On the Feasibility of Detecting Spacecraft Charging and Arcing by Remote Sensing

t is a sad fact that more than 50 years after the dawn of the space age, most spacecraft still do not have sensors onboard capable of detecting whether they are at potentials likely to put them at risk of severe charging and the concomitant arcing, or indeed, even capable of detecting when or if they undergo arcing. As a result, anomaly resolution has often been hit or miss, and false diagnoses are probably common. Until spacecraft are routinely launched with charging and arcing monitors, the best that can be achieved is detection through remote sensing, from the ground or by satellites. In this paper we examine a few remote sensing techniques that could be applied for detecting spacecraft charging and/or arcing.The first technique considered depends on the fact that when bombarded by high energy electrons, many types of dielectrics emit a glow that could be observed remotely, and would change with the degree of spacecraft charging. Only kilovolt electron strikes are effective at producing the glow. Thus, under geomagnetically calm conditions, if the glow were detected, high energy electron fluxes capable of spacecraft surface charging to kilovolt levels would be indicated. If the space plasma were disturbed, and the spacecraft were thus being charged negatively by a multitude of multi-kilovolt electrons, the ongoing charging would be seen as an enhanced surface glow. Although easily seen in the laboratory, this glow is likely to be too weak to be detected in space except for a satellite in eclipse. However, GEO satellites charge more in eclipse anyway. We will estimate whether the glow can be detected from both Earth and space. The second technique depends on the fact that when electrons above about 20 keV strike a surface, x-rays are produced (through bremsstrahlung). If immersed in a very high-temperature plasma (like that of the famous Galaxy 15 event or the ATS-6 record charging event) a spacecraft may thus be seen by the x-rays that are produced. It is generally conceded that in eclipse a spacecraft will charge negatively (in volts) up to the electron temperature of the surrounding plasma (in eV). Again, detection in eclipse is probably necessary, since solar x-rays reflected by spacecraft surfaces might make daytime detection impossible. This method would likely only indicate when the most severe charging conditions were ongoing, and would of necessity require detection by an orbiting satellite. Finally, when spacecraft arc, the arcs produce electromagnetic radiation. On PASP Plus and other scientific satellites, radio waves produced by arcs were used to determine the arc location, for instance. Arcs in laboratory conditions have been detected solely by radio emission, and oftentimes the visible light emitted is used to determine arc location and timing. While the radio noise produced is severe enough close by to produce radio interference in sensitive spacecraft electronics, it is likely to drop off rapidly, and most probably could only be detected by satellites orbiting nearby. However, the light produced may be substantial, and might be detected by a suitably filtered telescope even on Earth. Also, shortly after an arc, solar array surfaces glow for two reasons – firstly, while the arc is progressing, the coverglass surface is positively charged, and glows from electron excitation at its surface. If the arc does not completely discharge the surface, the glow may continue until ambient electrons collected completely neutralize it. Secondly, some of the cells in the array circuit are back-biased by the arc, and act as light emitting diodes. Both of these missions are broadband and may last for hundreds of microseconds. Possibilities for arc detection from Earth-bound optical and radio telescopes will be discussed

Mental Disorder, Substance Use and Criminal Justice Contact

In May 2003, the Minister of State for Mental Health brought together representatives from Ministry of Health Services (MOHS), Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Ministry of Attorney General (MAG) and the Ministry for Public Safety and Solicitor General (MPSSG) to address the prevalence of people with mental and substance use disorders who are involved in the justice system. The result was a cross-ministry commitment to develop a report about mentally disordered offenders in the justice system in order to identify the high priority and long-term issues for this population and provide recommendations to address these concerns. The many challenges associated with mental health, substance use and the justice system are recognized world wide, and a number of reforms are underway in different jurisdictions. Invariably, these reforms reflect a combination of local needs, resources, legislation and a consideration of available evidence. A critical first step in the process of reform is careful review of available information. In British Columbia, the provincial government has formed an interministerial steering committee, with research support provided through the University of British Columbia. The UBC team, in collaboration with other experts in Canada and abroad, collected and analysed information in the following formats: Literature Review: A scholarly review of the international literature. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive review available of the professional literature pertaining to mental disorders, substance use disorders and criminal justice contact. Survey of Other Jurisdictions: A survey highlighting areas of need and opportunities for reform in jurisdictions across Canada and elsewhere. BC Data Analysis: A report examining the administrative data for addressing mental illness and substance use in relation to the justice system in BC. These analyses are based on an unprecedented linkage of administrative information concerning corrections and health services for the population. In 1999/2000, there were 52,000 individuals (43,859 adults and 8,234 youth) involved with the provincial corrections system. Almost 15,000 (29 percent) of the total cohort were classified as mentally disordered offenders. The prevalence rate is nearly twice the rate for the general British Columbia population. &nbsp

A quinazoline-based HDAC inhibitor affects gene expression pathways involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and mevalonate in prostate cancer cells

Chronic inflammation can lead to the development of cancers and resolution of inflammation is an ongoing challenge.</p

The potential of decision support systems to improve risk assessment for pollen beetle management in winter oilseed rape

