing home model, the Green House nursing home model, has shown positive psychological outcomes. However, little is known about whether the Green House nursing home model has positive effects on physical function compared to traditional nursing homes. To examine the longitudinal effects of the Green House nursing home model by comparing change patterns of activities of daily living function over time between Green House home residents and traditional nursing home residents. A retrospective longitudinal study. Four Green House organizations (nine Green House units and four traditional units). A total of 242 residents (93 Green House residents and 149 traditional home residents) who had stayed in the nursing home at least 6 months from admission. The outcome was activities of daily living function, and the main independent variable was the facility type in which the resident stayed: a Green House or traditional unit. Age, gender, comorbidity score, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms at baseline were controlled. All of these measures were from a minimum dataset. Growth curve modeling and growth mixture modeling were employed in this study for longitudinal analyses. The mean activities of daily living function showed deterioration over time, and the rates of deterioration between Green House and traditional home residents were not different over time. Four different activities of daily living function trajectories were identified for 18 months, but there was no statistical difference in the likelihood of being in one of the four trajectory classes between the two groups. Although Green House nursing homes are considered to represent an innovative model changing the nursing home environment into more person-centered, this study did not demonstrate significant differences in activities of daily living function changes for residents in the Green House nursing homes compared to traditional nursing homes. Given that the Green House model continues to evolve as it is being implemented and variations within and across Green House homes are identified, large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to provide further relevant information on the effects of the Green House model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Do abnormal responses show utilitarian bias?
Kahane, Guy; Shackel, Nicholas
2008-03-20
Neuroscience has recently turned to the study of utilitarian and non-utilitarian moral judgement. Koenigs et al. examine the responses of normal subjects and those with ventromedial-prefrontal-cortex (VMPC) damage to moral scenarios drawn from functional magnetic resonance imaging studies by Greene et al., and claim that patients with VMPC damage have an abnormally "utilitarian" pattern of moral judgement. It is crucial to the claims of Koenigs et al. that the scenarios of Greene et al. pose a conflict between utilitarian consequence and duty: however, many of them do not meet this condition. Because of this methodological problem, it is too early to claim that VMPC patients have a utilitarian bias.
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A Guided Tour of Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Snieder, Roel; van Wijk, Kasper
2015-05-01
1. Introduction; 2. Dimensional analysis; 3. Power series; 4. Spherical and cylindrical coordinates; 5. Gradient; 6. Divergence of a vector field; 7. Curl of a vector field; 8. Theorem of Gauss; 9. Theorem of Stokes; 10. The Laplacian; 11. Scale analysis; 12. Linear algebra; 13. Dirac delta function; 14. Fourier analysis; 15. Analytic functions; 16. Complex integration; 17. Green's functions: principles; 18. Green's functions: examples; 19. Normal modes; 20. Potential-field theory; 21. Probability and statistics; 22. Inverse problems; 23. Perturbation theory; 24. Asymptotic evaluation of integrals; 25. Conservation laws; 26. Cartesian tensors; 27. Variational calculus; 28. Epilogue on power and knowledge.
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Teratogenic effects in cattle of Conium maculatum and conium alkaloids and analogs.
Keeler, R F; Balls, L D
1978-01-01
The plant Conium maculatum produced congenital defects in calves born to cows gavaged the fresh green plant during days 50-75 of gestation. Both arthrogryposis and spinal curvature were produced and were similar to the defects produced by the piperidine alkaloid coniine. The arthrogrypotic manifestations of the condition markedly increased in severity as the animals aged. Animals gavaged dry plant had either normal or equivocally deformed offspring. A number of chain length and ring saturation analogs of coniine were not teratogenic. No congenital defects arose in offspring from maternal inhalation of either the teratogenic alkaloid coniine, or from the teratogenic green plant.
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Dugdale, R.A.
1960-07-19
A process is given for coloring substantially colorless diamonds in the blue to blue-green range and comprises the steps of irradiating the colorless diamonds with electrons having an energy within the range 0.5 to 2 Mev to obtain an integrated electron flux of between 1 and 2 x 10/sup 18/ thc diamonds may be irradiated 1 hr when they take on a blue color with a slight green tint: After being heated at about 500 deg C for half an hour they become pure blue. Electrons within this energy range contam sufficient energy to displace the diamond atoms from their normal lattice sites into interstitial sites, thereby causing the color changes.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Jia, Shouqing; La, Dongsheng; Ma, Xuelian
2018-04-01
The finite difference time domain (FDTD) algorithm and Green function algorithm are implemented into the numerical simulation of electromagnetic waves in Schwarzschild space-time. FDTD method in curved space-time is developed by filling the flat space-time with an equivalent medium. Green function in curved space-time is obtained by solving transport equations. Simulation results validate both the FDTD code and Green function code. The methods developed in this paper offer a tool to solve electromagnetic scattering problems.
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Color and luminance increment thresholds in poor readers.
Dain, Stephen J; Floyd, Richard A; Elliot, Robert T
2008-01-01
The hypotheses of a visual basis to reading disabilities in some children have centered around deficits in the visual processes displaying more transient responses to stimuli although hyperactivity in the visual processes displaying sustained responses to stimuli has also been proposed as a mechanism. In addition, there is clear evidence that colored lenses and/or colored overlays and/or colored backgrounds can influence performance in reading and/or may assist in providing comfortable vision for reading and, as a consequence, the ability to maintain reading for longer. As a consequence, it is surprising that the color vision of poor readers is relatively little studied. We assessed luminance increment thresholds and equi-luminous red-green and blue-yellow increment thresholds using a computer based test in central vision and at 10 degrees nasally employing the paradigm pioneered by King-Smith. We examined 35 poor readers (based on the Neale Analysis of Reading) and compared their performance with 35 normal readers matched for age and IQ. Poor readers produced similar luminance contrast thresholds for both foveal and peripheral presentation compared with normals. Similarly, chromatic contrast discrimination for the red/green stimuli was the same in normal and poor readers. However, poor readers had significantly lower thresholds/higher sensitivity for the blue/yellow stimuli, for both foveal and peripheral presentation, compared with normal readers. This hypersensitivity in blue-yellow discrimination may point to why colored lenses and overlays are often found to be effective in assisting many poor readers.
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Zhong, Weifang; Li, You; Huang, Yulan; Li, He; Mo, Lei
2018-01-01
This study investigated whether and how a person's varied series of lexical categories corresponding to different discriminatory characteristics of the same colors affect his or her perception of colors. In three experiments, Chinese participants were primed to categorize four graduated colors-specifically dark green, light green, light blue, and dark blue-into green and blue; light color and dark color; and dark green, light green, light blue, and dark blue. The participants were then required to complete a visual search task. Reaction times in the visual search task indicated that different lateralized categorical perceptions (CPs) of color corresponded to the various priming situations. These results suggest that all of the lexical categories corresponding to different discriminatory characteristics of the same colors can influence people's perceptions of colors and that color perceptions can be influenced differently by distinct types of lexical categories depending on the context. Copyright © 2017 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.
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Green Writing Curriculum: Showing Your Students How to Make A Difference
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Munger, Roger
2010-01-01
A growing group of green writers are persuading people to change their thinking and their behaviors for the benefit of our planet and its inhabitants. Adding a green writing assignment, unit, or course to your curriculum, the author argues, is an excellent strategy for showing students how their writing can make a difference in their community.…
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Adaptation of light-harvesting functions of unicellular green algae to different light qualities.
Ueno, Yoshifumi; Aikawa, Shimpei; Kondo, Akihiko; Akimoto, Seiji
2018-05-28
Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms perform photosynthesis efficiently by distributing captured light energy to photosystems (PSs) at an appropriate balance. Maintaining photosynthetic efficiency under changing light conditions requires modification of light-harvesting and energy-transfer processes. In the current study, we examined how green algae regulate their light-harvesting functions in response to different light qualities. We measured low-temperature time-resolved fluorescence spectra of unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella variabilis cells grown under different light qualities. By observing the delayed fluorescence spectra, we demonstrated that both types of green algae primarily modified the associations between light-harvesting chlorophyll protein complexes (LHCs) and PSs (PSII and PSI). Under blue light, Chlamydomonas transferred more energy from LHC to chlorophyll (Chl) located far from the PSII reaction center, while energy was transferred from LHC to PSI via different energy-transfer pathways in Chlorella. Under green light, both green algae exhibited enhanced energy transfer from LHCs to both PSs. Red light induced fluorescence quenching within PSs in Chlamydomonas and LHCs in Chlorella. In Chlorella, energy transfer from PSII to PSI appears to play an important role in balancing excitation between PSII and PSI.
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Detecting Aspiration and Penetration Using FEES With and Without Food Dye.
