Transport of perchlorate in the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead

This thesis investigates the fate of perchlorate in the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead resulting from the long-term contamination by the manufacturing of rocket fuels in Henderson, Nevada. The changes in perchlorate concentrations for the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead were investigated for the last 10 years by analyzing frozen water samples. An attempt was made to model the transport of perchlorate along the Wash, and to observe the transport and mixing of perchlorate within the Lake. Statistical analyses were performed to observe seasonal variations in perchlorate levels within the epilimnion, metalimnion and hypolimnion layers of the Lake, and to correlate perchlorate levels with total dissolved solids concentrations. Investigation showed that multiple sources contribute to the perchlorate contamination in the Wash. Perchlorate levels had increased significantly from 1995. Lake stratification strongly influences perchlorate levels within each thermal layer; lake storage level is less significant

ISOLATION OF SOME WOOD DECAYING FUNGI AND STREPTOMYCES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON SOME COMMERCIAL TIMBER SPECIES IN SRI LANKA

Wood is subject to .utack by wood inhahiting fungi in a variety of environmental situationslrnm the standing tree to the wood product in service. An investigation was carried out tostudy the resistance or five conuncrcial timhcr species namely Rubber (111'1'('11 brasiliensis),Luuumidcll.r (Mcli« rlllhlll) Pine (PiIlIlS raribca). Mahogony (.)11'/1'11'11/0 I)I{/(.,.o/,llylla)andTeak (1""("/(11111 ,~nlllrlls) to lung.il attack.Four wood decaying fungal species were isolated from naturally infected wood samples,Three species namely Trirodcrma Sfl., Mycrlia stcrilia and Streptomvccs sfI. belonging toDcutcromycot ina subdivision and AspergillI'S sp. belonging to Ascomycotiua subdivisionwere identified. These species were used to assess the initial decay of wood. Out of thelour SI1l'l'ics tested SIU'f)/OIlIH'C.I .III. was the most destructive fungal species.The wl'i)!ht loss or timber was taken as parameter or decay. Wood species and the fungalxpccicx had a significant effect on the weight loss. The highest weight loss due to fungalattack was caused hy Strcptomvrcs species in all the timber species except in Lunumidcllawhere Trirodcrnia Sf' recorded the highest weight loss.In Rubber, Lunumidclla and Pinus moisture gain was observed with fungal attack whilemoisture loss was observed in controls. In Mahogany and Teak moisture gain due toIUllgal auack was negligihle. Since these fungi caused a considerable damage at the initialstage or decay they can he grouped as primary decaying fungi in wood.

Patient blood management in Europe

Preoperative anaemia is common in patients undergoing orthopaedic and other major surgery. Anaemia is associated with increased risks of postoperative mortality and morbidity, infectious complications, prolonged hospitalization, and a greater likelihood of allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion. Evidence of the clinical and economic disadvantages of RBC transfusion in treating perioperative anaemia has prompted recommendations for its restriction and a growing interest in approaches that rely on patients' own (rather than donor) blood. These approaches are collectively termed ‘patient blood management’ (PBM). PBM involves the use of multidisciplinary, multimodal, individualized strategies to minimize RBC transfusion with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes. PBM relies on approaches (pillars) that detect and treat perioperative anaemia and reduce surgical blood loss and perioperative coagulopathy to harness and optimize physiological tolerance of anaemia. After the recent resolution 63.12 of the World Health Assembly, the implementation of PBM is encouraged in all WHO member states. This new standard of care is now established in some centres in the USA and Austria, in Western Australia, and nationally in the Netherlands. However, there is a pressing need for European healthcare providers to integrate PBM strategies into routine care for patients undergoing orthopaedic and other types of surgery in order to reduce the use of unnecessary transfusions and improve the quality of care. After reviewing current PBM practices in Europe, this article offers recommendations supporting its wider implementation, focusing on anaemia management, the first of the three pillars of PBM

Taking small steps to achieve big goals - Dr Grace Lordan

"The world of work has changed, we're now in a situation where you're going to need to be continuously learning particularly if you're in a professional career for literally the rest of your lives" says Dr Grace Lordan on Episode 6 of the Reframe & Reset Your Career podcast. The full podcast is available on 24th March, see links below. Grace Lordan is the Founding Director of The Inclusion Initiative (TII), Director of the MSc in Behavioural Science and an Associate Professor in Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Grace has a PhD in Economics, and an undergraduate degree in computer science. Her research is focused on understanding why some individuals succeed in life and others don't. She is an expert on the effects of bias, discrimination and technology changes. Grace is an expert advisor to the UK government sitting on their skills and productivity board. Her academic writings have been published in top international journals in economics and the broader social sciences. Grace is a regular keynote and panel speaker at corporate events. Grace is the author of "Think Big". If you would like to know about Grace and her work, more information is available on her website: https://www.gracelordan.com

Limb Mass to Body Mass Ratio: Influences on the Temporal Characteristics of Walking

Marcie Myers, Associate Professor of Biology, and Heather Marie Hirsch and Dilangani Boralessa, student researchers, received a $1,392 award from the 3M Small Scale Grant program to discover how key temporal characteristics of gait vary as the limb mass to body mass ratio is systematically altered in walking humans. This will help determine how much energy is saved within the body and within the lower limbs as a result of their pendular-like motion