Using Geophysical Constraints To Determine Groundwater Travel Times, Seafloor Arrival Locations, And Saltwater Concentrations For Transition Zone Depths At Underground Nuclear Detonations On Amchitka Island

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2007There is a great amount of radioactive material in the subsurface of Amchitka Island as a result from underground nuclear testing performed between 1965 and 1971. It is unknown how long it will take for the radionuclides to travel to the seafloor and the marine environment or where possible seepage zones will occur. The contaminant transport is greatly affected by the location of the transition zone (TZ) and the effective porosity, which were both determined by magnetotellurics (MT) in 2004. The hypothesis of this study was as follows: the groundwater travel times and seafloor arrival locations, can be estimated through groundwater modeling, with the location of the transition zone being estimated by magnetotellurics. An additional hypothesis is as follows: saltwater concentration for a TZ and the general subsurface characteristics can be quantified with groundwater modeling, using geophysical constraints in combination with saltwater and hydraulic head measurements. The groundwater travel times were estimated with groundwater modeling using the transition zone location as determined by MT. Shortest groundwater travel times are 1,200 and 2,100 years, at Long Shot and Cannikin respectively. At Long Shot, a decreased groundwater travel time of up to 55% could be seen when an enhanced hydraulic conductivity was included at the location of an assumed andesite sill layer. The seafloor arrival locations can be up to 1,000 and 2,100 m offshore at Long Shot and Cannikin respectively but will most likely occur closer to shore. This study was also successful at establishing the general characteristics of the subsurface by using geophysical constraints in combination with saltwater and hydraulic head measurements. The subsurface at Long Shot is isotropic or has mild anisotropy ratio of 1:2, which confirms the study by Fenske (1972). As represented in this study, this method has been shown to be valuable in determining the saltwater concentration of the TZ as determined by MT and can thus be used in further studies of islands and coastal areas

Dublin City University at CLEF 2004: experiments in monolingual, bilingual and multilingual retrieval

The Dublin City University group participated in the monolingual, bilingual and multilingual retrieval tasks this year. The main focus of our investigation this year was extending our retrieval system to document languages other than English, and completing the multilingual task comprising four languages: English, French, Russian and Finnish. Results from our French monolingual experiments indicate that working in French is more effective for retrieval than adopting document and topic translation to English. However, comparison of our multilingual retrieval results using different topic and document translation reveals that this result does not extend to retrieved list merging for the multilingual task in a simple predictable way

A new population of recently quenched elliptical galaxies in the SDSS

We use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to investigate the properties of massive elliptical galaxies in the local Universe (z\leq0.08) that have unusually blue optical colors. Through careful inspection, we distinguish elliptical from non-elliptical morphologies among a large sample of similarly blue galaxies with high central light concentrations (c_r\geq2.6). These blue ellipticals comprise 3.7 per cent of all c_r\geq2.6 galaxies with stellar masses between 10^10 and 10^11 h^{-2} {\rm M}_{\sun}. Using published fiber spectra diagnostics, we identify a unique subset of 172 non-star-forming ellipticals with distinctly blue urz colors and young (< 3 Gyr) light-weighted stellar ages. These recently quenched ellipticals (RQEs) have a number density of 2.7-4.7\times 10^{-5}\,h^3\,{\rm Mpc}^{-3} and sufficient numbers above 2.5\times10^{10} h^{-2} {\rm M}_{\sun} to account for more than half of the expected quiescent growth at late cosmic time assuming this phase lasts 0.5 Gyr. RQEs have properties that are consistent with a recent merger origin (i.e., they are strong `first-generation' elliptical candidates), yet few involved a starburst strong enough to produce an E+A signature. The preferred environment of RQEs (90 per cent reside at the centers of < 3\times 10^{12}\,h^{-1}{\rm M}_{\sun} groups) agrees well with the `small group scale' predicted for maximally efficient spiral merging onto their halo center and rules out satellite-specific quenching processes. The high incidence of Seyfert and LINER activity in RQEs and their plausible descendents may heat the atmospheres of small host halos sufficiently to maintain quenching.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures. Revised version; accepted for publication in MNRA

Controlling Site-Selectivity in Palladium and Platinum-Catalyzed C-H Arylation Reactions And A Novel Method to Prepare Aryl Sulfides from Thioethers.

