Showing papers by "Wolfgang Wagner published in 2006"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use a technique referred to as Gaussian decomposition for processing and calibrating data acquired with a novel small-footprint airborne laser scanner that digitises the complete waveform of the laser pulses scattered back from the Earth's surface.
Abstract: In this study we use a technique referred to as Gaussian decomposition for processing and calibrating data acquired with a novel small-footprint airborne laser scanner that digitises the complete waveform of the laser pulses scattered back from the Earth's surface. This paper presents the theoretical basis for modelling the waveform as a series of Gaussian pulses. In this way the range, amplitude, and width are provided for each pulse. Using external reference targets it is also possible to calibrate the data. The calibration equation takes into account the range, the amplitude, and pulse width and provides estimates of the backscatter cross-section of each target. The applicability of this technique is demonstrated based on RIEGL LMS-Q560 data acquired over the city of Vienna.
715 citations
University of Mainz1, University of Delaware2, University of California, Irvine3, University of California, Berkeley4, University of Wuppertal5, Université libre de Bruxelles6, University of Wisconsin-Madison7, Uppsala University8, Stockholm University9, University of Mons-Hainaut10, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory11, Pennsylvania State University12, Vrije Universiteit Brussel13, Imperial College London14, University of Wisconsin–River Falls15
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used pulsed and continuous light sources embedded with the AMANDA neutrino telescope, an array of more than six hundred photomultiplier tubes buried deep in the ice.
Abstract: We have remotely mapped optical scattering and absorption in glacial ice at the South Pole for wavelengths between 313 and 560 nm and depths between 1100 and 2350 m. We used pulsed and continuous light sources embedded with the AMANDA neutrino telescope, an array of more than six hundred photomultiplier tubes buried deep in the ice. At depths greater than 1300 m, both the scattering coefficient and absorptivity follow vertical variations in concentration of dust impurities, which are seen in ice cores from other Antarctic sites and which track climatological changes. The scattering coefficient varies by a factor of seven, and absorptivity (for wavelengths less than ∼450 nm) varies by a factor of three in the depth range between 1300 and 2300 m, where four dust peaks due to stadials in the late Pleistocene have been identified. In our absorption data, we also identify a broad peak due to the Last Glacial Maximum around 1300 m. In the scattering data, this peak is partially masked by scattering on residual air bubbles, whose contribution dominates the scattering coefficient in shallower ice but vanishes at ∼1350 m where all bubbles have converted to nonscattering air hydrates. The wavelength dependence of scattering by dust is described by a power law with exponent -0.90 ± 0.03, independent of depth. The wavelength dependence of absorptivity in the studied wavelength range is described by the sum of two components: a power law due to absorption by dust, with exponent -1.08 ± 0.01 and a normalization proportional to dust concentration that varies with depth; and a rising exponential due to intrinsic ice absorption which dominates at wavelengths greater than ∼500 nm. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.
697 citations
09 Mar 2006
TL;DR: Data from the Eurobarometer survey on biotechnology is used to explore the hypothesis that it is not so much the perception of risks as the absence of benefits that is the basis of the widespread rejection of GM foods and crops by the European public.
Abstract: Public opposition to genetically modified (GM) food and crops is widely interpreted as the result of the public's misperception of the risks. With scientific assessment pointing to no unique risks from GM crops and foods, a strategy of accurate risk communication from trusted sources has been advocated. This is based on the assumption that the benefits of GM crops and foods are self-evident. Informed by the interpretation of some qualitative interviews with lay people, we use data from the Eurobarometer survey on biotechnology to explore the hypothesis that it is not so much the perception of risks as the absence of benefits that is the basis of the widespread rejection of GM foods and crops by the European public. Some respondents perceive both risks and benefits, and may be trading off these attributes along the lines of a rational choice model. However, for others, one attribute—benefit—appears to dominate their judgments: the lexicographic heuristic. For these respondents, their perception of risk is of limited importance in the formation of attitudes toward GM food and crops. The implication is that the absence of perceived benefits from GM foods and crops calls into question the relevance of risk communication strategies for bringing about change in public opinion.
