The mineralogic evolution of the Martian surface through time: Implications from chemical reaction path modeling studies

Chemical reaction path calculations were used to model the minerals that might have formed at or near the Martian surface as a result of volcano or meteorite impact driven hydrothermal systems; weathering at the Martian surface during an early warm, wet climate; and near-zero or sub-zero C brine-regolith reactions in the current cold climate. Although the chemical reaction path calculations carried out do not define the exact mineralogical evolution of the Martian surface over time, they do place valuable geochemical constraints on the types of minerals that formed from an aqueous phase under various surficial and geochemically complex conditions

EMPOWERing older people and their communities to manage their own CARE (EMPOWERCARE): Evaluation study of a social innovation initiative across four European countries

This paper outlines the evaluation strategy of the EMPOWERCARE, an EU Interreg 2 Seas funded social innovation project, which involves a partnership of local authorities, universities and non-governmental organisations from four European countries: Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Partners are working in collaboration with local people aged 65+, and those aged 50+ with at least one chronic condition, to respond to current gaps in the care of older people. The project aims specifically to contribute to person-centred care and technology knowledge transfer whilst reducing isolation, loneliness and increasing solidarity amongst older people and their communities. During the project, partners are jointly developing a strategy for implementing good-practice models, a workforce transformation approach via shared training and a technology blueprint with emphasis on caring digital technologies to address the rising demand for health and social care services for older people. The project addresses this challenge by drawing on community assets, involving older people in decisions about their own health and wellbeing, enabling them to keep healthier and in their own homes and communities safely for longer. The project’s evaluation aims to measure the impact of the EMPOWERCARE initiative across 7 pilot sites in the 4 participating countries. Given the Covid-19 pandemic, the evaluation design has been developed with a view to being agile and able to respond to complex and shifting situations, and especially so in terms of what and how data are collected. A realist synthesis approach (Pawson & Tilley, 2004) guides the evaluation within a descriptive case study design (Yin 2003) to identify and contextualise the project strategies that are influential within and across the 7 different case study sites. The evaluation uses multiple interdisciplinary methods, such as surveys, Photovoice and Social Return on Investment, to capture a range of perspectives across three timepoints, baseline (T0), mid-point (T1) and end-point (T2). Online surveys are conducted with both end-users and the workforce in all pilot sites at T0 and T2. At T1, end-users are actively involved in creating visual data through Photovoice to capture their lived experiences with local initiatives in pilot sites. Visual data are going to be displayed at pilot site exhibitions targeted to key local stakeholders and members of the workforce. Focus groups will be conducted with all participants reflecting on the visual data exhibition to explore insights about the initiative from current and future perspectives. This aspect is informed by a Social Return on Investment approach. The sequential data collection of multiple sources and longitudinal study design identify patterns of change and impact. The evaluation design will deliver a theory-driven rich explanation of what works about EMPOWERCARE and for whom, why, how and in what circumstances it works. The analysis of the evaluation findings will contribute to a more empowered person-centred approach, with more inclusive and caring digital health solutions that will allow policy makers to develop localised, efficient and social-value driven services to meet the rising needs of older people in the European regions

