tisdag, oktober 27, 2015
From Oct. 27th to Oct. 29thVenus, Jupiter and Mars will fit together inside a circle only 5o wide (sky maps:#1, #2, #3). Super-bright Venus and Jupiter are visible even after the black pre-dawn sky turns cobalt blue. Once you find them, you will have little trouble locating the dimmer red planet Mars.
Deep Dive into Enceladus Plume
NASA's Cassini spacecraft will sample the ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Wednesday, Oct. 28, when it flies through the moon's plume of icy spray.
Read more: www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/seven-key-facts-about-cassinis-oct-28-plume-dive
måndag, oktober 26, 2015
Pluto System
Scientist Pick: This image shows off Hubble’s resolution. This is the Pluto system — Pluto, Charon, and the four moons around them (Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx). Hubble is the only telescope that has such fine resolution to be able to see these tiny little dots around Pluto, way at the outer edge of our solar system. We have known about Pluto and Charon since 1986, but all four of those moons were discovered by Hubble within the last decade. Learn more --> www.hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/32/image/a/
PS (Swedish)
Pluto och Charon har passerats av rymdsonden New Horizons (bilden), som sändes iväg 19 januari 2006. Den närmaste punkten innanför Charons bana nåddes den 14 juli 2015. Sonden gjorde en genomflygning av systemet, utan att gå in i omloppsbana, för att under omkring 10 timmar ta bilder och data från Pluto och Charon. Fotografier från de tidiga stadierna av genomflygningen har tolkats av NASA som att det kan finnas raviner och klippbildningar på Charon, vilket eventuellt kan avgöras med hjälp av ytterligare data från genomflygningen./Wikipedia
The New Horizons science payload consists of seven instruments – three optical instruments, two plasma instruments, a dust sensor and a radio science receiver/radiometer. This payload was designed to investigate the global geology, surface composition and temperature, and the atmospheric pressure, temperature and escape rate of Pluto and its moons.
If an extended mission is approved, the instruments will probe additional Kuiper Belt Objects that the spacecraft can reach.
The payload is incredibly power efficient – with the instruments collectively drawing less than 28 watts – and represents a degree of miniaturization that is unprecedented in planetary exploration. The instruments were designed specifically to handle the cold conditions and low light levels at Pluto and in the Kuiper Belt beyond.
söndag, oktober 25, 2015
Lika goda kålsupare
Dödstalet efter USA:s flygattack mot Läkare utan gränsers sjukhus i Kunduz i Afghanistan har nu stigit till 30. Tio av de döda var patienter, 13 var anställda vid sjukhuset och sju har ännu inte identifierats, enligt organisationen.
MORNING SKY SHOW
/SpaceWeather/
Set your alarm for dawn. Venus, Jupiter and Mars are gathering for a three-way close encounter in the early morning sky.
The morning planet show is a worldwide event. Pictured above is the view from Yading, China (credit: Jeff Dai).
Set your alarm for dawn. Venus, Jupiter and Mars are gathering for a three-way close encounter in the early morning sky.
The morning planet show is a worldwide event. Pictured above is the view from Yading, China (credit: Jeff Dai).
"At 6 am, Venus, Jupiter and Mars were rising just above the Xianuodukji peak at Yading national natural reserve in the province of Sichuan," says Dai. "The view was spectacular."
It's about to become even more spectacular. From Oct. 24th to Oct. 29th the converging planets will fit together inside a circle only 5o wide. This means you can see all three planets at once using typical binoculars. Of course, you can also see the three planets with the naked eye. It is extra-cool, however, to frame the planets in a single binocular field of view. Wake up early and check it out.
fredag, oktober 23, 2015
torsdag, oktober 22, 2015
onsdag, oktober 21, 2015
tisdag, oktober 20, 2015
Krönikör Nygren i Sundsvalls Tidning läser med stigande irritation hur det i bostadsbristens Sundsvall enbart verkar nybyggas för 70-plussare som sålt sina sedan länge färdigamorterade villor på Haga och Södermalm och söker sig till den elefantkyrkogård, eller sista anhalten före Hospice, som Norra kajen och Inre hamnen utvecklas till.