385 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a Gibbs energy function g(T,p) of temperature and pressure, covering the ranges 0 −273.16 K and 0 −210 MPa, expressed in the temperature scale ITS-90, is presented.
Abstract: Various thermodynamic equilibrium properties of naturally abundant, hexagonal ice (ice Ih) of water (H2O) have been used to develop a Gibbs energy function g(T,p) of temperature and pressure, covering the ranges 0–273.16 K and 0 Pa–210 MPa, expressed in the temperature scale ITS-90. It serves as a fundamental equation from which additional properties are obtained as partial derivatives by thermodynamic rules. Extending previously developed Gibbs functions, it covers the entire existence region of ice Ih in the T-p diagram. Close to zero temperature, it obeys the theoretical cubic limiting law of Debye for heat capacity and Pauling’s residual entropy. It is based on a significantly enlarged experimental data set compared to its predecessors. Due to the inherent thermodynamic cross relations, the formulas for particular quantities like density, thermal expansion, or compressibility are thus fully consistent with each other, are more reliable now, and extended in their ranges of validity. In conjunction with the IAPWS-95 formulation for the fluid phases of water, the new chemical potential of ice allows an alternative computation of the melting and sublimation curves, being improved especially near the triple point, and valid down to 130 K sublimation temperature. It provides an absolute entropy reference value for liquid water at the triple point.
315 citations
TL;DR: Evidence is provided that homogeneous BM-MSC preparations can reproducibly be isolated under standardized conditions, whereas culture conditions exert a prominent impact on transcriptome, proteome, and cellular organization of BM- MSC.
181 citations
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this article, a survey of optimism and pessimism in biotechnology applications is presented, focusing on Gene therapy, pharmacogenetics, GM food, and nanotechnology applications, as well as the reasons for buying or not buying GM food.
Abstract: Summary of key findings 3 1. Introduction 8 2. Technological optimism & pessimism 10 2.1 Trends in optimism 11 3. Evaluating applications of biotechnology 15 3.1 Gene therapy, pharmacogenetics, GM food and nanotechnology 15 3.2 Reasons for buying or not buying GM food 22 3.3 Industrial (white) biotechnology 24 4. Stem cell research 29 4.1 Opinions on stem cell research 29 4.2 What information do people want about stem cell research? 37
178 citations
TL;DR: A new formulation for the thermodynamic properties of the fluid phase of ethane in the form of a fundamental equation explicit in the Helmholtz energy is presented in this paper, where the functional form of the residual part was developed using state-of-the-art linear and nonlinear optimization algorithms.
Abstract: A new formulation for the thermodynamic properties of the fluid phase of ethane in the form of a fundamental equation explicit in the Helmholtz energy is presented The functional form of the residual part was developed using state-of-the-art linear and nonlinear optimization algorithms It contains 44 coefficients which were fitted to selected data for the thermal and caloric properties of ethane both in the single-phase region and on the liquid–vapor phase boundary This work provides information on the available experimental data for the thermodynamic properties of ethane and presents all details of the new formulation The new equation of state describes the pρT surface of ethane with an uncertainty in density of less than 002%–003% (coverage factor k=2 corresponding to a level of confidence of about 95%) from the melting line up to temperatures of 520 K and pressures of 30 MPa In the gaseous and supercritical region, high precision speed of sound data are represented generally within less than 00
170 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the thermodynamic properties of fluid phase n-butane and isobutane in the form of fundamental equations explicit in the Helmholtz energy are presented.
Abstract: New formulations for the thermodynamic properties of fluid phase n-butane and isobutane in the form of fundamental equations explicit in the Helmholtz energy are presented. The functional form of the correlation equations for the residual parts was developed simultaneously for both substances considering data for the thermodynamic properties of ethane, propane, n-butane, and isobutane. Each contains 25 coefficients which were fitted to selected data for the thermal and caloric properties of the respective fluid both in the single-phase region and on the vapor–liquid phase boundary. This work provides information on the available experimental data for the thermodynamic properties of n- and isobutane, and presents all details of the new formulations. The new equations of state describe the pρT surfaces with uncertainties in density of 0.02% (coverage factor k=2 corresponding to a confidence level of about 95%) from the melting line up to temperatures of 340 K and pressures of 12 MPa. The available reliable ...
