Sampling of planetary surface solids for unmanned in situ geological and biological analysis - Strategy, principles, and instrument requirements

Sampling requirements for in situ geological and biological analysis of planetary surface rocks by unmanned spacecraf

Solid sulfur in vacuum: Sublimation effects on surface microtexture, color and spectral reflectance, and applications to planetary surfaces

A form of sulfur that is white at room temperature and very fluffy in texture has been found in laboratory experiments on the effects of vacuum sublimation (evaporation) on solid sulfur. This work is an outgrowth of proton sputtering experiments on sulfur directed toward understanding Jovian magnetospheric effects on the surface of Io. Fluffy white sulfur is formed on the surface of solid yellow, tan, or brown sulfur melt freezes in vacuum by differential (fractional) evaporation of two or more sulfur molecular species present in the original sulfur; S(8) ring sulfur is thought to be the dominant sublimination phase lost to the vacuum sink, and polymeric chain sulfur S(u) the dominant residual phase that remains in place, forming the residual fluffy surface layer. The reflectance spectrum of the original sulfur surface is greaty modified by formation of the fluffy layer: the blue absorption band-edge and shoulder move 0.05 to 0.06 microns toward shorter wavelengths resulting in a permanent increase in reflectivity near 0.42 to 0.46 microns; the UV reflectivity below 0.40 microns is reduced. This form of sulfur should exist in large quantity on the surface of Io, especially in hotspot regions if there is solid free sulfur there that has solidified from a melt. Its color and spectra will indicate relative crystallization age on a scale of days to months and/or surface temperature distribution history

The utility of unmanned probes in lunar exploration

Utility of unmanned probes of Ranger or Surveyor class in Apollo exploration program - Lunar scientific exploratio

Evaluation of thermal data for geologic applications

Sensitivity studies using thermal models indicated sources of errors in the determination of thermal inertia from HCMM data. Apparent thermal inertia, with only simple atmospheric radiance corrections to the measured surface temperature, would be sufficient for most operational requirements for surface thermal inertia. Thermal data does have additional information about the nature of surface material that is not available in visible and near infrared reflectance data. Color composites of daytime temperature, nighttime temperature, and albedo were often more useful than thermal inertia images alone for discrimination of lithologic boundaries. A modeling study, using the annual heating cycle, indicated the feasibility of looking for geologic features buried under as much as a meter of alluvial material. The spatial resolution of HCMM data is a major limiting factor in the usefulness of the data for geologic applications. Future thermal infrared satellite sensors should provide spatial resolution comparable to that of the LANDSAT data

Topological Constraints on the Charge Distributions for the Thomson Problem

The method of Morse theory is used to analyze the distributions of unit charges interacting through a repulsive force and constrained to move on the surface of a sphere -- the Thomson problem. We find that, due to topological reasons, the system may organize itself in the form of pentagonal structures. This gives a qualitative account for the interesting ``pentagonal buttons'' discovered in recent numerical work.Comment: 10 pages; dedicated to Rafael Sorkin on his 60th birthda

The importance of individualized pharmaceutical therapy in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Individualized pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes is necessary for several reasons. First, diabetes is a highly complex disease caused by the interplay among genetic, physiological, and environmental factors that vary from individual to individual. Second, the profile of patients with diabetes has evolved to include people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, with varying medical histories and health behaviors. Third, diabetes often occurs concurrently with other medical conditions, especially in certain groups, such as the elderly. While the treatment goals for all patients with diabetes are the sameto stabilize and maintain healthy blood glucose levels to prevent serious complicationsthe treatment plan used to achieve those goals will vary among individuals. There are many clinically proven options available for the treatment of diabetes. While there are well-established guidelines regarding which intervention is the best option for patients with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, individual patient characteristics and needs should drive the care process. Assuring patient access to the wide variety of medications is crucial to meeting these needs and achieving quality, cost-effective diabetes management

Pathological changes in the spleens of gamma interferon receptor-deficient mice infected with murine gammaherpesvirus:a role for CD8 T cells

