Human settlement of Mars in the context of the Outer Space Treaty 1967

This mini-dissertation asks whether international law permits the human settlement of Mars. The paper is inspired by the public goal of aerospace entrepreneur and futurist Elon Musk to transport human crew to Mars within 10 years. His company SpaceX, as well as other key players in the global aerospace industry, are rapidly developing the technological capacity and business case for the exploitation of off-world resources. Human settlement of Mars is no longer confined to the realm of science fiction. It raises questions of international law that, until very recently, were dismissed as fantastic. The Outer Space Treaty (1967) has found widespread acceptance; however Arts I and II dealing with rights to ‘use’ of space and banning ‘national appropriation’ are vague. The interpretation of these sections has proved controversial in light of proposals by private companies to exploit space resources by mining asteroids. This debate informs my reflections on whether human settlement of another planet might violate the Outer Space Treaty – but it is not quite the whole story. The opinions of leading space law experts on the question of human settlement of Mars opinions are frequently sought in the popular media, especially in the aftermath of any announcement of SpaceX or Elon Musk. However, the topic is yet to be dealt with in an in-depth academic setting. The paper will address: • Chapter II: Does the establishment and conduct of a human settlement fall within the freedom of activities anticipated in Article I Outer Space Treaty? • Chapter III: Does Article I oblige settlers to share the profits (if any) of their activities with Earth? • Chapter IV: Does the establishment of the settlement constitute an appropriation within the terms of Article II Outer Space Treaty? • Chapter V: Are settlers entitled to exclude others from the settlement

Insect Immunity Varies Idiosyncratically During Overwintering.

Overwintering insects face multiple stressors, including pathogen and parasite pressures that shift with seasons. However, we know little of how the insect immune system fluctuates with season, particularly in the overwintering period. To understand how immune activity changes across autumn, winter, and spring, we tracked immune activity of three temperate insects that overwinter as larvae: a weevil (Curculio sp., Coleoptera), gallfly (Eurosta solidaginis, Diptera), and larvae of the lepidopteran Pyrrharctia isabella. We measured baseline circulating hemocyte numbers, phenoloxidase activity, and humoral antimicrobial activity, as well as survival of fungal infection and melanization response at 12°C and 25°C to capture any potential plasticity in thermal performance. In Curculio sp. and E. solidaginis, hemocyte concentrations remained unchanged across seasons and antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria was lowest in autumn; however, Curculio sp. were less likely to survive fungal infection in autumn, whereas E. solidaginis were less likely to survive infection during the winter. Furthermore, hemocyte concentrations and antimicrobial activity decreased in P. isabella overwintering beneath snow cover. Overall, seasonal changes in activity were largely species dependent, thus it may be difficult to create generalizable predictions about the effects of a changing climate on seasonal immune activity in insects. However, we suggest that the relationship between the response to multiple stressors (e.g., cold and pathogens) drives changes in immune activity, and that understanding the physiology underlying these relationships will inform our predictions of the effects of environmental change on insect overwintering success

The Role of a University Archives in Producing a History of a Core Curriculum

During an annual alumni weekend celebration, librarians at a liberal arts college rely heavily on the university’s archival collection to produce a robust exhibit on the university’s history. The 2014 exhibit focused on the unique academic program, known as the Core Curriculum. The history produced for this exhibit depended on documents from the 1940s to the 1990s, including university publications, papers, and project reports created by faculty members. Starting with one publication, The Oglethorpe Book, the variations on and reactions to this sole document provide a paper trail of historical significance in defining and redefining a college core program. The importance of a university archives and the preservation of its historical materials are clearly articulated in this brief but significant history

Thermal variability and plasticity drive the outcome of a host-pathogen interaction

Variable, changing, climates may affect each participant in a biotic interaction differently. We explored the effects of temperature and plasticity on the outcome of a host-pathogen interaction to try to predict the outcomes of infection under fluctuating temperatures. We infected Gryllus veletis crickets with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum under constant (6 °C, 12 °C, 18 °C or 25 °C) or fluctuating temperatures (6 °C to 18 °C or 6 °C to 25 °C). We also acclimated crickets and fungi to constant or fluctuating conditions. Crickets acclimated to fluctuating conditions survived best under constant conditions if paired with warm-acclimated fungus. Overall, matches and mismatches in thermal performance, driven by acclimation, determined host survival. Mismatched performance also determined differences in survival under different fluctuating thermal regimes: crickets survived best when fluctuating temperatures favoured their performance (6 °C to 25 °C), compared to fluctuations that favoured fungus performance (6 °C to 18 °C). Thus, we could predict the outcome of infection under fluctuating temperatures by averaging relative host-pathogen performance under constant temperatures, suggesting that it may be possible to predict responses to fluctuating temperatures for at least some biotic interactions

Posture flexibility and grip strength in horse riders

Since the ability to train the horse to be ambidextrous is considered highly desirable, rider asymmetry is recognized as a negative trait. Acquired postural and functional asymmetry can originate from numerous anatomical regions, so it is difficult to suggest if any is developed due to riding. The aim of this study was therefore to assess symmetry of posture, strength and flexibility in a large population of riders and to determine whether typical traits exist due to riding. 127 right handed riders from the UK and USA were categorized according to years riding (in 20 year increments) and their competition level (using affiliated test levels). Leg length, grip strength and spinal posture were measured and recorded by a physiotherapist. Standing and sitting posture and trunk flexibility were measured with 3-D motion capture technology. Right-left differences were explored in relation to years riding and rider competitive experience. Significant anatomical asymmetry was found for the difference in standing acromion process height for a competition level (-0.07±1.50 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.02±1.31 cm Novice; 0.43±1.27 cm Elementary+; p=0.048) and for sitting iliac crest height for years riding (-0.23±1.36 cm Intro/Prelim; 0.01±1.50 cm Novice; 0.86±0.41 cm Elementary+;p=0.021). For functional asymmetry, a significant interaction was found for lateral bending ROM for years riding x competition level (p=0.047). The demands on dressage riders competing at higher levels may predispose these riders to a higher risk of developing asymmetry and potentially chronic back pain rather than improving their symmetry