Monthly Archives: August 2017

Stellar radiation may preclude Earth-like atmosphere on Proxima b – SpaceFlight Insider

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Laurel Kornfeld

August 3rd, 2017

This artists impression shows a view of the surface of the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Solar System. The double star Alpha Centauri AB also appears in the image. Proxima b is a little more massive than the Earth and orbits in the habitable zone around Proxima Centauri, where the temperature is suitable for liquid water to exist on its surface. Image & Caption Credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser

The exoplanet closest to the Solar System, Proxima b, is located in its stars habitable zone but may be unable to support life because radiation from its host star is likely to strip away its atmosphere, according to a new study based on a computer simulation.

A group of scientists led by Katherine Garcia-Sage of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, created a computer model that placed Earths atmosphere, magnetic field, and gravity at the location of Proxima b.Using data obtained by NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory, they determined the level of radiation emitted by the host star, Proxima Centauri.Their goal was to determine the fate of Earth if it orbited in Proxima bs location.

At its orbit, the exoplanet Proxima b likely couldnt sustain an Earth-like atmosphere. Credits: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center/Mary Pat Hrybyk-Keith

The nature of the real Proxima bs atmosphere is unknown because scientists have not observed the planet passing in front of its star. Observation of transits is the method researchers use to learn about planets atmospheres.

We decided to take the only habitable planet we know of so far Earth and put it where Proxima b is, Garcia-Sage said.

A stars habitable zone is defined as the distance an orbiting planet can have liquid water on its surface. But being in a habitable zone does not guarantee a planet is habitable.

To be habitable for life as we know it, a planet must have an atmosphere one that regulates climate, maintains a surface pressure capable of supporting liquid water, enables the presence of lifes chemical building blocks, and protects it from dangerous radiation and space weather.

Significantly closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun, Proxima b is subject to the stars regular flares and intense radiation hundreds of times the amount Earth receives from the Sun. In the computer model, that radiation stripped away the planets atmosphere at a rate up to 10,000 times greater than solar radiation does to Earth.

Red dwarf stars like Proxima Centauri and TRAPPIST-1, another star with planets in its habitable zone, emit extreme ultraviolet radiation, which ionizes gases in the atmosphere of an orbiting planet. The process removes electrons from its atmosphere, creating a stream of electrically-charged particles that are energetic enough to completely escape the planets gravity.

The high level of radiation that planets such as Proxima b are exposed to is enough to strip away heavier elements in an atmosphere, such as nitrogen and oxygen, in addition to hydrogen.

This was a simple calculation based on average activity from the host star, Garcia-Sage said. It doesnt consider variations like extreme heating in the stars atmosphere or violent stellar disturbances to the exoplanets magnetic field things wed expect provide even more ionizing radiation and atmospheric escape.

Two other factors that could affect the rate of atmospheric loss were also inputted into the computer model. These are the temperature of the planets neutral atmosphere, also known as its thermosphere, as well as the size of the area on the planet that experiences atmospheric escape.

Stellar radiation was found to heat up the thermosphere, increasing the rate of atmospheric loss.Areas on a planet over which atmosphere is lost are known as polar caps.The level of atmospheric escape is affected by a planets magnetic field lines. If the magnetic field lines at a planets magnetic poles are closed, the size of the polar cap is limited, and charged particles remain trapped, reducing the escape level.In contrast, if magnetic field lines are open, the escape rate of charged particles increases.

If Proxima bs thermosphere has very high temperatures and its magnetic field must remain open, it could lose an atmosphere equivalent to Earths in just 100 million years. Low thermosphere temperatures and a closed magnetic field extend the duration it would take to lose an Earth atmosphere to slightly more than two billion years.

Proxima b is estimated to be approximately four billion years old.

Jeremy Drake of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who took part in the study, said the level of atmospheric loss on Proxima b makes its habitability implausible and calls into question the habitability of Earth-like planets orbiting other red dwarf stars.These cool stars, the most common in the galaxy, have topped scientists searches for habitable worlds.

NASAs Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) coalition, which is charged with searching for life on exoplanets, and NASAs Astrobiology Institute contributed to the study. Those findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Tagged: Alpha Centauri Chandra X-ray Observatory Proxima b Proxima Centauri The Range

Laurel Kornfeld is an amateur astronomer and freelance writer from Highland Park, NJ, who enjoys writing about astronomy and planetary science. She studied journalism at Douglass College, Rutgers University, and earned a Graduate Certificate of Science from Swinburne Universitys Astronomy Online program. Her writings have been published online in The Atlantic, Astronomy magazines guest blog section, the UK Space Conference, the 2009 IAU General Assembly newspaper, The Space Reporter, and newsletters of various astronomy clubs. She is a member of the Cranford, NJ-based Amateur Astronomers, Inc. Especially interested in the outer solar system, Laurel gave a brief presentation at the 2008 Great Planet Debate held at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, MD.

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Stellar radiation may preclude Earth-like atmosphere on Proxima b - SpaceFlight Insider

Insider Fact Check: Is NASA hiring someone to protect Earth from aliens? – SpaceFlight Insider

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Jason Rhian

August 2nd, 2017

A recent rash of stories would have you believe that NASA is in need of someone who can defend the Earth from Alien attack. How accurate are these stories and what is the truth behind NASAs Office of Planetary Protection? Image Credit: Twentieth Century Fox

It never fails. Let the news cycle get a little slow and someone decides to get creative with the facts. Such was the case Wednesday, Aug. 1 on, when supposedly credible and professional sites such as USA Today and Newsweek dropped the ball and resorted to good ole fashioned clickbait-ing. It was a sign of the times that highlighted the current state of journalism in the U.S.

According to USA Today, NASA is hiring a Planetary Protection Officer to Protect Earth from Alien Harm (note to USA Todays editors, get a Thesaurus you should always use synonyms instead of the using the same word over and over again). Of course, as soon as one clicks the link they are hit up by a tsunami of ads.

Newsweek apparently opted to up the ridiculous ante by having a disco-themed score added to their video that leads their story on the subject (once you get past the advertising that is). Their article is likely to make Woodward and Bernstein blush with jealousy (or, more likely, embarrassment for what this story says about the current plight of their profession). One NASA official made his thoughts about the rash of articles that are spreading misinformation about the position plain.

Depictions showing aliens attacking Earth have nothing to do with NASAs Office of Planetary Protections, making their use 100 percent false. With their use, the decline that journalistic ethics has been on continues to erode. Image Credit: Nathan Moeller / SpaceFlight Insider

While Im far from hopping on a fake news bandwagon, I am growing tried of legitimate media trivializing stories, such as the most recent NASA wants to pay someone $180k to protect us from aliens, NASAs Deputy Associate Administrator for Communications Bob Jacobs said via a Facebook post. Seriously, are we devolving into little more than clickbait media environment without any attention to fact?

So what are the facts and is NASA actually looking for its own version of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to defend us from aliens? In a word no. According to the official post on USA Jobs, the Planetary Protection Officers duties include the following:

The Planetary Protection Officer (PPO) is responsible for the leadership of NASAs planetary protection capability, maintenance of planetary protection policies, and oversight of their implementation by NASAs space flight missions. The PPO also supports the Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Technical Authority and serves as a principal advisory resource for the Chief, SMA and other senior officials on matters pertaining to planetary protection. The PPO is the Agencys focal point for interactions with external organizations on matters related to planetary protection. Primarily the Planetary Protection Officer performs the following:

Leads planning and coordination of activities related to NASA mission planetary protection needs.Leads independent evaluation of, and provides advice regarding, compliance by robotic and human spaceflight missions with NASA planetary protection policies, statutory requirements and international obligations.

Advises the Chief, SMA and other officials regarding the merit and implications of programmatic decisions involving risks to planetary protection objectives.In coordination with relevant offices, leads interactions with COSPAR, National Academies, and advisory committees on planetary protection matters.Recommends and leads the preparation of new or revised NASA standards and directives in accordance with established processes and guidelines.

In essence, the job makes sure that any potential contamination that comes in from the probes NASA sends out into the solar system does not come back with extraterrestrial biological contamination. So, think lessIndependence Day and moreAndromeda Strain.

In terms of what the office does, their duty is to ensure that unknown and potentially hazardous organisms dont find their way back to Earth. The office also works to preserve life that has evolved on distant worlds or in the oceans of moons in our own solar system. Spacecraft such as Galileo, that orbited the gas giant Jupiter and Cassini (which has been in operation around the ringed planet Saturn Since July of 2004) have and will end by taking plunges into the clouds of these massive worlds (Galileo was safely deorbited in 2003).

Are you musing at this point that our response to the reporting that has appeared on this subject is too harsh? Business Insider used art from the 1996 Twentieth Century Fox film Independence Day to promote this article, you know, giant spaceship, over New York, shooting a death ray (no were not joking). How one can tie a job posting about a science position where one considers biological contamination issues to a ginormous alien death machine destroying New York defies all definitions of honesty.

What makes the so-called reporting on this matter all the more disappointing is the fact that it isnt even a new position. It has been around for at least a decade, with people actually handling the responsibilities of the position for much longer.

While Jacobs might not have much time for bloggers pretending to be journalists, he had some salient points about NASAs Office of Planetary Protection.

Consider how many people have the technical and scientific credentials to execute the job.By the way, if you know of anyone qualified, encourage them to apply. Lets leave the alien hunting to someone on the SyFy channel, Jacobs told SpaceFlight Insider, denoting why the position pays so well.

