The subsurface exploration of other planetary bodies can be used to unravel their geological history and assess their habitability. On Mars in particular, present-day habitable conditions may be restricted to the subsurface. Using a deep subsurface mine, we carried out a program of extraterrestrial analog research – MINe Analog Research (MINAR). MINAR aims to carry out the scientific study of the deep subsurface and test instrumentation designed for planetary surface exploration by investigating deep subsurface geology, whilst establishing the potential this technology has to be transferred into the mining industry. An integrated multi-instrument suite was used to investigate samples of representative evaporite minerals from a subsurface Permian evaporite sequence, in particular to assess mineral and elemental variations which provide small-scale regions of enhanced habitability. The instruments used were the Panoramic Camera emulator, Close-Up Imager, Raman spectrometer, Small Planetary Linear Impulse Tool, Ultrasonic drill and handheld X-ray diffraction (XRD). We present science results from the analog research and show that these instruments can be used to investigate in situ the geological context and mineralogical variations of a deep subsurface environment, and thus habitability, from millimetre to metre scales. We also show that these instruments are complementary. For example, the identification of primary evaporite minerals such as NaCl and KCl, which are difficult to detect by portable Raman spectrometers, can be accomplished with XRD. By contrast, Raman is highly effective at locating and detecting mineral inclusions in primary evaporite minerals. MINAR demonstrates the effective use of a deep subsurface environment for planetary instrument development, understanding the habitability of extreme deep subsurface environments on Earth and other planetary bodies, and advancing the use of space technology in economic mining.

There is limited evidence of the prevalence of enteric protozoon infections in developed settings. We estimated the prevalence of enteric protozoa and evaluated the outcome of testing algorithms used in hospital settings in Sydney, Australia. This retrospective study assessed microbiological data from four public clinical laboratories. Pooled data from the four hospitals revealed the most common enteric protozoon detected was Blastocystis spp. in an average of 5·4% of cases, followed by Giardia intestinalis (1·1%) and Dientamoeba fragilis (0·8%). Protozoon detection rates between hospitals were significantly different and could be based on multiple factors. The modified iron haematoxylin staining method, consistently detected higher rates of Blastocystis spp., and G. intestinalis in comparison with microscopy of wet preparations, as well as higher rates of G. intestinalis and Cryptosporidium when compared with enzyme immunoassay. The study concludes that there are multiple factors that contribute to the variability in protozoa detection rates in metropolitan hospitals, including widespread variability in the testing protocols for enteric protozoa, individual and population characteristics. A gold standard approach for diagnosis of enteric protozoa is recommended. Molecular diagnostic methods such as polymerase chain reaction would provide consistency across laboratories and yield more reliable estimates of the actual prevalence of enteric protozoa.

It has been discovered that the incorporation of small amounts of hydrogen silsesquioxaneco-octadecyl silsesquioxane resin into hydrogen silsesquioxane films results in a significant modification of the thermally processed thin film properties compared to standard hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) films derived from FOx ® solutions. These modifications included a doubling of the modulus and significant reduction in the remaining silyl hydride level. Key to the change in properties was an accelerated oxidation of the film during a one-minute hot plate bake step under a partial oxygen atmosphere. A systematic examination of a series of 5 to 30 weight percent resin additive formulations showed improved mechanical properties at lower additive levels but these were neutralized at higher levels by increasing levels of nanoporosity. It is hypothesized that the enhanced oxidation effect is the result of increased oxygen diffusivity into the film facilitated by the hydrocarbon component of the resin additive.