First Results of Venus Express Spacecraft Observations with Wettzell

The ESA Venus Express spacecraft was observed at X-band with the Wettzell radio telescope in October-December 2009 in the framework of an assessment study of the possible contribution of the European VLBI Network to the upcoming ESA deep space missions. A major goal of these observations was to develop and test the scheduling, data capture, transfer, processing, and analysis pipeline. Recorded data were transferred from Wettzell to Metsahovi for processing, and the processed data were sent from Mets ahovi to JIVE for analysis. A turnover time of 24 hours from observations to analysis results was achieved. The high dynamic range of the detections allowed us to achieve a milliHz level of spectral resolution accuracy and to extract the phase of the spacecraft signal carrier line. Several physical parameters can be determined from these observational results with more observational data collected. Among other important results, the measured phase fluctuations of the carrier line at different time scales can be used to determine the influence of the solar wind plasma density fluctuations on the accuracy of the astrometric VLBI observations

A core outcome set for evaluating self-management interventions in people with comorbid diabetes and severe mental illness : study protocol for a modified Delphi study and systematic review

BACKGROUND: People with diabetes and comorbid severe mental illness (SMI) form a growing population at risk of increased mortality and morbidity compared to those with diabetes or SMI alone. There is increasing interest in interventions that target diabetes in SMI in order to help to improve physical health and reduce the associated health inequalities. However, there is a lack of consensus about which outcomes are important for this comorbid population, with trials differing in their focus on physical and mental health. A core outcome set, which includes outcomes across both conditions that are relevant to patients and other key stakeholders, is needed. METHODS: This study protocol describes methods to develop a core outcome set for use in effectiveness trials of self-management interventions for adults with comorbid type-2 diabetes and SMI. We will use a modified Delphi method to identify, rank, and agree core outcomes. This will comprise a two-round online survey and multistakeholder workshops involving patients and carers, health and social care professionals, health care commissioners, and other experts (e.g. academic researchers and third sector organisations). We will also select appropriate measurement tools for each outcome in the proposed core set and identify gaps in measures, where these exist. DISCUSSION: The proposed core outcome set will provide clear guidance about what outcomes should be measured, as a minimum, in trials of interventions for people with coexisting type-2 diabetes and SMI, and improve future synthesis of trial evidence in this area. We will also explore the challenges of using online Delphi methods for this hard-to-reach population, and examine differences in opinion about which outcomes matter to diverse stakeholder groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: COMET registration: http://www.comet-initiative.org/studies/details/911 . Registered on 1 July 2016

IMPACT OF DIFFERENT SOIL TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON SOIL CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) EMISSION FOR ORTHIC LUVISOL IN WESTERN SLOVAKIA

Contains special characters which cannot be displayed

ANALYSIS OF PRECIPITATION CHANGES IN DANUBIAN LOWLAND

The aim of this article is to point precipitation occurrence in the Nitra town area in years 1961 – 2010. The precipitations were considered in 3 categories within decades - always during spring, summer, autumn and winter months: number of days with precipitation of 0,1 mm and more, days with precipitation of 1 mm and more, days with precipitation of 10 mm and more. In the conclusion, we can assume a higher number of cases with precipitation increase over 10 mm were recorded and it considerably influences the amount of water in soil. This increase was recorded mainly in spring and autumn

Water masers in the Kronian system

The presence of water has been considered for a long time as a key condition for life in planetary environments. The Cassini mission discovered water vapour in the Kronian system by detecting absorption of UV emission from a background star (Hansen et al. 2006). Prompted by this discovery, we started an observational campaign for search of another manifestation of the water vapour in the Kronian system, its maser emission at the frequency of 22 GHz (1.35 cm wavelength). Observations with the 32 m Medicina radio telescope (INAF-IRA, Italy) started in 2006 using Mk5A data recording and the JIVE-Huygens software correlator. Later on, an on-line spectrometer was used at Medicina. The 14 m Metsähovi radio telescope (TKK-MRO, Finland) joined the observational campaign in 2008 using a locally developed data capture unit and software spectrometer. More than 300 hours of observations were collected in 2006-2008 campaign with the two radio telescopes. The data were analysed at JIVE using the Doppler tracking technique to compensate the observed spectra for the radial Doppler shift for various bodies in the Kronian system (Pogrebenko et al. 2009). Here we report the observational results for Hyperion, Titan, Enceladus and Atlas, and their physical interpretation. Encouraged by these results we started a campaign of follow up observations including other radio telescopes

JUICE: A European Mission to Jupiter and its Icy Moons

JUICE - JUpiter ICy moons Explorer - is the first large mission in the ESA Cosmic Vision programme. Due to launch in May 2022 and arrival at Jupiter in October 2029, it will make detailed observations of the Jovian system, with a special focus on the planet itself, its giant magnetosphere, and the three icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. The current mission baseline assumes a Jupiter tour of almost three years including two close flybys of Europa, fifteen flybys of Ganymede, and twelve flybys of Callisto, together with a high inclination phase of six months in order to characterize Jupiter high latitudes. In August 2032, JUICE will then orbit Ganymede for at least ten months, down to an altitude of 500km. The first goal of JUICE is to to characterize the conditions that might have led to the emergence of habitable environments among the Jovian satellites. Ganymede is a high-priority target as it provides a unique laboratory for analyzing the nature, evolution and habitability of icy worlds, including the characteristics of subsurface oceans, and its unique magnetosphere interaction with the Jovian magnetodisc. For Europa, the focus will be on recently active zones, while Callisto will be explored as a witness of the early Solar System. JUICE will also investigate the Jupiter system as an archetype of gas giants. The circulation, meteorology, chemistry and structure of the Jovian atmosphere will be studied from the cloud tops to the thermosphere and ionosphere. JUICE will also study the properties of the magnetodisc, and will analyse the coupling processes within the magnetosphere, ionosphere and thermosphere. The payload consists of 10 instruments plus a ground-based experiment (PRIDE) to better constrain the S/C position. A remote sensing package includes imaging (JANUS) and spectral-imaging capabilities from the UV to the sub-mm wavelengths (UVS, MAJIS, SWI). A geophysical package consists of a laser altimeter (GALA) and a radar sounder (RIME) for exploring the moons, and a radio science experiment (3GM) to sound the atmospheres and to determine the gravity fields. The in-situ package comprises a suite to study plasma and neutral gas environments (PEP) with remote sensing capabilities via energetic neutrals, a magnetometer (J-MAG) and a radio and plasma wave instrument (RPWI)