The mainstream media no longer has qualms about hunting down a teenage blogger for making a funny meme that mocked them, nor do they see anything wrong about posting pictures of the Greys working out at Area 51 in regards to a story about the prevention of possible biological contamination. Perhaps the reporting originated from the same place where those Greys tend to use their probes. While the over-sensationalizing of this mundane job listing might achieve the short term goal of gaining them a few more clicks it also means the continued degradation of how the public views the media.

Video courtesy of NASA

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not, necessarily reflect those of SpaceFlight Insider

Tagged: Cassini Galileo NASA Office of Planetary Protection Newsweek The Range USA Today

Jason Rhian spent several years honing his skills with internships at NASA, the National Space Society and other organizations. He has provided content for outlets such as: Aviation Week & Space Technology, Space.com, The Mars Society and Universe Today.

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Insider Fact Check: Is NASA hiring someone to protect Earth from aliens? - SpaceFlight Insider

Eastern Range ready to return with two key launches after stand down – NASASpaceflight.com

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August 2, 2017 by Chris Gebhardt

With a busy year already in the books, the Eastern and Western Ranges in the United States are readying for the next salvo of missions from SpaceX and United Launch Alliance following a stand down of launch operations to provide time for maintenance. Specifically for the Eastern Range, the stand down period allowed the Air Force to complete more than 70 operations that will enable the Range to maintain its commitment and support to its users.

Eastern Range maintenance and stand down:

While not usually visible to the public, this years first semi-annual multi-day stand down period on the Eastern Range became a much more noticeable affair thanks to SpaceXs rapid fire pace of missions which from 1 May through 5 July averaged an impressive one launch every two weeks off of LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

With this rapid pace of missions, the last month has been a newly strange time on the Eastern Range with a total launch drought of 39 days (assuming a 13 August launch of SpaceXs CRS-12 mission to the Space Station) seeming like a time of nothings happening.

Indeed, that could not be further from the truth.

While part of the launch drought is due to pacing and mission order, with United Launch Alliances (ULAs) and NASAs TDRS-M mission delaying from 3 Aug, the stand down period known as recapitalization was initiated by the U.S. Air Force and the Eastern Range itself so that critical maintenance work could be performed on Range assets.

Eastern Range recapitalization is used as a predictable pause in operations for range users and the range itself so we can perform semi-annual maintenance requirements encompassing critical engineering projects, more intrusive maintenance actions and infrastructure work, said Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing Commander.

During recapitalization, we can perform maintenance and sustainment actions not possible during our busy launch schedule that includes not only launches, but daily pre-launch major milestone operations.

The planning process is collaborative in nature and includes all range users in determining the dates for range closure.

This collaborative nature became a prime talking point for those eagerly following the Intelsat 35e launch by SpaceX in July.

An initial launch attempt on 2 July was halted by a faulty ground computer at T-9 seconds pushing the next attempt to 3 July.

When that attempt was stopped by the same ground computer at T-9 seconds again, SpaceX opted to forgo a launch attempt on 4 July in favor of additional testing of the ground computer to ensure the issue didnt repeat a third time.

This caused some to wonder when the hard cutoff for Range down time was and how far into July SpaceX could continue to attempt to launch Intelsat 35e.

In the end, the 5 July attempt was a success, and according to Brig. Gen. Monteith, the range down period began the very next day.

The first Eastern Range recapitalization period of 2017 was conducted July 6-18. More than 70 planned tasks were accomplished 26% quicker as opposed to working these items around an active range, noted the Brig. Gen.

Of the work performed in the 12-day stand down period of recapitalization, some of these efforts included work to the Range Communications Facility Corridor Military Construction and replacing the uninterruptable power supply at the Falcon launch support facility.

Moreover, the Digital Range Communications Switch enhancement projects and server re-host for the 45th weather squadron were also completed.

This period also allowed us to focus on maintaining Cape Canaveral Air Force Station infrastructure as well as training and testing our crews so we can continue keeping pace with our high launch ops tempo, notes Brig. Gen. Monteith.

This work is not only necessary to the continued smooth operation of the Range, but also represents a concerted effort to avoid unanticipated issues and outages at the Range.

Range recap has proven successful in our ability to plan longer periodic, more intrusive, maintenance and sustainment projects on a stable schedule.

Not only does range recap allow us to take care of our mission critical assets, but it supports Air Force Space Commands commitment to sustaining the worlds premier spaceport of choice as our team drives to executing 48 launches a year.

The semi-annual maintenance ability to maintain Range readiness was seen last year with 2016 being the healthiest in range history at Cape Canaveral with 34 consecutive days of no significant instrumentation issues.

Launch schedule shuffle:

While the down period prevented SpaceX from launching missions, it did not stop them from getting some needed work accomplished at LC-39A mainly fixing the ground computer that twice stopped the Intelsat 35e countdown and removing a significant portion of the no-longer-needed Shuttle eras RSS while prepping for their first mission following the Range closure.

The CRS-12 flight, now scheduled to launch from LC-39A at 12:57 EDT on Sunday 13 August, will serve to end the 39 day launch drought in the U.S.

In fact, SpaceX has advanced the CRS-12 launch date from 14 August and in turn has also advanced the static fire date from 9 to 8 August.

The original mission that was to have been the first off the ground from the Range stand down was another NASA mission, TDRS-M. Up until last week, that was still the case, with TDRS-M originally maintaining its status as being more important in terms of launch order over CRS-12.However, when it became known that the replace and repair option for TDRS-Ms omni S-band antenna would take 10 days longer than originally expected, with a launch not possible until at least 20 August, priority in the launch order shifted to CRS-12 which at that point was targeting 14 August for launch.

With CRS-12 now at the top of the pecking order, SpaceX and NASA reviewed their schedules and determined it was possible to pull the mission one day back to the right to the 13th.

Likewise, as TDRS-M repairs progressed, NASA realized that the craft would actually be ready by 18 August, not the 20th. However, the TDRS-M date remains Under Review.

With CRS-12 now set for 13 August and TDRS-M for 18 August, the knock on effect to the launch manifest began to bear out on both coasts.

The first major shift occurred on the Western Range, with ULA having to move the 14 August scheduled launch of the NROL-42 mission by nearly a month to 11 September.

The shift of NROL-42s launch on an Atlas V 541 from SLC-3E did not impact SpaceXs plan for the Formosat 5 satellite launch for Taiwans National Space Organization which held steady on its planned 24 August launch date.

Back on the Eastern Range, the realignments of CRS-12 and TDRS-M did not have an effect on the Minotaur 4 launch on 25/26 August with the U.S. militarys Operationally Responsive Space program 5 mission, also called SensorSat.

However, the first flight of the Air Forces X-37B spaceplane aboard the Falcon 9 did move from its 28 August target to 7 September with processing notes acquired by L2 noting that the timeline to a 7 September launch is tight and had nothing to do with CRS-12s slip.

However, exactly which pad OTV-5 will now launch from is unknown.

Recent statements by Elon Musk of a planned November debut for SpaceXs heralded Falcon Heavy rocket point to SLC-40 being on track for an August completion making a 7 September OTV-5 mission a contender for first flight from SLC-40 after the AMOS-6 static fire conflagration.

Regardless of the pad OTV-5 uses, ULA is now expected to return on 25 September for the NROL-52 launch from the Cape, delayed in the wake of TDRS-M from 31 August.

This will then be followed two days later by SpaceXs SES-11/EchoStar 105 mission on 27 September.

(Images: SpaceX, Air Force, NASA, and Chris Gebhardt andBrady Kennisonfor NASASpaceFlight.com)

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Eastern Range ready to return with two key launches after stand down - NASASpaceflight.com

Shakira Is Now A Redhead: See the Photo – Us Weekly

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Shakira John Parra/Getty

Shakira has joined the redhead club. The singer took to Instagram on Saturday, July 29, to show off a new hue from the set of the video shoot for her song Perro Fiel.

The Hips Dont Lie singer, 40, captioned one picture she regrammed from singer Nicky Jam, Redheads have more fun. She also topped her locks off with a black hat for the shot but went hat-free for a second pic.

The question: Is this her real hair or a wig? The former Voice coach has been known to sport a faux-topper for a quick change as she did with a purple piece in February.

But shes also known to play around with her hair color as well. In fact, the blonde shade shes known for is lightened considerably from her natural brunette tone!

The song is the latest from her new album El Dorado released in May of this year, her first in three years. In between she's been keeping busy the mom of two (with long-time partner Gerard Pique) devotes much of her time to humanitarian causes and organizations, including her own Fundacion Pies Descalzos. But now that she has new songs to promote and perform, we can expect to see a lot more of her and lots of style changes along the way!

Tell Us: What do you think of Shakira's new color?

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Shakira Is Now A Redhead: See the Photo - Us Weekly

This attraction is offering FREE entry on World Orangutan Day – if you’re a redhead – Birmingham Mail

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Twycross Zoo is offering FREE entry to people for World Orangutan Day - if they have ginger hair.

This is the third year the zoo has run the promotion.

But there are conditions.

The zoo said: "It's free for redheads - this is hair on top of your head. Natural red hair, dyed red hair or red wigs. NOT red beards or other red facial hair."

Anyone who doesn't comply with the conditions of the offer pays regular zoo admission at the gate, or can save 5 per cent on that by booking online.

The zoo is open 10am to 6pm.

A zoo spokesman said: "World Orangutan Day is celebrated internationally and aims to highlight the beauty of the these amazing animals and the dangers currently facing them in the wild - mainly from habitat destruction.

