Nesting Status of the Cooper\u27s Hawk in Iowa: 1988-1996

The Cooper\u27s Hawk was once considered a common nesting species in Iowa. Organochlorine pesticides and their residues, along with habitat loss contributed to its decline throughout the Midwest after the 1940\u27s. This species was classified as endangered in Iowa in 1984, but recent trends in nests found indicate that the population of these hawks has increased. Since April 1988, 53 nests have been discovered in Iowa. Due to the apparent population growth, this species was removed from Iowa\u27s endangered species list in 1994

An application of performance goal based method for the design and evaluation of structures

This paper describes an application of the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) performance goal based method for the design and evaluation of structures, systems, and components (SSCS) at Fluor Daniel Hanford, Inc. (FDH). The philosophy on which DOE`s method is based has been employed to construct a graded approach to the minimum structural design and evaluation criteriz@ used at the DOE Hanford Site that complies with the DOE Order 54E;0.28, Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation. The FDH structural design and evaluation criteria applies to both nuclear and non-nuclear SSCs that are not covered by a reactor safety analysis report

Project management plan, double-shell tank system specification development

The Project Hanford Management Contract (PHMC) members have been tasked by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to support removal of wastes from the Hanford Site 200 Area tanks in two phases. The schedule for these phases allows focusing on requirements for the first phase of providing feed to the privatized vitrification plants. The Tank Waste Retrieval Division near-term goal is to focus on the activities to support Phase 1. These include developing an integrated (technical, schedule, and cost) baseline and, with regard to private contractors, establishing interface agreements, constructing infrastructure systems, retrieving and delivering waste feed, and accepting immobilized waste products for interim onsite storage. This document describes the process for developing an approach to designing a system for retrieving waste from double-shell tanks. It includes a schedule and cost account for the work breakdown structure task

US Department of Energy natural phenomena design/evaluation guidelines/lessons learned

In the spring of 1988, DOE Order 6430.1A, General Design Criteria (1), was issued for use. This document references UCRL-15910, Design and Evaluation Guidelines for DOE Facilities Subjected to Natural Phenomena Hazards (2), which is to be used as the basis for the design and evaluation of new and existing facilities to natural phenomena loading. Rather than use the historical deterministic methods for computing structural and component loading from potential natural phenomena, UCRL-15910 incorporated the years of hazards studies conducted throughout the US Department of Energy complex into probabilistic-based methods. This paper describes the process used to incorporate US Department of Energy natural phenomena design guidelines into the Hanford Plant Standards -- Standard Design Criteria for Architectural and Civil Standards (3). It also addresses the subsequent use of these criteria during structural assessments of facilities, systems, and components of various vintage in support of updating safety analysis reports. The paper includes comparison of results using these most recent probabilistic-based natural phenomena loading criteria to those obtained from previous assessments, and it addresses the lessons learned from the many structural evaluations of 1940--1960 vintage buildings

Fluor Daniel Hanford implementation plan for DOE Order 5480.28, Natural phenomena hazards mitigation

Natural phenomena hazards (NPH) are unexpected acts of nature that pose a threat or danger to workers, the public, or the environment. Earthquakes, extreme winds (hurricane and tornado), snow, flooding, volcanic ashfall, and lightning strikes are examples of NPH that could occur at the Hanford Site. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) policy requires facilities to be designed, constructed, and operated in a manner that protects workers, the public, and the environment from hazards caused by natural phenomena. DOE Order 5480.28, Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation, includes rigorous new natural phenomena criteria for the design of new DOE facilities, as well as for the evaluation and, if necessary, upgrade of existing DOE facilities. The Order was transmitted to Westinghouse Hanford Company in 1993 for compliance and is also identified in the Project Hanford Management Contract, Section J, Appendix C. Criteria and requirements of DOE Order 5480.28 are included in five standards, the last of which, DOE-STD-1023, was released in fiscal year 1996. Because the Order was released before all of its required standards were released, enforcement of the Order was waived pending release of the last standard and determination of an in-force date by DOE Richland Operations Office (DOE-RL). Agreement also was reached between the Management and Operations Contractor and DOE-RL that the Order would become enforceable for new structures, systems, and components (SSCS) 60 days following issue of a new order-based design criteria in HNF-PRO-97, Engineering Design and Evaluation. The order also requires that commitments addressing existing SSCs be included in an implementation plan that is to be issued 1 year following the release of the last standard. Subsequently, WHC-SP-1175, Westinghouse Hanford Company Implementation Plan for DOE Order 5480.28, Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation, Rev. 0, was issued in November 1996, and this document, HNF-SP-1175, Fluor Daniel Hanford Implementation Plan for DOE Order 5480.28, Natural Phenomena Hazards Mitigation, is Rev. 1 of that plan

DOE Order 5480.28, Natural phenomena hazards mitigation system, structure, component database

This document describes the Prioritization Phase Database that was prepared for the Project Hanford Management Contractors to support the implementation of DOE Order 5480.28. Included within this document are three appendices which contain the prioritized list of applicable Project Hanford Management Contractors Systems, Structures, and Components. These appendices include those assets that comply with the requirements of DOE Order 5480.28, assets for which a waiver will be recommended, and assets requiring additional information before compliance can be ascertained

