Alien Registration- Campbell, Russell W. (Lincoln, Penobscot County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/7419/thumbnail.jp

Report of the Astronomy Committee

The present report relates only to the scientific needs of Astronomy. Its applications to the possible services that astronomers can render in the war, as a part of the work done by the National Research Council in connection with the Council of National Defense, will be made the subject of a separate study

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupressure for the control and management of chemotherapy-related acute and delayed nausea: Assessment of Nausea in Chemotherapy Research (ANCHoR), a randomised controlled trial

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting remain difficult symptoms to manage in clinical practice. As standard antiemetic drugs do not fully eliminate these symptoms, it is important to explore the adjuvant role of non-pharmacological and complementary therapies in antiemetic management approaches. Acupressure is one such treatment showing highly suggestive evidence so far of a positive effect, meriting further investigation

Early respiratory viral infections in infants with cystic fibrosis

This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.Background Viral infections contribute to morbidity in cystic fibrosis (CF), but the impact of respiratory viruses on the development of airway disease is poorly understood. Methods Infants with CF identified by newborn screening were enrolled prior to 4 months of age to participate in a prospective observational study at 4 centers. Clinical data were collected at clinic visits and weekly phone calls. Multiplex PCR assays were performed on nasopharyngeal swabs to detect respiratory viruses during routine visits and when symptomatic. Participants underwent bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and a subset underwent pulmonary function testing. We present findings through 8.5 months of life. Results Seventy infants were enrolled, mean age 3.1 ± 0.8 months. Rhinovirus was the most prevalent virus (66%), followed by parainfluenza (19%), and coronavirus (16%). Participants had a median of 1.5 viral positive swabs (range 0–10). Past viral infection was associated with elevated neutrophil concentrations and bacterial isolates in BAL fluid, including recovery of classic CF bacterial pathogens. When antibiotics were prescribed for respiratory-related indications, viruses were identified in 52% of those instances. Conclusions Early viral infections were associated with greater neutrophilic inflammation and bacterial pathogens. Early viral infections appear to contribute to initiation of lower airway inflammation in infants with CF. Antibiotics were commonly prescribed in the setting of a viral infection. Future investigations examining longitudinal relationships between viral infections, airway microbiome, and antibiotic use will allow us to elucidate the interplay between these factors in young children with CF

From ideal reactor concepts to reality: the novel drum reactor for photocatalytic wastewater treatment.

This article reports the development of a novel drum photocatalytic reactor for treating dye effluent streams. The parameters for operation including drum rotation speed, light source distance, catalyst loading and H2O2 doping have been investigated using methylene blue as a model pollutant. Effluent can be generated by a number of domestic and industrial sources, including pharmaceutical, oil and gas, agricultural, food and chemical sectors. The work reported here proposes the application of semiconductor photocatalysis as a final polishing step for the removal of hydrocarbons from effluents sources, initial studies have proved effective in removing residual hydrocarbons from the effluent

Changing antiepilepsy drug-prescribing trends in women with epilepsy in the UK and Ireland and the impact on major congenital malformations

Objectives: After 20 years of data collection, pregnancy registers have informed prescribing practice. Various populations show trends for a reduction in valproate prescribing, which is associated with an increased risk of anatomical teratogenesis and neurodevelopmental effects in those exposed in utero. Our aim was to determine if any shifts in prescribing trends have occurred in the UK and Ireland Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register cohort and to assess if there had been any change in the overall major congenital malformation (MCM) rate over time. Methods: The UK and Ireland Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register, a prospective, observational, registration and follow-up study established in 1996, was used to determine the changes in antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) utilised during pregnancy and the MCM rate between 1996 and 2016. Linear regression analysis was used to assess changes in AED utilisation, and Poisson regression was used for the analysis of trends in the MCM rates. Results: Outcome data for 9247 pregnancies showed a stable percentage of monotherapy to polytherapy prescribing habits over time. After Bonferroni correction, statistically significant (p<0.003) changes were found in monotherapy prescribing with increases in lamotrigine and levetiracetam and decreases in valproate and carbamazepine use. Between 1996 and 2016, the total MCM rate showed a 2.1% reduction per year (incidence risk ratio 0.979 (95% CIs 0.956 to 1.002) but Poisson regression analysis showed that this was not statistically significant p=0.08). Conclusion: Significant changes are seen in the prescribing habits in this cohort over 20 years, but a statistically significant change in the MCM rate was not detected. This work should be replicated on a larger scale to determine if significant changes are occurring in the MCM rate, which would allow a robust economic estimate of the benefits of improvements in prescribing practice and the personal effect of such changes

New chemical engineering provision: Quality in diversity

Recent growth in chemical engineering student numbers has driven an increase in the number of UK universities offering the subject. The implications of this growth are described, along with the different challenges facing new providers in the UK compared with established departments. The approaches taken by the various new entrants are reviewed, with reference to recruitment strategies, infrastructure, the use of external facilities, and the particular flavours of chemical engineering being offered by the new providers. Information about the differentiating features of the large number of chemical engineering degree courses now available is somewhat indistinct: this should be rectified in the interests both of prospective students and of employers. Dilemmas facing new providers include the need to address the fundamentals of the subject as well as moving into more novel research-led areas; enabling students to develop the competencies to sustain them for a whole career as well as meeting immediate employer needs; and providing sufficient industry understanding when academics may lack substantial industrial experience. The central importance of practical provision and of the design project, and the approaches taken by new providers to deliver these components, are reviewed, together with the role of software tools in chemical engineering education, and measures to facilitate industry input into courses. As long as it is not used prescriptively or to inhibit innovation, the accreditation process provides constructive guidance and leverage for universities developing new chemical engineering programmes