Morphological Analysis of the Human Internal Iliac Artery in South Indian Population

Objectives: The accidental hemorrhage is common due to erroneous interpretation of the variant arteries during surgical procedures, hence the present study has been undertaken with reference to its morphological significance. The objectives were to examine the level of origin, length and the branching pattern of the human internal iliac artery in South Indian population. Methods: The study included 60 human bisected pelvises irrespective of their side and sex. The specimens were collected from the anatomy laboratory and were fixed with the formalin. The branching patterns were studied and demonstrated as per the guidelines of Adachi. Results: The origin of internal iliac artery was at the level of S1 vertebra in majority (58.3%) of the cases. The average length of internal iliac artery was 37 ± 4.62 mm (range, 13-54 mm). The type I pattern of the internal iliac artery was most common (83.5%) followed by types III and II. The type IV and V pattern of adachi were not observed. Conclusions: The results of this study were different from those reported by others and may be because of racial and geographical variations. Prior knowledge of the anatomical variations is beneficial for the vascular surgeons ligating the internal iliac artery or its branches and the radiologists interpreting angiograms of the pelvic region

Factors Responsible for the Stability and the Existence of a Clean Energy Gap of a Silicon Nanocluster

We present a critical theoretical study of electronic properties of silicon nanoclusters, in particular the roles played by symmetry, relaxation, and hydrogen passivation on the the stability, the gap states and the energy gap of the system using the order-N [O(N)] non-orthogonal tight-binding molecular dynamics and the local analysis of electronic structure.Comment: 26 pages including figure

Application of Suomi-NPP Green Vegetation Fraction and NUCAPS for Improving Regional Numerical Weather Prediction

The NASA SPoRT Center is working to incorporate SuomiNPP products into its research and transition activities to improve regional numerical weather prediction (NWP). Specifically, SPoRT seeks to utilize two data products from NOAA/NESDIS: (1) daily global VIIRS green vegetation fraction (GVF), and (2) NOAA Unique CrIS and ATMS Processing System (NUCAPS) temperature and moisture retrieved profiles. The goal of (1) is to improve the representation of vegetation in the Noah land surface model (LSM) over existing climatological GVF datasets in order to improve the landatmosphere energy exchanges in NWP models and produce better temperature, moisture, and precipitation forecasts. The goal of (2) is to assimilate NUCAPS retrieved profiles into the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) data assimilation system to assess the impact on a summer prefrontal convection case. Most regional NWP applications make use of a monthly GVF climatology for use in the Noah LSM within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The GVF partitions incoming energy into direct surface heating/evaporation over bare soil versus evapotranspiration processes over vegetated surfaces. Misrepresentations of the fractional coverage of vegetation during anomalous weather/climate regimes (e.g., early/late bloom or freeze; drought) can lead to poor NWP model results when landatmosphere feedback is important. SPoRT has been producing a daily MODIS GVF product based on the University of Wisconsin Direct Broadcast swaths of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). While positive impacts have been demonstrated in the WRF model for some cases, the reflectances composing these NDVI do not correct for atmospheric aerosols nor satellite view angle, resulting in temporal noisiness at certain locations (especially heavy vegetation). The method behind the NESDIS VIIRS GVF is expected to alleviate the issues seen in the MODIS GVF realtime product, thereby offering a higherquality dataset for modeling applications. SPoRT is evaluating the VIIRS GVF data against the MODIS realtime and climatology GVF in both WRF and the NASA Land Information System. SPoRT has a history of assimilating hyperspectral infrared retrieved profile

Application of Suomi-NPP Green Vegetation Fraction and NUCAPS for Improving Regional Numerical Weather Prediction

No abstract availabl

NASA SPoRT Modeling and Data Assimilation Research and Transition Activities Using WRF, LIS and GSI

weather research and forecasting ===== The NASA Shortterm Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) program has numerous modeling and data assimilation (DA) activities in which the WRF model is a key component. SPoRT generates realtime, research satellite products from the MODIS and VIIRS instruments, making the data available to NOAA/NWS partners running the WRF/EMS, including: (1) 2km northwesternhemispheric SST composite, (2) daily, MODIS green vegetation fraction (GVF) over CONUS, and (3) NASA Land Information System (LIS) runs of the Noah LSM over the southeastern CONUS. Each of these datasets have been utilized by specific SPoRT partners in local EMS model runs, with select offices evaluating the impacts using a set of automated scripts developed by SPoRT that manage data acquisition and run the NCAR Model Evaluation Tools verification package. SPoRT is engaged in DA research with the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) and Ensemble Kalman Filter in LIS for soil moisture DA. Ongoing DA projects using GSI include comparing the impacts of assimilating Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) radiances versus retrieved profiles, and an analysis of extratropical cyclones with intense nonconvective winds. As part of its Early Adopter activities for the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, SPoRT is conducting bias correction and soil moisture DA within LIS to improve simulations using the NASA UnifiedWRF (NUWRF) for both the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity and upcoming SMAP mission data. SPoRT has also incorporated realtime global GVF data into LIS and WRF from the VIIRS product being developed by NOAA/NESDIS. This poster will highlight the research and transition activities SPoRT conducts using WRF, NUWRF, EMS, LIS, and GSI

Transitioning Enhanced Land Surface Initialization and Model Verification Capabilities to the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD)