"Come and see our TWO new orangutan babies - and learn about why these new babies so important in terms of conserving the species and how Twycross Zoo is working at the forefront of ape conservation.

"Also - find out more about how can you help. Whilst the red hair offer and the day is fun for all, please remember this event, and similar that are organised all over the world, are deigned to help encourage the you to take action in preserving this amazing species."

Twycross Zoo is at Burton Road, Atherstone, CV9 3PX.

World Orangutan Day is on Saturday, August 19.

Standard admission is: Adults 16.80, children (aged 3 to 16) 12.40, concessions 14.68.

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This attraction is offering FREE entry on World Orangutan Day - if you're a redhead - Birmingham Mail

You can earn six figures from NASA if you’re willing to protect Earth from alien life – Quartz

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If youre on the job market and happen to have an advanced STEM degree (or equivalent experience), and willing to take a drug test and stop alien life from reaching Earth, NASAs got the job for you. Now through August 14, 2017, the US space agency is taking applications for the role of Planetary Protection Officer.

Its fun to imagine that the job involves fighting advanced alien attacks like a movie action hero. But in reality, as Gizmodo reports, its more about protecting other planets from us.

NASA created the PPO position after the US agreed to a 1967 international treaty on space exploration guidelines. In it, international researchers agreed to what was basically an extremely thorough version of leave no trace, a phrase familiar to campers everywhere. If we were to accidentally bring life to anywhere outside of Earth, scientists have no idea if and how it would affect other planets. Microbes may colonize the place, or they may mess with extraterrestrial life we havent even discovered yet.

The original treaty mandates that any mission to space must have a 1 in 10,000 chance (or lower) of accidentally contaminating an area with our own microbial life. In an interview with Business Insider, Catharine Conley, a NASA scientist who currently holds the position of PPO, described these odds as moderate precaution. Its not extremely careful, but its not extremely lax, she said.

When we send anything to land on another planet, whether its a ship full of humans or just a rover, we run the risk of sending microbial contaminants with it. Microbes are hardy little buggers, and because theyre so small and divide so quickly, its pretty challenging to know if youre really leaving nothing behind. And sure, space is pretty uninhabitable being a freezing vacuum and all, but we know that some microbial life can survive out thereor at least start growing again once it comes back to Earth.

Gizmodo reported in 2015 we have no idea what space microbes would be capable of doing to us, or the other plants and animals with whom we share the planet. To date, weve been vigilant about preventing any chance of finding out: Back when US astronauts first landed on the moon, they were quarantined for three weeks to make sure they werent accidentally bringing back any foreign materials, and the decontamination plans for bringing samples back from Mars involve at least two sterile barriers.

So even though the PPO gig has nothing to do with punching aliens in the face, its still a really important job. And it pays from $124,406 to $187,000 per year for three years, with the possibility of extending two more. Who hasnt dreamt of being paid to protect planets from foreign life?

Read this next: NASAs plan for when the next asteroid strikes Earth

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You can earn six figures from NASA if you're willing to protect Earth from alien life - Quartz

NASA Jets Will Extend Eclipse By Chasing Moon’s Shadow – NPR

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A NASA illustration showing twin WB-57F research planes tracking the eclipse over North America. Bardur Eklund/NASA/Faroe Islands/SwRI hide caption

A NASA illustration showing twin WB-57F research planes tracking the eclipse over North America.

If you're lucky enough to be in the path of totality for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse over North America, you will get at best about 2 minutes to view "totality" when the moon almost completely covers the disc of the Sun.

But a team of NASA-funded scientists have figured out a way to get a much longer look. For them, totality will last three times as long as for the rest of us more than 7 minutes. They plan to use the extra time to produce detailed observations of the Sun's corona and temperatures on Mercury.

How will they do it? A team from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Co., led by Amir Caspi will be flying in a pair of converted Cold War-era jet bombers equipped with stabilized telescopes in their nose cones. They will essentially chase the moon's shadow as the path of totality moves across the central United States.

"These could well turn out to be the best ever observations of high frequency phenomena in the corona," says Dan Seaton, co-investigator of the project and researcher at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, according to NASA. "Extending the observing time and going to very high altitude might allow us to see a few events or track waves that would be essentially invisible in just two minutes of observations from the ground."

The twin WB-57F research jets, converted "Canberra" bombers built in the 1950s, will take off from an airfield near Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, climb to 50,000 feet and maneuver into the path of totality somewhere over Missouri, following it over the state and across Illinois and Tennessee.

Not only do they get a longer observing time, but looking at the eclipse from the stratosphere will have the added benefit of darker skies and less atmospheric disturbance.

One of the WB-57F jets that will observe the total eclipse for about three and a half minutes each as they fly over Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee. Amir Caspi/NASA hide caption

One of the WB-57F jets that will observe the total eclipse for about three and a half minutes each as they fly over Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee.

The scientists hope to create the first-ever thermal image of Mercury and answer a puzzling questions about the Sun's atmosphere: why its different layers are so unevenly heated, ranging from millions of degrees to only a few thousand.

One theory is that the high temperatures could be caused by the accumulated effect of something called nanoflares, which are too small and too numerous to be detected by themselves under normal observing conditions. With the sensitive telescopes and the dampening effect of the eclipse, scientists just might be able to see evidence of nanoflares.

"We see the evidence of nanoflare heating, but we don't know where they occur," Caspi says. "If they occur higher up in the corona, we might expect to see waves moving downwards, as the little explosions occur and collectively reconfigure the magnetic fields."

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NASA Jets Will Extend Eclipse By Chasing Moon's Shadow - NPR

From Family Snapshots To NASA Photos, Archivists Aim To Solve Preservation Puzzles – NPR

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This image of the Earth rising over the moon was the first one recovered by the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project. NASA / LOIRP hide caption

This image of the Earth rising over the moon was the first one recovered by the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project.

When was the last time you had a roll of film developed? For many, our digital devices are datebook, rolodex and camera all in one. But moments captured on film are finding a second life through a project based in Idaho, and it raises some questions about our digital future.

In his Boise basement darkroom, Levi Bettwieser deftly unspools, cuts and winds a roll of film into a canister. He rinses it in several chemicals, waits few minutes, then takes it out and holds it up to the light.

"Looks like there's a helicopter, a bunch of people on a beach, boats just looks like a day at the beach," he says.

Bettwieser didn't take these pictures, and he doesn't work for a developing lab. His mom was a photographer, and cameras have always been a part of his life. So when he started looking for old cameras in thrift stores around Boise, he was surprised to find that some still had film in them.

"I figured all the cameras had been opened and all the film was destroyed or it was too old," he says. He tried to develop them anyway and it worked. "All the images from those rolls they weren't anything significant, really; they were birthday parties and vacations and things like that. But I realized that those were important moments for people. And so I figured, You know what? I need to start finding more rolls of film to process, because there's more memories out there."

Bettwieser scours estate sales and vintage shops for undeveloped film (some from the 1930s) then posts his findings on a website he created called the Rescued Film Project. He says his mission is to reunite film owners with their photos and it seemed to resonate.

Levi Bettwieser examines some recently developed film at the light table in his basement. Matt Guilhem/Boise State Public Radio hide caption

Levi Bettwieser examines some recently developed film at the light table in his basement.

"People started sending me rolls of film," Bettwieser explains. "And I went from finding a roll of film here and there in thrift stores ... to a package showing up on my door every day with rolls of film in it."

He spends his days as a videographer, but nights, early mornings and weekends are dedicated to the Rescued Film Project. "When I pull that film out of the tank for the very first time, I'm the very first person who has ever seen that," he says. "And that is still what drives me to this day and kind of keeps me going."

Somebody may have taken the roll decades ago, and for years the memory remained locked away. Then Bettwieser comes along and not only develops it, but chronicles it in a digital archive. In his own way, he's doing what a lot of us do every day without realizing it.

"Your Facebook, for example, or your Twitter feed you are creating a daily archive of your life," says Dennis Wingo, an engineering scientist and researcher who's worked with NASA. "It's an archive of your thoughts. It's an archive of the interactions with your friends. That has value, not only to you but to your children, your grandchildren and your family 500 years from now."

About 10 years ago, Wingo undertook his own version of the Rescued Film Project. His was called the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project, and the goal was to resurrect high-resolution pictures of the moon taken by the orbiter in the mid-1960s. To do that, Wingo had to unlock images that had been stored on magnetic tapes tapes that could only be read by that era's archaic technology.

After a global search, Wingo and his team located what seemed to be the last four machines in existence and extracted the images, which are now part of NASA's archive. But he's keenly aware this isn't the last time someone like him will have to tackle a job like this.

"Ten or 15 years ago, there were several companies that had advertisements: 'Here is a DVD that will last 100 years!' Well, they never thought to include in there: 'Here's a DVD player that will last 100 years.' "

Wingo saved images of the moon that helped the Apollo missions, and the Rescued Film Project is saving photos of bygone Christmases. But Levi Bettwieser thinks both add something to history. "I love the idea of taking what are these simple moments and elevating them and putting them on a platform for people to view so that we can have these shared experiences," he says. "It makes us all realize that we all kind of do the same things and we are similar as human beings."

But when computers are eventually rendered obsolete, will anyone want to save all this data again in a new form? Should hard drives be the next magnetic tapes, keeping the past present could be a challenge.

