The utilization of ERTS-1 generated images in the evaluation of some Iranian Playas as sites for economic and engineering development, part 1

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

The severity of sepsis: yet another factor influencing glycemic control

The present commentary provides a brief overview of the evolving literature on glycemic management in critically ill patients. Recent interventional studies have been plagued by high rates of severe hypoglycemia among patients, particularly those with sepsis. The investigation by Waeschle and colleagues adds to our knowledge about the relationship between the severity of sepsis and glycemic dysregulation. The severity of sepsis is shown to correlate with the risk of sustaining hyperglycemia as well as critical hypoglycemia

The utilization of ERTS-1-generated photographs in the evaluation of the Iranian playas as potential locations for economic and engineering development

The author has identified the following significant results. False-color composites made from ratioed and stretched transparencies, generated from CCT's of ERTS-1, have enhanced hydrologic and morphologic differences within the playa surficial sediments. A composite of ratios 4/6, 5/7,15/61 and 4/7 using blue, red, yellow, and green, respectively, was useful in separating wet, water, and dry areas in the salt crust and for delineating smooth and rough salt where relief was less than 20 cm

Trace elements in the pelagic coelenterate, Velella lata

Twelve elements (Cu, Ni, Mn, Ti, Si, Cr, Sr, V, Ba, Ag, Pb, and Mo), not previously reported from the genus Velella, were found in the ash of V. lata; zirconium was also searched for but was not found. Cu, Ni, Mn, Ti, Mg, Ca, and Al were determined quantitatively. The concentration of trace elements in the whole animal and in five different tissues of V. lata was determined in specimens ranging from 14.4 to 84.6 mm in length. The Mg:Ca ratio in Velella is lower than that in sea water but. higher than that in Scyphozoa. Presumably this is due to concentration of magnesium in the chlorophyll of commensal zooxanthellae

Intensive insulin therapy to control hyperglycemia in the critically ill: a look back at the evidence shapes the challenges ahead

The major interventional trials of intensive insulin therapy in critically ill patients have reached divergent results. The present viewpoint article explores some of the potential reasons, including differences in monitoring technology and protocol design and performance, the occurrence of severe hypoglycemia and changes in the standard of care since publication of the landmark single-center trial. Recently published data detailing the deleterious effect of hypoglycemia are discussed, as is the emerging body of literature describing the important impact of glycemic variability on the risk of mortality in heterogeneous populations of acutely ill and severely ill patients. These new findings have important implications for the design of future interventional trials of intensive insulin therapy in the intensive care unit setting

Silicified Mississippian Paleosol Microstructures: Evidence for Ancient Microbial-Soil Associations

Silica-replaced microfeatures in a well-developed, Upper Mississippian paleosol from north-central Arizona, were examined by scanning electron microscopy using back-scattered electron imagery. Preserved microfeatures include hollow and solid tubiform filaments and mycelium-like stringers which radiate from problematic (biogenic?) soil structures. Preservation of these features suggest that microstructures in the soil zone are not uniformly destroyed during post-diagenetic silica replacement and that biological soil symbionts may have occurred as early as the Upper Mississippian (~280 Mya)

Moving beyond tight glucose control to safe effective glucose control

The impressive benefits related to the use of tight glucose control by intensive insulin therapy have not been reproduced until now in multicenter large-scale prospective randomized trials. Although the reasons for these failures are not entirely clear, we suggest the use of a stepwise approach – Safe, Effective Glucose Control – that will essentially target an intermediate blood glucose level. As compared with genuine tight glucose control, Safe, Effective Glucose Control – already used in many intensive care units worldwide – is intended to decrease the rate of hypoglycemia and the workload, while reducing the adverse effects of severe hyperglycemia

Abrasion by aeolian particles: Earth and Mars

Estimation of the rate of aeolian abrasion of rocks on Mars requires knowledge of: (1) particle flux, (2) susceptibilities to abrasion of various rocks, and (3) wind frequencies on Mars. Fluxes and susceptibilities for a wide range of conditions were obtained in the laboratory and combined with wind data from the Viking meteorology experiment. Assuming an abundant supply of sand-sized particles, estimated rates range up to 2.1 x 10 to the minus 2 power cm of abrasion per year in the vicinity of Viking Lander 1. This rate is orders of magnitude too great to be in agreement with the inferred age of the surface based on models of impact crater flux. The discrepancy in the estimated rate of abrasion and the presumed old age of the surface cannot be explained easily by changes in climate or exhumation of ancient surfaces. The primary reason is thought to be related to the agents of abrasion. At least some sand-sized (approx. 100 micrometers) grains appear to be present, as inferred from both lander and orbiter observations. High rates of abrasion occur for all experimental cases involving sands of quartz, basalt, or ash. However, previous studies have shown that sand is quickly comminuted to silt- and clay-sized grains in the martian aeolian regime. Experiments also show that these fine grains are electrostatically charged and bond together as sand-sized aggregates. Laboratory simulations of wind abrasion involving aggregates show that at impact velocities capable of destroying sand, aggregates from a protective veneer on the target surface and can give rise to extremely low abrasion rates