Fabrication of the 23-ft Collimating Mirror for the JPL 25-ft Space Simulator

Optical, structural, and thermal design criteria and fabrication techniques for collimating mirror in space simulato

Projections of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic for Homosexual/Bisexual Men and Intravenous Drug Users in Five European Countries

Projections of the spread of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and of its etiologic agent, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are presented for homosexual/bisexual men and intravenous drug users in the five European countries with the largest caseloads. The results suggest that the HIV epidemic for French, German, and British homosexual/bisexual men has peaked around 1985 and declined rapidly thereafter. By the end of the century, and for a median incubation period m of AIDS equal to 8 years, the total numbers infected in these groups are predicted to be about 31,000, 15,000, and 9,000, respectively. (These estimates more than double if m is taken equal to 12 years). The results suggest that the HIV epidemic among Italian and Spanish intravenous drug users (IVDUs) peaked in 1986 and also decreased rapidly thereafter. For an assumed median incubation period m of 8 years, the total number of infected IVDUs by the end of the century is predicted to be about 22,000 and 16,000 in Italy and Spain, respectively. (Again, these estimates more than double if m is taken equal to 12 years.) The projections suggest that in the late 1980s or early 1990s the annual incidence of AIDS cases among IVDUs in Spain and Italy will overtake the incidences of homosexual/bisexual AIDS cases in the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom. In all cases the annual incidence of AIDS will reach its maximum in the early to mid 1990s. However, the AIDS epidemic will be protracted because of the long incubation period

AIDS and HIV Surveillance in Europe

As of June 30, 1988, 14,299 European cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had been reported to the World Health Organization; 81 percent of these cases were diagnosed in France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain. There were 7,689 homosexual or bisexual cases (54 percent); 3,218 (23 percent) were intravenous (IV) drug abusers; and 1,043 (7 percent) were heterosexuals who had had sexual intercourse with an infected individual. The epidemic started in the early 1980s among homosexuals and resident of African countries who came to Europe for treatment. AIDS started spreading later, in 1983 and 1984, to the IV drug abusing community in which the epidemic is now spreading faster than in any other group. Short term predictions show that by 1989 there may be 56,400 AIDS cases in the European Community alone. The World Health Organization estimates that there are approximately 480,000 persons in Europe infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the causative agent of AIDS. The crucial factor concerning the future of the HIV epidemic remains the extent to which the virus will spread beyond the high-risk groups and into the population at large. It is certain however that given the long incubation period of AIDS and the large number of people who are known to be infected, Europe will live through a protracted epidemic that will last at least another decade or two

Comprehensive study of ULF upstream waves observed in the topside ionosphere by CHAMP and on the ground

Based on magnetic field measurements from the satellite CHAMP, a detailed picture could be obtained of the upstream wave (UW) distribution in the topside ionosphere. The low, near-polar orbit of CHAMP, covering all local times, allows the global distribution of this type of pulsation to be revealed. The observations from space are compared to recordings of the ground-based MM100 meridional array covering the latitude range 66° to 42° in magnetic coordinates. UWs show up very clearly in the compressional component of the satellite magnetic field data, whereas on the ground, their signature is found in the H component, but it is mixed with oscillations from field line resonant pulsations. Here we first introduce a procedure for an automated detection of UW signatures, both in ground and space data. Then a statistical analysis is presented of UW pulsations recorded during a 132-day period, centred on the autumn 2001 equinox. Observations in the top-side ionosphere reveal a clear latitudinal distribution of the amplitudes. Largest signals are observed at the equator. Minima show up at about 40° latitude. The coherence between ground and satellite wave signatures is high over wide latitude and longitude ranges. We make suggestions about the entry mechanism of UWs from the foreshock region into the magnetosphere. The clear UW signature in satellite recordings between −60° and 60° latitude allows for detailed investigations of the dependence on solar wind conditions. We test the control of solar wind speed, interplanetary magnetic field strength and cone angle on UWs. For the first time, it is possible to derive details of the Doppler-shift effect by modifying the UW frequency from direct observations. The results reconcile foreshock wave generation predictions with near-Earth observations

Interactions between Economic Growth and Environmental Quality in Shenzhen, China's First Special Economic Zone

The relationship between economic development and environmental quality is a debated topic. Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) is one prominent hypothesis, positing an inverted U-shaped development-environment relationship. Here we test this hypothesis using data from Shenzhen, Peoples Republic of China. Established in 1980 as the first special economic zone in China, Shenzhen has developed from a small village into a large urban-industrial agglomeration with the highest income level in the country. The enormous expansion of infrastructure, industrial sites and urban settlements has profoundly changed the local environment. We utilize environmental monitoring data from Shenzhen on concentration of pollutants in ambient air, main rivers, and near shore waters from 1989 to 2003. The results show that production-induced pollutants support EKC while consumption-induced pollutants do not support it

Existence of axially symmetric static solutions of the Einstein-Vlasov system

We prove the existence of static, asymptotically flat non-vacuum spacetimes with axial symmetry where the matter is modeled as a collisionless gas. The axially symmetric solutions of the resulting Einstein-Vlasov system are obtained via the implicit function theorem by perturbing off a suitable spherically symmetric steady state of the Vlasov-Poisson system.Comment: 32 page