Major Constituents Analysis for the Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Monitor

Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Monitor (VCAM) can provide a means for monitoring the air within enclosed environments such as the International Space Station, the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), a Lunar habitat, or another vehicle traveling to Mars. The software processes a sum total spectra (counts vs. mass channel) with the intention of computing abundance ratios for N2, O2, CO2, Ar2, and H2O. A brute-force powerset expansion compares a library of expected mass lines with those found within the data. Least squares error is combined with a penalty term for using small peaks

Measurements of Polyatomic Molecule Formation on an Icy Grain Analog Using Fast Atoms

Carbon dioxide has been produced from the impact of a monoenergetic O(P-3) beam upon a surface cooled to 4.8 K and covered with a CO ice. Using temperature-programmed desorption and mass spectrometer detection, we have detected increasing amounts of CO2 formation with O(P-3) energies of 2, 5, 10, and 14 eV. This is the first measurement of polyatomic molecule formation on a surface with superthermal atoms. The goal of this work is to detect other polyatomic species, such as CH3OH, which can be formed under conditions that simulate the grain temperature, surface coverage, and superthermal atoms present in shock-heated circumstellar and interstellar regions

Histogrammatic Method for Determining Relative Abundance of Input Gas Pulse

To satisfy the Major Constituents Analysis (MCA) requirements for the Vehicle Cabin Atmosphere Monitor (VCAM), this software analyzes the relative abundance ratios for N2, O2, Ar, and CO2 as a function of time and constructs their best-estimate mean. A histogram is first built of all abundance ratios for each of the species vs time. The abundance peaks corresponding to the intended measurement and any obfuscating background are then separated via standard peak-finding techniques in histogram space. A voting scheme is then used to include/exclude this particular time sample in the final average based on its membership to the intended measurement or the background population. This results in a robust and reasonable estimate of the abundance of trace components such as CO2 and Ar even in the presence of obfuscating backgrounds internal to the VCAM device. VCAM can provide a means for monitoring the air within the enclosed environments, such as the ISS (International Space Station), Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), a Lunar Habitat, or another vehicle traveling to Mars. Its miniature pre-concentrator, gas chromatograph (GC), and mass spectrometer can provide unbiased detection of a large number of organic species as well as MCA analysis. VCAM s software can identify the concentration of trace chemicals and whether the chemicals are on a targeted list of hazardous compounds. This innovation s performance and reliability on orbit, along with the ground team s assessment of its raw data and analysis results, will validate its technology for future use and development

Defining forgiveness: Christian clergy and general population perspectives.

The lack of any consensual definition of forgiveness is a serious weakness in the research literature (McCullough, Pargament &amp; Thoresen, 2000). As forgiveness is at the core of Christianity, this study returns to the Christian source of the concept to explore the meaning of forgiveness for practicing Christian clergy. Comparisons are made with a general population sample and social science definitions of forgiveness to ensure that a shared meaning of forgiveness is articulated. Anglican and Roman Catholic clergy (N = 209) and a general population sample (N = 159) completed a postal questionnaire about forgiveness. There is agreement on the existence of individual differences in forgiveness. Clergy and the general population perceive reconciliation as necessary for forgiveness while there is no consensus within psychology. The clergy suggests that forgiveness is limitless and that repentance is unnecessary while the general population suggests that there are limits and that repentance is necessary. Psychological definitions do not conceptualize repentance as necessary for forgiveness and the question of limits has not been addressed although within therapy the implicit assumption is that forgiveness is limitless.</p

Control of parallel hippocampal output pathways by amygdalar long-range inhibition