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From Family Snapshots To NASA Photos, Archivists Aim To Solve Preservation Puzzles - NPR

NASA-developed technologies showcased on Dellingr’s debut flight – Phys.Org

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August 3, 2017 by Lori Keesey The Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer and flight spare are shown here before they were delivered in preparation for the Dellingr launch. Credit: NASA

Along for the ride on Dellingr's maiden journey is a suite of miniaturized NASA-developed technologiesone no larger than a fingernailthat in many cases already have proven their mettle in suborbital or space demonstrations, boosting confidence that they will perform as designed once in orbit.

Scientists and engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, built all the instruments, primarily with research-and-development program funding.

Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer

The Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer, developed by Goddard Principal Investigator Nikolaos Paschalidis and his team in less than a year, is a complicated instrument designed to sample the densities of neutral and ionized atom species in the atmosphere. During the Dellingr mission, it will measure the equatorial ionosphere, the atmospheric layer that affects the transmission of radio waves.

The team initially flew the instrument on a previous CubeSat mission. Although the instrument gathered "beautiful" ion-composition counts of hydrogen, helium, and oxygen, the CubeSat bus proved unreliable and the mission was aborted six months after launch, Paschalidis said.

"The immediate plan with Dellingr is to extensively prove the instrument's functionality. Assuming all goes well, we want to collect as much data as possible, calibrate for spacecraft attitude and location, analyze the data, and plot ion and neutral composition and densities as a function of orbit. This by itself is a unique data set," Paschalidis added.

Boom and No-Boom Magnetometer Systems

Two miniaturized magnetometer systems, developed by Goddard Principal Investigators Eftyhia Zesta and Todd Bonalsky, also were successfully demonstrated earlier this year aboard a sounding-rocket mission from Poker Flats, Alaska. On Dellingr, these instruments are expected to show a dramatic improvement in the accuracy and precision of miniaturized magnetometers by using a never-before-tried technique involving boom and no-boom systems.

Included in this observing technique is one thumbnail-sized magnetometer positioned at the end of a deployable boom and a couple sensors positioned inside Dellingr. The purpose of the internal sensors is measuring the magnetic fields, or "noise," generated by the spacecraft's torquers, solar panels, motors, and other hardware. Sophisticated algorithms that Zesta's team created then will analyze the external and internal magnetometer data to subtract spacecraft-generated noise from the actual science data.

"CubeSats, like any spacecraft, will be noisy; they are magnetically unclean," Zesta explained, adding that to avoid the problem in more traditional spacecraft, the magnetometer is placed at the end of a long boom. "Even with a one-meter (three foot) boomunless there is a magnetic cleanliness programyou will need to use algorithms to get rid of bus noise. Algorithms are the only way to get scientific value from your data."

In comparison, the Dellingr the boom is only about 22-inches long and it is not magnetically clean, Zesta said. "We absolutely needed to develop noise-cancellation algorithms if we wanted to get any useful science data."

The Diminutive DANY

Deploying the magnetometer boom and UHF antenna is a miniaturized device called the Diminutive Assembly for Nanosatellite Deployables, or DANY. Created by technologist Luis Santos, it acts as a pin puller.

It operates much like a car-door latch. Affixed to the exterior of Dellingr, it holds the boom and antenna in place during launch and then, upon command, applies a current that activates a heating element, which weakens a plastic device holding the retaining pins. Once Dellingr reaches its intended obit, the satellite activates the heating element and the deployables will swing open to begin operations.

Goddard Fine Sun Sensor

Another technology making Dellingr's debut flight is the Goddard Fine Sun Sensor, or GFSS, designed specifically for CubeSats. The panel-mountable device will gather digital data orienting onboard instruments to the sun. As with the other Dellingr instruments, improvements are afoot. Principal Investigator Zachary Peterson is taking lessons learned from the Dellingr effort to improve GFSS's accuracy and lower its power consumption. Other flight opportunities are planned.

Thermal-Control Technology

In addition to gathering or enabling the collection of scientific data, Dellingr will demonstrate technology. Principal Investigator Allison Evans is miniaturizing an older thermal-control technology that requires no electronics and consists of louvers that open or close, much like venetian blinds, depending on whether heat needs to be conserved or shed. During the flight, she wants to prove the louvers will operate as expected in a space environment.

The device consists of front and back plates, flaps, and springs. The back plate is painted with a white, highly emissive paint and the front plate and flaps are made of aluminum, which aren't as emissive. The bimetallic springs do all the work. They are made of two different types of metal. Attached to the highly emissive back plate, the springs uncurl if one of the metals gets too hot, forcing the flaps to open. When the spring cools down, it reverts to its original shape and the flaps close.

For the Dellingr demonstration, Evans is flying just one flap/spring combination to help mature the technology in preparation for future missions where the miniature thermal louvers would be an integrated part of the thermal design. "A mission with a temperature-sensitive instrument or a component that sheds significant amounts of heat only occasionally would be a good candidate for this technology," she said.

Explore further: NASA set to launch Dellingr; CubeSat purposely designed to improve reliability of small satellites

NASA scientists and engineers named their new CubeSat after the mythological Norse god of the dawn. Now, just days from launch, they are confident Dellingr will live up to its name and inaugurate a new era for scientists ...

The Dellingr six-unit CubeSat, which is taking its developers just one year to design, build and integrate, won't be the only potentially groundbreaking capability for NASA. Its heliophysics payloads also are expected to ...

An older technology once de rigueur for preventing spacecraft gadgetry from getting too hot or too cold has been resurrected and repurposed for an emerging class of small satellites now playing an increasingly larger role ...

Construction of NASA's Dellingr CubeSat - a miniature satellite that provides a low-cost platform for missions - is complete, and the satellite has just left the lab for environmental testing. This is a key step after any ...

Figuring out how plasma bubbles and blobs affect one another and ultimately the transmission of communications, GPS, and radar signals in Earth's ionosphere will be the job of a recently selected CubeSat mission.

(Phys.org) To investigate climate change, scientists and engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are developing the IceCube satellite, which will be no larger than a loaf of bread. In 2016, this satellite will ...

The elemental composition of the Sun's hot atmosphere known as the 'corona' is strongly linked to the 11-year solar magnetic activity cycle, a team of scientists from UCL, George Mason University and Naval Research Laboratory ...

Scientists have found the strongest evidence to date for a stratosphere on an enormous planet outside our solar system, with an atmosphere hot enough to boil iron.

Now that scientists can detect the wiggly distortions in space-time created by the merger of massive black holes, they are setting their sights on the dynamics and aftermath of other cosmic duos that unify in catastrophic ...

(Phys.org)Observations conducted with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have uncovered a young stellar cluster designated NGC 3293. The data provided by the spacecraft reveal insights about its stellar population. The findings ...

(Phys.org)A team of researchers with Universit Paris-Saclay has found evidence suggesting that the planet Venus may once have had an ocean. In their paper published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, the group ...

The sun's core rotates nearly four times faster than the sun's surface, according to new findings by an international team of astronomers. Scientists had assumed the core was rotating like a merry-go-round at about the same ...

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Cameras on NASA Exoplanet Spacecraft Slightly Out of Focus – Space.com

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NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite will fly in a unique highly-elliptical orbit to search for exoplanets around the nearest and brightest stars.

WASHINGTON Cameras recently installed on a NASA spacecraft designed to look for nearby exoplanets will be slightly out of focus once launched, but the agency said that will not affect the mission's science.

NASA confirmed July 26 that the focus of the four cameras on the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) spacecraft will drift when the spacecraft cools to operating temperatures after launch next March. The problem was noticed in recent tests when the cameras were chilled to approximately minus 103 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 75 degrees Celsius).

"Recent tests show the cameras on TESS are slightly out of focus when placed in the cold temperatures of space where it will be operating," NASA spokesperson Felicia Chou said in response to a SpaceNews inquiry. "After a thorough engineering evaluation, NASA has concluded TESS can fully accomplish its science mission with the cameras as they are, and will proceed with current integration activities." [Gallery: The Strangest Alien Planets]

Chou added July 28 that the out-of-focus area is limited to the outer edges of the image, and that "recent testing shows that the camera focus towards the image center is better than originally designed."

The problem with the TESS cameras came up during a July 24 meeting of the NASA Advisory Council science committee in Hampton, Virginia. Alan Boss, an astronomer with the Carnegie Institution, brought up the issue in a summary of a meeting of the Astrophysics Advisory Committee, of which he is a member.

"That could have some big effects on the photometry," he said of the focus problem. "This is certainly a concern for the folks who know a lot about photometry."

TESS will use those cameras to monitor the brightness of the nearest and brightest stars in the sky, an approach similar to that used by Kepler, a NASA spacecraft developed originally to monitor one specific region of the sky. Both spacecraft are designed to look for minute, periodic dips in brightness of those stars as planets pass in front of, or transit, them.

In a photo posted to Twitter July 25, technicians pose with the four cameras that will be installed on the TESS spacecraft.

Chou said that since TESS is designed to conduct photometry, measuring the brightness of the stars in its field of view, "resolution is less important compared to imaging missions like Hubble." However, astronomers are concerned that there will be some loss of sensitivity because light from the stars will be spread out onto a slightly larger area of the detector.

"The question is how much science degradation will there be in the results," Boss said. "The TESS team thinks there will be a 10 percent cut in terms of the number of planets that they expect to be able to detect."

Despite the reduction, Boss said TESS scientists believe they will still be able to meet the mission's primary science requirements, and thus there is no need to fix the cameras. The four cameras were attached this week to a plate that will later be installed on the spacecraft, which is being assembled by Orbital ATK.

