Lightning mapping observation of a terrestrial gamma-ray flash

We report the observation with the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) related to a terrestrial gamma-ray flash (TGF) detected by RHESSI on 26 July 2008. The LMA data explicitly show the TGF was produced during the initial development of a compact intracloud (IC) lightning flash between a negative charge region centered at about 8.5 km above sea level (-22C temperature level) a higher positive region centered at 13 km, both confined to the convective core of an isolated storm in close proximity to the RHESSI footprint. After the occurrence of an LMA source with a high peak power (26 kW), the initial lightning evolution caused an unusually large IC current moment that became detectable 2 ms after the first LMA source and increased for another 2 ms, during which the burst of gamma-rays was produced. This slowly building current moment was most likely associated with the upward leader progression, which produced an uncommonly large IC charge moment change (+90 Ckm) in 3 ms while being punctuated by a sequence of fast discharge. These observations suggest that the leader development may be involved in the TGF production. Copyright © 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.

Analytic-domain lens design with proximate ray tracing.

We have developed an alternative approach to optical design which operates in the analytical domain so that an optical designer works directly with rays as analytical functions of system parameters rather than as discretely sampled polylines. This is made possible by a generalization of the proximate ray tracing technique which obtains the analytical dependence of the rays at the image surface (and ray path lengths at the exit pupil) on each system parameter. The resulting method provides an alternative direction from which to approach system optimization and supplies information which is not typically available to the system designer. In addition, we have further expanded the procedure to allow asymmetric systems and arbitrary order of approximation, and have illustrated the performance of the method through three lens design examples.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of a complex between G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 and Gbeta1gamma2.

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) phosphorylates activated G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which ultimately leads to their desensitization and/or downregulation. The enzyme is recruited to the plasma membrane via the interaction of its carboxyl-terminal pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain with the beta and gamma subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins (Gbetagamma). An improved purification scheme for GRK2 has been developed, conditions under which GRK2 forms a complex with Gbeta(1)gamma(2) have been determined and the complex has been crystallized in CHAPS detergent micelles. Crystals of the GRK2-Gbetagamma complex belong to space group C2 and have unit-cell parameters a = 187.0, b = 72.1, c = 122.0 A, beta = 115.2 degrees. A complete data set has been collected to 3.2 A resolution with Cu Kalpha radiation.

Ventricular conduction and long-term heart failure outcomes and mortality in African Americans: insights from the Jackson Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: QRS prolongation is associated with adverse outcomes in mostly white populations, but its clinical significance is not well established for other groups. We investigated the association between QRS duration and mortality in African Americans. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed data from 5146 African Americans in the Jackson Heart Study stratified by QRS duration on baseline 12-lead ECG. We defined QRS prolongation as QRS≥100 ms. We assessed the association between QRS duration and all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards models and reported the cumulative incidence of heart failure hospitalization. We identified factors associated with the development of QRS prolongation in patients with normal baseline QRS. At baseline, 30% (n=1528) of participants had QRS prolongation. The cumulative incidences of mortality and heart failure hospitalization were greater with versus without baseline QRS prolongation: 12.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.0-14.4) versus 7.1% (95% CI, 6.3-8.0) and 8.2% (95% CI, 6.9-9.7) versus 4.4% (95% CI, 3.7-5.1), respectively. After risk adjustment, QRS prolongation was associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.03-1.56; P=0.02). There was a linear relationship between QRS duration and mortality (hazard ratio per 10 ms increase, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.12). Older age, male sex, prior myocardial infarction, lower ejection fraction, left ventricular hypertrophy, and left ventricular dilatation were associated with the development of QRS prolongation. CONCLUSIONS: QRS prolongation in African Americans was associated with increased mortality and heart failure hospitalization. Factors associated with developing QRS prolongation included age, male sex, prior myocardial infarction, and left ventricular structural abnormalities.