MapX: an In-Situ Mapping X-Ray Fluorescence Instrument for Detection of Biosignatures and Habitable Planetary Environments

The search for evidence of life or its processes on other worlds takes on two major themes: the detection of biosignatures indicating extinct or extant life, or the determination that an environment either has or once had the potential to harbor living organisms. In situ elemental imaging is useful in either case, since features on the mm to m scale reveal geological processes which may indicate past or present habitability. Further, biomineralization can leave traces in the morphology and element distribution of surfaces. The Mapping X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (MapX) is an in-situ instrument designed to identify these features on planetary surfaces [1]. Progress on instrument development, data analysis methods, and element quantification are presented

A prospective analysis describing the innovative use of liposomal bupivacaine in burn patients

Burn patients frequently require autograft harvesting to facilitate wound healing, often resulting in significant pain. Liposomal bupivacaine is indicated for administration into a surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia. The objective of this study was to evaluate efficacy, safety, and duration of postoperative analgesia with liposomal bupivacaine for donor site pain in burn patients. This was an observational, case–control study including adult patients with <20% total body surface area (TBSA) burned who received liposomal bupivacaine for postoperative pain management after autograft harvesting from lower extremity donor site(s). Patients from the case group were matched to historical control patients treated with traditional pain management. The primary outcome was the cumulative pain scores on postoperative day one measured by the area under the curve (AUC0–24). Secondary outcomes included AUC0–72, total milligram morphine equivalents (MME), length of stay, and adverse events. Data were collected in 36 patients who received liposomal bupivacaine, with 21 patients eligible for matching to historical controls. Patients included in the intervention and control groups were well-matched at baseline. Patients in the intervention group had a significantly lower median (IQR) AUC0–24 [578 (408,740) vs. 680 (544,803); p = 0.05] and shorter length of stay [4 days (1,9.5) vs. 6 days (318); p = 0.01]. No differences in adverse events related to the administration of liposomal bupivacaine or opioid-related adverse events were observed. Results indicate liposomal bupivacaine is safe and effective in burn patients. The results of this study add to the limited body of literature examining efficacy in this population

Mineralogy of Vera Rubin Ridge in Gale Crater from the Mars Science Laboratory CheMin instrument

Gale crater was selected as the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover because of orbital evidence for a variety of secondary minerals in the lower slopes of Aeolis Mons (aka Mount Sharp) that indicate changes in aqueous conditions over time. Distinct units demonstrate orbital spectral signatures of hematite, phyllosilicate (smectite), and sulfate minerals, which suggest that ancient aqueous environments in Gale crater varied in oxidation potential, pH, and water activity. Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) is the first of these units identified from orbit to have been studied by Curiosity. Orbital near-infrared data from VRR show a strong band at 860 nm indicative of hematite. Before Curiosity arrived at VRR, the hypotheses to explain the formation of hematite included (1) precipitation at a redox interface where aqueous Fe2+ was oxidized to Fe3+, and (2) acidic alteration of olivine in oxic fluids. Studying the composition and sedimentology of the rocks on VRR allow us to test and refine these hypotheses and flesh out the depositional and diagenetic history of the ridge. Here, we focus on the mineralogical results of four rock powders drilled from and immediately below VRR as determined by CheMin

Evidence for Multiple Diagenetic Episodes in Ancient Fluvial-Lacustrine Sedimentary Rocks in Gale Crater, Mars

The Curiosity rover's exploration of rocks and soils in Gale crater has provided diverse geochemical and mineralogical data sets, underscoring the complex geological history of the region. We report the crystalline, clay mineral, and amorphous phase distributions of four Gale crater rocks from an 80‐m stratigraphic interval. The mineralogy of the four samples is strongly influenced by aqueous alteration processes, including variations in water chemistries, redox, pH, and temperature. Localized hydrothermal events are evidenced by gray hematite and maturation of amorphous SiO₂ to opal‐CT. Low‐temperature diagenetic events are associated with fluctuating lake levels, evaporative events, and groundwater infiltration. Among all mudstones analyzed in Gale crater, the diversity in diagenetic processes is primarily captured by the mineralogy and X‐ray amorphous chemistry of the drilled rocks. Variations indicate a transition from magnetite to hematite and an increase in matrix‐associated sulfates suggesting intensifying influence from oxic, diagenetic fluids upsection. Furthermore, diagenetic fluid pathways are shown to be strongly affected by unconformities and sedimentary transitions, as evidenced by the intensity of alteration inferred from the mineralogy of sediments sampled adjacent to stratigraphic contacts

Evidence for Multiple Diagenetic Episodes in Ancient Fluvial-Lacustrine Sedimentary Rocks in Gale Crater, Mars

The Curiosity rover's exploration of rocks and soils in Gale crater has provided diverse geochemical and mineralogical data sets, underscoring the complex geological history of the region. We report the crystalline, clay mineral, and amorphous phase distributions of four Gale crater rocks from an 80‐m stratigraphic interval. The mineralogy of the four samples is strongly influenced by aqueous alteration processes, including variations in water chemistries, redox, pH, and temperature. Localized hydrothermal events are evidenced by gray hematite and maturation of amorphous SiO₂ to opal‐CT. Low‐temperature diagenetic events are associated with fluctuating lake levels, evaporative events, and groundwater infiltration. Among all mudstones analyzed in Gale crater, the diversity in diagenetic processes is primarily captured by the mineralogy and X‐ray amorphous chemistry of the drilled rocks. Variations indicate a transition from magnetite to hematite and an increase in matrix‐associated sulfates suggesting intensifying influence from oxic, diagenetic fluids upsection. Furthermore, diagenetic fluid pathways are shown to be strongly affected by unconformities and sedimentary transitions, as evidenced by the intensity of alteration inferred from the mineralogy of sediments sampled adjacent to stratigraphic contacts