160 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used state-of-the-art airborne laser scanning (ALS) technology and software packages to map canopy heights and to estimate tree heights for a 128 km2 region in the western part of the Austrian Alps.
Abstract: Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is currently one of the most promising remote sensing techniques for quantitative retrieval of forest parameters. While ALS has reached an operational status for mapping of boreal forests, its large area application over mountainous environments is lacking behind. This is because alpine forests often have high horizontal and vertical structural diversity and are situated in steep terrain. Also, ALS data acquisition and processing is more demanding over mountainous areas than over relatively flat regions. In this study we have used state-of-the-art ALS technology and software packages to map canopy heights and to estimate tree heights for a 128 km2 region in the western part of the Austrian Alps. Spruce and fir are the dominant tree species. Rather than employing data and methods tuned for a particular task and for a small study area, we solely use data and methods which already serve other operational applications. Thus, it is ensured that the results obtained in this study are of practical relevance. For the validation of the ALS derived canopy heights we have used 22 000 ground control points and field-measured forest inventory data from 103 sample plots, which are operationally used by the local forest administration. The validation of the digital terrain model (DTM) with the ground control points shows that over non-forested terrain DTM errors increase from 10 cm for relatively flat terrain (local slope
143 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the first measurement of the B{sub s}{sup 0}-{bar B}{sub s} oscillation frequency was made using 1 fb{sup -1} of data from p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron.
Abstract: The authors present the first measurement of the B{sub s}{sup 0}-{bar B}{sub s}{sup 0} oscillation frequency {Delta}m{sub s}. They use 1 fb{sup -1} of data from p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. The sample contains signals of 3600 fully reconstructed hadronic B{sub s} decays and 37,000 partially reconstructed semileptonic B{sub s} decays. They measure the probability as a function of proper decay time that the B{sub s} decays with the same, or opposite, flavor as the flavor at production and they find a signal consistent with B{sub s}{sup 0}-{bar B}{sub s}{sup 0} oscillations. The probability that random fluctuations could produce a comparable signal is 0.2%. Under the hypothesis that the signal is due to B{sub s}{sup 0}-{bar B}{sub s}{sup 0} oscillations, they measure {Delta}m{sub s} = 17.31{sub -0.18}{sup +0.33}(stat.) {+-} 0.07(syst.) ps{sup -1} and determine |V{sub td}/V{sub ts}| = 0.208{sub -0.002}{sup +0.001}(exp.){sub -0.006}{sup +0.008}(theo.).
119 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors measured the probability that the B{sub s} decays with the same, or opposite, flavor as the flavor at production, and they found a signal for B {sub s}{sup 0}-B{sub d} oscillations.
Abstract: We report the observation of B{sub s}{sup 0}-B{sub s}{sup 0} oscillations from a time-dependent measurement of the B{sub s}{sup 0}-B{sub s}{sup 0} oscillation frequency {delta}m{sub s}. Using a data sample of 1 fb{sup -1} of pp collisions at {radical}(s)=1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron, we find signals of 5600 fully reconstructed hadronic B{sub s} decays, 3100 partially reconstructed hadronic B{sub s} decays, and 61 500 partially reconstructed semileptonic B{sub s} decays. We measure the probability as a function of proper decay time that the B{sub s} decays with the same, or opposite, flavor as the flavor at production, and we find a signal for B{sub s}{sup 0}-B{sub s}{sup 0} oscillations. The probability that random fluctuations could produce a comparable signal is 8x10{sup -8}, which exceeds 5{sigma} significance. We measure {delta}m{sub s}=17.77{+-}0.10(stat){+-}0.07(syst) ps{sup -1} and extract vertical bar V{sub td}/V{sub ts} vertical bar =0.2060{+-}0.0007({delta}m{sub s}){sub -0.0060}{sup +0.0081}({delta}m{sub d}+theor)
TL;DR: In this article, the dipion mass spectrum in X(3872) was measured with the CDF II detector and it was shown that J/{psi}-{rho} angular momenta L are compatible with the data.