Priser på runt 2, 5 miljoner för en standardtrea måste upplevas som ett hån för 25-åringar som tvingas bo hemma hos mamma och pappa, eftersom det inte går att hitta ens en hyresrätt med en rimlig månadskostnad.
Det byggs för Sundsvallsbor med tillräckligt stinna plånböcker, inte för förtidspensionärer, deltidsjobbare eller andra med begränsade ekonomiska resurser. Kommunpolitikerna, oavsett färg på slipsen eller knutblusen, knäböjer med närmast munkliknande ödmjukhet inför Mammons altare, mumlande mantran om att marknaden måste få styra.
Mitthems pågående bygge av ett så kallat trygghetsboende på Norra kajen riktar sig till friska pensionärer över 70 år, och en kvadratmetermässigt högst medioker trea beräknades vid presentationen att kosta 10 600 kronor - mer än vad en fattigpensionär har att röra sig med totalt en månad.
Och detta förbannade kackel om hur underbart det blir att bo nära vatten, i det här fallet ett tämligen slätstruket, intetsägande hamninlopp som inte längre erbjuder den exotiska anblicken av utländska fraktfartyg eller besökande lyxiga kryssningsfartyg utan enbart M/S Medvind.
Krönikör Nygren, som har ynnesten att husera i ett örnnäste på Södermalm med utsikt från groggverandan över större delar av stan, förundras över hur någon kan lockas att flytta till Skanskas planerade nybygge och pynta ett par mille för att få några gamla industribyggnader och Bolagsverkets hiskliga torrdockade finlandsfärjor som närmaste grannar. Ett solblekt, revigt Kalaspuffar-tält från 1960-talet upprest på Norra bergets sluttning verkar i undertecknads ögon tammefan mer tilltalande.
Dessa nybyggen ska bidra till illusionen att Sundsvall är en expanderande, livfull stad. Hur många nya bostadsrätter och annat det än klappas upp på Norra kajen och i Inre hamnen kan det aldrig bli annat än en 25-öresversion av Hammarby Sjöstad, lika lite som bron över Sundsvallsfjärden kan hävdas ha en slående likhet med San Franciscos Golden Gate Bridge.
Det är något patetiskt över allihop. Och skulle vara skrattretande, om man bortser från det faktum att x antal tusen Sundsvallsbor torrstampar i en ständigt växande bostadskö och att inga seriösa försök görs av politikerna att ändra på situationen. I en krönika i avsomnade Dagbladet efterlyste undertecknad en politiker med en symbolisk .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, i stället för en glasspinne som heter Magnum.
Det finns ingen “Clintan” i kommunhuset.
måndag, oktober 19, 2015
Charon, Up Close
This mosaic of Pluto’s largest moon Charon was taken by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) on New Horizons shortly before closest approach on July 14, 2015; it resolves details as small as 340 yards (310 meters). The scene at bottom is about 125 miles (200 kilometers) across. Credit: NASA / JHUAPL / SwRI
The sweeping mosaic above is made from the highest-resolution images that NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will return of Charon. This view extends from the limb at left to the terminator, or day-night line, at right.
From the left, the view moves from rugged cratered terrain, across the great faulted canyons of the Serenity Chasma, and onto the resurfaced plains of Vulcan Planum, both informally named. The expanded view of Vulcan Planum at bottom, with its rilles (grooves or long, narrow depressions) and intermittently spaced impact craters, highlights a landscape reminiscent of the volcanic plains on Earth’s moon (lunar mare). However, while the lunar maria are made of basalt, these plains on Charon consist of water ice.
