The Curiosity rover has analyzed various detrital sedimentary rocks at Gale Crater, among which fluvial and lacustrine rocks are predominant. Conglomerates correspond both to the coarsest sediments analyzed and the least modified by chemical alteration, enabling us to link their chemistry to that of source rocks on the Gale Crater...
The Rocknest aeolian deposit is similar to aeolian features analyzed by the Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) Spirit and Opportunity. The fraction of sand <150 micrometers in size contains ~55% crystalline material consistent with a basaltic heritage and ~45% x-ray amorphous material. The amorphous component of Rocknest is iron-rich and silicon-poor...
The activation method has been used to measure the cross sections for radiative capture of neutrons by all isotopes of stable Ce (mass numbers 136, 138, 140, and 142). Both the thermal cross sections and the resonance integrals have been determined from separate irradiations with thermal and epithermal neutrons, wherever...
Cross sections for radiative neutron capture have been determined for ⁹⁴Zr and ⁹⁶Zr using the activation technique with samples of naturally occurring Zr metal. The sensitivity to the correction for epithermal neutrons in the determination of small thermal cross sections is discussed, particularly in view of the variation in the...
A Lactobacillus species of human intestinal origin (strain
MLC) used in swine feeding experiments was characterized using
biochemical, genetic and serological techniques and found to be
Lactobacillus lactis. Bottle feeding of the MLC strain in concentrate
form (> 10⁹ cfu/ml) resulted in a reduction in both fecal coliforms
and the...
Radiative neutron capture cross sections have been measured for the stable isotopes of natural Os with mass numbers 184, 189, 190, and 192 by observing radioactive decays of the activation products following neutron irradiation of naturally occurring Os. From irradiations of Os samples separately with thermal and epithermal neutrons, independent...
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most productive and nutritious food crops. Due to its adaptability to cool climates, production in Sri Lanka has been restricted to erosion-prone highlands. Vast potential exists for expansion of potato cultivation in the lowlands while production areas in the highlands are limited...