Martian CO Ice Observation at High Spectral Resolution With ExoMars/TGO NOMAD.

The Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) instrument suite aboard ExoMars/Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft is mainly conceived for the study of minor atmospheric species, but it also offers the opportunity to investigate surface composition and aerosols properties. We investigate the information content of the Limb, Nadir, and Occultation (LNO) infrared channel of NOMAD and demonstrate how spectral orders 169, 189, and 190 can be exploited to detect surface CO ice. We study the strong CO ice absorption band at 2.

Correction of the VIR-visible dataset from the Dawn mission at Vesta.

This work describes the correction method applied to the dataset acquired at the asteroid (4) Vesta by the visible channel of the visible and infrared mapping spectrometer. The rising detector temperature during data acquisitions in the visible wavelengths leads to a spectral slope increase over the whole spectral range. This limits the accuracy of the studies of the Vesta surface in this wavelength range.

Correction of the VIR-visible data set from the Dawn mission.

Data acquired at Ceres by the visible channel of the Visible and InfraRed mapping spectrometer (VIR) on board the NASA Dawn spacecraft are affected by the temperatures of both the visible (VIS) and the infrared (IR) sensors, which are, respectively, a charged coupled device and a HgCdTe array. The variations of the visible channel temperatures measured during the sessions of acquisitions are correlated with the variations in the spectral slope and shape for all the mission phases. The IR channel temperature is more stable during the acquisitions; nonetheless, it is characterized by a bimodal distribution whether the cryocooler (and, therefore, the IR channel) is used or not during the visible channel operations.

Energy drink consumption: a survey in high school students and associated psychological effects.

Introduction: Energy drinks represent an emerging health problem among young people. Energy drinks generally refer to a class of beverages containing sugars and various combinations of bioactive ingredients such as caffeine, taurine etc. Also the mix of energy drinks with alcohol is fairly frequent among young people and could be associated with dangerous effects.

Variations in the amount of water ice on Ceres' surface suggest a seasonal water cycle.

The dwarf planet Ceres is known to host a considerable amount of water in its interior, and areas of water ice were detected by the Dawn spacecraft on its surface. Moreover, sporadic water and hydroxyl emissions have been observed from space telescopes. We report the detection of water ice in a mid-latitude crater and its unexpected variation with time.

Nature, formation, and distribution of carbonates on Ceres.

Different carbonates have been detected on Ceres, and their abundance and spatial distribution have been mapped using a visible and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIR), the Dawn imaging spectrometer. Carbonates are abundant and ubiquitous across the surface, but variations in the strength and position of infrared spectral absorptions indicate variations in the composition and amount of these minerals. Mg-Ca carbonates are detected all over the surface, but localized areas show Na carbonates, such as natrite (NaCO) and hydrated Na carbonates (for example, NaCO·HO).

Localized aliphatic organic material on the surface of Ceres.

Organic compounds occur in some chondritic meteorites, and their signatures on solar system bodies have been sought for decades. Spectral signatures of organics have not been unambiguously identified on the surfaces of asteroids, whereas they have been detected on cometary nuclei. Data returned by the Visible and InfraRed Mapping Spectrometer on board the Dawn spacecraft show a clear detection of an organic absorption feature at 3.

Artifacts reduction in VIR/Dawn data.

Remote sensing images are generally affected by different types of noise that degrade the quality of the spectral data (i.e., stripes and spikes).

Distribution of phyllosilicates on the surface of Ceres.

The dwarf planet Ceres is known to host phyllosilicate minerals at its surface, but their distribution and origin have not previously been determined. We used the spectrometer onboard the Dawn spacecraft to map their spatial distribution on the basis of diagnostic absorption features in the visible and near-infrared spectral range (0.25 to 5.

Detection of local H2O exposed at the surface of Ceres.

The surface of dwarf planet Ceres contains hydroxyl-rich materials. Theories predict a water ice-rich mantle, and water vapor emissions have been observed, yet no water (HO) has been previously identified. The Visible and InfraRed (VIR) mapping spectrometer onboard the Dawn spacecraft has now detected water absorption features within a low-illumination, highly reflective zone in Oxo, a 10-kilometer, geologically fresh crater, on five occasions over a period of 1 month.

Bright carbonate deposits as evidence of aqueous alteration on (1) Ceres.

The typically dark surface of the dwarf planet Ceres is punctuated by areas of much higher albedo, most prominently in the Occator crater. These small bright areas have been tentatively interpreted as containing a large amount of hydrated magnesium sulfate, in contrast to the average surface, which is a mixture of low-albedo materials and magnesium phyllosilicates, ammoniated phyllosilicates and carbonates. Here we report high spatial and spectral resolution near-infrared observations of the bright areas in the Occator crater on Ceres.

Ammoniated phyllosilicates with a likely outer Solar System origin on (1) Ceres.

Studies of the dwarf planet (1) Ceres using ground-based and orbiting telescopes have concluded that its closest meteoritic analogues are the volatile-rich CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites. Water in clay minerals, ammoniated phyllosilicates, or a mixture of Mg(OH)2 (brucite), Mg2CO3 and iron-rich serpentine have all been proposed to exist on the surface. In particular, brucite has been suggested from analysis of the mid-infrared spectrum of Ceres.

Differences in the location and activity of intestinal Crohn's disease lesions between adult and paediatric patients detected with MRI.

Objectives: To prospectively compare paediatric patients (PP) and adult patients (AP) affected by Crohn's disease (CD) in terms of the location and activity of intestinal lesions.

Methods: Forty-three children (mean age 15 years) and 43 adults (mean age 48 years) with proven CD underwent magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) to localise lesions and detect their activity in 9 segments of the small and large bowel. The results were analysed on a per patient and per segment basis.

The Mawrth Vallis region of Mars: A potential landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission.

The primary objective of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, which will launch in 2011, is to characterize the habitability of a site on Mars through detailed analyses of the composition and geological context of surface materials. Within the framework of established mission goals, we have evaluated the value of a possible landing site in the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars that is targeted directly on some of the most geologically and astrobiologically enticing materials in the Solar System. The area around Mawrth Vallis contains a vast (>1 × 10⁶ km²) deposit of phyllosilicate-rich, ancient, layered rocks.

Diffuse abdominal hydatidosis: role of magnetic resonance imaging.

Hydatid cyst disease still is a serious public-health problem in endemic areas. It is a tissue infestation caused by the larval stage of a parasite, Echinococcus granulosus. Although liver and lung are the most commonly involved organs, hydatid disease can occur in all viscera and soft tissues.