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on developing transition-metal catalyzed reactions to directly functionalize carbon-hydrogen bonds. Specifically, efficient C-H arylation reactions to enable the rapid and green synthesis of biaryl molecules, which are useful as pharmaceuticals, materials, dyes, and agrochemicals, are highly sought after. The majority of this dissertation focuses on site-selective C-H arylation reactions. First, an example of the substrate-controlled arylation of pyrroles with diaryliodonium salts is presented. The site-selectivity of this reaction was found to be dictated by the sterics of the pyrrole starting material. Next, the palladium-mediated oxidative cross-coupling of benzo[h]quinoline and 1,3-dimethoxybenzene was studied computationally and experimentally to determine why different anionic ligands provide complementary selectivity on the simple arene substrate. It was determined that a change in rate-determining step when acetate or carbonate was the anionic ligand led to the observed selectivities. A catalytic variant was also developed that shows the same selectivity-determining factors. Finally, the first intermolecular PtII/IV-catalyzed direct C-H arylation of simple arenes with diaryliodonium salts is presented. For this system, the substrate scope and selectivity are defined and mechanistic studies providing evidence that the rate- and selectivity-determining step for this platinum-catalyzed reaction is reductive elimination are reported. This selectivity is complementary to the analogous palladium-catalyzed system in which oxidative addition is rate- and selectivity-determining and the opposite selectivity is observed upon reaction with naphthalene. The last chapter of this dissertation discusses the metal-free coupling of diaryliodonium salts and thiols or alkyl thioethers, a reaction which was discovered during the optimization of the platinum-catalyzed C-H arylation reaction. This transformation provides complementary reaction conditions and substrate scope to known methods and allows for easy and green access to aryl sulfides, which are useful for pharmaceutical and materials applications.PHDChemistryUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108897/1/awags_1.pd

Characterizing Burden, Role Strains and Psychological Distress of Husbands of Breast Cancer Patients During Treatment and Beyond

Background: Husbands, as the primary providers of support for women with breast cancer, can experience significant burden and role strain, but also perceive positive aspects to the caregiving. Little is known about the specific caregiving tasks husbands perform, for how long, or how burden and positive aspects relate to later psychological distress. Objective: Our primary aim was to better characterize the caregiving responsibilities and role strains of husbands during active cancer treatment and 1 year later. We also evaluated positive aspects during active treatment. Our second aim was to determine which of these predicted psychological distress 1 year later. Methods: Husbands of women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer completed a battery of surveys during the time of wives' treatment and again 1 year later. Results: Husbands performed a variety of caregiving tasks for wives during and after breast cancer treatment and also reported benefits associated with caregiving. Breast cancer-related worries were high at both time points. At 1 year after treatment, role strains improved in the social domain but worsened in the domestic domain. Domestic strains during active treatment were the strongest predictor of 1-year distress. Conclusions: Husbands who report persistent domestic role strain are at high risk for continued psychological distress following their wives' breast cancer treatment. Implications for practice: Health care providers should monitor husbands' caregiver burden regularly. Providing couples with resources to reduce domestic role strain (such as social support and communication training) may prevent or alleviate psychological distress in these husbands

Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccine Among Hospital Employees in the Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics in the University Hospitals of Geneva, Switzerland

