Anthropogenic Space Weather

Anthropogenic effects on the space environment started in the late 19th century and reached their peak in the 1960s when high-altitude nuclear explosions were carried out by the USA and the Soviet Union. These explosions created artificial radiation belts near Earth that resulted in major damages to several satellites. Another, unexpected impact of the high-altitude nuclear tests was the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that can have devastating effects over a large geographic area (as large as the continental United States). Other anthropogenic impacts on the space environment include chemical release ex- periments, high-frequency wave heating of the ionosphere and the interaction of VLF waves with the radiation belts. This paper reviews the fundamental physical process behind these phenomena and discusses the observations of their impacts.Comment: 71 pages, 35 figure

Ultracentrifuge investigation of the serum proteins in Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia

Data on 90 cases of WaldenstrÖm's macroglobulinaemia collected from the literature, and personal observations on 75 cases, showed that the sedimentation constant of the pathological macroglobulin component was above 13 5 in fully 95% of cases. The sedimentation constant of the physiological macroglobulin component — calculated from data on 200 patients not suffering from Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia — is about 175; that in cases of macroglobulinaemia is about 235. The possible influence of the pathological macroglobulins on the sedimentation constant of the physiological macroglobulin component is discussed and elucidated by results obtained with sera containing cryo-macroglobulins. Difficulties in the interpretation of the ultracentrifuge diagram are discussed, with special reference to the problem of so-called atypical macroglobulins

In-vivo opto-thermal measurement of epidermal thickness

We report a new opto-thermal method of measuring epidermal thickness in-vivo, using thermal waves generated within the epidermis which reach the surface after transit delays that depend on depth. The method is illustrated with a thickness map of a forearm, a tape stripping sequence and subsequent wound healing

Transient surface grating technique for thermal diffusivity measurement

A new transient surface grating technique specifically designed for measuring thermal diffusivities of condensed materials is described. Its capabilities are illustrated with measurements of the thermal diffusivities of copper and glass

Thermal surface wave technique for thin film thermal diffusivity measurement

A new method of measuring thermal diffusivities of isolated thin films, using variable transverse displacement between focused, modulated optical excitation and radiometric detection, with measurements on metal and plastic foils, is presented

Disbalance of immunoglobulins the clinical importance of increased serum levels of immunoglobulin-A and -G in combination with normal or diminished immunoglobulin-M concentrations

A disbalance of immunoglobulin-A (IgA), immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and immunoglobulin-M (IgM) concentrations—i.e., increased IgA and IgG fractions and a normal or diminished IgM concentration—is not a specific finding but one that frequently occurs in collagen diseases which take a chronic course. In the series studied, no correlation was demonstrable between this disbalance and the results of serological tests for rheumatic disease

Opto-thermal technique for in-vivo stratum corneum hydration measurement

A new method for measuring stratum corneum hydration in-vivo, using opto-thermal transient emission radiometry with 2.94µm Er : YAG excitation and wavelength selective detection, is described. Results on skin recovery following exogenous hydration, skin stripping with Sellotape and wound healing are presented