Mars 2000

Twenty years after the Viking Mission, Mars is again being scrutinized in the light of a flood of information from spacecraft missions to Mars, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the SNC meteorites. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of Mars, especially in light of the data being returned from the Mars Global Surveyor Mission. Mars does not now have a global magnetic field, but the presence of crustal anomalies indicates that a global field existed early in Martian history. The topography, geodetic figure, and gravitational field are known to high precision. The northern hemisphere is lower and has a thinner and stronger crust than the southern hemisphere. The global weather and the thermal structure of the atmosphere have been monitored for more than a year. Surface-atmosphere interaction has been investigated by observations of surface features, polar caps, atmospheric dust, and condensate clouds. The surface has been imaged at very high resolution and spectral measures have been obtained to quantify surface characteristics and geologic processes. Many questions remain unanswered, especially about the earliest period of Mars' history

Mantle dynamics and geodesy

Both completed work and work that is still in progress are presented. The completed work presented includes: (1) core-mantle boundary topography; (2) absolute value for mantle viscosity; (3) code development; (4) lateral heterogeneity of subduction zone rheology; and (5) planning for the Coolfront meeting. The work presented that is still in progress includes: (1) geoid anomalies for a chemically stratified mantle; and (2) geoid anomalies with lateral variations in viscosity

Analytical study of comet nucleus samples

Analytical procedures for studying and handling frozen (130 K) core samples of comet nuclei are discussed. These methods include neutron activation analysis, x ray fluorescent analysis and high resolution mass spectroscopy

Petrogenesis of lunar rocks: Rb-Sr constraints and lack of H2O

Rb and Sr isotopic data and other chemical data indicate major lunar differentiation at about 4.6 AE and very limited subsequent differentiation. The constraints of limited differentiation post 4.6 AE and the apparent lack of H2O on the moon, when applied to the derivation and petrogenesis of lunar samples, suggest the following: (1) soil samples, breccias, metaclastic rocks, and feldspathic basalts represent mixtures of repeatedly-modified clastic material, which was ultimately derived from materials formed during the about 4.6 AE differentiation; and (2) mare basalts crystallized from melts which formed by partial melting and, which developed without equilibration between the melt and crystalline residuum

Petrogenesis of lunar rocks: Rb-Sr constraints and lack of H2O

Rb and Sr isotopic data and other chemical data indicate major lunar differentiation at about 4.6 AE (AE = 10 to the 9th power years) and very limited subsequent differentiation. The constraints of limited differentiation after 4.6 AE and the apparent lack of H2O on the moon, when applied to the derivation and petrogenesis of lunar samples, suggest the following: (1) soil samples, breccias, metaclastic rocks, and feldspathic basalts represent mixtures of repeatedly modified clastic material, which was utimately derived from materials formed during the 4.6 AE differentiation; and (2) mare basalts crystallized from melts which formed by partial melting, and which developed without equilibrium between the melt and crystalline residuum

Nano-Encapsulated Volatile Oil of Ruta Graveolens Leaves Inhibited Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis in Zebrafish Larval Model

Background: The present research aims to screen anti-resorptive activity to alleviate osteoporosis and other bone and joint disease of the Nano encapsulated essential oil isolated from the Ruta graveolens (NELVORG), Family: Rutaceae using a novel, fast, economical and genetically tractable method to evaluate developmental aspects of bone formation in a high throughput fashion through the visualization of embryonic and larval skeleton of zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. Method: The volatile oil (VO) was isolated from the leaves of R. graveolens and extracted VO was subjected to GC-MS Analysis. Nano-encapsulated volatile oil of R. graveolens leaves (NELVORG) was prepared by solvent displacement method. The Nanoparticle size was standardized by scanning electron microscope. We implemented 3Rs (Reduction, Replacement, Refinement) ethical principle to minimize harm to the vertebrate animals. Preliminary toxicological studies were evaluated on whole embryo and larvae, showed no mortality up to 1µl/ml. At 3 days post fertilization (3 d.p.f) zebrafish larvae (n=6 / group) were taken in 96 well plates containing embryo medium. Osteoporosis (OP) was induced by immersing zebrafish larvae from 3dpf to 6dpf in embryo medium containing 10µg/ml prednisolone. At 6 d.p.f, the E3 medium containing prednisolone was removed and replaced with the combination of 10µg/ml prednisolone and NELVORG in triplicate till 9 d.p.f was taken as a test group. Alendronate (10µg/ml) and (0.1%) DMSO was taken as a standard and control group respectively. At 9 d.p.f zebrafish larvae were collected and subjected to alizarin red staining for the labelling of the skeleton and the area of stained portion were analyzed using image pro plus analysis to calculate the density of staining. Results: The result showed NELVORG significantly prevented Glucocorticoid-induced bone loss and density and comparable to the standard drug Alendronate in zebrafish larval (ZF) model in vivo. So, Nano encapsulated volatile oil of the leaf of R. graveolens may be developed as a novel nontoxic potential candidate for the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis

Land Grant Application- Albee, Johnathan (Wiscasset)

Land grant application submitted to the Maine Land Office for Johnathan Albee for service in the Revolutionary War.https://digitalmaine.com/revolutionary_war_me_land_office/1011/thumbnail.jp

Tarsal metric trends over the Medieval-Post-Medieval transition in London

The Medieval-Post-Medieval transition in England was an important shift in the human biocultural environment. With urbanization and industrialization came resultant changes in living and working conditions and subsequent effects on the skeleton. In addition, the Post-Medieval period ushered in changes in footwear and activity patterns, with potential consequences on foot bone morphology. The objective of this study is to compare calcaneal and talar lengths between the Medieval and Post-Medieval periods to determine whether there are quantifiable differences that correspond to shifting footwear and activity patterns. T-tests and ANCOVAs (and their non-parametric equivalents) were used to compare calcaneal and talar lengths of 1086 adults from 14 London cemeteries (Medieval n = 8, Post-Medieval n = 6), available in the Oracle Wellcome Osteological Research Database (WORD) curated by the Museum of London. Males and females were also analyzed separately. In the total sample, tali and calcanei are longer in the Medieval period (p \u3c 0.001 for both tarsals). When males and females are analyzed separately, male talar length is greater in the Post-Medieval period (p \u3c 0.001). The difference in talar length between periods is not statistically significant for females (p = 0.093). These differences in talar and calcaneal lengths between periods likely reflect differences in footwear between the Medieval and Post-Medieval periods. The magnitude of these differences varies according to sex, indicating that the change in footwear had differential impacts on men and women. Together, these results suggest that Medieval and Post-Medieval tarsals physically incorporated their respective cultural environments and gendered differences in cultural practice, particularly related to the footwear characteristic of each period