Investigation of potential of differential absorption Lidar techniques for remote sensing of atmospheric pollutants

The NASA multipurpose differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system uses two high conversion efficiency dye lasers which are optically pumped by two frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers mounted rigidly on a supporting structure that also contains the transmitter, receiver, and data system. The DIAL system hardware design and data acquisition system are described. Timing diagrams, logic diagrams, and schematics, and the theory of operation of the control electronics are presented. Success in obtaining remote measurements of ozone profiles with an airborne systems is reported and results are analyzed

Cumulus cloud venting of mixed layer ozone

Observations are presented which substantiate the hypothesis that significant vertical exchange of ozone and aerosols occurs between the mixed layer and the free troposphere during cumulus cloud convective activity. The experiments utilized the airborne Ultra-Violet Differential Absorption Lidar (UV-DIAL) system. This system provides simultaneous range resolved ozone concentration and aerosol backscatter profiles with high spatial resolution. Evening transects were obtained in the downwind area where the air mass had been advected. Space-height analyses for the evening flight show the cloud debris as patterns of ozone typically in excess of the ambient free tropospheric background. This ozone excess was approximately the value of the concentration difference between the mixed layer and free troposphere determined from independent vertical soundings made by another aircraft in the afternoon

Pilot weather advisor

The results of the work performed by ViGYAN, Inc., to demonstrate the Pilot Weather Advisor cockpit weather data system using a broadcast satellite communication system are presented. The Pilot Weather Advisor demonstrated that the technical problems involved with transmitting significant amount of weather data to an aircraft in-flight or on-the-ground via satellite are solvable with today's technology. The Pilot Weather Advisor appears to be a viable solution for providing accurate and timely weather information for general aviation aircraft

Autonomous support for microorganism research in space

A preliminary design for performing on orbit, autonomous research on microorganisms and cultured cells/tissues is presented. An understanding of gravity and its effects on cells is crucial for space exploration as well as for terrestrial applications. The payload is designed to be compatible with the Commercial Experiment Transporter (COMET) launch vehicle, an orbiter middeck locker interface, and with Space Station Freedom. Uplink/downlink capabilities and sample return through controlled reentry are available for all carriers. Autonomous testing activities are preprogrammed with in-flight reprogrammability. Sensors for monitoring temperature, pH, light, gravity levels, vibrations, and radiation are provided for environmental regulation and experimental data collection. Additional experimental data acquisition includes optical density measurement, microscopy, video, and film photography. On-board full data storage capabilities are provided. A fluid transfer mechanism is utilized for inoculation, sampling, and nutrient replenishment of experiment cultures. In addition to payload design, representative experiments were developed to ensure scientific objectives remained compatible with hardware capabilities. The project is defined to provide biological data pertinent to extended duration crewed space flight including crew health issues and development of a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS). In addition, opportunities are opened for investigations leading to commercial applications of space, such as pharmaceutical development, modeling of terrestrial diseases, and material processing

Protecting Research: Copyright, Common-Law Alternatives, and Federal Preemption

Under federal copyright law, an author\u27s expression is protected but his ideas and discoveries are not. Professor Shipley explores the possibility of expanding copyright to protect the research of nonfiction authors, but concludes that such an expansion would undermine federal copyright policy. State-law remedies exist that will provide such protection if they are not preempted by federal law. Professor Shipley concludes that most contract claims and some misappropriation claims will survive preemption and therefore are a means by which nonfiction authors can protect their research

Clinician and patients’ views about self-management support in arthritis: a cross-sectional UK survey

Objective The overall aims of the study are to (a) establish receipt and provision of self-management support for patients with inflammatory arthritis in the UK; and (b) establish if receipt of selfmanagement support is associated with patient’s knowledge, skills and confidence to selfmanage. Methods Questionnaire for patients and healthcare professionals were sent to members and associates of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS). Patients completed the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), and questions about receipt of self-management support. Healthcare professionals completed the Clinician Support PAM and questions about provision of self-management support. Results A total of 886 patients and 117 healthcare professionals completed a questionnaire. Only 15% of patients had attended a structured self-management programme. Over half of patients reported having the skills, confidence and knowledge to self-manage and this was associated with receipt of self-management support embedded in routine care. All healthcare professionals felt that patients should be actively involved in their own care, however, 60% were unable to offer structured self-management support. Healthcare professionals reported engaging in more embedded self-management support than patients reported receiving in routine care

Perspectives on optimizing local delivery of drugs to peripheral nerves using mathematical models

Drug therapies for treating peripheral nerve injury repair have shown significant promise in preclinical studies. Despite this, drug treatments are not used routinely clinically to treat patients with peripheral nerve injuries. Drugs delivered systemically are often associated with adverse effects to other tissues and organs; it remains challenging to predict the effective concentration needed at an injured nerve and the appropriate delivery strategy. Local drug delivery approaches are being developed to mitigate this, for example via injections or biomaterial-mediated release. We propose the integration of mathematical modeling into the development of local drug delivery protocols for peripheral nerve injury repair. Mathematical models have the potential to inform understanding of the different transport mechanisms at play, as well as quantitative predictions around the efficacy of individual local delivery protocols. We discuss existing approaches in the literature, including drawing from other research fields, and present a process for taking forward an integrated mathematical-experimental approach to accelerate local drug delivery approaches for peripheral nerve injury repair. This article is categorized under: Neurological Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology Neurological Diseases > Computational Models Neurological Diseases > Biomedical Engineering

The Role of Slope in Human Reorientation

Studies of spatial representation generally focus on flat environments and visual stimuli. However, the world is not flat, and slopes are part of many natural environments. In a series of four experiments, we examined whether humans can use a slope as a source of allocentric, directional information for reorientation. A target was hidden in a corner of a square, featureless enclosure tilted at a 5° angle. Finding it required using the vestibular, kinesthetic and vis-ual cues associated with the slope gradient. Participants succeeded in the task; however, a large sex difference emerged. Men showed a greater ability in using slope and a greater preference for relying on slope as a searching strategy. The female disadvantage was not due to wearing heeled shoes, but was probably re-lated to a greater difficulty in extracting the vertical axis of the slope