Folate conjugates (PNIPAM-NH-FA) of a copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and amino-N'-ethylenedioxy-bis(ethylacrylamide) were prepared by an efficient synthesis leading to random grafting, via a short dioxyethylene spacer, of approximately 7 folic acid residues per macromolecule. The chemical composition of the copolymer was characterized by (1)H NMR and UV/vis spectroscopy. A fluorophore-labeled folate PNIPAM conjugate was tested by in vitro assays performed with cultured KB-31 cells overexpressing the folate receptor. The cellular uptake of the copolymer was found to be temperature dependent and was competitively decreased by free folic acid, indicating that the polymer uptake is mediated specifically by the folate receptor. Hydrophobically modified folate conjugates of NIPAM, amino-N'-ethylenedioxy-bis(ethylacrylamide) copolymers, bearing a small number of n-octadecyl groups were prepared following a modified synthetic procedure for use in future studies of FA-targeted liposomes.

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Hyperspectral ground mapping is being used in an ever-increasing extent for numerous applications in the military, geology and environmental fields. The different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum help produce information of differing nature. The visible, near-infrared and short-wave infrared radiation (400 nm to 2.5 µm) has been mostly used to analyze reflected solar light, while the mid-wave (3 to 5 µm) and long-wave (8 to 12 µm or thermal) infrared senses the self-emission of molecules directly, enabling the acquisition of data during night time.Push-broom dispersive sensors have been typically used for airborne hyperspectral mapping. However, extending the spectral range towards the mid-wave and long-wave infrared brings performance limitations due to the self emission of the sensor itself. The Fourier-transform spectrometer technology has been extensively used in the infrared spectral range due to its high transmittance as well as throughput and multiplex advantages, thereby reducing the sensor self-emission problem.Telops has developed the Hyper-Cam, a rugged and compact infrared hyperspectral imager. The Hyper-Cam is based on the Fourier-transform technology yielding high spectral resolution and enabling high accuracy radiometric calibration. It provides passive signature measurement capability, with up to 320x256 pixels at spectral resolutions of up to 0.25 cm-1. The Hyper-Cam has been used on the ground in several field campaigns, including the demonstration of standoff chemical agent detection. More recently, the Hyper-Cam has been integrated into an airplane to provide airborne measurement capabilities. A special pointing module was designed to compensate for airplane attitude and forward motion. To our knowledge, the Hyper-Cam is the first commercial airborne hyperspectral imaging sensor based on Fourier-transform infrared technology. The first airborne measurements and some preliminary performance criteria for the Hyper-Cam are presented in this paper.

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An investigation is made into the possibility of applying the passive standoff detection technique to the identification of radiological and related products. This work is based on laboratory measurements of the diffuse reflectance from a number of radiological or related products, including U 3 O 8 , ThO 2 , CsI, SrO, I 2 O 5 and La 2 O 3 . With the use of these measured reflectances, simulations of the nadir radiances with the various types of surface reflectances were carried out with the MODTRAN4 transmission model. The simulations were performed for two types of scenarios; at an altitude of 1 m above the ground for the purpose of simulating the passive detection of nuclear products with a hand-held instrument, and at an altitude of 1 km to emulate the conditions of a passive sensor carried aloft in an aircraft. The results of the simulations under idealized conditions show that there is a good potential for being able to measure radiological products or related materials by passive standoff detection using Fourier-transform infrared radiometric techniques.