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: COVID-19 vaccination has been in the spotlight for almost a year now, both within the scientific community and in the general population. The issue of healthcare workers' (HCWs) hesitancy is particularly salient, given that they are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. Not only could unvaccinated HCW spread the disease, but HCWs are also critical messengers in building confidence towards COVID-19 vaccines. The goal of this study was to examine the perception of COVID-19 risk and of its vaccine acceptance among employees (i.e., HCW plus administrative staff) in the Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the University Hospitals of Geneva, for the purpose of drawing lessons on the determinants of vaccination morale. METHODS: We conducted an anonymous online survey comparing vaccination attitudes among vaccinated and unvaccinated workers in June 2021. It included questions on perception of COVID-19 risks and COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccination was not mandatory in our institution but was strongly recommended. RESULTS: In June 2021, 66% of the 1,800 employees of our department had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine by the time of the survey. Among the employees, 776 participated (43%) to the survey, and among them 684 (88%) had chosen to be vaccinated. Participants working for longer in a hospital, with a chronic disease and a household contact with chronic disease were more likely to be vaccinated. Doctors were twice as likely to be vaccinated than nurses. Among unvaccinated hospital employees, 48 (52%) responded that they would not change their mind. Further, 35 (38%) were not feeling in danger of contracting severe COVID-19, and 32 (35%) had fears about possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccines that they wanted to discuss with a specialist. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that, while two-third of the employees had been vaccinated, quite many were still hesitant. The unvaccinated explained their choice by not feeling at risk of complicated COVID-19, and because of fear of possible side effects associated with the vaccine. Investments in COVID-19 vaccine education is a critical component for increasing vaccine acceptance among the unvaccinated

Performance of PCA3 and TMPRSS2:ERG urinary biomarkers in prediction of biopsy outcome in the Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS).

BackgroundFor men on active surveillance for prostate cancer, biomarkers may improve prediction of reclassification to higher grade or volume cancer. This study examined the association of urinary PCA3 and TMPRSS2:ERG (T2:ERG) with biopsy-based reclassification.MethodsUrine was collected at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months in the multi-institutional Canary Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS), and PCA3 and T2:ERG levels were quantitated. Reclassification was an increase in Gleason score or ratio of biopsy cores with cancer to ≥34%. The association of biomarker scores, adjusted for common clinical variables, with short- and long-term reclassification was evaluated. Discriminatory capacity of models with clinical variables alone or with biomarkers was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsSeven hundred and eighty-two men contributed 2069 urine specimens. After adjusting for PSA, prostate size, and ratio of biopsy cores with cancer, PCA3 but not T2:ERG was associated with short-term reclassification at the first surveillance biopsy (OR = 1.3; 95% CI 1.0-1.7, p = 0.02). The addition of PCA3 to a model with clinical variables improved area under the curve from 0.743 to 0.753 and increased net benefit minimally. After adjusting for clinical variables, neither marker nor marker kinetics was associated with time to reclassification in subsequent biopsies.ConclusionsPCA3 but not T2:ERG was associated with cancer reclassification in the first surveillance biopsy but has negligible improvement over clinical variables alone in ROC or DCA analyses. Neither marker was associated with reclassification in subsequent biopsies

Oriented immobilization of Pep19-2.5 on antifouling brushes suppresses the development of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

Bacterial colonization of indwelling medical devices poses a danger to the patient and is a tremendous economic burden that costs billions of dollars to the healthcare system. Thus, it is essential to develop an effective mechanism that prevents the attachment of bacteria to the surface in combination with bactericidal strategies to kill them in direct contact. In this work, we combine the repellent/antifouling properties of polymer brushes with the antimicrobial activity of the synthetic peptide Pep19-2.5 and test its efficacy to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation. To tackle this, we utilized hierarchical polymer brushes, where the bottom block provides an effective barrier against adhesion while the top block provides functional groups for the immobilization of active molecules. Further, these polymer brushes were decorated with dibenzocyclooctine (DBCO)-functionalized Pep19-2.5 using strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC). This click chemistry proceeds very fast and does not require any catalyst, which is crucial for biomedical applications. The obtained coating was not only able to decrease the number of freely planktonic bacteria in the surrounding media (by 52.5%) but also inhibit the development of S. aureus biofilm by reducing the number of total, viable, and viable but non-culturable (VBNC) cells (up to 58%, 66%, and 70% respectively) and reduce the biovolume and thickness. Conversely, this coating does not exert any cytotoxic effect on Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts (NHDF) cells. Thus, the combination of hierarchical polymer brushes with Pep19-2.5 is a promising approach to fight medical biofilms without affecting surrounding tissues