Determination of Geochemical Bio-Signatures in Mars-Like Basaltic Environments

Bio-signatures play a central role in determining whether life existed on early Mars. Using a terrestrial basalt as a compositional analog for the martian surface, we applied a combination of experimental microbiology and thermochemical modeling techniques to identify potential geochemical bio-signatures for life on early Mars. Laboratory experiments were used to determine the short-term effects of biota on the dissolution of terrestrial basalt, and the formation of secondary alteration minerals. The chemoorganoheterotrophic bacterium, Burkholderia sp. strain B_33, was grown in a minimal growth medium with and without terrestrial basalt as the sole nutrient source. No growth was detected in the absence of the basalt. In the presence of basalt, during exponential growth, the pH decreased rapidly from pH 7.0 to 3.6 and then gradually increased to a steady-state of equilibrium of between 6.8 and 7.1. Microbial growth coincided with an increase in key elements in the growth medium (Si, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe). Experimental results were compared with theoretical thermochemical modeling to predict growth of secondary alteration minerals, which can be used as bio-signatures, over a geological timescale. We thermochemically modeled the dissolution of the basalt (in the absence of biota) in very dilute brine at 25°C, 1 bar; the pH was buffered by the mineral dissolution and precipitation reactions. Preliminary results suggested that at the water to rock ratio of 1 × 107, zeolite, hematite, chlorite, kaolinite, and apatite formed abiotically. The biotic weathering processes were modeled by varying the pH conditions within the model to adjust for biologic influence. The results suggested that, for a basaltic system, the microbially-mediated dissolution of basalt would result in “simpler” secondary alteration, consisting of Fe-hydroxide and kaolinite, under conditions where the abiotic system would also form chlorite. The results from this study demonstrate that, by using laboratory-based experiments and thermochemical modeling, it is possible to identify secondary alteration minerals that could potentially be used to distinguish between abiotic and biotic weathering processes on early Mars. This work will contribute to the interpretation of data from past, present, and future life detection missions to Mars

Surviving History of Sexuality: A Feminist-Foucauldian Approach to Sexual Violence and Survival

For the most part, feminist responses to Michel Foucault’s treatment of sexual violence have been overwhelmingly negative. Though many of these negative responses are well founded, I argue that Foucault’s work on sexuality nonetheless has much to offer feminist philosophy on sexual violence and survival. One passage of great contention in Foucault’s work is his History of Sexuality discussion of Charles-Joseph Jouy, a nineteenth century farmhand accused of molesting a child. While Foucault uses this case to make important points about modern conceptions of sexuality, he does so at the cost of glossing over the child in the case, a young girl named Sophie Adam. My project opens the following questions: If Foucault had taken Sophie Adam as a subject in History of Sexuality, what would this undertaking have looked like? What does Foucault’s critique of sexuality do for Sophie Adam, or for sexual violence survivors more broadly? In answering these questions I explicate the challenges Foucault’s critique poses to our understanding of sex in three main areas: identity, temporality, and knowledge, and I explore the relevance of each of these categories for survivors. The end result is (1) a feminist-Foucauldian account of survival that articulates specific ways in which survivors are limited or rendered incoherent by modern, normative accounts of sexuality and (2) a gesture toward positive projects that open up alternative modes of survival and more inclusive conceptions of sexual violence, selfhood, and survival

Foreign Ownership of U.S. Agricultural Land Through December 31, 1994

Foreign persons owned 14.1 million acres of u.S. agricultural land as of December 31, 1994. This is slightly more than 1 percent of all privately held agricultural land and 0.65 percent of all land in the united States. These and other findings are based on an analysis of reports submitted in compliance with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978.Foreign persons owned 14.1 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of December 31, 1994. This is slightly more than 1 percent of all privately held agricultural land and 0.65 percent of all land in the United States. These and other findings are based on an analysis of reports submitted in compliance with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978

Foreign Ownership of U.S. Agricultural Land Through December 31, 1990

Foreigners owned 14.4 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of December 31, 1990. This is slightly more than 1 percent of all privately held agricultural land and 0.6 percent of all land in the United States. These and other findings are based on an analysis of reports submitted in compliance with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978

FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF U.S. AGRICULTURAL LAND THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1986

Foreigners owned 12.4 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of December 31, 1986. This is slightly less than 1 percent of all privately held agricultural land and 0.5 percent of all land in the United States. These and other findings are based on an analysis of reports submitted in compliance with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978

FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF U.S. AGRICULTURAL LAND THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1988

Foreigners owned 12.5 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of December 31, 1988. This is slightly less than 1 percent of all privately held agricultural land and 0.5 percent of all land in the United States. These and other findings are based on an analysis of reports submitted in compliance with the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978

Taxes on U.S. Agricultural Real Estate, 1980-1991, and Methods of Estimation

This bulletin provides State-level estimates of agricultural real estate taxes since 1890. Estimates include average taxes per acre for 1890-1991, and total taxes and taxes per $100 of full market value for 1909-91. The bulletin also explains the methods used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for obtainil11g and estimating the data