Last Updated: Oct. 16, 2015
Editor: Lillian Gipson
söndag, oktober 18, 2015
lördag, oktober 17, 2015
BEAUTIFUL ERUPTION
Earlier today, a massive and beautiful plume of plasma erupted near the sun's southeastern limb. The event could herald the approach of an active sunspot and an increase in solar activity this weekend.
|
fredag, oktober 16, 2015
torsdag, oktober 15, 2015
Whirlpool Galaxy and Companion
The graceful, winding arms of the majestic spiral galaxy M51 (NGC 5194) appear like a grand spiral staircase sweeping through space. They are actually long lanes of stars and gas laced with dust. Some astronomers believe that the Whirlpool's arms are so prominent because of the effects of a close encounter with NGC 5195, the small, yellowish galaxy at the outermost tip of one of the Whirlpool's arms.
From Hubble site (Picture Album)
www.hubblesite.org/gallery/album/
M51 hittas i Jakthundarna. Avstånd minst 25 miljoner ljusår. Ålder omkr 10 miljarder år.
From Hubble site (Picture Album)
www.hubblesite.org/gallery/album/
M51 hittas i Jakthundarna. Avstånd minst 25 miljoner ljusår. Ålder omkr 10 miljarder år.
onsdag, oktober 14, 2015
HOLE IN THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE
A gigantic hole in the sun's atmosphere has opened up and it is spewing solar wind toward Earth. Because this "coronal hole" is unusually wide, Earth could be inside the emerging solar wind stream for days. Minor geomagnetic storms are already in progress around the Arctic Circle. /Spaceweather
tisdag, oktober 13, 2015
Palestina-Israel konflikten. Ingen förändring.
 |
| The body of a Palestinian in the Pisgat Zeev section of East Jerusalem. Security forces shot him on Monday after he carried out a stabbing attack. |
lördag, oktober 10, 2015
Teaching Topic
Insomnia Disorder
CLINICAL PRACTICE
J.W. Winkelman
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, with a reported prevalence of 10 to 15%, depending on the diagnostic criteria used. Reductions in perceived health and quality of life, increases in workplace injuries and absenteeism, and even fatal injuries are all associated with chronic insomnia. Difficulty maintaining sleep is the most common symptom (affecting 61% of persons with insomnia), followed by early-morning awakening (52%) and difficulty falling asleep (38%); nearly half of those with insomnia have two or more of these symptoms.
Clinical Pearls
 What medical conditions have been associated with insomnia?
Roughly 50% of those with insomnia have a psychiatric disorder, most commonly a mood disorder (e.g., major depressive disorder) or an anxiety disorder (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder). Various medical illnesses are also associated with insomnia, particularly those that cause shortness of breath, pain, nocturia, gastrointestinal disturbance, or limitations in mobility. Although roughly 80% of those with major depressive disorder have insomnia, in nearly one half of those cases, the insomnia predated the onset of the mood disorder. A meta-analysis of more than 20 studies concluded that persistent insomnia is associated with a doubling of the risk of incident major depression. Associations have also been reported between insomnia and increased risks of acute myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease, heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, and death, particularly when insomnia is accompanied by short total sleep duration (
Do the diagnostic criteria for insomnia distinguish between insomnia with and without coexisting psychiatric conditions?
Older diagnostic systems attempted to distinguish “primary” from “secondary” insomnia on the basis of the inferred original cause of the sleeplessness. However, because causal relationships between different medical and psychiatric disorders and insomnia are often bidirectional, such conclusions are unreliable. In addition, owing to the poor reliability of insomnia subtyping based on phenotype or pathophysiology, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders takes a purely descriptive approach that is based on the frequency and duration of symptoms, allowing a diagnosis of insomnia disorder independent of, and in addition to, any coexisting psychiatric or medical disorders. The clinician should monitor whether treatment of such coexisting disorders normalizes sleep, and if not, treat the insomnia disorder independently.
Table 1. Criteria for the Diagnosis of Insomnia Disorder.
