Development of electrical test procedures for qualification of spacecraft against EID. Volume 2: Review and specification of test procedures

A combined experimental and analytical program to develop system electrical test procedures for the qualification of spacecraft against damage produced by space-electron-induced discharges (EID) occurring on spacecraft dielectric outer surfaces is described. A review and critical evaluation of possible approaches to qualify spacecraft against space electron-induced discharges (EID) is presented. A variety of possible schemes to simulate EID electromagnetic effects produced in spacecraft was studied. These techniques form the principal element of a provisional, recommended set of test procedures for the EID qualification spacecraft. Significant gaps in our knowledge about EID which impact the final specification of an electrical test to qualify spacecraft against EID are also identified

Acute aortic dissection in a young healthy athlete with androgenic anabolic steroid use: A case report

Background: Acute aortic dissection can occur at the time of intense physical exertion in strength-trained athletes like weight lifters, bodybuilders, throwers, and wrestlers. Rapid rise in blood pressure and history of hypertension are the most common causes of aortic dissection in athletes. It is a very tragic event because of its high mortality rate of about 32% in young patients. We report a case of aortic dissection in a young weightlifter with a history of anabolic steroid usage with an extensive intimal tear of the aorta at Sino tubular junction and arch. All athletes must be assessed for predisposing factors for aortic dissection, and all patients should be encouraged to undergo appropriate diagnostic studies, like echocardiography and blood pressure monitoring while weightlifting to recognize possible predisposing factors for aortic dissection. Athletes who do have a problem should be encouraged to avoid or limit their exercise or activity by their cardiologist. It is vital that this disastrous event be prevented in young people. In conclusion, although a rare occurrence, AD should be considered in symptomatic patients with any family history of early cardiac deaths, a history suggestive of a connective tissue disorder (that is, multiple joint surgeries) or who practice weightlifting

Two RNA-binding motifs in the double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase, DAI

The protein kinase DAI, the double-stranded RNA-activated inhibitor of translation, is an essential component of the interferon-induced cellular antiviral response. The enzyme is regulated by the binding of activator and inhibitor RNAs. We synthesized DAI in vitro and located its RNA-binding domain within the amino-terminal 171 residues. This domain contains two copies of an RNA-binding motif characterized by a high density of basic amino acids, by the presence of conserved residues, and by a probable alpha-helical structure. Deletion of either of the two motifs prevents the binding of dsRNA, but their relative positions can be exchanged, suggesting that they cooperate to interact with dsRNA. Clustered point mutations within the RNA-binding motifs and duplications of the individual motifs indicate that the first copy of the motif plays the more important role. Mutations that impair binding have similar effects on the binding of double-stranded RNAs of various lengths and of adenovirus VA RNAI, implying that discrimination between activator and inhibitory RNAs takes place subsequent to RNA binding

Second order torque on the tidal redistribution and the Earth's rotation

This study presents a complete treatment of the second order torques on the Earth due to the action of each of the three parts of the degree 2 potential (V20: zonal; V21: tesseral; and V22: sectorial) on the deformations produced by the other parts, and the consequent effects on nutation. The work of Mathews et al. (2002, J. Geophys. Res., 107, B4) contained a treatment of the action of the tesseral potential on tidal deformations, taking into account the presence of the fluid core, and also of the contributions from mantle anelasticity and ocean tides to the deformations. We extend that work to include the actions of the zonal and sectorial potentials too. Our computations show that an almost complete cancellation takes place between reciprocal contributions; the largest net effect reaches -35 µas on the in-phase 18.6-yr nutation in longitude. The total effect found on the precession is 0.1 mas/cy in longitude and in obliquity. The cancellations would have been complete but for the fact that (i) the values of the compliances (deformability parameters) are not the same for deformations excited by the three parts of the degree 2 potential even for a nondissipative Earth and (ii) anelasticity and ocean tides make the contributions to the compliances complex (besides being unequal for the three parts) and thus give rise to out-of-phase components in the response to tidal forcing