Flooding, severe weather, and drought are key forecasting challenges for the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), based in Nairobi, Kenya. Atmospheric processes leading to convection, excessive precipitation and/or prolonged drought can be strongly influenced by land cover, vegetation, and soil moisture content, especially during anomalous conditions and dry/wet seasonal transitions. It is thus important to represent accurately land surface state variables (green vegetation fraction, soil moisture, and soil temperature) in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. The NASA SERVIR and the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) programs in Huntsville, AL have established a working partnership with KMD to enhance its regional modeling capabilities. SPoRT and SERVIR are providing experimental land surface initialization datasets and model verification capabilities for capacity building at KMD. To support its forecasting operations, KMD is running experimental configurations of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF; Skamarock et al. 2008) model on a 12-km/4-km nested regional domain over eastern Africa, incorporating the land surface datasets provided by NASA SPoRT and SERVIR. SPoRT, SERVIR, and KMD participated in two training sessions in March 2014 and June 2015 to foster the collaboration and use of unique land surface datasets and model verification capabilities. Enhanced regional modeling capabilities have the potential to improve guidance in support of daily operations and high-impact weather and climate outlooks over Eastern Africa. For enhanced land-surface initialization, the NASA Land Information System (LIS) is run over Eastern Africa at ~3-km resolution, providing real-time land surface initialization data in place of interpolated global model soil moisture and temperature data available at coarser resolutions. Additionally, real-time green vegetation fraction (GVF) composites from the Suomi-NPP VIIRS instrument is being incorporated into the KMD-WRF runs, using the product generated by NOAA/NESDIS. Model verification capabilities are also being transitioned to KMD using NCAR's Model *Corresponding author address: Jonathan Case, ENSCO, Inc., 320 Sparkman Dr., Room 3008, Huntsville, AL, 35805. Email: [email protected] Evaluation Tools (MET; Brown et al. 2009) software in conjunction with a SPoRT-developed scripting package, in order to quantify and compare errors in simulated temperature, moisture and precipitation in the experimental WRF model simulations. This extended abstract and accompanying presentation summarizes the efforts and training done to date to support this unique regional modeling initiative at KMD. To honor the memory of Dr. Peter J. Lamb and his extensive efforts in bolstering weather and climate science and capacity-building in Africa, we offer this contribution to the special Peter J. Lamb symposium. The remainder of this extended abstract is organized as follows. The collaborating international organizations involved in the project are presented in Section 2. Background information on the unique land surface input datasets is presented in Section 3. The hands-on training sessions from March 2014 and June 2015 are described in Section 4. Sample experimental WRF output and verification from the June 2015 training are given in Section 5. A summary is given in Section 6, followed by Acknowledgements and References

Protective Role for Properdin in Progression of Experimental Murine Atherosclerosis

Genetic, dietary and immune factors contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in humans and mice. Complement activation is an integral part of the innate immune defence but also shapes cellular responses and influences directly triglyceride synthesis. Deficiency of Factor B of the alternative pathway (AP) of complement is beneficial in LDLR−/− mice fed a high fat diet. The serum glycoprotein properdin is a key positive regulator of the AP but has not been studied in experimental atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis was assessed after feeding low fat (LFD) or high fat (HFD) Western type diets to newly generated LDLR−/− ProperdinKO (LDLR−/−PKO) and LDLR−/−PWT mice. Lipids, lymphocytes and monocytes were similar among genotypes, genders and diets. Complement C3, but not C3adesarg, levels were enhanced in LDLR−/−PKO mice regardless of diet type or gender. Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were decreased in male LDLR−/−PKO fed a HFD compared with controls. All mice showed significant atherosclerotic burden in aortae and at aortic roots but male LDLR−/− mice fed a LFD were affected to the greatest extent by the absence of properdin. The protective effect of properdin expression was overwhelmed in both genders of LDLR−/−mice when fed a HFD. We conclude that properdin plays an unexpectedly beneficial role in the development and progression of early atherosclerotic lesions

Projected Applications of a "Weather in a Box" Computing System at the NASA Short-Term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center

The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT)'s new "Weather in a Box" resources will provide weather research and forecast modeling capabilities for real-time application. Model output will provide additional forecast guidance and research into the impacts of new NASA satellite data sets and software capabilities. By combining several research tools and satellite products, SPoRT can generate model guidance that is strongly influenced by unique NASA contributions

Breast Cancer Migration Is Inhibited By Ficus Glomerata Roxb Leaf Column Elute Via An Inflammatory And Apoptotic Cell Signalling Pathway

Among developed countries, breast carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in women. Breast carcinoma is the result of the fusion of several biological structures, each with its own physiological characteristics and clinical repercussions. The Ficus genus has been reported to have important pharmacological properties in a variety of plants. The current study examined at the anti-mammary action of Ficus glomerata leaf column elute (FGLCE) in 12-Dimethylbenz (α) anthracene (DMBA) driven breast cancer and the mechanism behind it. To produce tumors in female rats, a single dosage of DMBA (25 mg/kg) was injected into the mammary gland. The female rats were divided into five groups- Group I. Control group; Group II- control + FGLCE (100mg/kg of BW); Group III- DMBA treated rats; Group IV- DMBA + FGLCE treated; Group V- DMBA + DOX (5 mg/kg) treated rats. Tumor burden, incidence, and volume were measured at the end of the experiment.The lipid profile (TC, FFA, PL, and TG) in plasma, liver tissue, and mammary tissue were all calculated.At a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight, DMBA inhibits the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX).DMBA  at a dose concentration 25mg/ kg body weight xenobiotic  markers increased in group III rats When compared to the control group  and glycoprotein p53, and TNF-α, the dose-dependent treatment with FGLCE (P<0.05) significantly reduced .Hepatic markers such as alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-α), and inflammatory mediators such as nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-kB) were considerably (P<0.05) down regulated by FGLCE. FGLCE significantly (P<0.05) reduced apoptotic regulator (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and Breast Cancer gene 1 (BRCA-1) expression when compared to DMBA control group rats.Therefore, the findings suggest that FGLCE has a protective effect against DMBA-induced mammary gland in rats