Marvin, Stevie; Gustafson, Sara; Thibeault, Susan
2016-08-01
The objective of this investigation was to determine if there were differences in identifying airway invasion (penetration or aspiration) during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluations of swallowing (FEES) for green-dyed versus non-dyed liquids. Forty adult inpatients in an acute care hospital underwent FEES, with both green-dyed liquids and naturally white liquids. Three speech-language pathologists rated aspiration and penetration for trials of nectar-thick milk and thin milk, both with and without green food dye. A subset of participants having excess pharyngeal/laryngeal secretions, as measured by the Secretions Severity Scale, were also analyzed for a difference in the detection of airway invasion and pharyngeal residue. No significant differences were found between dyes in airway invasion across all bolus types within participants. Significant differences were found in penetration ratings for large volumes of thin liquids (90 ml), between participants. When examining only discrepant airway invasion judgments for green-white swallow pairs, statistically significantly deeper airway invasion was measured for green-dyed boluses versus white for three of the five bolus types. Repeat rater reliability was better for dyed versus undyed liquids. Findings suggest that the use of green dye may allow for improved judgment of airway invasion.
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Daily Fluoride Intake from Iranian Green Tea: Evaluation of Various Flavorings on Fluoride Release
Maleki, Afshin; Daraei, Hiua; Mohammadi, Elham; Zandi, Shiva; Teymouri, Pari; Mahvi, Amir Hossien; Gharibi, Fardin
2016-01-01
With increased awareness of the health benefits of the compounds in green tea, especially polyphenols, its consumption is rising. The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of different additives on the released fluoride into tea liquor and also daily fluoride intake. The concentrations of fluoride, nitrate, sulfate, and chloride were measured in 15 different flavored green teas (Refah-Lahijan). The fluoride and other anion concentrations were measured by ion chromatography method. The data were analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16.0. The results showed that the minimum and maximum concentrations of fluoride in the green tea infusions were 0.162 mg/L (cinnamon-flavored green tea) and 3.29 mg/L (bagged peach-flavored green tea), respectively. The mean concentration of fluoride in the green tea leaves was 52 mg/kg, and approximately 89% of the fluoride was released from the green tea leaves into the infusions after brewing. The fluoride concentrations varied significantly among the examined green teas (P < 0.05). However, the additives had no significant effect on the fluoride release into the infusions (P > 0.05). Finally, drinking of the studied green teas cannot make a significant contribution to the daily dietary intake of F for consumers. PMID:27042093
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Daily Fluoride Intake from Iranian Green Tea: Evaluation of Various Flavorings on Fluoride Release.
Maleki, Afshin; Daraei, Hiua; Mohammadi, Elham; Zandi, Shiva; Teymouri, Pari; Mahvi, Amir Hossien; Gharibi, Fardin
2016-01-01
With increased awareness of the health benefits of the compounds in green tea, especially polyphenols, its consumption is rising. The main purpose of this study is to determine the effect of different additives on the released fluoride into tea liquor and also daily fluoride intake. The concentrations of fluoride, nitrate, sulfate, and chloride were measured in 15 different flavored green teas (Refah-Lahijan). The fluoride and other anion concentrations were measured by ion chromatography method. The data were analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16.0. The results showed that the minimum and maximum concentrations of fluoride in the green tea infusions were 0.162 mg/L (cinnamon-flavored green tea) and 3.29 mg/L (bagged peach-flavored green tea), respectively. The mean concentration of fluoride in the green tea leaves was 52 mg/kg, and approximately 89% of the fluoride was released from the green tea leaves into the infusions after brewing. The fluoride concentrations varied significantly among the examined green teas (P < 0.05). However, the additives had no significant effect on the fluoride release into the infusions (P > 0.05). Finally, drinking of the studied green teas cannot make a significant contribution to the daily dietary intake of F for consumers.
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Moghbel, Abdolhossein; Farjzadeh, Ahmad; Aghel, Nasrin; Agheli, Homaun; Raisi, Nafiseh
2012-01-01
Compounds present in green tea have proved to inhibit the growth and activity of bacteria associated with infections. To assess the effects of green tea leaves extract in presence of propylene glycol on the aerobic mouth bacteria load. Saliva of 25 volunteer girl students aging 20-25 years were selected and evaluated by a mouthwash sample containing 1% tannin, as the most effective antibacterial complex in green tea. Comparative studies were also conducted between green tea mouthwashes containing 1% tannin and a similar sample with 10% propylene glycol added during extraction. This comparison was applied for a chlorhexidine 0.2% sample as a chemical mouthwash brand, too. There was a meaningful difference between the green tea mouthwashes containing 10% propylene glycol and the simple green tea extract (P < 0.05). Significant difference was also seen between the herbal and chemical mouthwashes (P < 0.05). The extract 1% tannin containing 10% propylene glycol reduced the aerobic mouth bacterial load of the student salvia about 64 percent. The pH monotonousness in different days and temperatures approved the stability of tannin in liquid water medium. Using green tea extract as a herbal mouthwash is safe and harmless specially for children and pregnant women. This result led us to suppose that green tea may prevent plaque formation on teeth, coming over halitosis due to mouth infection, too. These effects need to be approved in an in vivo trial as a second study.
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Identification of Genes Associated with Chlorophyll Accumulation in Flower Petals
Ohmiya, Akemi; Hirashima, Masumi; Yagi, Masafumi; Tanase, Koji; Yamamizo, Chihiro
2014-01-01
Plants have an ability to prevent chlorophyll accumulation, which would mask the bright flower color, in their petals. In contrast, leaves contain substantial amounts of chlorophyll, as it is essential for photosynthesis. The mechanisms of organ-specific chlorophyll accumulation are unknown. To identify factors that determine the chlorophyll content in petals, we compared the expression of genes related to chlorophyll metabolism in different stages of non-green (red and white) petals (very low chlorophyll content), pale-green petals (low chlorophyll content), and leaves (high chlorophyll content) of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.). The expression of many genes encoding chlorophyll biosynthesis enzymes, in particular Mg-chelatase, was lower in non-green petals than in leaves. Non-green petals also showed higher expression of genes involved in chlorophyll degradation, including STAY-GREEN gene and pheophytinase. These data suggest that the absence of chlorophylls in carnation petals may be caused by the low rate of chlorophyll biosynthesis and high rate of degradation. Similar results were obtained by the analysis of Arabidopsis microarray data. In carnation, most genes related to chlorophyll biosynthesis were expressed at similar levels in pale-green petals and leaves, whereas the expression of chlorophyll catabolic genes was higher in pale-green petals than in leaves. Therefore, we hypothesize that the difference in chlorophyll content between non-green and pale-green petals is due to different levels of chlorophyll biosynthesis. Our study provides a basis for future molecular and genetic studies on organ-specific chlorophyll accumulation. PMID:25470367
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Haase, L.; Flanagan, L. B.
2017-12-01
Precipitation patterns are expected to shift towards larger but fewer rain events, with longer intermittent dry periods, associated with climate change. The larger rain events may compensate for and help to mitigate climate change effects on key ecosystem functions such as plant productivity and soil respiration in semi-arid grasslands. We experimentally manipulated the amount and frequency of simulated precipitation added to trenched, treatment plots that were covered by rain shelters, and measured the response in plant productivity and soil respiration in a native, grassland ecosystem near Lethbridge, Alberta. We compared the observed responses to the predictions of a conceptual ecosystem response model developed by Knapp et al. 2008 (BioScience 58: 811-821). Two experiments were conducted during 14 weeks of the growing season from May-August. The first experiment (normal amount) applied total growing season precipitation of 180 mm (climate normal), and the second experiment (reduced amount) applied total precipitation of 90 mm. In both experiments, precipitation was applied at two frequencies, 1 rain event every week (normal frequency) and 1 rain event every two weeks (reduced frequency). In the normal amount experiment, the average rain event was 12.8 mm for the normal frequency treatment and 25.8 mm for the reduced frequency treatment. In the reduced amount experiment, the average rain event was 6.4 mm for the normal frequency treatment and 12.8 mm for the reduced frequency treatment. We hypothesized that larger but fewer rain events would result in increased plant productivity and soil respiration for both experiments. Plant greenness values calculated from digital photographs were used as a proxy for plant productivity, and showed significantly higher values for the normal vs. reduced amount experiment. Soil respiration rate also showed significantly higher values for the normal vs. reduced amount experiment. No significant treatment effect could be detected between the normal vs. reduced frequency treatments in both experiments for either the plant greenness or soil respiration measurements. The results of this study have implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying ecosystem responses to anticipated precipitation change in the Great Plains.
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Using Green Star Metrics to Optimize the Greenness of Literature Protocols for Syntheses
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Duarte, Rita C. C.; Ribeiro, M. Gabriela T. C.; Machado, Adélio A. S. C.