Abstract: The authors measure the dipion mass spectrum in X(3872) {yields} J/{psi}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} decays using 360 pb{sup -1} of {bar p}p collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector. The spectrum is fit with predictions for odd C-parity ({sup 3}S{sub 1}, {sup 1}P{sub 1}, and {sup 3}D{sub J}) charmonia decaying to J/{psi}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}, as well as event C-parity states in which the pions are from {rho}{sup 0} decay. The latter case also encompasses exotic interpretations, such as a D{sup 0}{bar D}*{sup 0} molecule. Only the {sup 3}S{sub 1} and J/{psi} {rho} hypotheses are compatible with the data. Since {sup 3}S{sub 1} is untenable on other grounds, decay via J/{psi} {rho} is favored, which implies C = +1 for the X(3872). Models for different J/{psi}-{rho} angular momenta L are considered. Flexibility in the models, especially the introduction of {rho}-{omega} interference, enable good descriptions of the data for both L = 0 and 1.
TL;DR: The authors argue that the Europeanization of defence politics leads to a democratic deficit because national parliaments' capacity to control executive decisions to use military force has been weakened by the ESDP and neither the European Parliament nor the former WEU assembly has been able to compensate for this loss of parliamentary control.
Abstract: The development of a ESDP has raised concerns over the EU's identity as a ‘civilian power’. Whereas concerns over a gradual replacement of civilian policy instruments by military force have been most prevalent, this article focuses on a neglected dimension of the civilian power-concept, namely on the repercussions of the ESDP for the democratic control of security and defence policy. It argues that the Europeanization of defence politics leads to a democratic deficit because national parliaments' capacity to control executive decisions to use military force has been weakened by the ESDP and neither the European Parliament nor the former WEU assembly has been able to compensate for this loss of parliamentary control. This democratic deficit may not only damage the legitimacy of EU-led military missions but may also compromise the EU's ability to lead by virtuous example.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report the first evidence of a fully reconstructed decay mode of the B{sub c}{sup {+-}} meson in the channel with J/{psi} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{mu-sup +}mu-sub c{sup -}. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of 360 pb{sup −1} in p{bar p} collisions collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab.
Abstract: We report the first evidence of a fully reconstructed decay mode of the B{sub c}{sup {+-}} meson in the channel B{sub c}{sup {+-}} {yields} J/{psi}{sup {+-}}, with J/{psi} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -}. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of 360 pb{sup -1} in p{bar p} collisions collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We observe 18.9 {+-} 5.7 signal events on a background of 10.0 {+-} 1.4 events and the fit to the J/{psi}{pi}{sup {+-}} mass spectrum yields a B{sub c}{sup {+-}} mass of 6287.0 {+-} 4.8(stat) {+-} 1.1(syst) MeV/c{sup 2}.
TL;DR: In this paper, the ERS scatterometer soil moisture products precision over a half-degree region in Southwestern France was investigated based on a high resolution soil moisture simulation (1km²) validated at the local scale.
Abstract: This paper investigates the ERS Scatterometer soil moisture products precision over a half-degree region in Southwestern France. Based on a high resolution soil moisture simulation (1km²) validated at the local scale, the ERS-scat product is assessed at its own resolution (about 50x50 km²). The study points out the suitable quality of the surface soil moisture product (root mean square error equal to 0.06 m3.m-3 for a 4-year period) and assesses the retrieved root-zone soil moisture accuracy provided by a semi-empirical methodology exclusively based on surface soil moisture products.
TL;DR: It is reported that in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (mH+/-, tanbeta) plane the first exclusion regions with radiative and Yukawa coupling corrections are presented, allowing 95% C.L. upper limits to be placed on BR(t-->H+b) for different charged Higgs decay scenarios.
Abstract: We report the results of a search for a charged Higgs boson in the decays of top quarks produced in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. We use a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 193 pb{sup -1} collected by the upgraded Collider Detector at Fermilab. No evidence for charged Higgs production is found, allowing 95% C.L. upper limits to be placed on BR(t{yields}H{sup +}b) for different charged Higgs decay scenarios. In addition, we present in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (m{sub H{sup {+-}}},tan{beta}) plane the first exclusion regions with radiative and Yukawa coupling corrections.
