STS-3/OSS-1 Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP) measurements of the temperature pressure and plasma

Designed to withstand the thermal extremes of the STS-3 mission through the use of heaters and thermal blankets, the plasma diagnostics package sat on the release/engagement mechanism on the OSS-1 payload pallet without a coldplate and was attached to the RMS for two extended periods. Plots show temperature versus mission elapsed time for two temperature sensors. Pressure in the range of 10 to the -3 power torr and 10 to the -7 power torr, measured 3 inches from the skin of the package is plotted against GMT during the mission. The most distinctive feature of the pressure profile is the modulation at the obit period. It was found that pressure peaks when the atmospheric gas is rammed into the cargo bay. Electric and magnetic noise spectra and time variability due to orbiter systems, UHF and S-band transmitter field strengths, and measurements of the ion spectra obtained both in the cargo bay and during experiments are plotted

STS-3/OSS-1 Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP) measurements of Orbiter transmitter and subsystem electromagnetic interference

The plasma diagnostics package receiver system is described to identify the various antennas and to characterize the complement of receivers which cover the frequency range of 30 Hz to 800 Hz and S-band at 2200 + or - 300 MHz. Sample results are presented to show the variability of electromagnetic effects associated with the orbiter and the time variability of these effects. The electric field and magnetic field maximum and minimum field strength spectra observed during the mission at the pallet location are plotted. Values are also derived for the maximum UHF transmitter and S-band transmitter field strengths. Calibration data to convert from the survey plots to actual narrowband and broadband field strengths are listed

Sequence Instability in the Proviral Long Terminal Repeat and gag Regions from Peripheral Blood and Tissue-Derived Leukocytes of FIV-Infected Cats during the Late Asymptomatic Phase.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection results in viral persistence, a prolonged asymptomatic phase, and progressive immunopathology. During the asymptomatic phase, a cohort of experimentally FIV-infected cats exhibits features of viral latency in blood suggestive of inactive viral replication. We sought to investigate viral replication activity and genomic stability of the FIV proviral long terminal repeat (LTR) and the 5' aspect of gag over time. FIV-infected cats during the asymptomatic phase demonstrated undetectable plasma FIV gag RNA transcripts and intermittent to undetectable blood-derived cell-associated FIV gag RNA. The LTR sequence demonstrated instability in blood-derived cells over time, in spite of low to undetectable viral replication. Sequence variation in the LTR was identified in CD4+ and CD21+ leukocytes from blood and surgically removed lymph nodes. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the LTR were commonly identified. Promoter functionality of a common LTR SNP and rare U3 mutation were examined by reporter gene assays and demonstrated either no change or increased basal FIV promoter function, respectively. In conclusion, this cohort of asymptomatic FIV-infected cats demonstrated instability of the LTR and 5' gag sequences during the study period, in spite of undetectable plasma and rare to undetectable viral gag RNA, which suggests that blood may not accurately represent viral activity in asymptomatic FIV-infected cats

A large scale extinction map of the Galactic Anticenter from 2MASS

We present a 127deg x 63deg extinction map of the Anticenter of the Galaxy, based on and colour excess maps from 2MASS. This 8001 square degree map with a resolution of 4 arcminutes is provided as online material. The colour excess ratio / is used to determine the power law index of the reddening law (\beta) for individual regions contained in the area (e.g. Orion, Perseus, Taurus, Auriga, Monoceros, Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia). On average we find a dominant value of \beta=1.8+-0.2 for the individual clouds, in agreement with the canonical value for the interstellar medium. We also show that there is an internal scatter of \beta values in these regions, and that in some areas more than one dominant \beta value is present. This indicates large scale variations in the dust properties. The analysis of the A_V values within individual regions shows a change in the slope of the column density distribution with distance. This can either be attributed to a change in the governing physical processes in molecular clouds on spatial scales of about 1pc or an A_V dilution with distance in our map.Comment: 18 pages, 29 Figures, 1 Table, Accepted for publication by MNRAS, A version with higher resolution figures can be found at http://astro.kent.ac.uk/~df

The importance of strategic financial leadership in the UK public sector in a time of financial austerity

Given the severity of financial pressures on public authorities, this report is concerned with how finance managers in public services are coping with the demands placed on them and how they can demonstrate improved value by providing more effective strategic financial leadership. It considers how they are applying managerial approaches and solutions to the challenges of austerity and the role that the public sector finance function can play in this process

Field Dependent Phase Diagram of the Quantum Spin Chain (CH3)2NH2CuCl3

Although (CH3)2NH2CuCl3 (MCCL) was first examined in the 1930's [1], there are open questions regarding the magnetic dimensionality and nature of the magnetic properties. MCCL is proposed to be a S=1/2 alternating ferromagnetic antiferromagnetic spin chain alternating along the crystalline a-axis [2,3]. Proposed ferromagnetic (JFM =1.3 meV) and antiferromagnetic (JAFM =1.1 meV) exchange constants make this system particularly interesting for experimental study. Because JFM and JAFM are nearly identical, the system should show competing behavior between S=1/2 (AFM) and S=1(FM) effects. We report low temperature magnetic field dependent susceptibility, chi(H), and specific heat, Cp, of MCCL. These provide an initial magnetic-field versus temperature phase diagram. A zero-field phase transition consistent with long range magnetic order is observed at T=0.9 K. The transition temperature can be reduced via application of a magnetic field. We also present comparisons to a FM/AFM dimer model that accounts for chi(T,H=0) and Cp(H,T).Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure included in text. Submitted to proceedings of 24th International Conference on Low Temperature Physics, August 200