2015-01-01
A procedure to improve the greenness of a synthesis, without performing laboratory work, using alternative protocols available in the literature is presented. The greenness evaluation involves the separate assessment of the different steps described in the available protocols--reaction, isolation, and purification--as well as the global process,…
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Henskens, Frieda L.; Green, T. G. Allan; Wilkins, Alistair
2012-01-01
Background and Aims Cyanolichens are usually stated to be bipartite (mycobiont plus cyanobacterial photobiont). Analyses revealed green algal carbohydrates in supposedly cyanobacterial lichens (in the genera Pseudocyphellaria, Sticta and Peltigera). Investigations were carried out to determine if both cyanobacteria and green algae were present in these lichens and, if so, what were their roles. Methods The types of photobiont present were determined by light and fluorescence microscopy. Small carbohydrates were analysed to detect the presence of green algal metabolites. Thalli were treated with selected strengths of Zn2+ solutions that stop cyanobacterial but not green algal photosynthesis. CO2 exchange was measured before and after treatment to determine the contribution of each photobiont to total thallus photosynthesis. Heterocyst frequencies were determined to clarify whether the cyanobacteria were modified for increased nitrogen fixation (high heterocyst frequencies) or were normal, vegetative cells. Key Results Several cyanobacterial lichens had green algae present in the photosynthetic layer of the thallus. The presence of the green algal transfer carbohydrate (ribitol) and the incomplete inhibition of thallus photosynthesis upon treatment with Zn2+ solutions showed that both photobionts contributed to the photosynthesis of the lichen thallus. Low heterocyst frequencies showed that, despite the presence of adjacent green algae, the cyanobacteria were not altered to increase nitrogen fixation. Conclusions These cyanobacterial lichens are a tripartite lichen symbiont combination in which the mycobiont has two primarily photosynthetic photobionts, ‘co-primary photobionts’, a cyanobacterium (dominant) and a green alga. This demonstrates high flexibility in photobiont choice by the mycobiont in the Peltigerales. Overall thallus appearance does not change whether one or two photobionts are present in the cyanobacterial thallus. This suggests that, if there is a photobiont effect on thallus structure, it is not specific to one or the other photobiont. PMID:22648879
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Renewable Energy for the Next Generation
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Barton, Leslie
2005-01-01
Renewable energy is harnessed from natural and sustainable sources, like wind, sun and water. They offer a pollution-free, endless source of electricity that is crucial in the fight against climate change. Every unit of this "green" electricity directly replaces electricity normally generated from conventional polluting sources such as coal or…
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In 1998, EPA published its draft revision to the methodology for deriving ambient water quality criteria to protect human health. Four methods were proposed to determine lipid-normalized bioaccumulation factors based on freely-dissolved water concentrations (BAFs) for nonpolar or...
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Maternal encouragement and discouragement: Differences by food type and child weight status
Pesch, Megan H.; Appugliese, Danielle P.; Kaciroti, Niko; Rosenblum, Katherine L.; Miller, Alison; Lumeng, Julie C.
2016-01-01
Childhood obesity prevention practice guidelines recommend that parents encourage the intake of certain types of foods and discourage the intake of others. It is unknown if parents of children of different weight statuses encourage or discourage their child's intake differently based on food type. The objective of this study was to determine the association of child weight status with maternal for four different types of food. A total of 222 mother-child dyads were video-taped during the standardized, sequential presentation of four foods to both participants: cupcakes (familiar dessert), green beans (familiar vegetable), halva (unfamiliar dessert) and artichoke (unfamiliar vegetable). Mother's encouragements and discouragements of child intake were reliably coded for each food type. Poisson regression models were used to test the independent association of child weight status (normal weight, overweight and obese) with encouragement and discouragement for each food type. Mothers of an obese, vs. normal or overweight child, had lower rates of encouragement for a familiar dessert (p = 0.02), and a higher rates of discouragements for a familiar dessert (p=0.001), a familiar vegetable (p=0.01), and an unfamiliar vegetable (p = 0.001). There were no differences in encouragements or discouragements between mothers of an overweight, vs. obese child, for any of the 4 food types. Mothers of obese children may alter their feeding behavior differentially based on food type. Future work should examine how interventions promoting maternal encouragement or discouragement of different food types impact child weight status. PMID:26924561
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Challenges in the Implementation of Green Home Development in Malaysia: Perspective of Developers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Nordin, Rumaizah Mohd; Halim, Ahmad Hafizi Abd; Yunus, Julitta
2017-12-01
The construction industry is the main contributor to Malaysian economic growth. One of the main sectors to be highlighted by the Government is housing sector. The population in Malaysia is increasing year by year, thus the demand for houses also rises significantly. However, the fulfilment of basic needs for people normally gives the adverse impacts to the environment. Green home concept is introduced with a purpose to create an acceptable standard of living as well as to preserve nature from destruction, whilst to promote efficiency of energy, water and other natural resources. The study aims to identify current level of awareness and understanding regarding the Green Home concept, together with identifying the challenges that contribute to lack of initiatives in implementation of green home development. This study utilizes the qualitative methodology utilising interviews with housing developers operating in Klang Valley. 20 respondents were interviewed with a semi-structured interview. This study found that level of awareness and understanding on green home concept among construction players and public is low to moderate level. However, it shows improvement in terms of its implementation with all respondents agreed that cost factor is greatest challenge to its implementation. Other challenges identified from the study are low awareness and understanding among construction players and public, low demand for green home, and lack of Government enforcement and initiatives. The study is eventually intended to enhance and improve the sustainable practice in Malaysian’s construction industry.
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Wang, Xiaochen; Zhao, Xinhua; Peng, Chenrui; Zhang, Xinbo; Wang, Jianghai
2013-01-01
The objectives of this study are to investigate the impact of different factors on the nutrient pollutant concentrations in green roof runoff and to provide reference data for the engineering design of dual substrate layer green roofs. The data were collected from eight different trays under three kinds of artificial rains. The results showed that except for total phosphorus, dual substrate layer green roofs behaved as a sink for most of the nutrient pollutants (significant at p < 0.05), and the first-flush effect did not occur during the 27 simulated rain events. The results also revealed that the concentration of these nutrient pollutants in the runoff strongly depended on the features of the nutrient substrates used in the green roof and the depth of the adsorption substrates. Compared with the influence of the substrates, the influence of the plant density and drainage systems was small.
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Gallo, Travis; Fidino, Mason; Lehrer, Elizabeth W; Magle, Seth B
2017-12-01
As urban growth expands and natural environments fragment, it is essential to understand the ecological roles fulfilled by urban green spaces. To evaluate how urban green spaces function as wildlife habitat, we estimated mammal diversity and metacommunity dynamics in city parks, cemeteries, golf courses, and natural areas throughout the greater Chicago, Illinois, USA region. We found similar α-diversity (with the exception of city parks), but remarkably dissimilar communities in different urban green spaces. Additionally, the type of urban green space greatly influenced species colonization and persistence rates. For example, coyotes (Canis latrans) had the highest, but white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) the lowest probability of persistence in golf courses compared to other green space types. Further, most species had a difficult time colonizing city parks even when sites were seemingly available. Our results indicate that urban green spaces contribute different, but collectively important, habitats for maintaining and conserving biodiversity in cities. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.
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Rajević, Nives; Kovačević, Goran; Kalafatić, Mirjana; Gould, Sven B; Martin, William F; Franjević, Damjan
2015-12-01
Symbiotic associations are of broad significance in evolution and biodiversity. Green Hydra is a classic example of endosymbiosis. In its gastrodermal myoepithelial cells it harbors endosymbiotic unicellular green algae, most commonly from the genus Chlorella. We reconstructed the phylogeny of cultured algal endosymbionts isolated and maintained in laboratory conditions for years from green Hydra strains collected from four different geographical sites within Croatia, one from Germany and one from Israel. Nuclear (18S rDNA, ITS region) and chloroplast markers (16S, rbcL) for maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses were used. We focused on investigating the positions of these algal endosymbiotic strains within the chlorophyte lineage. Molecular analyses established that different genera and species of unicellular green algae are present as endosymbionts in green Hydra, showing that endosymbiotic algae growing within green Hydra sampled from four Croatian localities are not monophyletic. Our results indicate that the intracellular algal endosymbionts of green Hydra have become established several times independently in evolution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chen, Bangqian; Xiao, Xiangming; Li, Xiangping; Pan, Lianghao; Doughty, Russell; Ma, Jun; Dong, Jinwei; Qin, Yuanwei; Zhao, Bin; Wu, Zhixiang; Sun, Rui; Lan, Guoyu; Xie, Guishui; Clinton, Nicholas; Giri, Chandra
2017-09-01
Due to rapid losses of mangrove forests caused by anthropogenic disturbances and climate change, accurate and contemporary maps of mangrove forests are needed to understand how mangrove ecosystems are changing and establish plans for sustainable management. In this study, a new classification algorithm was developed using the biophysical characteristics of mangrove forests in China. More specifically, these forests were mapped by identifying: (1) greenness, canopy coverage, and tidal inundation from time series Landsat data, and (2) elevation, slope, and intersection-with-sea criterion. The annual mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was found to be a key variable in determining the classification thresholds of greenness, canopy coverage, and tidal inundation of mangrove forests, which are greatly affected by tide dynamics. In addition, the integration of Sentinel-1A VH band and modified Normalized Difference Water Index (mNDWI) shows great potential in identifying yearlong tidal and fresh water bodies, which is related to mangrove forests. This algorithm was developed using 6 typical Regions of Interest (ROIs) as algorithm training and was run on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform to process 1941 Landsat images (25 Path/Row) and 586 Sentinel-1A images circa 2015. The resultant mangrove forest map of China at 30 m spatial resolution has an overall/users/producer's accuracy greater than 95% when validated with ground reference data. In 2015, China's mangrove forests had a total area of 20,303 ha, about 92% of which was in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangdong, and Hainan Provinces. This study has demonstrated the potential of using the GEE platform, time series Landsat and Sentine-1A SAR images to identify and map mangrove forests along the coastal zones. The resultant mangrove forest maps are likely to be useful for the sustainable management and ecological assessments of mangrove forests in China.