Salivary Gland Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue-Type Lymphoma From Sjogren's Syndrome Patients in the Majority Express Rheumatoid Factors Affinity-Selected for IgG

Objective: Patients with Sjӧgren's syndrome (SS) have an increased risk of developing malignant B cell lymphomas, particularly mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)–type lymphomas. We have previously shown that a predominant proportion of patients with SS-associated salivary gland MALT lymphoma express somatically hypermutated IgM with strong amino acid sequence homology with stereotypic rheumatoid factors (RFs). The present study was undertaken in a larger cohort of patients with SS-associated MALT lymphoma to more firmly assess the frequency of RF reactivity and the significance of somatic IGV-region mutations for RF reactivity. Methods: B cell antigen receptors (BCRs) of 16 patients with SS-associated salivary gland MALT lymphoma were analyzed. Soluble recombinant IgM was produced of 12 MALT lymphoma samples, including 1 MALT lymphoma sample that expressed an IgM antibody fitting in a novel IGHV3-30–encoded stereotypic IGHV subset. For 4 of the 12 IgM antibodies from MALT lymphoma samples, the somatically mutated IGHV and IGKV gene sequences were reverted to germline configurations. Their RF activity and binding affinity were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and surface plasmon resonance, respectively. Results: Nine (75%) of the 12 IgM antibodies identified in patients with SS-associated salivary gland MALT lymphoma displayed strong monoreactive RF activity. Reversion of the IGHV and IGKV mutations to germline configuration resulted in RF affinities for IgG that were significantly lower for 3 of the 4 somatically mutated IgM antibodies. In stereotypic IGHV3-7/IGKV3-15–encoded RFs, a recurrent replacement mutation in the IGKV3-15–third complementarity-determining region was found to play a pivotal role in the affinity for IgG-Fc. Conclusion: A majority of patients with SS-associated salivary gland MALT lymphoma express somatically mutated BCRs that are selected for monoreactive, high-affinity binding of IgG-Fc. These data underscore the notion that soluble IgG, most likely in immune complexes in inflamed tissues, is the principal autoantigen in the pathogenesis of a variety of B cell lymphomas, particularly SS-associated MALT lymphomas

The utility of modified Butler-Leggett criteria for right ventricular hypertrophy in detection of clinically significant shunt ratio in ostium secundum-type atrial septal defect in adults

Background: This study was performed to test the hypothesis that there exists a correlation between the Butler-Leggett (BL) criterion for right ventricular hypertrophy on the electrocardiogram and the Qp/Qs shunt ratio in adults with ostium secundum atrial septal defects (ASDs). Methods: Demographic, cardiac catheterization, ASD closure, and electrocardiographic data were acquired on 70 patients with secundum ASDs closed percutaneously. Simple linear regression and logistic regression models were created to test the hypothesis. Results: The mean Qp/Qs ratio and BL criterion value were 1.61 +/- 0.46 and 0.11 +/- 0.41, respectively. The BL criterion values correlated with shunt ratios (r(2) = 0.11 and P = .004). A BL criterion value greater than 0 mV predicted a significant shunt ratio (Qp/Qs \u3e or = 1.5) (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.3, 18.1; P = or \u3c.0001) with a sensitivity of 0.68 and specificity of 0.65. Conclusion: Our results indicate that there is limited utility of the BL criterion at detecting right ventricular volume overload, although a BL criterion value greater than 0 mV being used to identify patients with significant intracardiac shunts yielded a sensitivity of 0.68 and specificity of 0.65