Production of CO(a 3 Pi) and other metastable fragments by electron impact dissociation of CO2

Dissociative excitation of CO(a 3 Pi) and other metastable fragments such as O(5S) produced by electron impact on CO

Excitation of the metastable E(3 Sigma g plus) state of N2 by electron impact

The contribution of the N2(E(3 Sigma g plus)) state to the total metastable excitation function of N2 assessed on the basis of time-of-flight studies of metastable nitrogen molecules. The cross section for electron impact excitation state was determined in the domain of the resonance form threshold (11.87 eV) to an energy of about 13 eV. The maximum value of the cross section was found to be (7.0 + or - 4.0) x 10 to the -18th power sq cm at an energy of 12.2 eV. The measurement was made absolute by using the previously determined yield of the metastable detector, the lifetime of the E state, and by eliminating the energy spread in the electron beam from the raw data. The half-width (FWHM) of the resonance-like excitation function near threshold was found to be about 0.4 eV. No substantial evidence was obtained from the present data for the presence of the nonresonant part of the excitation function for the state studied

Resource management implications of ERTS-1 data to Ohio

Initial experimental analysis of ERTS-1 imagery has demonstrated that remote sensing from space is a means of delineating and inventorying Ohio's strip-mined areas, detecting power plant smoke plumes, and proving the data necessary for periodically compiling land use maps for the entire state. The nature and extent of these problems throughout Ohio, how ERTS data can contribute to their solution, and estimates of the long term significance of these initial findings to overall resource management interests in Ohio are summarized

Olfactory variation in mouse husbandry and its implications for refinement and standardisation: UK survey of non-animal scents

With their highly sensitive olfactory system, the behaviour and physiology of mice are not only influenced by the scents of conspecifics and other species, but also by many other chemicals in the environment. The constraints of laboratory housing limit a mouse’s capacity to avoid aversive odours that could be present in the environment. Potentially odorous items routinely used for husbandry procedures, such as sanitizing products and gloves, could be perceived by mice as aversive or attractive, and affect their behaviour, physiology and experimental results. A survey was sent to research institutions in the UK to enquire about husbandry practices that could impact on the olfactory environment of the mouse. Responses were obtained from 80 individuals working in 51 institutions. Husbandry practices varied considerably. Seventy percent of respondents reported always wearing gloves for handling mice, with nitrile being the most common glove material (94%) followed by latex (23%) and vinyl (14%). Over six different products were listed for cleaning surfaces, floors, anaesthesia and euthanasia chambers and behavioural apparatus. In all cases Trigene™ (now called Anistel™) was the most common cleaning product used (43, 41, 40 and 49%, respectively). Depending on the attribute considered, between 7 and 19% of respondents thought that cleaning products definitely, or were likely to, have strong effects on standardization, mouse health, physiology or behaviour. Understanding whether and how these odours affect mouse welfare will help to refine mouse husbandry and experimental procedures through practical recommendations, to improve the quality of life of laboratory animals and the experimental data obtained

How much dystrophin is enough: the physiological consequences of different levels of dystrophin in the mdx mouse

Splice modulation therapy has shown great clinical promise in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, resulting in the production of dystrophin protein. Despite this, the relationship between restoring dystrophin to established dystrophic muscle and its ability to induce clinically relevant changes in muscle function is poorly understood. In order to robustly evaluate functional improvement, we used in situ protocols in the mdx mouse to measure muscle strength and resistance to eccentric contraction-induced damage. Here, we modelled the treatment of muscle with pre-existing dystrophic pathology using antisense oligonucleotides conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide. We reveal that 15% homogeneous dystrophin expression is sufficient to protect against eccentric contraction-induced injury. In addition, we demonstrate a >40% increase in specific isometric force following repeated administrations. Strikingly, we show that changes in muscle strength are proportional to dystrophin expression levels. These data define the dystrophin restoration levels required to slow down or prevent disease progression and improve overall muscle function once a dystrophic environment has been established in the mdx mouse model

Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats of human tenascin-C as ligands for EGF receptor.

Signaling through growth factor receptors controls such diverse cell functions as proliferation, migration, and differentiation. A critical question has been how the activation of these receptors is regulated. Most, if not all, of the known ligands for these receptors are soluble factors. However, as matrix components are highly tissue-specific and change during development and pathology, it has been suggested that select growth factor receptors might be stimulated by binding to matrix components. Herein, we describe a new class of ligand for the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) found within the EGF-like repeats of tenascin-C, an antiadhesive matrix component present during organogenesis, development, and wound repair. Select EGF-like repeats of tenascin-C elicited mitogenesis and EGFR autophosphorylation in an EGFR-dependent manner. Micromolar concentrations of EGF-like repeats induced EGFR autophosphorylation and activated extracellular signal-regulated, mitogen-activated protein kinase to levels comparable to those induced by subsaturating levels of known EGFR ligands. EGFR-dependent adhesion was noted when the ligands were tethered to inert beads, simulating the physiologically relevant presentation of tenascin-C as hexabrachion, and suggesting an increase in avidity similar to that seen for integrin ligands upon surface binding. Specific binding to EGFR was further established by immunofluorescence detection of EGF-like repeats bound to cells and cross-linking of EGFR with the repeats. Both of these interactions were abolished upon competition by EGF and enhanced by dimerization of the EGF-like repeat. Such low affinity behavior would be expected for a matrix-tethered ligand; i.e., a ligand which acts from the matrix, presented continuously to cell surface EGF receptors, because it can neither diffuse away nor be internalized and degraded. These data identify a new class of insoluble growth factor ligands and a novel mode of activation for growth factor receptors

Information requirements for supersonic transport operation Final report

Effects of meteorological parameters and instrument errors on vertical flight performance of supersonic transport