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Safranine fluorescent staining of wood cell walls.
Bond, J; Donaldson, L; Hill, S; Hitchcock, K
2008-06-01
Safranine is an azo dye commonly used for plant microscopy, especially as a stain for lignified tissues such as xylem. Safranine fluorescently labels the wood cell wall, producing green/yellow fluorescence in the secondary cell wall and red/orange fluorescence in the middle lamella (ML) region. We examined the fluorescence behavior of safranine under blue light excitation using a variety of wood- and fiber-based samples of known composition to interpret the observed color differentiation of different cell wall types. We also examined the basis for the differences in fluorescence emission using spectral confocal microscopy to examine lignin-rich and cellulose-rich cell walls including reaction wood and decayed wood compared to normal wood. Our results indicate that lignin-rich cell walls, such as the ML of tracheids, the secondary wall of compression wood tracheids, and wood decayed by brown rot, tend to fluoresce red or orange, while cellulose-rich cell walls such as resin canals, wood decayed by white rot, cotton fibers and the G-layer of tension wood fibers, tend to fluoresce green/yellow. This variation in fluorescence emission seems to be due to factors including an emission shift toward red wavelengths combined with dye quenching at shorter wavelengths in regions with high lignin content. Safranine fluorescence provides a useful way to differentiate lignin-rich and cellulose-rich cell walls without counterstaining as required for bright field microscopy.
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Predominant role of water in regulating the tree-growth response to diurnal asymmetric warmin
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chen, Z.; Xia, J.; Cui, E.
2017-12-01
Growth of the Northern Hemisphere trees is affected by diurnal asymmetric warming, which is generally considered to touch off carbon assimilation and increment of carbon storage. Asymmetric effects of diurnal warming on vegetation greenness were validated in previous researches, however, the effect of diurnal warming on wood tissue which stores most carbon of a whole plant is still unknown. Here, we combined ring-width index (RWI), remote sensing-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and climate datasets to detect the effects of daytime and night-time warming on vegetation growth, respectively. Our results indicate that daytime warming enhances NDVI but has neutral effect on tree woody growth over the Northern Hemisphere. Response of wood growth to daytime warming is linearly regulated by soil water availability. The underlying mechanism of different response of canopy and wood growth to daytime warming may attribute to the biomass change, that is, allocation to foliage tissues increased at the expense of wood tissue under warming and water-limited conditions. Night-time warming show neutral effects on NDVI and RWI over the Northern Hemisphere, and the neutral Tmin-NDVI correlations result from the non-linear mediation of soil water availability. Our results highlight the current greening trend under daytime warming does not mean higher carbon sink capacity, the warming-drying climate may impair the large carbon sink of global forests.
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Using NDVI to assess vegetative land cover change in central Puget Sound.
Morawitz, Dana F; Blewett, Tina M; Cohen, Alex; Alberti, Marina
2006-03-01
We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the rapidly growing Puget Sound region over three 5-year time blocks between 1986-1999 at three spatial scales in 42 Watershed Administrative Units (WAUs) to assess changes in the amounts and patterns of green vegetation. On average, approximately 20% of the area in each WAU experienced significant NDVI change over each 5-year time block. Cumulative NDVI change over 15 years (summing change over each 5-year time block) was an average of approximately 60% of each WAU, but was as high as 100% in some. At the regional scale, seasonal weather patterns and green-up from logging were the primary drivers of observed increases in NDVI values. At the WAU scale, anthropogenic factors were important drivers of both positive and negative NDVI change. For example, population density was highly correlated with negative NDVI change over 15 years (r = 0.66, P < 0.01), as was road density (r = 0.71, P < 0.01). At the smallest scale (within 3 case study WAUs) land use differences such as preserving versus harvesting forest lands drove vegetation change. We conclude that large areas within most watersheds are continually and heavily impacted by the high levels of human use and development over short time periods. Our results indicate that varying patterns and processes can be detected at multiple scales using changes in NDVIa values.
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[A review of green roof performance towards management of roof runoff].
Chen, Xiao-ping; Huang, Pei; Zhou, Zhi-xiang; Gao, Chi
2015-08-01
Green roof has a significant influence on reducing runoff volume, delaying runoff-yielding time, reducing the peak flow and improving runoff quality. This paper addressed the related research around the world and concluded from several aspects, i.e., the definition of green roof of different types, the mechanism how green roof manages runoff quantity and quality, the ability how green roof controls roof runoff, and the influence factors of green roof toward runoff quantity and quality. Afterwards, there was a need for more future work on research of green roof toward roof runoff, i.e., vegetation selection of green roof, efficient construction model selection of green roof, the regulating characteristics of green roof on roof runoff, the value assessment of green roof on roof runoff, analysis of source-sink function of green roof on the water pollutants of roof runoff and the research on the mitigation measures of roof runoff pollution. This paper provided a guideline to develop green roofs aiming to regulating roof runoff.
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The red-green visual pigment gene region in adrenoleukodystrophy.
Aubourg, P; Feil, R; Guidoux, S; Kaplan, J C; Moser, H; Kahn, A; Mandel, J L
1990-01-01
Although recent data established that a specific very-long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase is defective in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), the ALD gene is still unidentified. The ALD locus has been mapped to Xq28, like the red and green color pigment genes. Abnormal color vision has been observed in 12 of 27 patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), a milder form of ALD. Furthermore, rearrangements of the color vision gene cluster were found in four of eight ALD kindreds. This led us to propose that a single DNA rearrangement could underlie both ALD and abnormal color vision in these patients. Study of 34 French ALD patients failed to reveal a higher than expected frequency of green/red visual pigment rearrangements 3' to the red/green color vision gene complex. The previous report of such rearrangements was based on small numbers and lack of knowledge that the frequency of "abnormal" color vision arrays on molecular analysis was twice as high as expected on the basis of the frequency of phenotypic color vision defects. The red/green color pigment (R/GCP) region was studied by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis in 14 of these patients, and we did not find any fragment size difference between the patients and normal individuals who have the same number of pigment genes. The R/GCP region was also analyzed in 29 French and seven North American ALD patients by using six genomic DNA probes, isolated from a cosmid walk, that flank the color vision genes. No deletions were found with probes that lie 3' of the green pigment genes. One of the eight previously reported ALD individuals has a long deletion 5' of the red pigment gene, a deletion causing blue cone monochromacy. This finding and the previous findings of a 45% frequency of phenotypic color vision defects in patients with AMN may suggest that the ALD/AMN gene lies 5' to the red pigment gene and that the frequent phenotypic color vision anomalies owe their origin to deleted DNA that includes regulatory genes for color vision. It is possible, however, that phenotypic color vision anomalies in AMN may be phenocopies secondary to retinal or neural involvement by the disease. The single case of blue cone monochromacy may therefore be a fortuitous coincidence of two diseases. Images p[466]-a Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 7 Figure 8 PMID:2309698
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Buchholz, Annemarie L; Davidson, Gordon R; Marks, Bradley P; Todd, Ewen C D; Ryser, Elliot T
2012-07-01
Postharvest contamination and subsequent spread of Escherichia coli O157:H7 can occur during shredding, conveying, fluming, and dewatering of fresh-cut leafy greens. This study quantified E. coli O157:H7 transfer from leafy greens to equipment surfaces during simulated small-scale commercial processing. Three to five batches (22.7 kg) of baby spinach, iceberg lettuce, and romaine lettuce were dip inoculated with a four-strain cocktail of avirulent, green fluorescent protein-labeled, ampicillinresistant E. coli O157:H7 to contain ∼10(6), 10(4), and 10(2) CFU/g, and then were processed after 1 h of draining at ∼23°C or 24 h of storage at 4°C. Lettuce was shredded using an Urschel TransSlicer at two different blade and belt speeds to obtain normal (5 by 5 cm) and more finely shredded (0.5 by 5 cm) lettuce. Thereafter, the lettuce was step conveyed to a flume tank and was washed and then dried using a shaker table and centrifugal dryer. Product (25-g) and water (40-ml) samples were collected at various points during processing. After processing, product contact surfaces (100 cm(2)) on the shredder (n = 14), conveyer (n = 8), flume tank (n = 11), shaker table (n = 9), and centrifugal dryer (n = 8) were sampled using one-ply composite tissues. Sample homogenates diluted in phosphate or neutralizing buffer were plated, with or without prior 0.45- m m membrane filtration, on Trypticase soy agar containing 0.6% yeast extract supplemented with 100 ppm of ampicillin to quantify green fluorescent protein-labeled E. coli O157:H7 under UV light. During leafy green processing, ∼90% of the E. coli O157:H7 inoculum transferred to the wash water. After processing, E. coli O157:H7 populations were highest on the conveyor and shredder (P<0.05), followed by the centrifugal dryer, flume tank, and shaker table, with ∼29% of the remaining product inoculum lost during centrifugal drying. Overall, less (P<0.05) of the inoculum remained on the product after centrifugally drying iceberg lettuce that was held for 1 h (8.13%) as opposed to 24 h (42.18%) before processing, with shred size not affecting the rate of E. coli O157:H7 transfer.