TL;DR: In this paper, the CDF II detector at Fermilab has been used to measure the top quark mass of the hadronically decaying $W$ boson.
Abstract: This article presents a measurement of the top quark mass using the CDF II detector at Fermilab. Colliding beams of protons and antiprotons at Fermilab's Tevatron ($\sqrt{s}=1.96\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$) produce top/antitop pairs, which decay to ${W}^{+}{W}^{\ensuremath{-}}b\overline{b}$; events are selected where one $W$ decays to hadrons and the other $W$ decays to either $e$ or $\ensuremath{\mu}$ plus a neutrino. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of approximately $318\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{pb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. A total of 165 $t\overline{t}$ events are separated into four subsamples based on jet transverse energy thresholds and the number of $b$ jets identified by reconstructing a displaced vertex. In each event, the reconstructed top quark invariant mass is determined by minimizing a ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{2}$ for the overconstrained kinematic system. At the same time, the mass of the hadronically decaying $W$ boson is measured in the same event sample. The observed $W$ boson mass provides an in situ improvement in the determination of the hadronic jet energy scale. A simultaneous likelihood fit of the reconstructed top quark masses and the $W$ boson invariant masses in the data sample to distributions from simulated signal and background events gives a top quark mass of ${173.5}_{\ensuremath{-}3.8}^{+3.9}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}/{c}^{2}$.
TL;DR: There is a clear impact of age on ETV failure rate even when excluding etiological factors, and the probability of ETV success gradually increases during the first months of life.
Abstract: Patient’s age and etiology of hydrocephalus are the most important factors influencing the success rate of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). Failure rates are reported to be particularly high in the first year of age. On the basis of our own data and a metaanalysis of the literature, we try to further define the impact of age on ETV success in infants younger than 1 year. Only patients with a minimum follow-up of 12 months were considered. Between October 1994 and July 2004, 28 patients younger than 1 year underwent ETV in our institution. Age ranged from 8 to 311 days (median 96). The etiology of hydrocephalus was aqueductal stenosis (AS) in all patients (idiopathic in 13, posthemorrhagic in three, postmeningitic in four, and related to CNS or vascular malformation or to tumor in eight). ETV failure was defined as subsequent need for shunt implantation. The metaanalysis of the literature took into account reported series on ETV in infants with detailed data on age and etiology in every single patient. In our own patients, ETV was successful in 13 patients and eventually failed in 15. In the ETV success group, the median age was 200 days and the mean age was 176 days (range 13–311 days). In the ETV failure group, the ages were 105 days (median), 117 days (mean), and 8–299 days (range). The differences were not statistically significant. Age distributions in both outcome groups showed a tendency of failures to occur more frequently in the first 2–4 months of life. The separate analysis of patients with idiopathic AS yielded similar figures and distributions. The data from the metaanalysis of the literature corresponded to our own results. There is a clear impact of age on ETV failure rate even when excluding etiological factors. The probability of ETV success gradually increases during the first months of life. The consequence of these findings for decision-making as well as parental counseling is to try to weigh the age of the infant and its estimated impact on ETV success with other factors guiding the decision to perform ETV or shunt in the treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus.
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: This work evaluated applications of biotechnology, including gene therapy, pharmacogenetics, GM food and nanotechnology, and opinions on stem cell research, which indicated optimism and pessimism were low.
Abstract: Summary of key findings 3 1. Introduction 8 2. Technological optimism & pessimism 10 2.1 Trends in optimism 11 3. Evaluating applications of biotechnology 15 3.1 Gene therapy, pharmacogenetics, GM food and nanotechnology 15 3.2 Reasons for buying or not buying GM food 22 3.3 Industrial (white) biotechnology 24 4. Stem cell research 29 4.1 Opinions on stem cell research 29 4.2 What information do people want about stem cell research? 37
TL;DR: In this article, the convergence behavior of the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is systematically investigated for near-continuum, one-dimensional Fourier flow, where an argon-like, hard-sphere gas is confined between two parallel, fully accommodating, motionless walls of unequal temperature.
