Particles from comet Kohoutek detected by the micrometeoroid experiment on HEOS 2

HEOS B measurements on particles ejected from comet Kohoutek reflect average particle rate as a function of particle speed and mass in relation to random distribution with known speed from the interplanetary region. The micrometeoroid experiment detector onboard the satellite passed through the orbital plane of the comet and encountered ejected particles for approximately two months

Thermal histories of the samples of two KOSI comet nucleus simulation experiments

Temperatures recorded during two KOSI comet nucleus simulation experiments strongly suggest that heat transport by vapor flow into the interior of the sample is very important. Two comet nucleus simulation experiments have been done by the KOSI team in a big space simulator. The thermal evolution of the sample during insolation and the results of simplified thermal evolution calculations are discussed. The observed thermal histories cannot be explained by a simple model with heat transferred by heat conduction at a constant conductivity, so a coupled heat and mass transfer problem was considered. The porous ice matrix was assumed to have a constant thermal conductivity and to be in thermal equilibrium with vapor in the pores, the internal pressure being the vapor pressure. The vapor was modelled as an ideal gas because, at the temperatures relevant to the problem, the mean free path length of the vapor molecules is large in comparison with the pore dimensions. The heat capacity at constant volume per unit mass of the two phase mixture was also assumed constant. The vapor was allowed to flow and transfer heat in response to an internal pressure gradient

Imaging the Dust Trail and Neckline of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

We report on the results of nearly 10 hours of integration of the dust trail and neckline of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P henceforth) using the Wide Field Imager at the ESO/MPG 2.2m telescope in La Silla. The data was obtained in April 2004 when the comet was at a heliocentric distance of 4.7 AU outbound. 67P is the target of the Rosetta spacecraft of the European Space Agency. Studying the trail and neckline can contribute to the quantification of mm-sized dust grains released by the comet. We describe the data reduction and derive lower limits for the surface brightness. In the processed image, the angular separation of trail and neckline is resolved. We do not detect a coma of small, recently emitted grains.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the proceedings book of the conference "Dust in Planetary Systems 2005", Calibration updated in Section

Mechanical and SEM analysis of artificial comet nucleus samples

Since 1987 experiments dealing with comet nucleus phenomena have been carried out in the DFVLR space simulation chambers. The main objective of these experiments is a better understanding of thermal behavior, surface phenomena and especially the gas dust interaction. As a function of different sample compositions and exposure to solar irradiation (xenon-bulbs) crusts of different hardness and thickness were measured. The measuring device consists of a motor driven pressure foot (5 mm diameter), which is pressed into the sample. The applied compressive force is electronically monitored. The microstructure of the crust and dust residuals is investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Stress-depth profiles of an unirradiated and an irradiated model comet are given

Where there is no surgeon: the effect of specialist proximity on general practitioners' referral rates

Objective: To determine the effect of proximity of surgical specialists on general practitioners' (GPs') rates of referral of surgical problems to specialist care (ie, are surgical referral rates of GPs in rural or remote areas similar to those of GPs in urban centres?). Design: A cross-sectional survey of GPpatient encounters. Setting: The Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) program, which involves all active registered GPs in Australia. Participants: A random sample of 3030 GPs, each providing details of 100 consecutive patient encounters. Main outcome measures: Proportion of surgical problems (including ophthalmological and obstetric and gynaecological) referred to surgical specialists (surgeons' rooms, hospital outpatient departments or hospital emergency departments). Results: Absence of a local specialist did not significantly influence the proportion of surgical problems referred by GPs overall, but the proportion referred was significantly lower for obstetric (odds ratio [OR], 0.56; 95% CI, 0.440.70) and ophthalmological (OR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.490.73) problems. Other factors independently associated with referral of a lower proportion of problems included male GPs, female and younger patients, holders of a Health Care Card, injury-related and non-cancer-related problems, follow-up presentations, and more than one problem managed at an encounter. Conclusions: Our findings confirm that rural and remote GPs undertake much of their patients' antenatal care, and are less likely to use specialists when managing ophthalmological problems. Absence of local specialists in other surgical specialties is not a barrier to referral of patients with surgical disorders

A chronically implantable, hybrid cannula–electrode device for assessing the effects of molecules on electrophysiological signals in freely behaving animals

We describe a device for assessing the effects of diffusible molecules on electrophysiological recordings from multiple neurons. This device allows for the infusion of reagents through a cannula located among an array of micro-electrodes. The device can easily be customized to target specific neural structures. It is designed to be chronically implanted so that isolated neural units and local field potentials are recorded over the course of several weeks or months. Multivariate statistical and spectral analysis of electrophysiological signals acquired using this system could quantitatively identify electrical “signatures” of therapeutically useful drugs

Modifications of comet materials by the sublimation process: Results from simulation experiments

An active comet like comet Halley loses by sublimation a surface layer of the order of 1 m thickness per perihelion passage. In situ measurements show that water ice is the main constituent which contributes to the gas emission although even more volatile species (CO, NH3, CH4, CO2 etc.) have been identified. Dust particles which were embedded in the ices are carried by the sublimating gases. Measurements of the chemical composition of cometary grains indicate that they are composed of silicates of approximate chondritic composition and refractory carbonaceous material. Comet simulation experiments show that significant modifications of cometary materials occur due to sublimation process in near surface layers which have to be taken into account in order to derive the original state of the material

Trends of mechanical consequences and modeling of a fibrous membrane around femoral hip prostheses

In the present study, the effects of a fibrous membrane between cement and bone in a femoral total hip replacement were investigated. The study involved the problem of modeling this fibrous membrane in finite-element analyses, and its global consequences for the load-transfer mechanism and its resulting stress patterns. A finite-element model was developed, suitable to describe nonlinear contact conditions in combination with nonlinear material properties of the fibrous membrane. The fibrous tissue layer was described as a highly compliant material with little resistance against tension and shear. The analysis showed that the load transfer mechanism from stem to bone changes drastically when such a membrane is present. These effects are predominantly caused by tensile loosening and slip at the interface, and are enhanced by the nonlinear membrane characteristics.\ud \ud Using parametric analysis, it was shown that these effects on the load-transfer mechanism cannot be described satisfactorily with linear elastic models.\ud \ud Most importantly, the fibrous tissue interposition causes excessive stress concentrations in bone and cement, and relatively high relative displacements between these materials

Calculation of the Phase Behavior of Lipids

The self-assembly of monoacyl lipids in solution is studied employing a model in which the lipid's hydrocarbon tail is described within the Rotational Isomeric State framework and is attached to a simple hydrophilic head. Mean-field theory is employed, and the necessary partition function of a single lipid is obtained via a partial enumeration over a large sample of molecular conformations. The influence of the lipid architecture on the transition between the lamellar and inverted-hexagonal phases is calculated, and qualitative agreement with experiment is found.Comment: to appear in Phys.Rev.

Attitudes of small animal practitioners toward participation in veterinary clinical trials

To determine attitudes of small animal practitioners toward veterinary clinical trials and variables influencing their likelihood of participating in such trials