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Complex responses of spring vegetation growth to climate in a moisture-limited alpine meadow
Ganjurjav, Hasbagan; Gao, Qingzhu; Schwartz, Mark W.; Zhu, Wenquan; Liang, Yan; Li, Yue; Wan, Yunfan; Cao, Xujuan; Williamson, Matthew A.; Jiangcun, Wangzha; Guo, Hongbao; Lin, Erda
2016-01-01
Since 2000, the phenology has advanced in some years and at some locations on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, whereas it has been delayed in others. To understand the variations in spring vegetation growth in response to climate, we conducted both regional and experimental studies on the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We used the normalized difference vegetation index to identify correlations between climate and phenological greening, and found that greening correlated negatively with winter-spring time precipitation, but not with temperature. We used open top chambers to induce warming in an alpine meadow ecosystem from 2012 to 2014. Our results showed that in the early growing season, plant growth (represented by the net ecosystem CO2 exchange, NEE) was lower in the warmed plots than in the control plots. Late-season plant growth increased with warming relative to that under control conditions. These data suggest that the response of plant growth to warming is complex and non-intuitive in this system. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that moisture limitation increases in early spring as temperature increases. The effects of moisture limitation on plant growth with increasing temperatures will have important ramifications for grazers in this system. PMID:26983697
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Electronic transport close to semi-infinite 2D systems and their interfaces
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Xia, Fanbing; Wang, Jian; Jian Wang's research Group Team
Transport properties of 2D materials especially close to their boundary has received much attention after the successful fabrication of Graphene. While most previous work is devoted to the conventional lead-device-lead setup with a finite size center area, this project investigates real space transport properties of infinite and semi-infinite 2D systems under the framework of Non-equilibrium Green's function. The commonly used method of calculating Green's function by inverting matrices in the real space can be unstable in dealing with large systems as sometimes it gives non-converging result. By transforming from the real space to momentum space, the author managed to replace the matrix inverting process by Brillouin Zone integral which can be greatly simplified by the application of contour integral. Combining this methodology with Dyson equations, we are able to calculate transport properties of semi-infinite graphene close to its zigzag boundary and its combination with other material including s-wave superconductor. Interference pattern of transmitted and reflected electrons, Graphene lensing effects and difference between Specular Andreev reflection and normal Andreev reflection are verified. We also generalize how to apply this method to a broad range of 2D materials. The University of Hong Kong.
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Complex responses of spring vegetation growth to climate in a moisture-limited alpine meadow
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ganjurjav, Hasbagan; Gao, Qingzhu; Schwartz, Mark W.; Zhu, Wenquan; Liang, Yan; Li, Yue; Wan, Yunfan; Cao, Xujuan; Williamson, Matthew A.; Jiangcun, Wangzha; Guo, Hongbao; Lin, Erda
2016-03-01
Since 2000, the phenology has advanced in some years and at some locations on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, whereas it has been delayed in others. To understand the variations in spring vegetation growth in response to climate, we conducted both regional and experimental studies on the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We used the normalized difference vegetation index to identify correlations between climate and phenological greening, and found that greening correlated negatively with winter-spring time precipitation, but not with temperature. We used open top chambers to induce warming in an alpine meadow ecosystem from 2012 to 2014. Our results showed that in the early growing season, plant growth (represented by the net ecosystem CO2 exchange, NEE) was lower in the warmed plots than in the control plots. Late-season plant growth increased with warming relative to that under control conditions. These data suggest that the response of plant growth to warming is complex and non-intuitive in this system. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that moisture limitation increases in early spring as temperature increases. The effects of moisture limitation on plant growth with increasing temperatures will have important ramifications for grazers in this system.
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In vivo evaluation of mutagenic and recombinagenic activities of Brazilian propolis.
Rodrigues, Carmem Regine Faleiro; Plentz, Luciana Ciarelli; Marcucci, Maria Cristina; Dihl, Rafael Rodrigues; Lehmann, Mauricio
2016-10-01
Propolis is a resinous, complex mixture of compounds collected by the bee species Apis mellifera. This study investigated the genotoxicity of green and brown propolis collected in southeast Brazil using the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) in Drosophila melanogaster. The effect of five concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 7.5 mg/mL) of both propolis types was analyzed in standard (ST) and high-bioactivation (HB) crosses, which have normal and high levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes, respectively. The results show that the types of propolis evaluated have no mutagenic action, in either cross. Moreover, chromatography findings revealed that the propolis types analyzed have different chemical compositions. Brown propolis had lower levels of polyphenols (∼7.2 mg/mL), compared to the green type (34.9 mg/g). Taken together, the findings of the present study and literature reports point to the safety in consuming low amounts of propolis, considering the risk of genetic damage, and confirm the absence of mutagenic and recombinagenic actions of the propolis types investigated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Complex responses of spring vegetation growth to climate in a moisture-limited alpine meadow.
Ganjurjav, Hasbagan; Gao, Qingzhu; Schwartz, Mark W; Zhu, Wenquan; Liang, Yan; Li, Yue; Wan, Yunfan; Cao, Xujuan; Williamson, Matthew A; Jiangcun, Wangzha; Guo, Hongbao; Lin, Erda
2016-03-17
Since 2000, the phenology has advanced in some years and at some locations on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, whereas it has been delayed in others. To understand the variations in spring vegetation growth in response to climate, we conducted both regional and experimental studies on the central Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We used the normalized difference vegetation index to identify correlations between climate and phenological greening, and found that greening correlated negatively with winter-spring time precipitation, but not with temperature. We used open top chambers to induce warming in an alpine meadow ecosystem from 2012 to 2014. Our results showed that in the early growing season, plant growth (represented by the net ecosystem CO2 exchange, NEE) was lower in the warmed plots than in the control plots. Late-season plant growth increased with warming relative to that under control conditions. These data suggest that the response of plant growth to warming is complex and non-intuitive in this system. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that moisture limitation increases in early spring as temperature increases. The effects of moisture limitation on plant growth with increasing temperatures will have important ramifications for grazers in this system.
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Runfola, Daniel Miller; Hughes, Sara
2014-01-01
In the United States, urbanization processes have resulted in a large variety—or “continuum”—of urban landscapes. One entry point for understanding the variety of landscape characteristics associated with different forms of urbanization is through a characterization of vegetative (green) land covers. Green land covers—i.e., lawns, parks, forests—have been shown to have a variety of both positive and negative impacts on human and environmental outcomes—ranging from increasing property values, to mitigating urban heat islands, to increasing water use for outdoor watering purposes. While considerable research has examined the variation of vegetation distribution within cities and related social and economic drivers, we know very little about whether or how the economic characteristics and policy priorities of green cities differ from those of “grey” cities—those with little green land cover. To address this gap, this paper seeks to answer the question how do the economic characteristics and policy priorities of green and grey cities differ in the United States? To answer this question, MODIS data from 2001 to 2006 are used to characterize 373 US cities in terms of their vegetative greenness. Information from the International City/County Management Association's (ICMA) 2010 Local Government Sustainability Survey and 2009 Economic Development Survey are used to identify key governance strategies and policies that may differentiate green from grey cities. Two approaches for data analysis—ANOVA and decision tree analysis—are used to identify the most important characteristics for separating each category of city. The results indicate that grey cities tend to place a high priority on economic initiatives, while green cities place an emphasis on social justice, land conservation, and quality of life initiatives. PMID:25541593
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Runfola, Daniel Miller; Hughes, Sara
2014-01-01
In the United States, urbanization processes have resulted in a large variety-or "continuum"-of urban landscapes. One entry point for understanding the variety of landscape characteristics associated with different forms of urbanization is through a characterization of vegetative (green) land covers. Green land covers- i.e. , lawns, parks, forests-have been shown to have a variety of both positive and negative impacts on human and environmental outcomes-ranging from increasing property values, to mitigating urban heat islands, to increasing water use for outdoor watering purposes. While considerable research has examined the variation of vegetation distribution within cities and related social and economic drivers, we know very little about whether or how the economic characteristics and policy priorities of green cities differ from those of "grey" cities-those with little green land cover. To address this gap, this paper seeks to answer the question how do the economic characteristics and policy priorities of green and grey cities differ in the United States? To answer this question, MODIS data from 2001 to 2006 are used to characterize 373 US cities in terms of their vegetative greenness. Information from the International City/County Management Association's (ICMA) 2010 Local Government Sustainability Survey and 2009 Economic Development Survey are used to identify key governance strategies and policies that may differentiate green from grey cities. Two approaches for data analysis-ANOVA and decision tree analysis-are used to identify the most important characteristics for separating each category of city. The results indicate that grey cities tend to place a high priority on economic initiatives, while green cities place an emphasis on social justice, land conservation, and quality of life initiatives.
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Kruse, Fred A.
1984-01-01
Green areas on Landsat 4/5 - 4/6 - 6/7 (red - blue - green) color-ratio-composite (CRC) images represent limonite on the ground. Color variation on such images was analyzed to determine the causes of the color differences within and between the green areas. Digital transformation of the CRC data into the modified cylindrical Munsell color coordinates - hue, value, and saturation - was used to correlate image color characteristics with properties of surficial materials. The amount of limonite visible to the sensor is the primary cause of color differences in green areas on the CRCs. Vegetation density is a secondary cause of color variation of green areas on Landsat CRC images. Digital color analysis of Landsat CRC images can be used to map unknown areas. Color variations of green pixels allows discrimination among limonitic bedrock, nonlimonitic bedrock, nonlimonitic alluvium, and limonitic alluvium.
