Use of Pyrolysis GC/MS for Predicting Emission Byproducts from the Incineration of Double-Base Propellant

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to analyze the pyrolytic byproducts from an Army-unique propellant compound (AA2) that is composed of predominantly nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. Compounds produced by AA2 pyrolysis were compared to compounds detected in the gaseous effluent from AA2 incineration. The light permanent gases and most of the higher molecular weight byproducts produced by AA2 incineration are replicated by laboratory pyrolysis on AA2. The reverse case also holds whereby 18 out of 24 high molecular weight AA2 pyrolytic byproducts are found in the incinerator emissions. Poor matching, however, was obtained between the two processes for the volatile, water-soluble species. None of these low molecular weight compounds produced under pyrolytic conditions were detected in the AA2 incinerator samples, likely indicating inefficient capture of these compounds from the effluent stream. Separate pyrolytic degradation of the individual components of AA2 provides evidence that nearly all of the incomplete combustion products detected during incineration originate not from the prevalent energetic ingredients but rather from the minor and trace additives in AA2. In addition, pyrolysis successfully identified the AA2 components capable of surviving the incineration process intact. This work illustrates the potential of bench-scale pyrolysis for predicting incineration behavior

Traditional Knowledge and Contaminants Project and Resource Guide Project, Final Report

The goal of these projects has been to build capacity among Alaska federally recognized tribes to address their concerns about adverse changes in the environment. The University of Alaska’s Institute of Social and Economic Research and the Alaska Native Science Commission collaborated on both projects. Since the projects are complementary, we have combined the two final reports. There were seven components to the combined projects (component number five reflects the entire scope of work of the Resource Guide project): 1. Develop a traditional knowledge base 2. Develop a science knowledge base 3. Develop an integrated database 4. Develop a web-based resource guide for tribes wishing to act on their concerns 5. Design and implement a pilot program of mini-grants to tribes 6. Based on the mini-grant experience, recommend ways to support tribal actions Unlike many large scale testing projects where the testing laboratory is selected through requests for proposals, in this project several laboratories were integral to the design and implementation of the testing program. A major focus of the team’s activities in the Resource Guide grant was to identify laboratory resources that could meet the needs of Tribes in Alaska. Following consultations with a number of experts, the team decided that the National Institute of Standards and Technology Marine Mammal Quality Assurance Program and the US Fish and Wildlife Service Patuxent Laboratory offer two ongoing methods of identifying laboratories that meet rigorous standards for testing of the types most likely sought by tribes in Alaska. The team visited the NIST and USFWS laboratories and established ongoing relationships with both labs.Alaska Native Science Commission (EPA Assistance Agreements T-98022601 and T-98077301

Emerging Regenerative Approaches for Periodontal Reconstruction: Practical Applications From the AAP Regeneration Workshop

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141131/1/cap0040.pd

“Remoteness was a blessing, but also a potential downfall”: Traditional/Subsistence and store-bought food access in remote Alaska during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Objective: This study employs a strengths-based approach to assess food access in remote Alaska during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying both the negative consequences of the pandemic on store-bought and subsistence/traditional food access as well as compensatory strategies used. Design: As a part of a larger study on the impacts of COVID-19 on daily life remote Alaska communities, study data presented here were collected through key informant interviews (KIIs) and statewide online surveys from September 21, 2020 to March 31, 2021 among remote Alaska community members. Setting: This study was conducted with residents of remote communities in Alaska, defined as those off of the road system. Remote communities often have small or no grocery stores, and rely on subsistence or traditional sources of food. Participants: KII participants (n=36) were majority female (78%) and Alaska Native (57%). Survey participants (n=615) were also majority female, 25-54 years old, and most had had some post-secondary education or training. Results: Survey and interview data revealed that the pandemic had significant negative impacts on store-bought food access in remote Alaskan communities. Individuals also shared that locally available and wild harvested foods acted as a buffer to some of the loss of access to these store-bought foods, with some people sharing that the harvesting of wild and traditional foods served served as a coping strategy during times of pandemic-related stress. Conclusions: The results from this study demonstrate that the remoteness of some Alaska communities has been both a source of vulnerability and protection in terms food access

Emerging Regenerative Approaches for Periodontal Reconstruction: A Consensus Report From the AAP Regeneration Workshop

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141512/1/jpers153.pd

Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youths’ Public Facilities Use and Psychological Well-Being: A Mixed-Method Study