"There will be some loss of science, and we just want to know more about it," Boss said. That includes anything the project can do in software, or even mechanical fixes to the spacecraft, to compensate for the focus problem.

NASA has not disclosed the cause of the focus problem, but Boss said it may be due to crystallization of the glue used to bond the detector arrays in place. He said project engineers didn't expect the focus to continue to drift after the temperature stabilized.

Chou said the project will continue to monitor the problem. "Should further testing reveal the cameras are unable to complete the mission, NASA will revisit the decision and determine the steps moving forward," she said.

TESS is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 2018 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. That launch was previously planned for late 2017 but postponed by delays in SpaceX's launch schedule and the NASA launch certification process.

TESS will operate in a unique orbit that takes it between 67,000 miles and 232,000 miles (108,000 and 373,000 kilometers) from Earth. The orbit is particularly stable, thus minimizing the maneuvers the spacecraft has to perform to maintain it.

The spacecraft will have a two-year primary mission, and scientists expect it to detect thousands of exoplanets, including dozens the size of the Earth. Astronomers plan to follow up some of the most promising discoveries with the James Webb Space Telescope and the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope.

This story was provided bySpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.

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Cameras on NASA Exoplanet Spacecraft Slightly Out of Focus - Space.com

NASA selects proposals to study sun, space environment – Phys.Org

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August 3, 2017 Heliophysics is the study of how the Sun affects space and the space environment of planets. Credit: NASA

NASA has selected nine proposals under its Explorers Program that will return transformational science about the sun and space environment and fill science gaps between the agency's larger missions; eight for focused scientific investigations and one for technological development of instrumentation. One, called sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (sunRISE), is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.

The broad scope of the investigations illustrates the many vital and specialized research areas that must be explored simultaneously in the area of heliophysics, which is the study of how the sun affects space and the space environment of planets.

"The Explorers Program seeks innovative ideas for small and cost-constrained missions that can help unravel the mysteries of the Universe," said Paul Hertz, director of NASA's Astrophysics Division and the selection official. "These missions absolutely meet that standard with proposals to solve mysteries about the sun's corona, the Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere, and the solar wind."

Under the selected proposals, five Heliophysics Small Explorer missions and two Explorer Missions of Opportunity Small Complete Missions (SCM), concept studies will be conducted that span a broad range of investigations focusing on terrestrial weather in the near-Earth space environmentmagnetic energy, solar wind, heating and energy released in the solar atmosphere.

The proposals were selected based on potential science value and feasibility of development plans. Small Explorer mission costs are capped at $165 million each, and Mission of Opportunity costs are capped at $55 million each.

Each Heliophysics Small Explorer mission will receive $1.25 million to conduct an 11-month mission concept study. The selected proposals are:

Mechanisms of Energetic Mass EjectioneXplorer (MEME-X)

Focusing Optics X-ray Solar Imager (FOXSI)

Multi-Slit Solar Explorer (MUSE)

Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS)

Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH)

Each Mission of Opportunity SCM will receive $400,000 to conduct an 11-month mission concept study. The selected proposals are:

sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (sunRISE)

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE)

A Partner Mission of Opportunity (PMO) proposal has been selected for components and scientific analysis for three in situ payload instruments aboard the Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) mission - one of four proposed missions currently under consideration by ESA (European Space Agency). After ESA's final selection, work will begin on implementation of the PMO only if THOR is selected.

The chosen PMO is:

U.S. Contributions to the THOR mission (THOR-US)

One Mission of Opportunity SCM received highly favorable review for scientific and scientific implementation merit, but was deemed to require more technological development of the instrument's innovative optical design before further consideration of an implementation concept. This proposal is offered funding for a continued technology development study. The SCM chosen for a technology development investigation is:

COronal Spectrographic Imager in the Extreme ultraviolet (COSIE)

The Explorers Program is the oldest continuous NASA program designed to provide frequent, low-cost access to space using principal investigator-led space science investigations relevant to the agency's astrophysics and heliophysics programs. Since the Explorer 1 launch in 1958, which discovered Earth's radiation belts, the Explorers Program has launched more than 90 missions, including the Uhuru and Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) missions that led to Nobel Prizes for their investigators.

Explore further: SwRI's small satellite mission moves forward

More information: For more information about NASA's Science Mission Directorate activities, see science.nasa.gov

NASA has selected Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to further develop the concept for a small satellite mission to image the Sun's outer corona. SwRI's "Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere" (PUNCH) program ...

SA has selected five proposals submitted to its Explorers Program to conduct focused scientific investigations and develop instruments that fill the scientific gaps between the agency's larger missions.

NASA has begun development of a mission to visit and study the sun closer than ever before. The unprecedented project, named Solar Probe Plus, is slated to launch no later than 2018.

NASA's Astrophysics Explorer Program has selected two missions for launch in 2017: a planet-hunting satellite and an International Space Station instrument to observe X-rays from stars.

A sounding rocket originally developed as a prototype for NASA's next generation of space-based solar spectrographs will make its third flight tomorrow, May 5, at 12:25 p.m. MDT from White Sands, N.M.

NASA has selected a mission that will perform the first reconnaissance of the Trojans, a population of primitive asteroids orbiting in tandem with Jupiter. The Lucy mission will launch in 2021 to study six of these exciting ...

The elemental composition of the Sun's hot atmosphere known as the 'corona' is strongly linked to the 11-year solar magnetic activity cycle, a team of scientists from UCL, George Mason University and Naval Research Laboratory ...

Scientists have found the strongest evidence to date for a stratosphere on an enormous planet outside our solar system, with an atmosphere hot enough to boil iron.

Now that scientists can detect the wiggly distortions in space-time created by the merger of massive black holes, they are setting their sights on the dynamics and aftermath of other cosmic duos that unify in catastrophic ...

(Phys.org)Observations conducted with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have uncovered a young stellar cluster designated NGC 3293. The data provided by the spacecraft reveal insights about its stellar population. The findings ...

(Phys.org)A team of researchers with Universit Paris-Saclay has found evidence suggesting that the planet Venus may once have had an ocean. In their paper published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, the group ...

The sun's core rotates nearly four times faster than the sun's surface, according to new findings by an international team of astronomers. Scientists had assumed the core was rotating like a merry-go-round at about the same ...

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As the Moon landing anniversary nears, Buzz Aldrin wants to shake NASA up – Ars Technica

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Enlarge / President Donald Trump gives the pen to Buzz Aldrin after signing an Executive Order to reestablish the National Space Council in June.

Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images

Asthe lunar module pilot for Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin remains the most well-known figure in the aerospace industry today and a consistent advocate for human exploration of Mars. He has long pushed for the concept of a "cycler," a semi-permanent spacecraft in orbit around the Sun that would carry cargo and crew between Earth and Mars periodically.

But in recent years, Aldrin has begun to embrace the thingthat made him famousthe Moonas a critical waypoint on the road to Mars. This involves the collection of lunar ice, believed to be accessible at the poles, for use as propellant to send astronauts deeper into space.

As we inch closer tothe 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing,momentum appears to be building behind this idea. Several officials with the Trump administration have indicated their preference for lunar landings before attempting to send astronauts to Mars, and after six years of promoting the "Journey to Mars," NASA has also begun considering a human return to the Moon.

This weekAldrin issued a clear call for a return to the Moon as the first step toward sending humans to establish a permanent presence on Mars. He encouraged the new National Space Council to work with the Trump administration to formulate a plan and announce it on July 20, 2019the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing.

To accomplish this, Trump should take a hard look at NASA, Aldrin argued. In anop-ed published in The Hill, Aldrin called out the expensive hardware programs now consuming all of NASA's human exploration budget, including the International Space Station, Orion spacecraft, and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

"Its got to be reduced if were ever going to get anywhere new," Aldrin wrote. "People, companies, NASA itself, dont like to have things reduced. But if we dont, were going to continue spending to keep the International Space Station going. Were going to keep the Orion piloted spacecraft, a project that is too expensive and too late. And were going to keep the Space Launch System flying once a year at a hefty price tag of billions of dollars. Again, were not going anywhere if we dont do something about these issues."

Ars called Aldrin after reading the op-ed to flesh out the details of his plan. As ever, the 87-year-old astronaut was full of energy and eager to talk all things space. As the commercial space industry has grown and evolved, Aldrin said he's taken that into consideration in his ideas. "I've been really impressed by the commercial space station ideas," Aldrin said, mentioning Bigelow Aerospace and Axiom Space.

Aldrin said he's not calling for the outright cancellation of the SLS and Orionat least not yet. If the programs are going to be part of NASA's exploration strategy, they need to be put on notice. They need to perform on schedule, in 2019, and their budgets must be cut. And if NASA is serious about deep space exploration, it must consider ending the International Space Station in 2020 to free up $3 to $4 billion in annual funding.

The international partnership behind the station, including Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada, should grow to add developing nations such as China and aim instead toward development of lunar bases, Aldrin said. This begins with polar satellites around the Moon and lunar rovers to detect ice, then progressing toward a commercial "cycler" between low Earth orbit and the Moon, perhaps two of Bigelow's B330 modules. Over time, robots and humans will construct lunar bases to mine this ice, convert it into water, and return it to low-Earth orbit.

By learning to live and work on the Moon and collecting fuel for Martian missions, NASA will then have the experience it needs to go deeper into the Solar System, as well as the rocket fuel needed to dramatically cut its costs to get there.

Aldrin said he is not a fan of NASA's current plan to develop a "Deep Space Gateway" in orbit around the Moon, because it doesn't go far enough to advance human exploration toward the surface of the Moon or Mars. Like some critics of the Deep Space Gateway, such as Robert Zubrin, Aldrin appears to be concerned that a cislunar station is a cul-de-sac rather than a highway toward deep space.