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Hu Weigang; Graff, Pierre; Boettger, Thomas
2011-04-15
Purpose: To develop a spatially encoded dose difference maximal intensity projection (DD-MIP) as an online patient dose evaluation tool for visualizing the dose differences between the planning dose and dose on the treatment day. Methods: Megavoltage cone-beam CT (MVCBCT) images acquired on the treatment day are used for generating the dose difference index. Each index is represented by different colors for underdose, acceptable, and overdose regions. A maximal intensity projection (MIP) algorithm is developed to compress all the information of an arbitrary 3D dose difference index into a 2D DD-MIP image. In such an algorithm, a distance transformation is generatedmore » based on the planning CT. Then, two new volumes representing the overdose and underdose regions of the dose difference index are encoded with the distance transformation map. The distance-encoded indices of each volume are normalized using the skin distance obtained on the planning CT. After that, two MIPs are generated based on the underdose and overdose volumes with green-to-blue and green-to-red lookup tables, respectively. Finally, the two MIPs are merged with an appropriate transparency level and rendered in planning CT images. Results: The spatially encoded DD-MIP was implemented in a dose-guided radiotherapy prototype and tested on 33 MVCBCT images from six patients. The user can easily establish the threshold for the overdose and underdose. A 3% difference between the treatment and planning dose was used as the threshold in the study; hence, the DD-MIP shows red or blue color for the dose difference >3% or {<=}3%, respectively. With such a method, the overdose and underdose regions can be visualized and distinguished without being overshadowed by superficial dose differences. Conclusions: A DD-MIP algorithm was developed that compresses information from 3D into a single or two orthogonal projections while hinting the user whether the dose difference is on the skin surface or deeper.« less
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Diagram of Calcium Movement in the Human Body
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
2002-01-01
This diagram shows the normal pathways of calcium movement in the body and indicates changes (green arrows) seen during preliminary space flight experiments. Calcium plays a central role because 1) it gives strength and structure to bone and 2) all types of cells require it to function normally. To better understand how and why weightlessness induces bone loss, astronauts have participated in a study of calcium kinetics -- that is, the movement of calcium through the body, including absorption from food, and its role in the formation and breakdown of bone.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Leblans, Niki; Sigurdsson, Bjarni D.; Janssens, Ivan A.
2014-05-01
Phenology has been defined as the study of the timing of recurring biological events and the causes of their timing with regard to abiotic and biotic factors. Ecosystem phenology, including the onset of the growing season and its senescence in autumn, plays an important role in the carbon, water and energy exchange between biosphere and atmosphere at higher latitudes. Factors that influence ecosystem phenology can therefore induce important climate-controlling feedback mechanisms. Global surface temperatures have been predicted to increase in the coming decades. Hence, a better understanding of the effect of temperature on ecosystem phenology is essential. Natural geothermal soil temperature gradients in Iceland offer a unique opportunity to study the soil temperature (Ts) dependence of ecosystem phenology and distinguish short-term (transient) warming effects (in recently established Ts gradients) from long-term (permanent) effects (in centuries-old Ts gradients). This research was performed in the framework of an international research project (ForHot; www.forhot.is). ForHot includes two natural grassland areas with gradients in Ts, dominated by Festuca sp., Agrostis sp.. The first warmed area was created in 2008, when an earthquake in S-Iceland caused geothermal systems to be shifted to previously cold soils. The second area is located about 3 km away from this newly warmed grassland. For this area, there are proofs that the natural soil warming has been continuous for at least 300 year. In the present study we focus on Ts elevation gradients of +0 to +10°C. The experiment consists of five transects with five temperature levels (+0,+1,+3,+5 and +10°C) in the two aforementioned grassland ecosystems (n=25 in each grassland). From April until November 2013, weekly measurements of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were taken. In the short-term warmed grassland, the greening of the vegetation was 36 days advanced at +10°C Ts and the date of 50% greening was advanced by 23 days at +5°C and by 32 days at +10°C Ts. However, no difference in the date of maximum greening or in the onset of senescence occurred. In contrast, in the long-term warmed grassland, the start of the growing season was not affected by Ts and the 50% greening point occurred only 10 days earlier at +5°C and 15 days earlier at +10°C Ts. However, the timing of maximum greening was advanced by 19 days at +5°C and even by 32 days at +10°C Ts. Again, the onset of senescence did not change with Ts. Significant Ts effects on ecosystem phenology of subarctic grasslands only occurred at warming of 5°C or higher. This study also demonstrates that short-term Ts effects on ecosystem phenology are not necessarily good predictors for long-term changes in sub-arctic grasslands. In the short-term (5 years warming), soil warming induced an early onset of the growing season, which was later compensated by faster greening on colder soils, so that maximum greenness was reached simultaneously irrespective of Ts. In contrast, the long-term Ts warming did not induce earlier onset of the growing season, but it led to faster greening on warm soils, which again led to an advance in timing of maximum greenness. This difference between short- and long-term responses in phenology might be caused by either phenotypic plasticity (acclimation) or by a genetic selection (evolution) of the grass populations where the warming has been ongoing for centuries. Such processes are at present not included in modelling predictions of climate change responses of natural ecosystems, but may offer important negative feedback mechanisms to warming which will reduce its effects.
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Vukovich, Fred M.; Toll, David L.; Kennard, Ruth L.
1989-01-01
Surface biophysical estimates were derived from analysis of NOAA Advanced Very High Spectral Resolution (AVHRR) spectral data of the Senegalese area of west Africa. The parameters derived were of solar albedo, spectral visible and near-infrared band reflectance, spectral vegetative index, and ground temperature. Wet and dry linked AVHRR scenes from 1981 through 1985 in Senegal were analyzed for a semi-wet southerly site near Tambacounda and a predominantly dry northerly site near Podor. Related problems were studied to convert satellite derived radiance to biophysical estimates of the land surface. Problems studied were associated with sensor miscalibration, atmospheric and aerosol spatial variability, surface anisotropy of reflected radiation, narrow satellite band reflectance to broad solar band conversion, and ground emissivity correction. The middle-infrared reflectance was approximated with a visible AVHRR reflectance for improving solar albedo estimates. In addition, the spectral composition of solar irradiance (direct and diffuse radiation) between major spectral regions (i.e., ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and middle-infrared) was found to be insensitive to changes in the clear sky atmospheric optical depth in the narrow band to solar band conversion procedure. Solar albedo derived estimates for both sites were not found to change markedly with significant antecedent precipitation events or correspondingly from increases in green leaf vegetation density. The bright soil/substrate contributed to a high albedo for the dry related scenes, whereas the high internal leaf reflectance in green vegetation canopies in the near-infrared contributed to high solar albedo for the wet related scenes. The relationship between solar albedo and ground temperature was poor, indicating the solar albedo has little control of the ground temperature. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the derived visible reflectance were more sensitive to antecedent rainfall amounts and green vegetation changes than were near-infrared changes. The information in the NDVI related to green leaf density changes primarily was from the visible reflectance. The contribution of the near-infrared reflectance to explaining green vegetation is largely reduced when there is a bright substrate.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mayes, Marc; Mustard, John; Melillo, Jerry; Neill, Christopher; Nyadzi, Gerson
2017-08-01
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), tropical dry forests and savannas cover over 2.5 million km2 and support livelihoods for millions in fast-growing nations. Intensifying land use pressures have driven rapid changes in tree cover structure (basal area, biomass) that remain poorly characterized at regional scales. Here, we posed the hypothesis that tree cover structure related strongly to senesced and non-photosynthetic (NPV) vegetation features in a SSA tropical dry forest landscape, offering improved means for satellite remote sensing of tree cover structure compared to vegetation greenness-based methods. Across regrowth miombo woodland sites in Tanzania, we analyzed relationships among field data on tree structure, land cover, and satellite indices of green and NPV features based on spectral mixture analyses and normalized difference vegetation index calculated from Landsat 8 data. From satellite-field data relationships, we mapped regional basal area and biomass using NPV and greenness-based metrics, and compared map performances at landscape scales. Total canopy cover related significantly to stem basal area (r 2 = 0.815, p < 0.01) and biomass (r 2 = 0.635, p < 0.01), and NPV dominated ground cover (> 60%) at all sites. From these two conditions emerged a key inverse relationship: skyward exposure of NPV ground cover was high at sites with low tree basal area and biomass, and decreased with increasing stem basal area and biomass. This pattern scaled to Landsat NPV metrics, which showed strong inverse correlations to basal area (Pearson r = -0.85, p < 0.01) and biomass (r = -0.86, p < 0.01). Biomass estimates from Landsat NPV-based maps matched field data, and significantly differentiated landscape gradients in woody biomass that greenness metrics failed to track. The results suggest senesced vegetation metrics at Landsat scales are a promising means for improved monitoring of tree structure across disturbance and ecological gradients in African and other tropical dry forests.
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sarmah, S.; Jia, G.; Zhang, A.; Singha, M.