Murine gammaherpesvirus is a natural rodent pathogen which causes a primary infection in the lungs and establishes a persistent infection in B lymphocytes. During the primary infection, large amounts of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) are produced by spleen, mediastinal, and cervical lymph node cells. To investigate the role of IFN-gamma in control of the virus infection, mice lacking the cellular receptor for IFN-gamma (IFN-gamma R-/- mice) were infected with murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68). IFN-gamma R-/- mice showed no difference from wild-type mice in the titers of infectious virus in the lungs or in the rate of clearance of the lung infection. In the spleen, however, clear differences were observed. By 14 days postinfection, spleens from IFN-gamma R-/- mice were pale, shrunken, and fibrous. Histological examination showed that there was an early (day 10) infiltration of granulocytes followed by widespread destruction of splenic architecture (days 14 to 17). A marked decrease in the number of splenic B cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells occurred. These changes were accompanied by a 10- to 100-fold greater load of latently infected cells in IFN-gamma R-/- mice than in wild-type mice at 14 to 17 days postinfection, but this was reduced to the levels found in wild-type mice by 21 days postinfection. Treatment of the mice with the antiviral drug 2'-deoxyl-5-ethyl-beta-4'-thiouridine from 6 days postinfection did not prevent the occurrence of these changes. The changes were, however, completely reversed by depletion of CD8+ T cells prior to and during the primary infection. Depletion of CD4+ T cells also reversed the major pathological and virological changes, although in this case there was evidence of some histological changes. Thus, the lack of IFN-gamma receptor had profound consequences in spleens of MHV68-infected mice. The possible mechanisms involved in these changes are discussed

Pain control in healthcare organizations: Developing effective disease management programs

Although medicine possesses the knowledge and technology for preventing or relieving most pain, poor pain control is still widespread. Unrelieved pain causes unnecessary suffering and increases health care expenditures. Among the barriers to improving pain control are poor provider education in pain management, misguided beliefs about the inevitability of pain and the dangers of pain medication, provider resistance to changing practice patterns, and administrative resistance to implementing improvements that incur short-term costs but lead to long-term savings. In short, poor pain relief in America\u27s health care institutions is a system issue, and improvement requires a system-wide change. An effective program for improving pain management requires a multidisciplinary team committed to the task, ideally a triad consisting of a physician, a nurse, and a pharmacist. The triad needs administrative support in order to undertake needs assessment, offer provider and patient education, and perform continuous cycles of assessment, intervention, and reassessment of pain management. A strong information management base and an analytic engine are essential so that the team can evaluate outcomes from multiple perspectives (provider, payer, patient). The triad should identify a service area with clear pain problems, demonstrate improvements in this area, and then systematically move to other service areas. Educating providers and patients about pain and its control is essential for bringing about change. Improved pain management is a win-win situation for patients and institutions alike. Patients and families benefit from reduced suffering and improved quality of life, while institutions can offer more cost-effective care to patients

Demand driven salt clean-up in a molten salt fast reactor – Defining a priority list

<div><p>The PUREX technology based on aqueous processes is currently the leading reprocessing technology in nuclear energy systems. It seems to be the most developed and established process for light water reactor fuel and the use of solid fuel. However, demand driven development of the nuclear system opens the way to liquid fuelled reactors, and disruptive technology development through the application of an integrated fuel cycle with a direct link to reactor operation. The possibilities of this new concept for innovative reprocessing technology development are analysed, the boundary conditions are discussed, and the economic as well as the neutron physical optimization parameters of the process are elucidated. Reactor physical knowledge of the influence of different elements on the neutron economy of the reactor is required. Using an innovative study approach, an element priority list for the salt clean-up is developed, which indicates that separation of Neodymium and Caesium is desirable, as they contribute almost 50% to the loss of criticality. Separating Zirconium and Samarium in addition from the fuel salt would remove nearly 80% of the loss of criticality due to fission products. The theoretical study is followed by a qualitative discussion of the different, demand driven optimization strategies which could satisfy the conflicting interests of sustainable reactor operation, efficient chemical processing for the salt clean-up, and the related economic as well as chemical engineering consequences. A new, innovative approach of balancing the throughput through salt processing based on a low number of separation process steps is developed. Next steps for the development of an economically viable salt clean-up process are identified.</p></div

Radiocarbon as a novel tracer of extra-Antarctic feeding in Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whales

Bulk stable isotope analysis provides information regarding food web interactions, and has been applied to several cetacean species for the study of migration ecology. One limitation in bulk stable isotope analysis arises when a species, such as Southern hemisphere humpback whales, utilises geographically distinct food webs with differing isotopic baselines. Migrations to areas with different baselines can result in isotopic changes that mimic changes in feeding relations, leading to ambiguous food web interpretations. Here, we demonstrate the novel application of radiocarbon measurement for the resolution of such ambiguities. Radiocarbon was measured in baleen plates from humpback whales stranded in Australia between 2007 and 2013, and in skin samples collected in Australia and Antarctica from stranded and free-ranging animals. Radiocarbon measurements showed lower values for Southern Ocean feeding than for extra-Antarctic feeding in Australian waters. While the whales mostly relied on Antarctic-derived energy stores during their annual migration, there was some evidence of feeding within temperate zone waters in some individuals. This work, to our knowledge, provides the first definitive biochemical evidence for supplementary feeding by southern hemisphere humpback whales within temperate waters during migration. Further, the work contributes a powerful new tool (radiocarbon) for tracing source regions and geographical feeding