The Amount of Zeaxanthin Epoxidase But Not the Amount of Violaxanthin De-Epoxidase Is a Critical Determinant of Zeaxanthin Accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum.

The generation of violaxanthin (Vx) de-epoxidase (VDE), photosystem II subunit S (PsbS) and zeaxanthin (Zx) epoxidase (ZEP) (VPZ) lines, which simultaneously overexpress VDE, PsbS and ZEP, has been successfully used to accelerate the kinetics of the induction and relaxation of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Here, we studied the impact of the overexpression of VDE and ZEP on the conversion of the xanthophyll cycle pigments in VPZ lines of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum. The protein amount of both VDE and ZEP was determined to be increased to about 3- to 5-fold levels of wild-type (WT) plants for both species.

Rapid separation of beryllium and lanthanide derivatives by capillary gas chromatography.

DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201200537 Europium(III) derivative formed by reaction of the europium ion with a fluorinated β-diketonate reagent and a neutral donor.

Rapid separation of beryllium and lanthanide derivatives by capillary gas chromatography.

Previous studies describe derivatization of metal ions followed by analysis using gas chromatography, usually on packed columns. In many of these studies, stable and volatile derivatives were formed using fluorinated β-diketonate reagents. This paper extends previous work by investigating separations of the derivatives on small-diameter capillary gas chromatography columns and exploring on-fiber, solid-phase microextraction derivatization techniques for beryllium.

Dried blood spot analysis of donepezil in support of a GLP 3-month dose-range finding study in rats.

Donepezil hydrochloride is a reversible acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor approved for Alzheimer disease treatment. As an alternate therapy, a donepezil hydrochloride transdermal patch is in development. Recommended nonclinical safety studies include a 3-month Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) dose-range finding (DRF) study prior to conducting the 2-year dermal carcinogenicity study in rats.

Vicarious calibrations of HICO data acquired from the International Space Station.

The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) presently onboard the International Space Station (ISS) is an imaging spectrometer designed for remote sensing of coastal waters. The instrument is not equipped with any onboard spectral and radiometric calibration devices. Here we describe vicarious calibration techniques that have been used in converting the HICO raw digital numbers to calibrated radiances.

Impact of signal-to-noise ratio in a hyperspectral sensor on the accuracy of biophysical parameter estimation in case II waters.

Errors in the estimated constituent concentrations in optically complex waters due solely to sensor noise in a spaceborne hyperspectral sensor can be as high as 80%. The goal of this work is to elucidate the effect of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on the accuracy of retrieved constituent concentrations. Large variations in the magnitude and spectral shape of the reflectances from coastal waters complicate the impact of SNR on the accuracy of estimation.

Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean: instrument description and first images.

The Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) is the first spaceborne hyperspectral sensor designed specifically for the coastal ocean and estuarial, riverine, or other shallow-water areas. The HICO generates hyperspectral images, primarily over the 400-900 nm spectral range, with a ground sample distance of ≈90 m (at nadir) and a high signal-to-noise ratio. The HICO is now operating on the International Space Station (ISS).

Specular integrating tube for scattered-light spectroscopy.

A cylindrical sample cell is adapted to the problem of increasing the scattered-light signal from an optically thin liquid sample. The ends of the cylinder are coated with specularly reflecting aluminum to increase the signal by reflecting the stimulating light beam through the medium multiple times. The circumference of the cylinder is similarly coated to increase the fraction of the emitted light that is collected and sent into the slit of a spectrometer.

An analytic form for the interresponse time analysis of Shull, Gaynor, and Grimes with applications and extensions.

Shull, Gaynor and Grimes advanced a model for interresponse time distribution using probabilistic cycling between a higher-rate and a lower-rate response process. Both response processes are assumed to be random in time with a constant rate. The cycling between the two processes is assumed to have a constant transition probability that is independent of bout length.

Influence of Seidel distortion on combining beams from a phased telescope array.

When beams from an array of a focal telescopes are presented to a beam-combining telescope, tilt errors of the beam wave fronts with respect to the combined wave front place limits on the achievable field of view (FOV); these limits, to the best of our knowledge, have not previously been correctly described in the literature. We show that if the front-end telescopes have just the right Seidel distortion coefficient, then tilt error does not limit the FOV. If this is not the case, at least small FOV's can still be obtained, even if the FOV is not centered on the on-axis direction.

Deriving the Coltman Correction for Transforming the Bar Transfer Function to the Optical Transfer Function (or the Contrast Transfer Function to the Modulation Transfer Function).

The Coltman series for obtaining the optical transfer function from measurements of the bar transfer function is mathematically derived. The bar transfer function rather than the contrast transfer function is defined so that the relation remains valid when an image exhibits phase reversal.

Stacked-grid Collimators Described with Dimensionless Parameters.

The properties of a one-dimensional stacked-grid collimator can be specified by two dimensionless parameters. This is useful because a two-dimensional collimator can usually be described as two one-dimensional collimators. Plots are given that show normal-incidence transmission and FWHM angular response in terms of these parameters.