Morning Report Questions
Q. How is insomnia evaluated?
A. The evaluation of insomnia requires assessment of nocturnal and daytime sleep-related symptoms, their duration, and their temporal association with psychological or physiological stressors. Because there are many pathways to insomnia, a full evaluation includes a complete medical and psychiatric history as well as assessment for the presence of specific sleep disorders (e.g., sleep apnea or the restless legs syndrome). Questioning the patient regarding thoughts and behaviors in the hours before bedtime, while in bed attempting to sleep, and at any nocturnal awakenings may provide insight into processes interfering with sleep. A daily sleep diary documenting bedtime, any awakenings during the night, and final wake time over a period of 2 to 4 weeks can identify excessive time in bed and irregular, phase-delayed, or phase-advanced sleep patterns. Polysomnography is not indicated in the evaluation of insomnia unless sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, or an injurious parasomnia (e.g., rapid-eye-movement [REM] sleep behavior disorder) is suspected or unless usual treatment approaches fail.
Q. What are some treatment options for chronic insomnia?
A. The choice of treatment of insomnia depends on the specific insomnia symptoms, their severity and expected duration, coexisting disorders, the willingness of the patient to engage in behavioral therapies, and the vulnerability of the patient to the adverse effects of medications. In patients with chronic insomnia, appropriate treatment of coexisting medical, psychiatric, and sleep disorders that contribute to insomnia is essential for improving sleep. Nevertheless, insomnia is often persistent even with proper treatment of these coexisting disorders. Treatment for chronic insomnia includes two complementary approaches: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacologic treatments. CBT addresses dysfunctional behaviors and beliefs about sleep that contribute to the perpetuation of insomnia, and it is considered the first-line therapy for all patients with insomnia, including those with coexisting conditions. CBT is traditionally delivered in either individual or group settings over six to eight meetings. Several medications, with differing mechanisms of action, are used to treat insomnia. Benzodiazepine-receptor agonists include agents with a benzodiazepine chemical structure and “nonbenzodiazepines” without this structure. There is little convincing evidence from comparative trials that these two subtypes differ from each other in clinical efficacy or side effects. Because benzodiazepine-receptor agonists vary predominantly in their half-life, the specific choice of drug from this class is usually based on the insomnia symptom (e.g., difficulty initiating sleep vs. difficulty maintaining sleep). Regular reassessment of the benefits and risks of benzodiazepine-receptor agonists is recommended. The use of sedating antidepressants to treat insomnia takes advantage of the antihistaminergic, anticholinergic, and serotonergic and adrenergic antagonistic activity of these agents. At the low doses commonly used for insomnia, most have little antidepressant or anxiolytic effect. The orexin antagonist suvorexant, which was approved by the FDA in 2014 for the treatment of insomnia, showed decreased time to sleep onset, decreased time awake after sleep onset, and increased total sleep time in short-term randomized trials. Ramelteon is a melatonin-receptor agonist that is FDA-approved for the treatment of insomnia. Short-term studies as well as a controlled 6-month trial showed small-to-moderate benefits for time to sleep onset but no significant improvement in total sleep time or time awake after sleep onset. Meta-analyses of trials of melatonin for insomnia (at a wide range of doses and in immediate-release and controlled-release forms) showed small benefits for time to sleep onset and total sleep time. However, the quality control of over-the-counter melatonin products is unclear.
Table 2. Components of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.
Table 3. Medications Commonly Used for Insomnia.
|
Teaching Topic
Invasive Candidiasis
REVIEW ARTICLE
B.J. Kullberg and M.C. Arendrup
|
BLUE SKIES ON PLUTO:
Earth isn't the only planet with blue skies. Pluto has them, too. The first color images of Pluto's atmosphere were beamed back to Earth by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft just last week.
>> WWW.SPACEWEATHER.COM
>> WWW.SPACEWEATHER.COM