Abstract: The convergence behavior of the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is systematically investigated for near-continuum, one-dimensional Fourier flow. An argon-like, hard-sphere gas is confined between two parallel, fully accommodating, motionless walls of unequal temperature. The simulations are performed using four variations based on Bird’s DSMC algorithm that differ in the ordering of the move, collide, and sample operations. The primary convergence metric studied is the ratio of the DSMC-calculated bulk thermal conductivity to the infinite-approximation Chapman-Enskog (CE) theoretical value, although temperature and heat flux are also considered. Ensemble, temporal, and spatial averaging are used to reduce statistical errors to levels that are small compared to the discretization errors from the time step (Δt), the cell size (Δx), and the number of computational particles per cell (Nc). The errors from these three parameters are determined using over 700 individual cases selected from the range...
TL;DR: In this article, the masses of b hadrons in exclusively reconstructed final states containing a J/{psi}yields}{mu}{sup -}{mu-sup +} decay were measured using 220 pb{sup -1} of data collected by the CDF II experiment.
Abstract: We measure the masses of b hadrons in exclusively reconstructed final states containing a J/{psi}{yields}{mu}{sup -}{mu}{sup +} decay using 220 pb{sup -1} of data collected by the CDF II experiment. We find: m(B{sup +})=5279.10{+-}0.41{sub (stat.)}{+-}0.36{sub (sys.)} MeV/c{sup 2}, m(B{sup 0})=5279.63{+-}0.53{sub (stat.)}{+-}0.33{sub (sys.)} MeV/c{sup 2}, m(B{sub s}{sup 0})=5366.01{+-}0.73{sub (stat.)}{+-}0.33{sub (sys.)} MeV/c{sup 2}, m({lambda}{sub b}{sup 0})=5619.7{+-}1.2{sub (stat.)}{+-}1.2{sub (sys.)} MeV/c{sup 2}. m(B{sup +})-m(B{sup 0})=-0.53{+-}0.67{sub (stat.)}{+-}0.14{sub (sys.)} MeV/c{sup 2}, m(B{sub s}{sup 0})-m(B{sup 0})=86.38{+-}0.90{sub (stat.)}{+-}0.06{sub (sys.)} MeV/c{sup 2}, m({lambda}{sub b}{sup 0})-m(B{sup 0})=339.2{+-}1.4{sub (stat.)}{+-}0.1{sub (sys.)} MeV/c{sup 2}. The measurements of the B{sub s}{sup 0}, {lambda}{sub b}{sup 0} mass, m(B{sub s}{sup 0})-m(B{sup 0}) and m({lambda}{sub b}{sup 0})-m(B{sup 0}) mass difference are of better precision than the current world averages.
TL;DR: In this paper, an extended mass-flow type stochastic particle algorithm for simulating the growth of nanoparticles that are formed in flames and reactors was derived and tested. But this algorithm does not consider the effects of coagulation that dominates such systems, along with particle source and surface growth.
TL;DR: This paper localizes the regions affected by a strong azimuthal signal dependence when observed with the European Remote Sensing Satellite Scatterometer and the SeaWinds Scatterometers on QuikSCAT (QSCAT).
Abstract: Studies of the Earth's land surface involving scatterometers are becoming an increasingly important application field of microwave remote sensing. Similarly to scatterometer observations of ocean waves, the backscattering coefficient (sigma0) response of land surfaces depends on both the incidence and azimuth angle under which the observations are made. In order to retrieve geophysical parameters from scatterometer data, it is necessary to account for azimuthal-modulation effects of the backscattered signal. In the present study, this paper localizes the regions affected by a strong azimuthal signal dependence when observed with the European Remote Sensing Satellite Scatterometer and the SeaWinds Scatterometer on QuikSCAT (QSCAT). The possible physical reasons for the azimuthal effects, relating the very detailed QSCAT azimuthal response to the spatial orientation of special topographic features and land cover within the sensor footprint, were then discussed. Different methods for normalizing the backscattering coefficient with respect of observation azimuth angle were also proposed and evaluated. First, the mean local incidence angle of the sensor footprint using the shuttle radar topography mission digital elevation model (DEM) were modeled and concluded that the resolution of the DEM is too coarse to characterize most of the observed azimuthal effects. A more effective way of normalizing the backscatter with respect to azimuth is then found to be by using historical backscatter observations to statistically determine the expected backscatter at each observation azimuth and incidence angle as well as time of the year. The efficiency of this method is limited to the availability of past measurements for each location on the Earth
TL;DR: It is concluded that A+G- mobilized CD34+ PBPCs express significantly higher amounts of genes that potentially promote superior engraftment after myeloablative therapy than G-mobilizedCD34+PBPCs.