2017-12-01
South Asia (SA) is one of the most remarkable regions in changing vegetation greenness along with its major expansion of agricultural activity, especially irrigated farming. However, SA is predicted to be a vulnerable agricultural regions to future climate changes. The influence of monsoon climate on the seasonal trends and anomalies of vegetation greenness are not well understood in the region which can provide valuable information about climate-ecosystem interaction. This study analyzed the spatio-temporal patterns of seasonal vegetation trends and variability using satellite vegetation indices (VI) including AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (1982-2013) and MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) (2000-2013) in summer monsoon (SM) (June-Sept) and winter monsoon (WM) (Dec-Apr) seasons among irrigated cropland (IC), rainfed cropland (RC) and natural vegetation (NV). Seasonal VI variations with climatic factors (precipitation and temperature) and LULC changes have been investigated to identify the forcings behind the vegetation trends and variability. We found that major greening occurred in the last three decades due to the increase in IC productivity noticeably in WM, however, recent (2000-2013) greening trends were lower than the previous decades (1982-1999) in both the IC and RC indicating the stresses on them. The browning trends, mainly concentrated in NV areas were prominent during WM and rigorous since 2000, confirmed from the moderate resolution EVI and LULC datasets. Winter time maximal temperature had been increasing tremendously whereas precipitation trend was not significant over SA. Both the climate variability and LULC changes had integrated effects on the vegetation changes in NV areas specifically in hilly regions. However, LULC impact was intensified since 2000, mostly in north east India. This study also revealed a distinct seasonal variation in spatial distribution of correlation between VI's and climate anomalies over SA. Concluding, so far SA has managed to get a decent productivity over croplands due to the advanced cultivation techniques which likely to be at risk under future warming climate. Also NV areas of SA are in constant threat from the anthropogenic activities and climate changes.
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Alway, Stephen E; Bennett, Brian T; Wilson, Joseph C; Sperringer, Justin; Mohamed, Junaith S; Edens, Neile K; Pereira, Suzette L
2015-02-01
In this study we tested the hypothesis that green tea extract (GTE) would improve muscle recovery after reloading following disuse. Aged (32 mo) Fischer 344 Brown Norway rats were randomly assigned to receive either 14 days of hindlimb suspension (HLS) or 14 days of HLS followed by normal ambulatory function for 14 days (recovery). Additional animals served as cage controls. The rats were given GTE (50 mg/kg body wt) or water (vehicle) by gavage 7 days before and throughout the experimental periods. Compared with vehicle treatment, GTE significantly attenuated the loss of hindlimb plantaris muscle mass (-24.8% vs. -10.7%, P < 0.05) and tetanic force (-43.7% vs. -25.9%, P <0.05) during HLS. Although GTE failed to further improve recovery of muscle function or mass compared with vehicle treatment, animals given green tea via gavage maintained the lower losses of muscle mass that were found during HLS (-25.2% vs. -16.0%, P < 0.05) and force (-45.7 vs. -34.4%, P < 0.05) after the reloading periods. In addition, compared with vehicle treatment, GTE attenuated muscle fiber cross-sectional area loss in both plantaris (-39.9% vs. -23.9%, P < 0.05) and soleus (-37.2% vs. -17.6%) muscles after HLS. This green tea-induced difference was not transient but was maintained over the reloading period for plantaris (-45.6% vs. -21.5%, P <0.05) and soleus muscle fiber cross-sectional area (-38.7% vs. -10.9%, P <0.05). GTE increased satellite cell proliferation and differentiation in plantaris and soleus muscles during recovery from HLS compared with vehicle-treated muscles and decreased oxidative stress and abundance of the Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), yet this did not further improve muscle recovery in reloaded muscles. These data suggest that muscle recovery following disuse in aging is complex. Although satellite cell proliferation and differentiation are critical for muscle repair to occur, green tea-induced changes in satellite cell number is by itself insufficient to improve muscle recovery following a period of atrophy in old rats. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.
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Antioxidant activities of different colored sweet bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L.).
Sun, T; Xu, Z; Wu, C-T; Janes, M; Prinyawiwatkul, W; No, H K
2007-03-01
Antioxidant compounds and their antioxidant activity in 4 different colored (green, yellow, orange, and red) sweet bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) were investigated. The total phenolics content of green, yellow, orange, and red peppers determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method were 2.4, 3.3, 3.4, and 4.2 micromol catechin equivalent/g fresh weight, respectively. The red pepper had significantly higher total phenolics content than the green pepper. Among the 4 different colored peppers, red pepper contained a higher level of beta-carotene (5.4 microg/g), capsanthin (8.0 microg/g), quercetin (34.0 microg/g), and luteolin (11.0 microg/g). The yellow pepper had the lowest beta-carotene content (0.2 microg/g), while the green one had undetectable capsanthin and the lowest content of luteolin (2.0 microg/g). The free radical scavenging abilities of peppers determined by the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method were lowest for the green pepper (2.1 micromol Trolox equivalent/g) but not significantly different from the other 3 peppers. All 4 colored peppers exhibited significant abilities in preventing the oxidation of cholesterol or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6) during heating. However, these 4 peppers did not show significant differences in their abilities in preventing cholesterol oxidation. The green pepper showed slightly higher capability in preventing the oxidation of DHA compared to the other 3 peppers.
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Moghbel, Abdolhossein; Farjzadeh, Ahmad; Aghel, Nasrin; Agheli, Homaun; Raisi, Nafiseh
2012-01-01
Background Compounds present in green tea have proved to inhibit the growth and activity of bacteria associated with infections. Objectives To assess the effects of green tea leaves extract in presence of propylene glycol on the aerobic mouth bacteria load. Materials and Methods Saliva of 25 volunteer girl students aging 20-25 years were selected and evaluated by a mouthwash sample containing 1% tannin, as the most effective antibacterial complex in green tea. Comparative studies were also conducted between green tea mouthwashes containing 1% tannin and a similar sample with 10% propylene glycol added during extraction. This comparison was applied for a chlorhexidine 0.2% sample as a chemical mouthwash brand, too. Results There was a meaningful difference between the green tea mouthwashes containing 10% propylene glycol and the simple green tea extract (P < 0.05). Significant difference was also seen between the herbal and chemical mouthwashes (P < 0.05). The extract 1% tannin containing 10% propylene glycol reduced the aerobic mouth bacterial load of the student salvia about 64 percent. The pH monotonousness in different days and temperatures approved the stability of tannin in liquid water medium. Conclusions Using green tea extract as a herbal mouthwash is safe and harmless specially for children and pregnant women. This result led us to suppose that green tea may prevent plaque formation on teeth, coming over halitosis due to mouth infection, too. These effects need to be approved in an in vivo trial as a second study. PMID:24624155
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Novel green tissue-specific synthetic promoters and cis-regulatory elements in rice.
Wang, Rui; Zhu, Menglin; Ye, Rongjian; Liu, Zuoxiong; Zhou, Fei; Chen, Hao; Lin, Yongjun
2015-12-11
As an important part of synthetic biology, synthetic promoter has gradually become a hotspot in current biology. The purposes of the present study were to synthesize green tissue-specific promoters and to discover green tissue-specific cis-elements. We first assembled several regulatory sequences related to tissue-specific expression in different combinations, aiming to obtain novel green tissue-specific synthetic promoters. GUS assays of the transgenic plants indicated 5 synthetic promoters showed green tissue-specific expression patterns and different expression efficiencies in various tissues. Subsequently, we scanned and counted the cis-elements in different tissue-specific promoters based on the plant cis-elements database PLACE and the rice cDNA microarray database CREP for green tissue-specific cis-element discovery, resulting in 10 potential cis-elements. The flanking sequence of one potential core element (GEAT) was predicted by bioinformatics. Then, the combination of GEAT and its flanking sequence was functionally identified with synthetic promoter. GUS assays of the transgenic plants proved its green tissue-specificity. Furthermore, the function of GEAT flanking sequence was analyzed in detail with site-directed mutagenesis. Our study provides an example for the synthesis of rice tissue-specific promoters and develops a feasible method for screening and functional identification of tissue-specific cis-elements with their flanking sequences at the genome-wide level in rice.