One gets the sense from Aldrin that he recognizes this may be his last, best chance to influence space policy. With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing looming, there is an opportunity to guide space policy toward more ambitious goals like those he played a part in long ago. And the Trump administration, Aldrin believes, offers a chance to shake things up among the established aerospace firms, with their large, cost-plus contracts, and the newer commercial companies.

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‘Blazing the trail’: University of Calgary research could lead to cures … – CBC.ca

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Researchers at the University of Calgary say their work in the field of "nanomedicine"could lead to cures for Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and many more diseases.

Dr. Pere Santamaria said the process involves "nanoparticles" thousands of times smaller than a typicalhuman cell that could be used to stop the body from attacking itself.

That, he said, could potentially lead to cures for autoimmunedisorders.

"There are no drugs that can do that today,"said Santamaria, aprofessor ofimmunology at the University of Calgary.

"Other drugs that are being used to treat chronic inflammatory disorders impair the ability of the immune system to do its job, so there are secondary effects and longterm complications our drugs don't do that."

Pharmaceutical company Novartis has partnered with Santamaria's own company, Parvus Therapeutics, to work on developing the nanomedicines and take the drugs to market.

Now with support and funding, Santamariasaid the new drug"has the potential to revolutionizemedicine" if the drugs pass clinical testing.

Santamariasaid autoimmune disordersarecaused by white blood cells attacking the tissues in a person'sown body.

Pharmaceutical company Novartis has partnered with Dr. Santamaria's Parvus Therapeutics to work on developing nanomedicines to cure autoimmune disorders and take the drugs to market. (CBC)

Type 1 diabetesis treatable with insulin, but there is no cure. It's the same for many other diseases.

"Our drugs aim to resolve the inflammation of the tissue, the attack of the tissue, and resolve that process altogether," Santamaria said.

He said the nanoparticles could halt disorders without impairing the rest of the immune system.

"So we can reset the immune system to its steady state that means the healthy state without impairing the ability of our immune system to protect us against infections and cancer,"Santamariasaid.

Santamaria said the nanoparticleswere discovered during an experiment years ago, and the initialtestresults"made nosensewhatsoever." Since that day, the nanomedicines havebeen in development and he credits the progress to curiosity.

"We almost shoved them under the rug," Santamaria said."We didn't do that. Fortunately, we were pursued wth curiosity of researching."

Santamaria said the process of taking a discovery from the research laboratory to the marketplace is enormously complex and the drug has yet to go through preclinical trials.

Because nanomedicine is such a new field of research, there is no firm timeline on when the medicinescould be available if they pass human trials.

"Our nanomedicineis a new class of drug ... so we're basically blazing the trail," Santamaria said.

"We hope that we can carry that torch and be an example for all the investigators that might follow suit, that may run into discoveries such as the ones that we've made and hopefully they can follow in our footsteps."

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'Blazing the trail': University of Calgary research could lead to cures ... - CBC.ca

Nano One Enhances Pilot Productivity and Files a New Patent – GlobeNewswire (press release)

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August 02, 2017 04:02 ET | Source: Nano One Materials Corp.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 02, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Stephen Campbell, Principal Scientist at Nano One Materials (TSX-V:NNO) (Frankfurt:LBMB)(OTC:NNOMF), today announced that Nano One has filed a patent related to yield improvements in its process for the manufacture of lithium metal oxide cathode materials for use in advanced lithium ion batteries.

The process improvements in this patent application have been demonstrated in the lab. Extrapolating the lab results, Nano One anticipates a 100-fold increase in the material throughput of its core technology at the reactor stage of the process. Specifically, the throughput of the existing pilot reactor could be increased from 10 kg/day, as initially conceived, to as high as 1400 kg/day. This yield is in line with current commercial production rates of cathode materials ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 kg/day. The remaining process steps are readily scalable to support the design of a full-scale plant. From industry reports, Nano One estimates that the global addressable market for cathode materials is approximately 500,000 kg/day.

These innovations move our pilot sized reactor into the range of full scale production, explained Dr. Campbell, and demonstrate a clear path to a 10,000 kg/day plant. The resulting reduction in capital expenses lowers the barrier to commercial adoption and makes Nano Ones technology even more attractive to industrial interests. It builds on innovations announced earlier and marks our fifth patent application since this time last year.

Nano One has been testing productivity concepts for some time in the lab. The pilot was designed and built to accommodate these concepts and demonstration of the elevated throughputs is expected this year. The technology was developed under a collaboration agreement between Nano One, NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd and BC Research Inc. Under the agreement, Nano One is assigned right, title and interest in arising intellectual property and accordingly a patent application has been filed with the U.S. Patent Office.

Nano One CEO Dan Blondal said that The throughput of our pilot reactor is significantly more compelling than originally anticipated and we look forward to discussing the reduced cost implications with a growing network of commercial interests. Wed like to acknowledge the team at Nano One for their dedication and know-how throughout the pilot program and thank NORAM and BC Research for their engineering expertise and innovations.

Nano One would also like to thank Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for their ongoing support of the pilot plant project and these technology developments through both Sustainable Development Technology Canada and the Automotive Suppliers Innovation Program.

Nano One Materials Corp.

Dan Blondal, CEO

For information with respect to Nano One or the contents of this news release, please contact John Lando (President) at (604) 669-2701 or visit the website atwww.nanoone.ca.

About Nano One:

Nano One Materials Corp (Nano One or the Company) is developing patented technology for the low-cost production of high performance battery materials used in electric vehicles, energy storage and consumer electronics. The processing technology addresses fundamental supply chain constraints by enabling wider raw materials specifications for use in lithium ion batteries. The process can be configured for a range of different nanostructured materials and has the flexibility to shift with emerging and future battery market trends and a diverse range of other growth opportunities. The novel three-stage process uses equipment common to industry and Nano One is building a pilot plant to demonstrate high volume production. The pilot plant is being funded with the assistance and support of the Government of Canada through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and the Automotive Supplier Innovation Program (ASIP). Nano One also receives financial support from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). Nano Ones mission is to establish its patented technology as a leading platform for the global production of a new generation of nanostructured composite materials. For more information, please visit http://www.nanoone.ca

About NORAM and BC Research

NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd. and their subsidiary, BC Research Inc., supply proprietary engineering and equipment packages to the chemical, pulp and paper, minerals processing and electrochemical sectors. They are recognized worldwide as a leader in the fields of nitration, sulfuric acid and electrochemistry. In addition to carrying out large assignments for major multi-national clients, NORAM and BC Research work with early-stage technology companies. They provide engineering design and fabrication support, sharing their experience in technology commercialization, and growing with companies as a strategic partner.

Certain information contained herein may constitute forward-looking information under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the execution of the Companys plans which are contingent on the receipt of grant monies and the commercialization of the Companys technology and patents. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'intend', 'continue', 'estimate', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'ongoing', or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results will occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; including the receipt of grant monies from SDTC, ASIP, NRC-IRAP and the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE

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Flexible Devices Drive New IoT Apps – SemiEngineering

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Printed and flexible electronics are becoming almost synonymous with many emerging applications in the IoT, and as the technologies progress so do the markets that rely on those technologies.

Flexible sensors factor into a number of IoT use cases such as agriculture, health care, and structural health monitoring. Other types of flexible devices are essential to the IoT, especially in wearable gadgets, such as fitness bands and smartwatches.

BeBop Sensors of Berkeley, Calif., is a case in point. The company supplies smart fabrics to develop flexible pressure sensors for OEMs. BeBops sensors go into bicycle helmets, car seats, data gloves, shoes, Spandex clothing, and steering wheels, among other products. The smart fabric sensors were originally developed for musical instruments by BeBop founder Keith McMillen for his older company, Keith McMillen Instruments, tying instruments to computers and software.

Fig. 1: Modular data glove. Source: BeBop Sensors

IDTechEx forecasts the world market for printed, flexible, and organic electronics will increase from $29.28 billion this year to $73.43 billion in 2027. Most of that revenue comes from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) going into displays, lighting, and televisions, along with conductive inks. Emerging applications are stretchable electronics, logic and memory devices, and thin-film sensors, according to the market research firm.

Fig. 2: 10-year forecast for flexible electronics. Source: IDTechEx.

Stretchable electronics alone will develop into a $600 million market in the next decade, IDTechEx Research predicts. And MarketsandMarkets has forecast that the components market for flexible electronics will be worth $13.23 billion by 2020.

Anwar Mohammed, a senior director in Flexs Advanced Engineering Group, was among the keynote speakers at the recent 2017FLEX conference in Monterey, Calif. He spoke about flexible hybrid electronics (mixing printed and CMOS-based components), printed conductors, and stretchable circuits made with roll-to-roll printing, among other topics. So many wonderful things are being created today, like printed memory, printed transistors, printed pressure sensors, printed sweat sensors, he said.

Conductive yarn could go into embroidering clothing and outerwear, he noted. Flexible electronics also could incorporate antibacterial technology, he added. This technology can be both hydrophobic and oleophobic.

Mohammed called for the development of industry standards in flexible electronics. Its basically a nascent area, he said. He would like to see the development of printable batteries that could be printed onto fabric for smart clothing, such as jackets.

