The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer, MEDA. A Suite of Environmental Sensors for the Mars 2020 Mission.

NASA's Mars 2020 (M2020) rover mission includes a suite of sensors to monitor current environmental conditions near the surface of Mars and to constrain bulk aerosol properties from changes in atmospheric radiation at the surface. The Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) consists of a set of meteorological sensors including wind sensor, a barometer, a relative humidity sensor, a set of 5 thermocouples to measure atmospheric temperature at ∼1.5 m and ∼0.5 m above the surface, a set of thermopiles to characterize the thermal IR brightness temperatures of the surface and the lower atmosphere. MEDA adds a radiation and dust sensor to monitor the optical atmospheric properties that can be used to infer bulk aerosol physical properties such as particle size distribution, non-sphericity, and concentration. The MEDA package and its scientific purpose are described in this document as well as how it responded to the calibration tests and how it helps prepare for the human exploration of Mars. A comparison is also presented to previous environmental monitoring payloads landed on Mars on the Viking, Pathfinder, Phoenix, MSL, and InSight spacecraft.

Accuracy of digital tympanic, oral, axillary, and rectal thermometers compared with standard rectal mercury thermometers.

OBJECTIVE: To compare a number of electronic tympanic, oral, axillary, and rectal measurements with those taken with a standard rectal mercury thermometer. DESIGN: Prospective open study. SETTING: County hospital, Denmark. SUBJECTS: 200 patients. INTERVENTIONS: Each of 200 patients had 6 electronic measurements of body temperature: 3 in the auditory canal using Ivac Core Check 2090A, Diateck 9000, and Genius 3000A, 1 in the axilla using Terumo Digital C202. 1 in the mouth using Terumo Digital C402, and 1 in the rectum using a Terumo Digital C402. These were compared with readings from a standard mercury glass thermometer in the rectum. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Accuracy of electronic thermometry. RESULTS: The rectal electronic measurements were closest to the rectal mercury readings, with a mean (SD) of -0.05 degrees C (0.12), whereas the other measurements gave unacceptable SDs of temperature differences ranging from 0.41 degrees C to 0.53 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that electronic rectal temperature measurements are the most accurate. We do not recommend electronic tympanic, oral, or axillary measurements.

[Ventricular tonometry during laparoscopic cholecystectomy]. / Ventrikeltonometri under laparoskopisk kolecystektomi.

Changes in gastric mucosal-pH (pHi) are correlated with the oxygenation of the gastric mucosa. We have measured the gastric mucosal-pH (pHi) in 11 healthy patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy and calculated the "pH-gap" as the difference between arterial-pH and pHi. The measurements were obtained at 30 minute intervals from the induction of anaesthesia to the end of surgery. The pHi decreased during surgery, but the pH-gap showed only insignificant changes. The results of this study did therefore not indicate gastric mucosal hypoxia during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

[Incisional hernia. A study of morbidity, mortality and bed utilization in a Danish county]. / Hernia incisionalis. En opgørelse af morbiditet, mortalitet og sengedagsforbrug i et dansk amt.

Four hundred and four patients operated for ventral hernia during a five year period were reviewed with special emphasis on morbidity, mortality and number of days in hospital. The patients were divided into 357 patients who had been operated for ventral hernia only once (A) and 47 patients who had been operated more than once for ventral hernia (B). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding to ages or preoperative condition. The postoperative complications were 21% in group A and 12% in group B, although this was not statistically significant. Of those who suffered a complication after the operation, 76% had a competing illness prior to the operation. The overall mortality was 0.5%. The patients were hospitalized for a total of 4846 days. In view of the results of this material and of the high recurrence rate demonstrated in the literature, a restrictive attitude towards operations for ventral hernia is recommended.

The clinical effect of naproxen sodium after arthroscopy of the knee: a randomized, double-blind, prospective study.

The aim of this study was to examine the clinical effect of naproxen sodium after knee arthroscopy. The design was randomized, prospective, and double-blind, with a placebo control group. Patients with preoperative synovial reaction were excluded. One hundred twenty consecutive arthroscopies were performed in 77 men and 43 women, median age 34 (range 18-65) years. General anesthesia was used. Ninety-one arthroscopies were operative, whereas 29 were diagnostic. Postoperatively the patients received either 550 mg naproxen sodium twice daily or placebo for 10 days. Patients were given 500 mg acetaminophen to use if needed. Clinical examinations were performed 10 and 20 days postoperation. The results were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and chi 2 test. No operative complications were registered. All but two patients completed the study. Six patients had slight gastrointestinal symptoms. At 10 days' follow-up, in patients who had undergone operative arthroscopy naproxen sodium demonstrated a statistically significant effect on synovial effusion (p < 0.01), range of motion (p < 0.001), quadriceps strength (p < 0.05), pain (p < 0.001), walking activity (p < 0.05), and use of crutches (p < 0.01). In patients who had undergone diagnostic arthroscopy naproxen sodium demonstrated a beneficial effect on pain (p < 0.01). At 20 days' follow-up, in the operative group naproxen sodium affected synovial effusion (p < 0.05), range of motion (p < 0.01) and pain (p < 0.05), and walking activity (p < 0.05). No effect was seen in the diagnostic group at 20 days' follow-up.