Fully automated synthesis of (phospho)peptide arrays in microtiter plate wells provides efficient access to protein tyrosine kinase characterization

BACKGROUND: Synthetic peptides have played a useful role in studies of protein kinase substrates and interaction domains. Synthetic peptide arrays and libraries, in particular, have accelerated the process. Several factors have hindered or limited the applicability of various techniques, such as the need for deconvolution of combinatorial libraries, the inability or impracticality of achieving full automation using two-dimensional or pin solid phases, the lack of convenient interfacing with standard analytical platforms, or the difficulty of compartmentalization of a planar surface when contact between assay components needs to be avoided. This paper describes a process for synthesis of peptides and phosphopeptides on microtiter plate wells that overcomes previous limitations and demonstrates utility in determination of the epitope of an autophosphorylation site phospho-motif antibody and utility in substrate utilization assays of the protein tyrosine kinase, p60(c-src). RESULTS: The overall reproducibility of phospho-peptide synthesis and multiplexed EGF receptor (EGFR) autophosphorylation site (pY1173) antibody ELISA (9H2) was within 5.5 to 8.0%. Mass spectrometric analyses of the released (phospho)peptides showed homogeneous peaks of the expected molecular weights. An overlapping peptide array of the complete EGFR cytoplasmic sequence revealed a high redundancy of 9H2 reactive sites. The eight reactive phospopeptides were structurally related and interestingly, the most conserved antibody reactive peptide motif coincided with a subset of other known EGFR autophosphorylation and SH2 binding motifs and an EGFR optimal substrate motif. Finally, peptides based on known substrate specificities of c-src and related enzymes were synthesized in microtiter plate array format and were phosphorylated by c-Src with the predicted specificities. The level of phosphorylation was proportional to c-Src concentration with sensitivities below 0.1 Units of enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of this method to interface with various robotics and instrumentation is highly flexible since the microtiter plate is an industry standard. It is highly scalable by increasing the surface area within the well or the number of wells and does not require specialized robotics. The microtiter plate array system is well suited to the study of protein kinase substrates, antigens, binding molecules, and inhibitors since these all can be quantitatively studied at a single uniform, reproducible interface

Устойчивое водопотребление и геоэкологическая безопасность (на примере Западной Сибири)

Представлены результаты многолетних исследований факторов, определяющих состояние водных ресурсов, и тенденции изменения качества природных вод. Охарактеризованы элементы концепции обеспечения геоэкологической безопасности хозяйственно-питьевого водопотребления в Западной Сибири. Она учитывает естественно-природные (ландшафтно-климатические, гидрогеологические, экологические и др.), техногенные (эмиссия загрязняющих веществ, гидротехнические сооружения, добыча энергоресурсов и др.) и социально-экономические (уровень урбанизации, финансовое обеспечение и др.) факторы.The article deals with long-term studies of factors determining the state of water resources, and trends in the quality of natural water. The concept of providing geoecological safety of domestic and drinking water consumption in Western Siberia is described. It takes into account the natural (landscapeclimatic, hydro-geological, ecological, etc.), technogenic (emission of pollutants, hydraulic structures, extraction of energy resources, etc.) and socio-economic (level of urbanization, financial provision, etc.) factors

Mentoring in students' adaptation to labor market requirements

The article contains the analyzes of the problems of youth employment, the development of mentoring in Russia. The ways of their joint decision are proposed with the purpose of acquiring production experience, professional self-realization and increasing the competitiveness of future specialists

Levo-α-acetylmethadol (LAAM) induced QTc-prolongation - results from a controlled clinical trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Due to potential proarrhythmic side-effects levo-α-Acetylmethadol (LAAM) is currently not available in EU countries as maintenance drug in the treatment of opiate addiction. However, recent studies and meta-analyses underline the clinical advantages of LAAM with respect to the reduction of heroin use. Thus a reappraisal of LAAM has been demanded. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relative impact of LAAM on QTc-interval, as a measure of pro-arrhythmic risk, in comparison to methadone, the current standard in substitution therapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>ECG recordings were analysed within a randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of maintenance treatment with LAAM compared with racemic methadone. Recordings were done at two points: 1) during a run-in period with all patients on methadone and 2) 24 weeks after randomisation into methadone or LAAM treatment group. These ECG recordings were analysed with respect to QTc-values and QTc-dispersion. Mean values as well as individual changes compared to baseline parameters were evaluated. QTc-intervals were classified according to CPMP-guidelines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Complete ECG data sets could be obtained in 53 patients (31 LAAM-group, 22 methadone-group). No clinical cardiac complications were observed in either group. After 24 weeks, patients receiving LAAM showed a significant increase in QTc-interval (0.409 s ± 0.022 s versus 0.418 s ± 0.028 s, p = 0.046), whereas no significant changes could be observed in patients remaining on methadone. There was no statistically significant change in QTc-dispersion in either group. More patients with borderline prolonged and prolonged QTc-intervals were observed in the LAAM than in the methadone treatment group (n = 7 vs. n = 1; p = 0.1).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this controlled trial LAAM induced QTc-prolongation in a higher degree than methadone. Given reports of severe arrhythmic events, careful ECG-monitoring is recommended under LAAM medication.</p