ABSTRACT
The aim of the proposed Beagle 2 small lander for ESA's 2003 Mars Express mission is to search for organic material on and below the surface of Mars and to study the inorganic chemistry and mineralogy of the landing site. The lander will have a total mass of 60kg including entry, descent, and landing system. Experiments will be deployed on the surface using a robotic arm. It will use a mechanical mole and grinder to obtain samples from below the surface, under rocks, and inside rocks. Sample analysis by a mass spectrometer will include isotopic analysis. An optical microscope, an X-ray spectrometer and a Mossbauer spectrometer will conduct in-situ rock studies.
Subject(s)
Extraterrestrial Environment , Mars , Robotics , Space Flight/instrumentation , Spacecraft/instrumentation , Equipment Design , Geologic Sediments/analysis , Soil/analysis , Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission , Spectroscopy, MossbauerABSTRACT
Two patients with seronegative arthropathy were noted to be hypogammaglobulinaemic after receiving gold. The clinical course and features suggest that gold is a cause of immunodeficiency.
Subject(s)
Agammaglobulinemia/chemically induced , Gold/adverse effects , Aged , Arthritis/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Middle AgedABSTRACT
A randomized trial of lumbar epidural injections for the treatment of acute sciatic pain was carried out. All the patients had unilateral sciatica for less than six months and had never previously been treated in hospital for their backs. The treatments used were 20 ml normal saline, 80 mg Depomedrone in normal saline made up to 20 ml, 20 ml, 20 ml 0.25% bupivacaine solution and needling with a standard Touhy injection needle into the interspinous ligament but with no injection. The patients improved at about the same rate for all four treatments. Overall, 75% of the patients improved or were cured. As some of these were in the group treated by needling of the interspinous ligament, it seems likely that the epidural injections administered achieved effects partially as a placebo and partially by virtue of the natural history of the acute sciatic syndrome.
Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Sciatica/therapy , Spinal Puncture , Bupivacaine/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Male , Methylprednisolone/administration & dosage , Methylprednisolone/analogs & derivatives , Methylprednisolone Acetate , Sodium Chloride/administration & dosageABSTRACT
The incidence of hay fever, positive skin tests to grass pollen and specific IgG and IgE antibodies to a pollen allergen was found to be the same in a group of 40 patients with juvenile chronic arthritis as that expected in a normal population. The geometric mean total serum IgE of this group was also normal. In sera from patients with adult rheumatoid arthritis the incidence of IgG an IgE antibodies to pollen appeared to be low and the geometric mean total IgE was also low.
Subject(s)
Hypersensitivity, Immediate/complications , Rheumatic Diseases/complications , Adolescent , Adult , Arthritis, Juvenile/complications , Arthritis, Juvenile/immunology , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Hypersensitivity, Immediate/immunology , Immunoglobulin E , Immunoglobulin G , Male , Pollen , Rheumatic Diseases/immunology , Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/complications , Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal/immunology , Skin TestsABSTRACT
A diagnosis of Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) had been made in five juveniles in the past two years. All have antibodies to the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) component of extractable fluorescence pattern. No child has had life-threatening complications, though three have required steroids to control their symptoms. Antibodies to ENA were looked for in the other sub-groups of Juvenile Chronic Arthritis (JCA); only two of 75 patients with chronic iridocyclitis and antinuclear antibodies had weakly positive tests.
