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Biomedical subjects

Sean Brennan

Publications and source records attributed to Sean Brennan.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Comet 81P/Wild 2 under a microscope.

The Stardust spacecraft collected thousands of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for laboratory study. The preliminary examination of these samples shows that the nonvolatile portion of the comet is an unequilibrated assortment of materials that have both presolar and solar system origin. The comet contains an abundance of silicate grains that are much larger than predictions of interstellar grain models, and many of these are high-temperature minerals that appear to have formed in the inner regions of the solar nebula. Their presence in a comet proves that the formation of the solar system included mixing on the grandest scales.

Journal Article↗

Mineralogy and petrology of comet 81P/Wild 2 nucleus samples.

The bulk of the comet 81P/Wild 2 (hereafter Wild 2) samples returned to Earth by the Stardust spacecraft appear to be weakly constructed mixtures of nanometer-scale grains, with occasional much larger (over 1 micrometer) ferromagnesian silicates, Fe-Ni sulfides, Fe-Ni metal, and accessory phases. The very wide range of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene compositions in comet Wild 2 requires a wide range of formation conditions, probably reflecting very different formation locations in the protoplanetary disk. The restricted compositional ranges of Fe-Ni sulfides, the wide range for silicates, and the absence of hydrous phases indicate that comet Wild 2 experienced little or no aqueous alteration. Less abundant Wild 2 materials include a refractory particle, whose presence appears to require radial transport in the early protoplanetary disk.

Journal Article↗

Elemental compositions of comet 81P/Wild 2 samples collected by Stardust.

We measured the elemental compositions of material from 23 particles in aerogel and from residue in seven craters in aluminum foil that was collected during passage of the Stardust spacecraft through the coma of comet 81P/Wild 2. These particles are chemically heterogeneous at the largest size scale analyzed ( approximately 180 ng). The mean elemental composition of this Wild 2 material is consistent with the CI meteorite composition, which is thought to represent the bulk composition of the solar system, for the elements Mg, Si, Mn, Fe, and Ni to 35%, and for Ca and Ti to 60%. The elements Cu, Zn, and Ga appear enriched in this Wild 2 material, which suggests that the CI meteorites may not represent the solar system composition for these moderately volatile minor elements.

Journal Article↗

On the IT programme.

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Diffusion of Innovation↗

Computerizing a health service: the potential barriers to success.

Any project to computerise the complex health services will take time and be beset with problems. However, some of these problems arise from barriers which could have been anticipated. There are genuine benefits of supporting the delivery of clinical care with technology, but unless these potential barriers are appreciated and understood, the well intentioned objectives will never be realised. This article describes how the National Health Service in England is approaching such a complex subject. It also describes what could prevent it from happening and suggests a strategy for overcoming them.

Automation↗

What is the ICRS?

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Access to Information↗