BACKGROUNDThe reliance on and extensive use of pyrethroid insecticides have led to pyrethroid resistance in pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus). Widespread adoption of best practice in pollen beetle management is therefore needed. Decision support systems (DSSs) that identify the risk period(s) for pest migration can help to target monitoring and control efforts, but they must be accurate and labour efficient to gain the support of growers. Weather data and the phenology of pollen beetles in 44 winter oilseed rape crops across England over 4 years were used to compare the performance of two risk management tools: the DSS proPlant expert, which predicts migration risk according to a phenological model and local weather data, and rule-based advice', which depends on crop growth stage and a temperature threshold. RESULTSBoth risk management tools were effective in prompting monitoring that would detect breaches of various control thresholds. However, the DSS more accurately predicted migration start and advised significantly fewer days of migration risk, consultation days and monitoring than did rule-based advice. CONCLUSIONThe proPlant expert DSS reliably models pollen beetle phenology. Use of such a DSS can focus monitoring effort to when it is most needed, facilitate the practical use of thresholds and help to prevent unnecessary insecticide applications and the development of insecticide resistance. (c) 2015 Rothamsted Research Ltd. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry

Industrial work placement in higher education: a study of civil engineering student engagement

For civil engineering undergraduates, the opportunity to spend a period of time in formal industrial work placement provides an invaluable learning experience. This paper reviews student engagement with short-term industrial placement and provides analysis of questionnaires (n=174) returned by undergraduates studying civil engineering at four Higher Education Institutes (HEI’s) in the West of Scotland. The data captures industrial placement statistics, employability skill-sets and presents brief testimonies from students. Whilst the journey to becoming a professional civil engineer is undoubtedly enhanced by short-term placement clear opportunities exist for HEI’s to affect and change existing pedagogical discourse. Commentary is likely to resonate beyond civil engineering and serve as a timely reminder of the need to re-invigorate academia / industry curriculum partnerships

Moral Understanding and Media: Meeting the Challenges of Interdisciplinary Research

Philosophers and other scholars have often claimed that the arts are not only cognitively valuable but also morally improving (e.g., Nussbaum, 1997). However, their arguments often proceed with little attention to empirical evidence. At the same time, filmmakers and media creators deliberately use devices to direct their audience’s attention, with the intention of impacting viewers’ cognitive, affective, and neurological responses in meaningful ways (Carroll & Seeley, 2013). Whether these devices have the desired effects, and on whom, also remains largely untested. If we want to understand the ways that film and media can have moral impacts, we must step out of our disciplinary siloes. It is not enough for film experts, philosophers, and experimentalists to merely take note of each other’s work; collaborative interdisciplinary research is required, both to improve methods and to examine questions that have not yet been empirically explored. In this article we propose a model for this kind of research, focusing on how media can influence moral understanding. We first outline the challenges that must be met for such research to be successful, including clarifying and operationalizing concepts, measuring moral understanding, and applying empirical methods to media and the arts. We then describe the advantages of interdisciplinary collaboration for meeting these challenges, in the context of some recent examples of interdisciplinary projects on related themes

Climate change and communicable diseases in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

A review of the extant literature reveals the extent to which the spread of communicable diseases will be significantly impacted by climate change. Specific research into how this will likely be observed in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is, however, greatly lacking. This report summarises the unique public health challenges faced by the GCC countries in the coming century, and outlines the need for greater investment in public health research and disease surveillance to better forecast the imminent epidemiological landscape. Significant data gaps currently exist regarding vector occurrence, spatial climate measures, and communicable disease case counts in the GCC - presenting an immediate research priority for the region. We outline policy work necessary to strengthen public health interventions, and to facilitate evidence-driven mitigation strategies. Such research will require a transdisciplinary approach, utilising existing cross-border public health initiatives, to ensure that such investigations are well-targeted and effectively communicated

A Functional Role for ADAM10 in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Replication

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gene trap insertional mutagenesis was used as a high-throughput approach to discover cellular genes participating in viral infection by screening libraries of cells selected for survival from lytic infection with a variety of viruses. Cells harboring a disrupted <it>ADAM10 </it>(A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease 10) allele survived reovirus infection, and subsequently ADAM10 was shown by RNA interference to be important for replication of HIV-1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Silencing ADAM10 expression with small interfering RNA (siRNA) 48 hours before infection significantly inhibited HIV-1 replication in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages and in CD4⁺cell lines. In agreement, ADAM10 over-expression significantly increased HIV-1 replication. ADAM10 down-regulation did not inhibit viral reverse transcription, indicating that viral entry and uncoating are also independent of ADAM10 expression. Integration of HIV-1 cDNA was reduced in ADAM10 down-regulated cells; however, concomitant 2-LTR circle formation was not detected, suggesting that HIV-1 does not enter the nucleus. Further, ADAM10 silencing inhibited downstream reporter gene expression and viral protein translation. Interestingly, we found that while the metalloprotease domain of ADAM10 is not required for HIV-1 replication, ADAM15 and γ-secretase (which proteolytically release the extracellular and intracellular domains of ADAM10 from the plasma membrane, respectively) do support productive infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We propose that ADAM10 facilitates replication at the level of nuclear trafficking. Collectively, our data support a model whereby ADAM10 is cleaved by ADAM15 and γ-secretase and that the ADAM10 intracellular domain directly facilitates HIV-1 nuclear trafficking. Thus, ADAM10 represents a novel cellular target class for development of antiretroviral drugs.</p