Jason Marsh, director of technology at NextFlex, said his consortium is working to de-risk innovation in FHE, bringing together academia, companies, governments, and not-for-profit institutions. NextFlex has some 25 projects under way, backed with $40 million in funding. The consortium coordinates with IPC, the trade association that develops and maintains standards for electronic assemblies and packaging.

NextFlex is working with SEMI and the Nano-Bio Manufacturing Consortium on flexible and printed battery research and development, according to Marsh. On another front, the consortium is collaborating with Advanced Functional Fabrics of America and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell on a fabric study center.

David Wiens, a product marketing manager at Mentor, a Siemens Business, discussed how his electronic design automation company is addressing FHE design. Mentor has leveraged its printed circuit board design tools for designing flexible hybrid electronics. Its approach is to optimize design flow from concept to manufacturing, he said, representing a 3D design and modeling paradigm.

Flexible hybrid electronics are like printed circuit boards and IC packaging, Wiens noted. Lessons learned in the 1980s from hybrid chips and multichip modules are relevant today for FHE. Electronic design automation can enable early adoption of FHE technology, he added.

Mentor can help optimize IC I/O for FHE via RDL (redistribution layer process technology), Wiens said.

Better health E-health, telemedicine, and wireless sensor networks are another growth opportunity for flexible sensors.

Two billion people cannot access a health-care system, said David Bordonada, a key account manager at Libelium, with responsibilities in the IoT, cooking hacks, and channel sales. He previously promoted use of Libeliums Waspmote sensor platform by educational institutions.

Telemedicine, conducting medical diagnoses and other interactions with patients over the Internet, promises to help people with home monitoring and self-monitoring of medical conditions without having to travel to a doctors office, a clinic, or a hospital. Employing telemedicine technology could save billions of dollars on public health services, according to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia.

By employing wireless sensor networks and cloud-based computing services, significant cost reductions can be realized in health care, Bordonada said. Low-cost sensors can be used for early detection of childhood diseases, he noted. Libelium has been active in helping to reduce childbirth deaths of mothers in the Dominican Republic.

Better tomatoes Francis Gouillart, president of the Experience Co-Creation Partnership, described the work with Analog Devices and ripe.io in the Internet of Tomatoes project, which uses flexible hybrid sensors to track tomatoes through the processes of planting seeds, tending to the plants, monitoring the ripeness of the fruits, and transporting the harvested tomatoes through the food supply chain. Ripe.io provides blockchain technology for agriculture and food.

Fig. 3: The Internet of Tomatoes. Source: Analog Devices

Environmental sensors are used at the tomato farm, along with temperature and humidity sensors, according to Gouillart. Once tomatoes are picked, optical non-destructive sensors can keep an eye on their conditions.

Forty percent of tomatoes are wasted in growing, transportation, and handling, he said.

Under the federal Food Safety Modernization Act, buyers can speed up their regulatory reporting to the government. Blockchain can play a role, Gouillart said. Small farms can benefit from precision agriculture. Locavores can keep tabs on how many miles tomatoes are transported, bolstering the eat local culinary movement. There are also considerations in modeling ripeness and predicting taste through sensor technology. De-commoditizing food is the ultimate goal, he asserted.

Gouillart outlined 10 issues confronting the agriculture and food industry, discussing how sensor technology can resolve some of those issues.

He also serves as CEO of Stock Pot Malden, a shared-kitchen incubator for food trucks and food-product entrepreneurs working on a healthy, sustainable agriculture/food chain in the metropolitan Boston area.

Better everything OE-A, an international association for printed and large-area flexible electronicsa working group within the Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (VDMA)just released the seventh edition of its Roadmap for Organic and Printed Electronics in March. Stan Farnsworth, chief marketing officer of NovaCentrix and a member of OE-A, noted that Audis 2017 TT incorporates an OLED production bumper assembly. It is the first vehicle to use that technology, Farnsworth noted.

Curved OLED displays are becoming common in smartphones, smartwatches, and televisions, he said. Printed batteries and supercapacitors are emerging, he added. Unlike the U.S., the European Union places no battery restrictions on the use of supercapacitors. Integrated smart systems are being developed for the IoT, wearables, health, and well-being applications, he said.

Technology has enabled the development of fully printed radio-frequency identification and near-field communication labels, Farnsworth said. OLEDs, long touted for their longer lifetimes, are also improving in luminosity. He added that the key parameters for organic and printed electronics, going forward, are standards, cost, capital expenditures, and reliability.

Brewer Science of Rolla, Missouri, is involved in advanced lithography, wafer-level packaging materials, and printed electronics. It offers the InFlect line of sensors, which use conductive carbon junctions for detecting external stimuli. Brewer has a flexible (bending) sensor, along with devices for sensing moisture and temperature.

The Internet of Things is extremely broad in terms of its scope, said Dominic Miranda, Brewers business development manager for printed electronics. Printed and flexible electronics are flexible, literally and figuratively, for IoT applications, he added. Wearables represent a new wave of IoT, requiring flexible substrates, he said.

Fig. 4: Flexible sensor. Source: Brewer Science.

These printed and flexible sensors can be deployed in large arrays at reasonable costs, made with roll-to-roll manufacturing equipment, according to Miranda.

We move up into the area where you start talking about the Internet of People, really, Miranda said. You can have these types of sensors, or any type of printed sensors like this, in clothing, or personal devices, wearable devices, which would pretty much mean ubiquitous sensing capabilities and potentially trillions of devices in the market that have various capabilities.

Moisture sensors can be used in precision agriculture, where soil moisture is more critical for growing grapes than for growing corn, according to Miranda. Large sensor arrays for the IoT can present a really powerful tool for wineries, he said.

Roll-to-roll processing of IoT sensors is an advantage, not a critical factor, in lowering sensor costs, Miranda said.

Brewers printed sensors are relatively simple, at least in terms of their construction, Miranda said. These arent highly complex sensors. They are technologically advanced, but they arent highly complex. When you start looking at some of the things that were working on in the future, theres a lot more complexity in terms of the printing and things were doing in the system architecture of the arrays, or the sensors. Were getting into more and more complex and diversified sensor capabilities that we hope to see in the very near future, in a year or so.

Brewer Science is looking forward to the development of pH sensors, water analyte sensors, and hydrogen gas sensors, among other products.

The IoT and PFE have a long road of research and development ahead for these technologies.

Related Stories Materials For Future Electronics Flexible electronics, new memory types, and neuromorphic computing dominate research. Progress In Flexible Electronics Hybrid approach pairs very thin silicon with printed interconnects and sensors. Flexible Sensors Begin Ramping Technology opens up new possibilities for the Internet of Everything.

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Molecular scissors to correct the genes: the medicine taken in the crossfire between hope and ethical debate – The Sherbrooke Times

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Wednesday, 2 August 2017 13:56

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Will there be a day birth to babies free of genetic disease, such as in a science-fiction film? Genes are carriers of a hereditary disease to have been fixed in human embryos for the first time thanks to a technique that raises as many hopes as well as ethical issues.

These works have been published Wednesday in the journal Nature. They are at a very preliminary stage, but potentially open up the way to major advances in the treatment of genetic diseases.

They also raise the ethical concerns worthy of a brave new world of Aldous Huxley. Because theoretically, this technique could be used to produce babies genetically modified to choose the color of their hair or to increase their physical strength.

The research on human embryos is strictly regulated and there was no question of implementing those of the study in a womans uterus to initiate a pregnancy. This is why scientists have not been allowed to develop over a few days.

This method, which still requires extensive research, can potentially be used to prevent the transmission of genetic diseases to future generations, commented during a press conference call one of the authors of the study, Paula Amato.

But this prospect is still distant: additional research, as well as an ethical debate will be needed before clinical trials, has taken care to specify the professor Amato.

Typo

The study was conducted within the university of the Sciences and of the Health of Oregon (OHSU) in the United States by american scientists, the chinese and south koreans. The tool used is the technique CRISPR-Cas9, a major discovery unveiled in 2012.

It is based on an enzyme that acts like molecular scissors. These can remove unwanted parts of the genome in a very precise way to replace them with new pieces of DNA, a bit like when one corrects a typo in a word processing software.

The team of researchers has used the revolutionary tool to correct, in human embryos, the gene carrier of the cardiomyopathy hypertrophic. This hereditary cardiac disease may cause sudden deaths, in particular during the practice of a sport.

The researchers have achieved in vitro fertilization of oocytes female normal by sperm carrying the defective gene. At the same time as the sperm, they also introduced the editing tools genetic.

The purpose: to cut the defective DNA to bring about its repair.

The result has been conclusive. 72% of the embryos (42 of 58) were adjusted so that the rate would have been 50% without the famous scissors genetic (naturally, the embryos would have had a chance on two to inherit a healthy gene).

A precedent in China

These tools can be further improved to achieve a success rate of 90 or even 100%, predicted another of the authors of the study, Shoukhrat Mitalipov.

A similar experiment had been conducted in China in 2015, but with mixed results. The phenomenon of mosaicism (simultaneous presence of genes in healthy and defective in embryo) could not be avoided, the researchers of the new study have been able to do.

The question that will be most debated is whether the same principle of modifying the genes of an embryo in vitro is acceptable, analyzed by an independent expert, professor Darren Griffin (University of Kent), quoted by the Science Media Centre.

According to him, one other question must be taken into account: is it morally right not to act if we have the technology to prevent these deadly diseases?

In December 2015, an international group of scientists convened by the us national Academy of sciences (NAS) in Washington had estimated that it would be irresponsible to use the technology of CRISPR to modify the embryo for therapeutic purposes as long as issues of safety and effectiveness have not been resolved.