Projections from the basal amygdala (BA) to the ventral hippocampus (vH) are proposed to provide information about the rewarding or threatening nature of learned associations to support appropriate goal-directed and anxiety-like behaviour. Such behaviour occurs via the differential activity of multiple, parallel populations of pyramidal neurons in vH that project to distinct downstream targets, but the nature of BA input and how it connects with these populations is unclear. Using channelrhodopsin-2-assisted circuit mapping in mice, we show that BA input to vH consists of both excitatory and inhibitory projections. Excitatory input specifically targets BA- and nucleus accumbens-projecting vH neurons and avoids prefrontal cortex-projecting vH neurons, while inhibitory input preferentially targets BA-projecting neurons. Through this specific connectivity, BA inhibitory projections gate place-value associations by controlling the activity of nucleus accumbens-projecting vH neurons. Our results define a parallel excitatory and inhibitory projection from BA to vH that can support goal-directed behaviour

A systems-level analysis of total-body PET data reveals complex skeletal metabolism networks in vivo

Bone is now regarded to be a key regulator of a number of metabolic processes, in addition to the regulation of mineral metabolism. However, our understanding of complex bone metabolic interactions at a systems level remains rudimentary. in vitro molecular biology and bioinformatics approaches have frequently been used to understand the mechanistic changes underlying disease at the cell level, however, these approaches lack the capability to interrogate dynamic multi-bone metabolic interactions in vivo. Here we present a novel and integrative approach to understand complex bone metabolic interactions in vivo using total-body positron emission tomography (PET) network analysis of murine 18F-FDG scans, as a biomarker of glucose metabolism in bones. In this report we show that different bones within the skeleton have a unique glucose metabolism and form a complex metabolic network, which could not be identified using single tissue simplistic PET standard uptake values analysis. The application of our approach could reveal new physiological and pathological tissue interactions beyond skeletal metabolism, due to PET radiotracers diversity and the advent of clinical total-body PET systems

Percutaneous sentinel node removal using a vacuum-assisted needle biopsy in women with breast cancer:a feasibility and acceptability study

AIMS: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of large-gauge percutaneous removal of the axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) using dual gamma probe and ultrasound guidance.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Technetium nanocolloid was administered the day before surgery. On the day of surgery, potential SLNs were identified with gamma probe and ultrasound scanning. A 7 G vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) device was inserted percutaneously deep to the target node and the node(s) removed. The gamma probe was used to confirm removal of radiolabelled tissue. At surgery, any residual radiolabelled or blue nodes were removed. Morbidity was assessed via (1) a pain questionnaire immediately after the percutaneous procedure, (2) relevant items from the FACT B+4 questionnaire 7-10 days after surgery, and (3) case note review 1 month after surgery.RESULTS: Twenty-two patients consented and 20 patients underwent the procedure. Radiolabelled nodal tissue was obtained in 18/20 (90%). The mean procedure time was 11 minutes. Four of 18 patients had metastatic disease identified in the VAB excision tissue with 100% sensitivity for axillary metastasis. At axillary surgery, additional intact SLN or fragments were found in 14 patients. No additional metastatic disease was found at surgery. One patient suffered a pneumothorax during instillation of local anaesthetic. The median pain score was 10/100 by visual analogue scale. Immediate post-procedure haematoma was common (14 of 20) and prolonged manual compression frequent.CONCLUSION: VAB removal of sentinel nodes using dual scanning is feasible. Although preliminary sensitivity and specificity levels are encouraging, complications may discourage widespread implementation.</p

'Prove me the bam!': victimization and agency in the lives of young women who commit violent offences

This article reviews the evidence regarding young women’s involvement in violent crime and, drawing on recent research carried out in HMPYOI Cornton Vale in Scotland, provides an overview of the characteristics, needs and deeds of young women sentenced to imprisonment for violent offending. Through the use of direct quotations, the article suggests that young women’s anger and aggression is often related to their experiences of family violence and abuse, and the acquisition of a negative worldview in which other people are considered as being 'out to get you' or ready to 'put one over on you'. The young women survived in these circumstances, not by adopting discourses that cast them as exploited victims, but by drawing on (sub)cultural norms and values which promote pre-emptive violence and the defence of respect. The implications of these findings for those who work with such young women are also discussed