Geochemical Attributes of Hydraulically Active Fractures and Their Influence on Groundwater Quality

This study utilized discrete interval diffusion sampling of a fractured bedrock well completed in schist to investigate if a natural weathering signal can be used to identify hydraulically active fractures. The open borehole well MFS-1, is the focus of the study, which is in close proximity to the recharge zone making it ideal for testing the hypotheses of this study. The hydraulically active fractures of Well MFS-1 were identified, and the dominant mixing force of the water column of the well was determined to be thermal convection in the upper portion of the well and upward gradients. The isotopic data collected from the well concludes that these forces are sufficient to fully mix the water in Well MFS-1 over the one month diffusion sampler deployment period. Iron in groundwater is in the reduced form while flowing through the fractured system, and becomes oxygenated when it enters the well, resulting in a significant amount of iron hydroxide precipitate. The best signal of natural weathering and the systems response to changes in recharge is shown by the changes in silicon concentration in solution. The highest silicon concentrations measured in the groundwater samples were related to waters recharged during the highest precipitation period of the year. The greatest response to system perturbations were observed at the hydraulically active fractures, as shown in the changes in measured concentrations in this portion of Well MFS-1. Even though in-well mixing causes the concentrations of natural weathering products to be measureable throughout the water column, the signal and response to changes in system chemistry are greatest at the hydraulically active fractures. Studying the rock core collected from the fractured bedrock well showed that the hydraulically active fractures are all associated with red staining on the fracture surface and in the matrix of the rock adjacent to the fracture, but the data does not support the conclusion that iron oxide is currently being precipitated. Other observations about the rock, such as the presence and nature of garnet crystals show that the current zone of advective flow in Well MFS‑1 was previously active during a period of hydrothermal activity

Modified Cooper Harper scales for assessing unmanned vehicle displays

Unmanned vehicle (UV) displays are often the only information link between operators and vehicles, so their design is critical to mission success. However, there is currently no standardized methodology for operators to subjectively assess a display's support of mission tasks. This paper proposes a subjective UV display evaluation tool: the Modified Cooper-Harper for Unmanned Vehicle Displays (MCH-UVD). The MCH-UVD is adapted from the Cooper-Harper aircraft handling scale by shifting focus to support of operator information processing. An experiment was conducted to evaluate and refine the MCH-UVD, as well as assess the need for mission-specific versus general versions. Participants (86%) thought that MCH-UVD helped them identify display deficiencies, and 32% said that they could not have identified the deficiencies without the tool. No major additional benefits were observed with mission-specific versions over the general scale.U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Cente

Predictors of Long-Term Victimization After Early Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) adversely affect long-term functional and social outcomes. Limited research suggests children with TBI are more likely to be victimized by peers than noninjured children. Deficits in social information processing (SIP), cognitive ability, and executive functioning (EF) may contribute to increased victimization risk. This study examined rates of peer victimization/bullying in children with early TBI compared with children with orthopedic injuries (OIs) and the role of processing speed, executive function (EF), and SIP as mediators of the association of TBI and peer victimization

Vladimir Filipović\u27s Attempts at Bringing Philosophy and the natural Sciences closer together

U radu se iznose Filipovićeva gledišta o vezi prirodnih znanosti i filozofije, osobito ona koja su zastupana u njegovom predavanju Prirodne znanosti i filozofija na simpoziju Hrvatskoga prirodoslovnog društva 1975. godine. Ističe se važnost Filipovićeve tvrdnje da je nemoguć izolirani razvitak prirodnih znanosti i filozofije. Prikazuje se i Filipovićevo praktično djelovanje u tom pogledu, pa se opisuju njegova nastojanja na povezivanju i koordinaciji istraživanja povijesti prirodnih znanosti i povijesti filozofije u Hrvatskoj, kao i njegova suradnja na postdiplomskom studiju Filozofija znanosti.The paper .presents Fililpović\u27s views on the bond between the natural sciences and philosophy, especially those presented in his lecture Natural Sciences and Philosophy at a symposium of the Hrvatsko prirodoslovno društvo (Croatian Natural History Society) in 1975. Emphasis is placed on the importance of Filipović\u27s statement that isolated development of the natural sciences and philosophy is impossible. Filipović\u27s practical activity on this topic is presented, and his attempts to interconnect and coordinate research into the history of the natural sciences and the history philosophy in Croatia is described, as well as his cooperation in the graduate studies program of Philosophy of Science

