Temperature Tides Across the Mid-Latitude Summer Turbopause Measured by a Sodium Lidar and MIGHTI/ICON.

Local full diurnal coverage of temperature variations across the turbopause (~90-115 km altitude) is achieved by combining the nocturnal observations of a Sodium (Na) Doppler lidar on the Utah State University (USU) campus (41.7°N, 248.2°E) and NASA Michelson interferometer for global high-resolution thermospheric imaging (MIGHTI)/Ionospheric connection explorer (ICON) daytime observations made in the same vicinity. In this study, utilizing this hybrid data set during summer 2020 between June 12th and July 15th, we retrieve the temperature signatures of diurnal and semidiurnal tides in this region. The tidal amplitudes of both components have similar vertical variation with increasing altitude: less than 5 K below ~98 km but increase considerably above, up to 19 K near 104 km. Both experience significant dissipation near turbopause altitudes, down to ~12 K up to 113 km for the diurnal tide and ~13 K for the semidiurnal tide near 110 km. In addition, while the semidiurnal tidal behavior is consistent with the theoretical predictions, the diurnal amplitude is considerably larger than what is expected in the turbopause region. The tidal phase profile shows a dominance of tidal components with a long vertical wavelength (longer than 40 km) for the semidiurnal tide. On the other hand, the diurnal tide demonstrates close to an evanescent wave behavior in the turbopause region, which is absent in the model results and Thermosphere ionosphere mesosphere energetics and dynamics (TIMED)/Sounding of the atmosphere using broadband radiometry (SABER) observations.

The Ionospheric Connection Explorer Mission: Mission Goals and Design.

The Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, is a new NASA Explorer mission that will explore the boundary between Earth and space to understand the physical connection between our world and our space environment. This connection is made in the ionosphere, which has long been known to exhibit variability associated with the sun and solar wind. However, it has been recognized in the 21st century that equally significant changes in ionospheric conditions are apparently associated with energy and momentum propagating upward from our own atmosphere. ICON's goal is to weigh the competing impacts of these two drivers as they influence our space environment. Here we describe the specific science objectives that address this goal, as well as the means by which they will be achieved. The instruments selected, the overall performance requirements of the science payload and the operational requirements are also described. ICON's development began in 2013 and the mission is on track for launch in 2017. ICON is developed and managed by the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, with key contributions from several partner institutions.

Layered expression scanning: rapid molecular profiling of tumor samples.

Layered expression scanning is a new approach to comprehensive molecular analysis of tumor samples that uses a layered array of capture membranes coupled to antibodies or DNA sequences to perform multiplex protein or mRNA analysis. Cell or tissue samples are transferred through a series of individual capture layers, each linked to a separate antibody or DNA sequence. As the biomolecules traverse the membrane set, each targeted protein or mRNA is specifically captured by the layer containing its antibody or cDNA sequence. The two-dimensional relationship of the cell populations is maintained during the transfer process, thereby producing a molecular profile of each cell type present. Reduction-to-practice of the technique is demonstrated by analysis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) protein, gelatinase A protein, and POV1 (PB39) cDNA. As layered expression scanning technology progresses, we envision a laboratory method that will have multiple applications for high-throughput molecular profiling of normal and tumor samples.

Identification of a novel transcript up-regulated in a clinically aggressive prostate carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To identify differentially expressed genes in tumor cells of patients with prostate cancer by means of tissue microdissection and targeted differential display. METHODS: RNA was recovered from pure populations of microdissected normal epithelium and invasive tumor from frozen tissue sections of a radical prostatectomy specimen. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using arbitrary and zinc finger PCR primers was performed. RESULTS: A 130-base pair product was identified that appeared selectively in the tumor sample. DNA sequence analysis revealed it to be a clone from the expressed sequence tag database (GenBank accession R00504). Microdissection of normal epithelium and the corresponding invasive tumor was subsequently performed on a test panel of 10 prostate carcinoma specimens. Comparison of R00504 levels in normal epithelium and invasive carcinoma, using beta-actin as an internal control, showed the transcript to be substantially overexpressed in 5 of 10 carcinomas. Northern blotting revealed R00504 to be a 2.6-kilobase gene. CONCLUSIONS: A novel transcript up-regulated in an aggressive prostate carcinoma was identified using degenerate zinc finger primers in microdissected tissue samples. The approach used in this study may be helpful in quantitative comparison of known genes and identification of novel genes in microdissected human tissue samples.

Molecular profiling of human cancer: new opportunities.

The Human Genome Project will be completed in the near future, providing new opportunities for researchers to better understand human biology. In order to maximize the value of the genetic data, high-throughput molecular analyses will become an essential experimental methodology, allowing global views of gene expression to be produced and examined. As an example, this approach will permit investigators studying cancer to comprehensively examine the genes and gene products whose alterations underlie tumor development and progression. This information will be essential in determining the fundamental causes of human neoplasms as well as having immediate practical value in the development of clinically useful diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.