TL;DR: Results suggest that exon B could have a significant impact on the conformation and regulatory folding of native myosin Va, as well as on its interaction with certain cargos, and that DYNLL2 binding alters the structure of a portion of the myOSin's coiled-coil domain.
Abstract: The myosin Va light chain DYNLL2 has been proposed to function as an adaptor to link the myosin to certain cargo. Here, we mapped the binding site for DYNLL2 within the myosin Va heavy chain. Copurification and pull-down experiments showed that the heavy chain contains a single DYNLL2 binding site and that this site resides within a discontinuity in the myosin's central coiled-coil domain. Importantly, exon B, an alternatively spliced, three-amino acid exon, is a part of this binding site, and we show in the context of full-length myosin Va that this exon is required for DYNLL2-myosin Va interaction. We investigated the effect of DYNLL2 binding on the structure of a myosin Va heavy chain fragment that contains the DYNLL2 binding site and flanking sequence, only parts of which are strongly predicted to form a coiled coil. Circular dichroism measurements revealed a DYNLL2-induced change in the secondary structure of this dimeric myosin fragment that is consistent with an increase in alpha-helical coiled-coil content. Moreover, the binding of DYNLL2 considerably stabilizes this heavy chain fragment against thermal denaturation. Analytical ultracentrifugation yielded an apparent association constant of approximately 3 x 10(6) M(-1) for the interaction of DYNLL2 with the dimeric myosin fragment. Together, these data show that alternative splicing of the myosin Va heavy chain controls DYNLL2-myosin Va interaction and that DYNLL2 binding alters the structure of a portion of the myosin's coiled-coil domain. These results suggest that exon B could have a significant impact on the conformation and regulatory folding of native myosin Va, as well as on its interaction with certain cargos.
University of Mainz1, University of Delaware2, University of California, Irvine3, University of California, Berkeley4, University of Wuppertal5, Université libre de Bruxelles6, Uppsala University7, Stockholm University8, University of Mons-Hainaut9, Pennsylvania State University10, University of Wisconsin-Madison11, Vrije Universiteit Brussel12, University of Maryland, College Park13, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory14, Imperial College London15, University of Wisconsin–River Falls16
TL;DR: A search for an excess of muon-neutrinos from neutralino annihilations in the Sun has been performed with the AMANDA-II neutrino detector using data collected in 143.7 days of live-time in 2001 as mentioned in this paper.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a search for neutral supersymmetric Higgs bosons decaying to tau pairs produced in pp collisions at square root of s = 1.96 TeV.
Abstract: We present a search for neutral supersymmetric Higgs bosons decaying to tau pairs produced in pp collisions at square root of s = 1.96 TeV. The data, corresponding to 310 pb(-1) integrated luminosity, were collected with the Collider Detector at Fermilab in run II of the Tevatron. No significant excess above the standard model backgrounds is observed. We set exclusion limits on the production cross section times branching fraction to tau pairs for Higgs boson masses in the range from 90 to 250 GeV/c2.
TL;DR: In this paper, a search for pair production of second generation scalar leptoquark in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s=1.96 TeV is reported.
Abstract: Results on a search for pair production of second generation scalar leptoquark in p{bar p} collisions at {radical}s=1.96 TeV are reported. The data analyzed were collected by the CDF detector during the 2002-2003 Tevatron Run II and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 198 pb{sup -1}. Leptoquarks (LQ) are sought through their decay into (charged) leptons and quarks, with final state signatures represented by two muons and jets and one muon, large transverse missing energy and jets. We observe no evidence for LQ production and derive 95% C.L. upper limits on the LQ production cross sections as well as lower limits on their mass as a function of {beta}, where {beta} is the branching fraction for LQ {yields} {mu}q.