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Lang, Brian Hung-Hin; Wong, Carlos K H; Hung, Hing Tsun; Wong, Kai Pun; Mak, Ka Lun; Au, Kin Bun
2017-01-01
Because the fluorescent light intensity on an indocyanine green fluorescence angiography reflects the blood perfusion within a focused area, the fluorescent light intensity in the remaining in situ parathyroid glands may predict postoperative hypocalcemia risk after total thyroidectomy. Seventy patients underwent intraoperative indocyanine green fluorescence angiography after total thyroidectomy. Any parathyroid glands with a vascular pedicle was left in situ while any parathyroid glands without pedicle or inadvertently removed was autotransplanted. After total thyroidectomy, an intravenous 2.5 mg indocyanine green fluorescence angiography was given and real-time fluorescent images of the thyroid bed were recorded using the SPY imaging system (Novadaq, Ontario, Canada). The fluorescent light intensity of each indocyanine green fluorescence angiography as well as the average and greatest fluorescent light intensity in each patient were calculated. Postoperative hypocalcemia was defined as adjusted calcium <2.00 mmol/L within 24 hours. The fluorescent light intensity between discolored and normal-looking indocyanine green fluorescence angiographies was similar (P = .479). No patients with a greatest fluorescent light intensity >150% developed postoperative hypocalcemia while 9 (81.8%) patients with a greatest fluorescent light intensity ≤150% did. Similarly, no patients with an average fluorescent light intensity >109% developed PH while 9 (30%) with an average fluorescent light intensity ≤109% did. The greatest fluorescent light intensity was more predictive than day-0 postoperative hypocalcemia (P = .027) and % PTH drop day-0 to 1 (P < .001). Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography is a promising operative adjunct in determining residual parathyroid glands function and predicting postoperative hypocalcemia risk after total thyroidectomy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Xu, Hui; Wu, May
2018-02-02
Green water is vital for the terrestrial ecosystem, but water resource assessment often focuses on blue water. In this study, we estimated green water availability for major crops (i.e., corn, soybean, and wheat) and all other users(e.g., forest, grassland, and ecosystem services) at the county level in the United States. We estimated green water resources from effective rain(ER) using three different methods: Smith, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Soil Conservation Service (USDA-SCS), and the NHD plus V2 dataset. The analysis illustrates that, if green water meets all crop water demands, the fraction of green water resources available to all other users variesmore » significantly across regions, from the Northern Plains (0.71) to the Southeast (0.98). At the county level, this fraction varies from 0.23 to 1.0. Green water resources estimated using the three different ER methods present diverse spatiotemporal distribution patterns across regions, which could affect green water availability estimates. The water availability index for green water (WAI_R) was measured taking into account crop water demand and green water resources aggregated at the county level. Beyond these parameters, WAI_R also depends on the precipitation pattern, crop type and spatially differentiated regions. In addition, seasonal analysis indicated that WAI_R is sensitive to the temporal boundary of the analysis.« less
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DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Xu, Hui; Wu, May
Green water is vital for the terrestrial ecosystem, but water resource assessment often focuses on blue water. In this study, we estimated green water availability for major crops (i.e., corn, soybean, and wheat) and all other users(e.g., forest, grassland, and ecosystem services) at the county level in the United States. We estimated green water resources from effective rain(ER) using three different methods: Smith, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Soil Conservation Service (USDA-SCS), and the NHD plus V2 dataset. The analysis illustrates that, if green water meets all crop water demands, the fraction of green water resources available to all other users variesmore » significantly across regions, from the Northern Plains (0.71) to the Southeast (0.98). At the county level, this fraction varies from 0.23 to 1.0. Green water resources estimated using the three different ER methods present diverse spatiotemporal distribution patterns across regions, which could affect green water availability estimates. The water availability index for green water (WAI_R) was measured taking into account crop water demand and green water resources aggregated at the county level. Beyond these parameters, WAI_R also depends on the precipitation pattern, crop type and spatially differentiated regions. In addition, seasonal analysis indicated that WAI_R is sensitive to the temporal boundary of the analysis.« less
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Green Infrastructure Projects and State Activities: CWSRF Innovations
This report highlights several projects funded by ARRA that illustrate the importance of building partnerships among various stakeholders and how different green infrastructure technologies and practices can be applied in different settings.
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El, Sedef Nehir; Karakaya, Sibel
2004-02-01
This study aimed at evaluating the antioxidative activity of nine different families of greens. Raphanus raphanistrum (wild radish), Anchusa azurea (bugloss), Daucus carota (wild carrot), Sonchus oleraceus (sowthistle), Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy), Malva sylvestris (blue mallow), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Cichorium intybus (chicory) and Salicornia europaea (jointed glasswort) are native to the Mediterranean and are commonly consumed as a salad or an ingredient in some recipes. The antioxidative activities, including the radical scavenging effects, inhibition of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), and Fe(2+)-chelating activity, were studied. All samples showed antioxidant activity as a radical scavenger in the experiment using the DPPH* radical. The ratio between the slopes of the kinetic model was used to compare antioxidant efficiency of different greens. Greens also possessed antioxidative activity toward H(2)O(2). Especially, greens exhibited a marked scavenging effect on H(2)O(2) at 0.2 g/ml concentration. The Fe(2+) ion-chelating activities of the samples except jointed glasswort were greater than 70%. The antioxidant activity of samples with different methods based on the inhibition of different reactions could not be compared. The current dietary guidelines include recommendations for an increase in the consumption of plant foods. Greens should provide an optimal supply of antioxidant substances in the diet.
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Application of green concept in mechanical design and manufacture
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Liu, Xing ping
2017-11-01
With the development of productive forces, the relationship between human and nature is becoming tight increasingly, especially environmental pollution and resource consumption that comes from equipment manufacturing industry mainly. Green development concept is a new concept which can solve the current ecological environment. The philosophical foundation and theoretical basis of green idea are expounded through the study of scientific development and green concept. The difference between the traditional design and the green design is analyzed; the meaning and content of the mechanical design for green concept are discussed. And the evaluation method of green design is discussed too. The significance of green development concept in the mechanical design and manufacturing science is pinpointed clearly. The results show that the implementation of green design under the mechanical design, from the source of pollution control to achieve green manufacturing, is the only way to achieve sustainable development.
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How Can Agricultural and Extension Educators Contribute to a Successful New Green Revolution?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Navarro, Maria
2006-01-01
In the middle of the 20th century, many in the world were predicting catastrophic starvation that was halted by the Green Revolution. To address continued population growth and the unsolved problems of the Green Revolution, many hope for a new and different Green Revolution. Supporters of a biotechnology-based revolution claim that it could…
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NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Veljović-Jovanović, S.; Vidović, M.; Morina, F.; Prokić, Lj.; Todorović, D. M.
2016-09-01
Green-white variegated leaves of Pelargonium zonale were studied using the photoacoustic method. Our aim was to characterize photosynthetically active green tissue and nonphotosynthetically active white tissue by the photoacoustic amplitude signals. We observed lower stomatal conductance and higher leaf temperature in white tissue than in green tissue. Besides these thermal differences, significantly higher absorbance in green tissue was based on chlorophyll and carotenoids which were absent in white tissue. However, optical properties of epidermal layers of both tissues were equal. The photoacoustic amplitude of white tissue was over four times higher compared to green tissue, which was correlated with lower stomatal conductance. In addition, at frequencies >700 Hz, the significant differences between the photoacoustic signals of green and white tissue were obtained. We identified the photoacoustic signal deriving from photosynthetic oxygen evolution in green tissue, using high intensity of red light modulated at 10 Hz. Moreover, the photoacoustic amplitude of green tissue increased progressively with time which corresponded to the period of induction of photosynthetic oxygen evolution. For the first time, very high frequencies (1 kHz to 5 kHz) were applied on leaf material.
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Grain-Boundary Resistance in Copper Interconnects: From an Atomistic Model to a Neural Network
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Valencia, Daniel; Wilson, Evan; Jiang, Zhengping; Valencia-Zapata, Gustavo A.; Wang, Kuang-Chung; Klimeck, Gerhard; Povolotskyi, Michael
2018-04-01
Orientation effects on the specific resistance of copper grain boundaries are studied systematically with two different atomistic tight-binding methods. A methodology is developed to model the specific resistance of grain boundaries in the ballistic limit using the embedded atom model, tight- binding methods, and nonequilibrium Green's functions. The methodology is validated against first-principles calculations for thin films with a single coincident grain boundary, with 6.4% deviation in the specific resistance. A statistical ensemble of 600 large, random structures with grains is studied. For structures with three grains, it is found that the distribution of specific resistances is close to normal. Finally, a compact model for grain-boundary-specific resistance is constructed based on a neural network.
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Color of meconium and interleukin-6.
Silva-Bravo, Raquel; Mayoral-Andrade, Gabriel; Zenteno, Edgar; Hernandez, Pedro; Martínez-Cruz, Ruth; Mayoral, Laura Perez-Campos; Aguilar-Ruiz, Sergio; Paz-Pacheco, Alberto; Zarate-Aspiros, Romeo; López-Bravo, Magdalena; Roldan-Aragon, Yuri; Pérez-Campos, Eduardo
2012-01-01
To test the hypothesis that the color of meconial fluid is associated with inflammatory biomarkers, by determining C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum from the umbilical cord. In this prospective study, the authors selected 30 newborns with meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF): 14 with green/brown 656 R color and 16 with brown/cinnamon 654 R color, and 20 newborns which showed clear amniotic fluid without MSAF (non-MSAF); all newborns were from mothers without risk factors for neonatal sepsis. IL-6 concentration from umbilical cord blood, [median of 12.9 pg/mL (interquartile range {IQR} 8.7-31.0)] of MSAF-green/brown 656 R increased significantly (p < 0.05) when compared with IL-6 concentration, [median of 9.2 pg/mL (IQR 7.2-12.2)] of newborns with clear amniotic fluid and without meconium. CRP from MSAF-green/brown 656 R was median of 0.5 mg/mL (IQR 0.0-2.7), and median of 1.0 mg/mL (IQR 0.0-5.5) from clear amniotic fluid, without meconium. Significant association was found between MSAF-green/brown 656 R and increase in IL-6, with normal CRP values.