Purpose: In this study, we explored experiences and feelings of safety in public facilities in relation to psychological well-being among transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth in the Midwest in the summer of 2016, in the context of ongoing legislative proposals and regulations regarding school and public bathroom use in the United States. Methods: We used a mixed-method approach, with (1) a self-administered, paper-and-pencil survey of 120 TGNC youth, focusing on differences of self-esteem, resilience, quality of life (QoL), perceived stigma, feelings of safety, and experiences of public facility use and (2) two focus group interviews (n = 9) in which TGNC youth discussed individual perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of bathroom use outside participants’ homes. The samples consisted predominantly of individuals assigned female at birth and currently of trans-masculine identity. Results: TGNC youth in our sample who reported that they had felt unsafe in bathrooms due to appearance or gender identity had significantly lower levels of resilience (mean(felt safe) = 125.7 vs. mean(felt unsafe) = 116.1; p = 0.03, Cohen’s d = 0.44) and QoL (mean(felt safe) = 59.1 vs. mean(felt unsafe) = 51.9; p = 0.04, Cohen’s d = 0.39), compared to those who felt safe. Meanwhile, feeling unsafe in bathrooms was associated with a greater level of perceived LGBT stigma (mean(felt safe) = 2.3 vs. mean(felt unsafe) = 2.6; p = 0.03, Cohen’s d = 0.41) and problematic anxiety in the past year (2 (1) = 4.06; p = 0.04). Individuals in the focus groups provided specific examples of their experiences of and concerns about locker room or bathroom use in public facilities, and on the impact of school bathroomrelated policies and legislation on them. Conclusion: Perceptions of safety related to bathroom use are related to psychological well-being among TGNC youth. Our predominantly trans-masculine youth sample indicated that choice of bathroom and locker room use is important and that antiharassment policies need to support students’ use of their choice of bathrooms. This is particularly important information given debate of so-called bathroom bills, which attempt to restrict public bathroom use for TGNC youth, creating less choice and more stress and fear among these individuals

Using α-Helical Coiled-Coils to Design Nanostructured Metalloporphyrin Arrays

We have developed a computational design strategy based on the alpha-helical coiled-coil to generate modular peptide motifs capable of assembling into metalloporphyrin arrays of varying lengths. The current study highlights the extension of a two-metalloporphyrin array to a four-metalloporphyrin array through the incorporation of a coiled-coil repeat unit. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the initial design evolves rapidly to a stable structure with a small rmsd compared to the original model. Biophysical characterization reveals elongated proteins of the desired length, correct cofactor stoichiometry, and cofactor specificity. The successful extension of the two-porphyrin array demonstrates how this methodology serves as a foundation to create linear assemblies of organized electrically and optically responsive cofactors

Ethnicity questions and antenatal screening for sickle cell/thalassaemia (EQUANS) in England : Observation and interview study.

Objectives To describe understandings that mothers and midwives have of ethnicity. To explore barriers to the successful implementation of ethnicity screening questions for sickle cell/thalassaemia. Design Observation of 121 first antenatal interviews between midwife and mother in four contrasting areas of sickle cell prevalence in England. Taped interviews with 111 mothers and 115 taped interviews with 61 different midwives. Fieldwork data from 76 preparatory workshops and liaison meetings. Results 'Ethnicity' and 'family' are terms liable to variable interpretation. Both midwives and mothers implied belief in distinct 'racial' groups, disrupting scientifically accurate understandings of the relation between risk of sickle cell/thalassaemia and ethnic/family origins. Bookings were characterised by time pressures and a lack of explanation of sickle cell/thalassaemia. The mother was not permitted to self-assign ethnicity in 13 of 115 observed encounters. Conclusions Antenatal screening for sickle cell/thalassaemia based on an ethnicity screening question is weakened by a range of factors. Some midwives use intuition to select/exclude clients from the screening questions rather than implement formal policy. The screening term 'ethnic/family origins' is vulnerable to varied interpretations by clients. The persistence of erroneous beliefs in 'racial' groups displaces correct understandings of the relation between ethnicity and risk of carrying genes associated with sickle cell/thalassaemia. Midwives require support in both in ethnicity awareness and knowledge of sickle cell and thalassaemia, and more time at antenatal bookings to administer the ethnicity screening question. A challenge to the continued prevalence of scientific racism in popular discourse is required.The NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme, Department of Health and the Unit for the Social Study of Thalassaemia and Sickle Cel

Survey of Living Conditions In The Arctic: What Did We Learn?

In countries around the Arctic, tens of thousands of Iñupiat, Inuit, and other indigenous peoples live in small, isolated communities where jobs are scarce, incomes are low, and life is not easy. Yet many—including large majorities in Canada, Northern Alaska, and Greenland—are satisfied with life in their communities. That was the puzzle researchers from Statistics Greenland faced in 1994, when they studied living conditions and found that common measures of well-being—like levels of employment—didn’t explain why so many of Greenland’s Inuit chose to stay in their communities. About 7,250 Inuit, Iñupiat, and other indigenous peoples were interviewed in Greenland, Northern Alaska, the Chukotka region of Russia, and the Inuit settlement areas of Canada. The Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) conducted the survey in Alaska. This publication describes the survey and introduces the wealth of new information now available on the lives of the Arctic’s first people, measured in ways they themselves chose. Also printed in Valerie Moller, Denis Huschka and Alex Michalos (eds). Barometers of Quality of Life Around the Globe: How Are We Doing? New York: Springer Verlag, 107-134.National Science Foundation; Nordic Council of Ministers; Canada Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; Greenland Home Rule Government; Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland; Barents Secretariat; Nordic Arctic Research Programme; Danish Research Council for the Social Sciences; Swedish Research Council for the Social Sciences; Norway Department of Municipalities; Joint Committee on Research Councils for Nordic Countries; and Statistics Canada