But in march, the NAS and the american Academy of medicine were of the view that the advances in this area, opened up the realistic possibility that deserved serious consideration. In France, a parliamentary report has expressed a similar position.

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Molecular scissors to correct the genes: the medicine taken in the crossfire between hope and ethical debate - The Sherbrooke Times

York County launches redesigned website – Daily Press

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YORK York County launched a redesigned county website Tuesday evening that operates more efficiently, functions better on mobile devices and provides easier access to information from the county's boards and commissions, according to county staff.

The launch encompassed new design for four different county resources: its homepage and main government website, its Yorktown tourism website, its economic development authority website and the website county employees use for work. The web addresses for each website remained the same.

The new website was funded in the county's fiscal year 2017 budget and was built by Civic Plus, a business that creates websites for local governments.

JoAnn Mewborn, the county's webmaster, told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that the old website, which was 15 years old, had about 70 people managing its content. She said the new website reduced the number of people working on the site to 20, allowing the people who used to have their hands on the website to worry about other aspects of their jobs.

She said the new website is cloud-based and was built with mobile in mind, enhancing its functionality on more devices.

When Mewborn and Paula Hersh, the county's public affairs manager, presented the website to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, the board showed the most excitement for its segment of the site, which packaged all the county's boards and commissions together and made it easier to find agendas and minutes. The documents are also now searchable.

Hersh highlighted a live-streaming feature that allows people to watch board meetings live on the website. The website is also able to upload the meeting video within 24 hours, Hirsch said.

Reyes can be reached by phone at 757-247-4692.

Redesigned York County websites:

County homepage:yorkcounty.gov

York County EDA:yesyorkcounty.com

York County tourism:visityorktown.org

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York County launches redesigned website - Daily Press

Income tax returns filing deadline today: A list of dos and don’ts for last minute tax-filers – Firstpost

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The last date for filing income tax returns (ITR) is today. According tomedia reports,CBDT is in no mood to extend it though there are enough reasons to do so (read here). (Calculate your tax here)

Here are a few steps for those who have not filed their returns yet:

If you dont know how to file your ITR: Don't worry, it really takes less than 20 minutes to do so.

1) Gather all your papers and documents Heres a handy list: *PAN card *Aadhaar card *Form 16 *Bank Account details *Investment details viz LIC, PPF, NSC, NPS, Health *Insurance, and the like *Donations receipts *House rent receipts *Home loan details and loan certificates *Medical expenditure receipt on self or any other dependent *Tuition Fee receipts of up to 2 children

Representational image

2) Choose the website: You can either chose to do it directly at the Indian Income Tax website or you can choose an online tax portal. There are a number of portals out there choose the one that has been around for a while, and automatically populates your ITR form with data, when you upload soft-copies of your documents. Life becomes easy with such facility, as you dont have to manually feed the data. Some portals use a simple question-answer format, where you can answer the questions and your relevant I-T forms get filled automatically.

3) Portals will e -file your return and also get the ITR form in a digital format: Upload Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) to complete the e-filing of your Income Tax Return. If you've digitally signed your ITR form using the digital signature available on the portal, your e-filing of returns is done. If you do not have a DSC then youll be get an ITR-V form. You will receive an acknowledgment from them called ITR-V. If you have linked your Aadhaar to PAN, e-verification taken less than 10 seconds. The option is available on your dashboard.

4) Download the ITR -V acknowledgment Take a print out in black and white and sign the form in blue ink. Signing the form in blue is an important step. Once you are done, post this to the income tax department in Bangalore. The address is available on all portals. Do this within 120 days of e-filing the Income Tax Return Form.Read this to verify ITR with a code and Net Banking

Make sure that while you are filing ITR you keeps the following important things in mind.

Do not choose the wrong form Heres a quick update on which form to use this year.

ITR 1 This is for people with, * Income from salary/ pension. * Income from one house property. * Income from other sources (interest, etc) Keep in mind as per the new rules, if your income is above Rs 50 lakh, this is not the form.

ITR 2 This is for people who have: * Income from salary/pension * Income from house property (income can be from more than one house property) * Income from capital gains/loss on sale of investments/property (both short term and long term) * Agricultural income more than Rs 5,000 * Income from other sources (lottery wins, legal gambling wins) * Income of a person as a partner in a firm (note that, theres a change this year - instead of ITR form 3, you now have to fill ITR 2) * Foreign assets

ITR 3 Use this form if you: * Are an individual or HUF with income from proprietary business or profession * Have income from house property * Have income from salary, pension and other sources

Keep in mind that you dont gave to fill this form if you have presumptive taxation.

Dont forget to mention Aadhaar: When it comes to filing your returns, make sure you mention it on the form. Its compulsory if you have an Aadhaar card. You can write the application number, if you have applied for Aadhaar.

Filing multiple ITRs for multiple Form 16s: Also make sure you submit all the relevant Form 16s. If your past employer has deducted tax too, there's a good possibility you might qualify for a refund. If you don't have form 16, read this.

Failing to claim deductions: One very common mistake is failing to claim tax deduction under Section 80 TTA. According to this section, savings account interest income up to Rs 10,000 will get a tax deduction. And finally, heres a quick guide to filing the Sahaj 1 form.

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Income tax returns filing deadline today: A list of dos and don'ts for last minute tax-filers - Firstpost

Saltzer pediatricians will affiliate with Family Medicine Residency of Idaho – Idaho Press-Tribune

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NAMPA Family Medicine Residency of Idaho and Saltzer Medical Group in Nampa have announced a new affiliation for pediatric care.

Through the new affiliation, patients will have improved access to additional services including behavioral and mental health professionals, nutritional services and care coordination, according to a press release from Family Medicine Residency. Pediatricians will continue to provide primary care to Medicaid and uninsured pediatric patients.

Tremendous efforts have been made to make this transfer of patient care as seamless and smooth as possible for the former Saltzer patients and families, the press release stated. The same high-quality care will occur in the same locations with the same friendly faces.

The pediatric clinics will have locations in Nampa and Meridian in existing Saltzer Medical Group practices. The Nampa clinic is at 215 E. Hawaii Ave., and the Meridian clinic is at 3277 E. Louise Drive, Suite 200. Both are scheduled to open Sept. 1.

Family Medicine Residency of Idaho is affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine. Saltzer pediatricians will have the opportunity to teach and participate in other scholarly activities with the new affiliation.

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Saltzer pediatricians will affiliate with Family Medicine Residency of Idaho - Idaho Press-Tribune

YOUR HEALTH: Horses are good medicine – WQAD.com

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ORLANDO, Florida Disabled veterans rely on a team of doctors, nurses, and therapists to make their recovery.

Now they can rely on horses as well.

Francesca "Frankie" Langston had never been around horses until recently. Now she and Brooks are building a bond.

"If you say 'Hey Brooks' and he looks up, he knows you're here," she explained.

In 2004, Frankie was a Marine, serving in Iraq. She still gets emotional thinking about her deployment and her return to civilian life in 2005.

"Feels like you're dropped out here by yourself to be honest," she recalled. "You have a unit, a platoon that you're connected with. Then you're out here by yourself."

Dr. Manette Monroe is an expert in Equestrian Therapy and P-T-S-D. She says horses have a lot in common with traumatized people.

"They're hypervigilant," said Mr. Monroe who is an Assistant Professor of Pathology at the University of Central Florida.

"They're always watching for danger; always watching for something to happen around them," she explained. "When a horse hears a loud noise around them, they jump. For a veteran with PTSD, when they hear a loud noise, they're going to have the same reaction."

Dr. Monroe and her colleagues are studying the impact of horses on soldiers. So far, more than 70 veterans have gone through a formal, ten-week program to retrain the brain to stay calm.

"Because the veterans want that interaction with the horse they learn to self soothe," said Dr. Monroe.

THERE'S A LOCAL CONNECTION: A group called Sundance for Our Soldiers offers Equine-Assisted Learning Services to active military, reserves, and veterans of all ages and dependents. Located in Cambridge, the group also offers private lessons at Schone's Friendship Farm in Milan as well as at the SOS facility in Henry County.

"It's helped me step out and not be in my house in a comfortable zone," noted Frankie Langdon.

"Grooming. Riding. It's all good. It makes my heart happy."

Dr. Monroe says a significant number of the 70 soldiers in the research study reported improvements in depression symptoms and improved interpersonal relationships following the ten-week horse therapy sessions in conjunction with medication and other therapies.

TREATMENT: Typical treatments for PTSD can be costly and time consuming, and do not always offer results. Researchers are looking into other therapeutic options. Combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD were less depressed and experienced fewer symptoms after participating in a therapeutic horseback-riding program, according to a study conducted by the University of Central Florida, College of Medicine. The study followed eight Central Florida veterans who sustained physical and emotional injuries through combat in Iraq, Afghanistan or Vietnam. They were the first to go through an eight-week Horses and Heroes equestrian program coordinated by UCF, Heavenly Hoofs, and SADLES of Umatilla. The study found that by working with horses that are ultrasensitive to emotions and nonverbal communication, the veterans increased their emotional awareness, elevated their mood and better modulated their emotions. In the future, the study will expand to determine whether equestrian therapy aids 'neuroplasticity,' the idea that the brain changes and atrophies because of environmental factors such as stress. (Source: https://today.ucf.edu/horse-therapy-ves-shows-positive-early-results/)

If this story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Jim Mertens at jim.mertens@wqad.com or Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com.

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YOUR HEALTH: Horses are good medicine - WQAD.com