Effect of mantle and ocean tides on the Earth's rotation rate

Aims: We aim to compute the rate of increase of the length of day (LOD) due to the axial component of the torque produced by the tide generating potential acting on the tidal redistribution of matter in the oceans and the solid Earth. Methods: We use an extension of the formalism applied to precession-nutation in a previous work to the problem of length of day variations of an inelastic Earth with a fluid core and oceans. Expressions for the second order axial torque produced by the tesseral and sectorial tide-generating potentials on the tidal increments to the Earth's inertia tensor are derived and used in the axial component of the Euler-Liouville equations to arrive at the rate of increase of the LOD. Results: The increase in the LOD, produced by the same dissipative mechanisms as in the theoretical work on which the IAU 2000 nutation model is based and in our recent computation of second order effects, is found to be at a rate of 2.35 ms/cy due to the ocean tides, and 0.15 ms/cy due to solid Earth tides, in reasonable agreement with estimates made by other methods

Model Independent Primordial Power Spectrum from Maxima, Boomerang, and DASI Data

A model-independent determination of the primordial power spectrum of matter density fluctuations could uniquely probe physics of the very early universe, and provide powerful constraints on inflationary models. We parametrize the primordial power spectrum $A_s^2(k)$ as an arbitrary function, and deduce its binned amplitude from the cosmic microwave background radiation anisotropy (CMB) measurements of Maxima, Boomerang, and DASI. We find that for a flat universe with $A_s^2(k)=1$ (scale-invariant) for scales $k<0.001$h/Mpc, the primordial power spectrum is marginally consistent with a scale-invariant Harrison-Zeldovich spectrum. However, we deduce a rise in power compared to a scale-invariant power spectrum for 0.001 h/{Mpc} \la k \la 0.01 h/{Mpc}. Our results are consistent with large-scale structure data, and seem to suggest that the current observational data allow for the possibility of unusual physics in the very early universe.Comment: substantially revised and final version, accepted by Ap

Synergy between HIV-1 Tat and adenovirus E1A is principally due to stabilization of transcriptional elongation

We studied the combined effects of Tat and general trans-activators, such as E1A and phorbol esters, on human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) gene expression. Interaction between these two types of trans-activators may be involved in the transition from transcriptional quiesence during viral latency to active gene expression during productive infection. E1A cooperated with Tat to produce a fourfold greater increase in accumulation of full-length, cytoplasmic HIV-1-directed RNA than is expected if they were acting additively to increase RNA accumulation. Similarly, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) also cooperated with Tat to elevate HIV RNA levels synergistically. Analysis of transcription rates across the HIV-1-directed transcription unit indicated, unexpectedly, that synergy between Tat and E1A could not be accounted for by increased promoter proximal transcription rates that were merely additive. However, Tat and E1A produced a greater than additive increase in transcription rates in the 3' end of the gene. These findings imply that synergy between Tat and E1A (or other general transcriptional activators) is due principally to stabilization of transcriptional elongation. Furthermore, the observation that Tat elicits only a small increase in promoter proximal transcription in the presence of E1A suggests that the magnitude of the effect of Tat on initiation is decreased when the basal level of transcription is increased. These findings underscore the importance of the ability of Tat to stabilize elongation, as well as to stimulate initiation, in an HIV-1-directed transcription unit

The evolution and consequences of snaR family transposition in primates

The small NF90 associated RNA (snaR) family of small noncoding RNAs (ncRNA) appears to have evolved from retrotransposon ancestors at or soon after pivotal stages in primate evolution. snaRs are thought to be derived from a FLAM C-like (free left Alu monomer) element through multiple short insertion/deletion (indel) and nucleotide (nt) substitution events. Tracing snaR’s complex evolutionary history through primate genomes led to the recent discovery of two novel retrotransposons: the Alu/snaR related (ASR) and catarrhine ancestor of snaR (CAS) elements. ASR elements are present in the genomes of Simiiformes, CAS elements are present in Old World Monkeys and apes, and snaRs are restricted to the African Great Apes (Homininae, including human, gorilla, chimpanzee and bonobo). Unlike their ancestors, snaRs have disseminated by multiple rounds of segmental duplication of a larger encompassing element. This process has produced large tandem gene arrays in humans and possibly precipitated the accelerated evolution of snaR. Furthermore, snaR segmental duplication created a new form of chorionic gonadotropin β subunit (CGβ) gene, recently classified as Type II CGβ, which has altered mRNA tissue expression and can generate a novel short peptide

The Universal Solution for Numerical and Literal Equations, by Which the Roots of Equations Can Be Expressed in Terms of Their Coefficients

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