In vitro lymphocyte proliferation in response to polyclonal activators and microbial antigens, and production of immunoglobulins stimulating thyroid adenylate cyclase in Graves' disease.

Cultures of blood lymphocytes from 16 patients with Graves' disease (GD) and 14 matched controls were studied. Incorporation of [14C]thymidine was significantly increased in unstimulated cultures of GD lymphocytes, while the incorporation after stimulation with polyclonal activators (concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen, phytohaemagglutinin), microbial antigens (E. coli, Candida albicans extract, purified protein derivative of tuberculin, Yersinia enterocolitica serotype 3) and subcellular fractions of human thyroid antigens did not differ from the controls. Due to the increased incorporation in unstimulated cultures, stimulation index is not suitable as an indicator of lymphocyte sensitization. After polyclonal activation or stimulation with thyroid antigens the lymphocytes were cultured for up to 21 days, and the supernatants were investigated for thyroid adenylate cyclase stimulating immunoglobulins (TACSI). No TACSI were demonstrated in supernatants of the lymphocyte cultures neither afer polyclonal activation nor after specific stimulation with several thyroid antigens.

Effect of furosemide on parathyroid hormone stimulated guinea pig renal adenylate cyclase and thyrotrophin and fluoride stimulated human thyroid adenylate cyclase.

The effect of furosemide 8 X 10(-4) mol/l an 8 X 10(-5) mol/l on parathyroid hormone stimulated adenylate cyclase was studied in renal tissue slices from guinea pigs. Furosemide caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the effect of parathyroid hormone on production of cyclic AMP, without having any significant effect on the basal cyclic AMP production. Furosemide in similar concentrations did not inhibit the stimulatory effect of thyrotrophin and fluoride in human thyroid homogenates suggesting that furosemide is not an universal inhibitor of adenylate cyclase and that the inhibition is not caused by a direct action of furosemide on the adenylate cyclase enzyme. Furosemide did not interfere with binding of cyclic AMP to cyclic AMP binding protein kinase from rabbit muscle. The results indicate that furosemide exerts an inhibitory influence either upon binding of parathyroid hormone to renal receptors or upon transmission of impulse from receptor to adenylate cyclase. The inhibitory influence of furosemide on parathyroid hormone action in kidney could explain the value of furosemide in the acute treatment of hypercalcaemia, but also suggest that chronic treatment with furosemide might interfere with normal calcium metabolism.

Influence of thyroglobulin on basal and stimulated human thyroid adenylate cyclase activity.

The interaction of thyroglobulin (Tg), thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI), and TSH on human thyroid plasma membranes from nontoxic goiter was studied in vitro by an adenylate cyclase assay system using human thyroid homogenate. Purified Tg [3 X 10(-10) M (0.2 micrograms/ml) to 3 X 10(-8) M (20 micrograms/ml)] exerted a dose- and time-dependent inhibitory influence on basal adenylate cyclase activity. The inhibition was prevented by preincubation with Tg antibody in excess. Tg (3 X 10(-8) M) caused a significant reduction in the TSH- and TSI-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities, but did not influence stimulation with NaF (8 mM). Fractions of thyroid homogenates were obtained by differential centrifugation, and the maximal inhibitory influence of Tg was located in the 5000 X g fraction. Thus, Tg is an efficient inhibitor of basal and TSH- or TSI- stimulated adenylate cyclase activities, and might be involved in a short loop counterregulation of thyroid adenylate cyclase sensitivity in vivo.

Influence of calcium infusion on urinary cyclic AMP and phosphate in hyperparathyroidism.

Urinary cyclic AMP (cAMP) and phosphate were measured before and after calcium infusion in 12 patients with operatively verified primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) and in 12 healthy persons. In normal subjects infusion of calcium caused a reduction in urinary cAMP directly correlated to the preinfusion values and inversely correlated to the serum calcium concentration determined as albumin-corrected serum calcium. In normal subjects with high normal albumin-corrected serum calcium the infusion of calcium caused no or only a small depression in the urinary excretion of cAMP. Changes in phosphate excretion were not correlated to the calcium concentration. Four of the 12 hyperparathyroid patients showed normal relative suppression in urinary cAMP after the infusion of calcium, and 5 had normal suppression of phosphate excretion. It is concluded that some patients with PHP retain calcium-sensitive secretion of PTH, and that the classical calcium infusion test is of doubtful value in the diagnosis of PHP.

