Development of a stratospheric and mesospheric microwave temperature sounder experiment

A passive microwave spectrometer system for measuring global atmospheric temperature profiles from 0-75 km altitude was developed and analyzed. The system utilizes 12 channels near the 5 mm wavelength oxygen absorption band and is designed to provide global coverage by scanning perpendicular to the orbital track of a polar orbiting satellite. A significant improvement in the accuracy of theoretical atmospheric microwave transmittance functions was achieved through the development of a first-order approximation to overlapping line theory for the oxygen molecule. This approximation is particularly important in the troposphere and lower stratosphere where pressure-broadening blends nearby lines. Ground-based and aircraft observations of several resonances of stratospheric oxygen generally support the theory. The 23, 25, 29, and 31 atmospheric oxygen lines were measured and the frequencies of several such oxygen lines were measured with improved precision. The polarization and Zeeman splitting of the atmospheric 27 line was also observed

Radio Astronomy

Contains reports on two research projects.National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Contract NAS1-10693)U. S. Air Force - Electronic Systems Division (Contract F19628-73-C-0196

Radio Astronomy

Contains research objectives and summary of research on five research projects and reports on two research projects.Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAB07-74-C-0630)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-40484X)National Science Foundation (Grant MPS73-05042-A01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 GM20370-02)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Contract NAS1-10693)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Contract NAS5-21980)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Contract NAS5-20091)U.S. Air Force - Electronic Systems Division (Contract F19628-73-C-0196

Radio Astronomy

Contains reports on isx research projects.National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley Research Center (Contract NAS1-10693)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-21348)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-14589)California Institute of Technology Contract 952568Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DAAB07-71-C-030

Radio Astronomy

Contains reports on three research project.National Science Foundation (Grant GP-21348A#2)California Institute of Technology (Contract 952568)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NGR 22-009-421)U. S. Air Force - Electronic Systems Division (Contract F19628-73-C-0196

Radio Astronomy

Contains research objectives and summary of research.U. S. Air Force - Electronic Systems Division (Contract F19628-73-C-0196)National Science Foundation (Grant 40484X)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAB07-71-C-0300)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 GM20370-01)U. S. Air Force - Air Force Systems Command (Contract F33615-72-C-2129)California Institute of Technology (Contract 952568)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Contract NAS1 -10693)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-40485X

Radio Astronomy

Contains reports on four research projects.Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAB07-71-C-0300)California Institute of Technology (Contract 952568)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Contract NAS1-10693)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-21348A#2

Radio Astronomy

Contains reports on eight research projects.National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley Research Center (Contract NAS1-10693)California Institute of Technology Contract 952568Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DAAB07-71-C-0300National Science Foundation (Grant GP-20769A#1)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-21348A#1

Short-term associations between particle oxidative potential and daily mortality and hospital admissions in London.

BACKGROUND: Particulate matter (PM) from traffic and other sources has been associated with adverse health effects. One unifying theory is that PM, whatever its source, acts on the human body via its capacity to cause damaging oxidation reactions related to its content of pro-oxidants components. Few epidemiological studies have investigated particle oxidative potential (OP) and health. We conducted a time series analysis to assess associations between daily particle OP measures and numbers of deaths and hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. METHODS: During 2011 and 2012 particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 and 10μm (PM2.5 and PM10 respectively) were collected daily on Partisol filters located at an urban background monitoring station in Central London. Particulate OP was assessed based on the capacity of the particles to oxidize ascorbate (OP(AA)) and glutathione (OP(GSH)) from a simple chemical model reflecting the antioxidant composition of human respiratory tract lining fluid. Particulate OP, expressed as % loss of antioxidant per μg of PM, was then multiplied by the daily concentrations of PM to derive the daily OP of PM mass concentrations (% loss per m(3)). Daily numbers of deaths and age- and cause-specific hospital admissions in London were obtained from national registries. Poisson regression accounting for seasonality and meteorology was used to estimate the percentage change in risk of death or admission associated with an interquartile increment in particle OP. RESULTS: We found little evidence for adverse associations between OP(AA) and OP(GSH) and mortality. Associations with cardiovascular admissions were generally positive in younger adults and negative in older adults with confidence intervals including 0%. For respiratory admissions there was a trend, from positive to negative associations, with increasing age although confidence intervals generally included 0%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study, the first to analyse daily particle OP measures and mortality and admissions in a large population over two years, found little evidence to support the hypothesis that short-term exposure to particle OP is associated with adverse health effects. Further studies with improved exposure assessment and longer time series are required to confirm or reject the role of particle OP in triggering exacerbations of disease

Gene Transfer to Chicks Using Lentiviral Vectors Administered via the Embryonic Chorioallantoic Membrane

The lack of affordable techniques for gene transfer in birds has inhibited the advancement of molecular studies in avian species. Here we demonstrate a new approach for introducing genes into chicken somatic tissues by administration of a lentiviral vector, derived from the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), into the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chick embryos on embryonic day 11. The FIV-derived vectors carried yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) or recombinant alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) genes, driven by the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. Transgene expression, detected in chicks 2 days after hatch by quantitative real-time PCR, was mostly observed in the liver and spleen. Lower expression levels were also detected in the brain, kidney, heart and breast muscle. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry analyses confirmed transgene expression in chick tissues at the protein level, demonstrating a transduction efficiency of ∼0.46% of liver cells. Integration of the viral vector into the chicken genome was demonstrated using genomic repetitive (CR1)-PCR amplification. Viability and stability of the transduced cells was confirmed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, immunostaining with anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (anti-PCNA), and detection of transgene expression 51 days post transduction. Our approach led to only 9% drop in hatching efficiency compared to non-injected embryos, and all of the hatched chicks expressed the transgenes. We suggest that the transduction efficiency of FIV vectors combined with the accessibility of the CAM vasculature as a delivery route comprise a new powerful and practical approach for gene delivery into somatic tissues of chickens. Most relevant is the efficient transduction of the liver, which specializes in the production and secretion of proteins, thereby providing an optimal target for prolonged study of secreted hormones and peptides