Blind data restoration with an extracted filter function.

A method for performing blind deconvolutions on degraded images and data has been developed. The technique uses a power law relation applied to the Fourier transform of the degraded data to extract a filter function. This filter function closely resembles the point-spread function of the system and can be used to restore and enhance higher-frequency content.

Two-dimensional synthetic aperture imaging in the optical domain.

In scan-mode synthetic aperture imaging radar, spatial resolution in a range is given by a frequency-swept waveform, whereas resolution in the orthogonal direction is derived from the record of phase as the beam footprint executes linear motion over the object. We demonstrate here what is to our knowledge the first two-dimensional imaging that uses exactly this process in the optical domain for a 1 cm x 1 cm object with 90 mumx170 mum resolution.

Lambertian radiance and transmission of an integrating sphere.

The importance of Lambertian transmission, rather than total transmission, is argued and expressions for both are given. Exact expressions for output radiance are given in terms of both total sphere area and port area. A formula for choosing sphere size to give the maximum Lambertian transmission is developed.

Theoretical wave structure function when the effect of the outer scale is significant.

The wave structure function (WSF) for a plane wave, calculated from the basic Rytov theory, is usually expressed as 6.88(r/r(0))(5/3), but this does not include the effect of a finite outer scale (or of a nonzero inner scale) of turbulence. When separation distance r is only 5% of the outer scale, this expression overpredicts the WSF by a factor of approximately 2.

Police deaths in New York and London during the twentieth century.

Objectives: To describe the incidences and causes of occupational police deaths in New York City in the United States and Greater London in the United Kingdom during the twentieth century. To assess the relation between overall societal violence and violence directed toward police officers in these metropolitan areas.

Design And Setting: Ecological study of New York and London from 1900 through 1999.

Breath alcohol ignition interlock devices: controlling the recidivist.

This study compares the recidivism rates of two groups of Illinois drivers who had their driver's licenses revoked for alcohol-impaired driving and who received restricted driving permits. Drivers in both groups had more than two driving under the influence (DUI) actions against their record within 5 years or were classed as level III alcohol dependents. Drivers in one group were required to install breath alcohol ignition interlock devices in their vehicles and drivers in the other group were not.

Fast computation of the narcissus reflection coefficient for the Herschel far-infrared/submillimeter-wave Cassegrain telescope.

Placement of a scatter cone at the center of the secondary of a Cassegrain telescope greatly reduces Nareissus reflection. To calculate the remaining Narcissus reflection, a time-consuming physical optics code/such as GRASP8 is often used to model the effects of reflection and diffraction. Fortunately, the Cassegrain geometry is sufficiently simple that a combination of theoretical analysis and Fourier propagation can yield rapid, accurate results at submillimeter wavelengths.

Improving road safety and residential quality of life : evaluating the automated wayside horn system.

The automated wayside horn system is designed to replace the train horn as a means of alerting motorists to danger and thus enhancing safety at highway-rail grade crossings. Furthermore, the wayside horn directionality is such that the warning sound is broadcast over a smaller sector than the train horn, thereby reducing residential noise. This article examines the results of an evaluation comparing train horns with wayside horns in the village of Mundelein, Illinois, USA.

Breath alcohol ignition interlock devices: controlling the recidivist.

This study compares the recidivism rates of two groups of Illinois drivers who had their driver's licenses revoked for alcohol-impaired driving and who received restricted driving permits. Drivers in both groups had more than two driving under the influence (DUI) actions against their record within 5 years or were classed as level III alcohol dependents. Drivers in one group were required to install breath alcohol ignition interlock devices in their vehicles and drivers in the other group were not.

Photon-limited synthetic-aperture imaging for planet surface studies.

The carrier-to-noise ratio that results from phase-sensitive heterodyne detection in a photon-limited synthetic-aperture ladar (SAL) is developed, propagated through synthetic-aperture signal processing, and combined with speckle to give the signal-to-noise ratio of the resultant image. Carrier- and signal-to-noise ratios are defined in such a way as to be familiar to the optical imaging community. Design equations are presented to show that a 10-microm SAL in orbit around Mars can give centimeter-class resolution with reasonable laser power.

Linear modeling of steady-state behavioral dynamics.

The observed steady-state behavioral dynamics supported by unsignaled periods of reinforcement within repeating 2,000-s trials were modeled with a linear transfer function. These experiments employed improved schedule forms and analytical methods to improve the precision of the measured transfer function, compared to previous work. The refinements include both the use of multiple reinforcement periods that improve spectral coverage and averaging of independently determined transfer functions.

[Computed tomography and magnetic resonance tomography in tuberculous spondylitis. A review of the literature and the authors' own observations].

Purpose: The findings of tuberculous spondylitis in MRT have been described extensively. Nevertheless the diagnostic value of both methods in the diagnosis of this severe manifestation of the tuberculous disease was not yet defined definitely.

Materials: We performed a review of the recent literature and a retrospective analysis of the findings in ten patients with proven tuberculous spondylitis.