Influence of epidural analgesia on the catecholamine and cyclic AMP responses to surgery.

The effects of neurogenic block on plasma concentrations of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cyclic AMP were studied. Eighteen patients were subjected to surgery of moderate or minor extent under enflurance anesthesia with or without epidural analgesia. The results show that adrenaline secretion during surgical stress is a response to neurogenic stimuli, since the increase found in patients subjected to hysterectomy under general anesthesia is blocked by the addition of epidural analgesia. Furthermore, plasma adrenaline after neurogenic block is comparable with adrenaline levels during minor surgical stress. The plasma noradrenaline concentration does not correlate with the extent of trauma. In contrast to adrenaline levels, noradrenaline concentrations varied insignificantly during and after surgery. However, the addition of epidural block induced a postoperative increase in noradrenaline apparently unrelated to changes in heart rate or blood pressure. Simultaneous measurements of the catecholamines and cyclic AMP indicate that adrenaline is of minor importance for plasma cyclic AMP in resting patients, whereas the increase in cyclic AMP elicited by surgery reflects adrenaline-stimulated beta-adrenergic activity.

Influence of age on the endocrine-metabolic response to surgery.

The pathogenesis of the increased operative risk in elderly patients is unknown. From a theoretical point of view, a change in endocrine-metabolic response might be involved. In the present study, a battery of hormonal and metabolic variables were measured in eight young and eight elderly healthy males undergoing elective inguinal hernial repair under general anesthesia. Blood was drawn before induction of anesthesia, at skin incision, and one, two, and six hours after skin incision. The findings were: 1) Plasma cortisol increase was significantly higher in elderly than in young controls. 2) Plasma renin level was lower in old age, but renin-aldosterone and electrolyte response patterns were alike in the two groups. 3) Thyroid parameters, in terms of serum T4, serum T3, serum rT3, and T3-resin uptake, responded normally to surgery and showed no age-related differences. 4) The hyperglycemic response was not significantly influenced by age indicating unchanged glycoregulatory mechanisms also verified by determinations of plasma catecholamines, cAMP, and insulin. 5) Blood lymphocyte count was constantly lower in elderly than in young and decreased with time, but the age-related difference was not significant. 6) Blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes showed an increase of the same magnitude in both age groups, although at a significantly slower rate in the elderly. It is concluded that age affects some aspects of the initial endocrine-metabolic response to surgery.

TSH and thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAb) activate thyroid adenylate cyclase through different pathways.

Adenylate cyclase activity in human thyroid homogenates was studied after stimulation with thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAb). The results show: 1) TSAb prepared from different patients with Graves' disease show different adenylate cyclase activation patterns and a lag phase is frequently observed. 2) TSH and TSAb appear to cause mutually inhibitory activation of thyroid adenylate cyclase. 3] The maximal adenylate cyclase activation is higher with TSH than with TSAb, but this could possibly be due to contamination of TSAb preparations with an adenylate cyclase inhibitor. 4) There is no absolute copurification of TSH sensitive and TSAb sensitive adenylate cyclase in various subcellular fractions of thyroid homogenate. 5) Incubation of thyroid homogenate with cortisol cause a dose dependent decrease in the adenylate cyclase response to TSAb whereas the response to TSH is either increased or unchanged. The results indicate that TSH and TSAb activate thyroid adenylate cyclase through different pathways in the plasma membrane.

L-thyroxine treatment of diffuse non-toxic goitre evaluated by ultrasonic determination of thyroid volume.

The effect of a daily dose of 150 micrograms l-thyroxine for one year was studied in forty-five patients with diffuse non-toxic goitre. Thyroid volume was evaluated by ultrasonic scanning. A decrease in the median value of the thyroid volume of about 20% was found after 3 months of therapy and no further change in the median value was observed in the following 9 months of treatment. About 50% of the patients showed a response to therapy and about 30% obtained normal size of the thyroid gland. Median value of the thyroid volume returned to pretreatment value 3 months after thyroxine therapy was stopped. A considerable increase in serum T4 and free T4 index was noted after 3 months of therapy and these elevated values persisted unaltered during the following 9 months of treatment. Serum T3 was studied before and after 3 months of thyroxine therapy in eleven of the patients. A small and insignificant increase in serum T3 and free T3 index was observed.