Comprehensive assessment of MODIS-derived near-surface air temperature using wide elevation-spanned measurements in China.

This is the first comprehensive evaluation of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived near-surface air temperature, which has been used widely in a series of large-scale models varying in various disciplines ranging from climatology, hydrology to ecology. Four retrieval methods: the highest available pressure in the atmospheric profile product, interpolation by the adiabatic lapse rate, interpolation by the hypsometric equation and the combination with land surface temperature, were developed in the past, but only with validation in regional scale. All of these are evaluated in this paper against 2168 hourly meteorological recordings with an elevation span of over 5000 m in China.

A preliminary study of the heating effect of the Tibetan Plateau.

The immense and towering Tibetan Plateau acts as a heating source and, thus, deeply shapes the climate of the Eurasian continent and even the whole world. However, due to the scarcity of meteorological observation stations and very limited climatic data, little is quantitatively known about the heating effect of the plateau and its implications. This paper firstly collects climate data (2001-2007) from 109 observation stations and MODIS-based estimated monthly mean temperature data in the plateau and the neighboring Sichuan Basin, and conducts correlation and simple linear regression to reveal the altitudinal pattern of temperature.

[Vertical zonation of mountain landscape: a review].

Vertical gradient of mountain landscape is about 1000 times of its horizontal gradient, and hence, only using landscape pattern index is quite difficult to reflect the landscape regularity along vertical gradient. Mountain altitudinal belt is a kind of classic geographic models representing the vertical differentiation of landscape, being of significance in geographic and ecological researches. However, the discrete expression pattern and the inaccuracy of the borderlines of mountain vertical belts limit the roles of mountain vertical belt in accurately describing landscape pattern in regional scale and in explaining ecological processes.

Differences in matrix metalloproteinase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-12 transcript levels among carotid atherosclerotic plaques with different histopathological characteristics.

Background And Purpose: Previous studies have shown that atherosclerotic lesions express a number of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Here we investigated whether transcript levels of MMP-1, -3, -7, -9, and -12 in carotid atherosclerotic plaques were correlated with histological features and clinical manifestations.

Methods: Atherosclerotic plaques (n=50) removed from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were classified histologically using a system proposed by Virmani et al, and MMP-1, -3, -7, -9, and -12 transcript levels in these tissues were quantified by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

Molecular pathogenesis of subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) results from leakage of blood into the subarachnoid space and carries high morbidity and mortality. However, there is limited understanding to date, of the risk factors, cellular, intermediate biochemical and genetic traits predisposing to SAH. Nevertheless, in conjunction with improved methods of diagnostic imaging and less invasive approaches to preventing aneurysmal rupture, there may be utility in gaining a better understanding of the pathogenesis and in identifying pre-disease markers.

Haplotypic analysis of the MMP-9 gene in relation to coronary artery disease.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the pathology underlying the majority of coronary artery disease. We previously identified several polymorphisms in the gene encoding MMP-9. In this study we tested the hypothesis that variation in the matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene influences the development of atherosclerosis.