Sources of dynamical model track error for Hurricane Ike (2008) in the Gulf of Mexico are examined. Deterministic and ensemble model output are compared against National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) analyses to identify potential critical features associated with the motion of Ike and its eventual landfall along the upper Texas coast. Several potentia...

The involvement of growth factors (GFs) in the pathogenesis of lumbar intervertebral disc (ID) herniation and the spontaneous resorption of herniated ID fragments remains only partially elucidated. A simultaneous assessment of the transcript levels of numerous GFs and their association with clinical and epidemiological profiles of human ID herniation would provide valuable insight into the biol...

Purpose To evaluate the effect of treatment with monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 receptor inhibitor (MCP-Ri) to maintain bleb survival and prevent fibrosis in an experimental model of glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS). Methods GFS was performed on one eye of C57/Bl6 mice (n = 36) that was treated with MCP-Ri, mitomycin-C (MMC), or vehicle at the time of surgery. Real-time polymerase chain ...

P OLYPEPTIDE growth factors (GFs) 1 play a fundamental role during embryogenesis and regeneration (e.g., wound healing) by stimulating proliferation and differentiation of certain cell populations. Some GFs can be responsible also for malignant transformation and tumor growth (e.g., FGF-4: hst1 oncogene). GF receptors (GFRs) are generally known as plasma membrane proteins which “send” signals t...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the present study seeks to determine the signal timing of BMP-7 and TGF-β1 from a novel chitosan based hydrogel system that may affect chondrocyte proliferation resulting in the presence of a synergism seen conspicuously in consecutive controlled delivery. METHODS Four groups of cultured chondrocytes were seeded on a novel designed chitosan based hydrogel. The hydr...

Tubular type I collagen biomatrices with and without growth factors (GFs) were constructed and evaluated in a rabbit model for critical urethral defects. Porous tubular biomatrices with an inner diameter of 3  mm were prepared using highly purified collagen fibrils and were crosslinked with or without heparin. Heparinized biomatrices were supplemented with the heparin-binding GFs vascular endot...

The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) is a global spectral model used for aviation weather forecast. It produces forecasts of wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity and precipitation out to 192 hr every 6 hours over the entire globe. The horizontal resolution in operational version of the GFS is about 25 km. Much longer integration of sim...

Aortic aneurysms (AAs) consist of slow proteolysis and loss of both collagen and elastin matrix in the aorta wall, leading to wall dilation, weakening and rupture in well-advanced lesions. This can occur in both abdominal aorta (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: AAA) and thoracic aorta (Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm: TAA). To date, no non-surgical therapy has been proposed to slow or stop AA progression. P...

The effect of individual and combined talc and glass fibers (GFs) on mechanical and thermal expansion performance of the filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites was studied. Several published models were adapted to fit the measured tensile modulus and strength of various composite systems. It was shown that the use of silane-modified GFs had a much larger effect in improving mechanic...