Missouri Medicaid Program: A Graphical Profile

Audience: Governor's Medicaid Reform Commission August, 2005.This report provides a graphical summary of the Missouri Medicaid program. It is intended to provide background information of the policy issues being considered by the Missouri Medicaid Reform Commission. Medicaid at the national level is summarized first, and then the report describes Missouri Medicaid. The types of health care services, expenditure levels, and categories of participants are presented. Health care service types are summarized with a focus on overall expenditure levels. Participants are summarized into general enrollment groups: Children, Adults, Blind and Disabled, Elderly, and Other. The interrelationships among services, expenditures and participants are explored using current data and historical trends. County level maps display these patterns for the state. Estimates of the effect of recent changes to the Missouri Medicaid Program are provided. (58 slides

Remote physiological monitoring: Clinical, financial, and behavioral outcomes in a heart failure population

This article reports on the outcomes associated with remote physiological monitoring (RPM) conducted as part of a heart failure disease management program. Claims data, medical records, data transmission records, and survey results for 91 individuals ages 50–92 (mean 74 years) successfully completing a heart failure RPM program were analyzed for time periods before, during, and after the monitoring intervention. The program was associated with significant reductions in per member per month costs and emergency room and hospital utilization. More detailed analyses were performed for specific gender and age subgroups. Participant surveys indicated high levels of satisfaction, and improvements in self-perceived health status, self-efficacy, and self-management behaviors. This study is the first to assess the impact of a RPM program following removal of the monitoring equipment. The results indicate that RPM, as a component of a traditional disease management program, has a sustained, beneficial effect on participants’ lifestyles after the monitoring period has ended

The HHV-6B U20 glycoprotein binds ULBP1, masking it from recognition by NKG2D and interfering with natural killer cell activation

IntroductionHuman Herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) impedes host immune responses by downregulating class I MHC molecules (MHC-I), hindering antigen presentation to CD8+ T cells. Downregulation of MHC-I disengages inhibitory receptors on natural killer (NK) cells, resulting in activation and killing of the target cell if NK cell activating receptors such as NKG2D have engaged stress ligands upregulated on the target cells. Previous work has shown that HHV-6B downregulates three MHC-like stress ligands MICB, ULBP1, and ULBP3, which are recognized by NKG2D. The U20 glycoprotein of the related virus HHV-6A has been implicated in the downregulation of ULBP1, but the precise mechanism remains undetermined.MethodsWe set out to investigate the role of HHV-6B U20 in modulating NK cell activity. We used HHV-6B U20 expressed as a recombinant protein or transduced into target cells, as well as HHV-6B infection, to investigate binding interactions with NK cell ligands and receptors and to assess effects on NK cell activation. Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to align molecular models derived from machine-learning approaches.ResultsWe demonstrate that U20 binds directly to ULBP1 with sub-micromolar affinity. Transduction of U20 decreases NKG2D binding to ULBP1 at the cell surface but does not decrease ULBP1 protein levels, either at the cell surface or in toto. HHV-6B infection and soluble U20 have the same effect. Transduction of U20 blocks NK cell activation in response to cell-surface ULBP1. Structural modeling of the U20 – ULBP1 complex indicates some similarities to the m152-RAE1γ complex

Montmorency cherry juice reduces muscle damage caused by intensive strength exercise.

addresses: Sports and Exercise Science Research Centre, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom. [email protected]: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tThis is a non-final version of an article published in final form in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2011, Vol. 43, Issue 8, pp. 1544 – 1551. © 2011 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)Montmorency cherries contain high levels of polyphenolic compounds including flavonoids and anthocyanins possessing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated whether the effects of intensive unilateral leg exercise on oxidative damage and muscle function were attenuated by consumption of a Montmorency cherry juice concentrate using a crossover experimental design

Is rapid acute coronary syndrome evaluation with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin less costly? An economic evaluation

ObjectiveProtocols to evaluate for myocardial infarction (MI) using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) have the potential to drive costs upward due to the added sensitivity. We performed an economic evaluation of an accelerated protocol (AP) to evaluate for MI using hs-cTn to identify changes in costs of treatment and length of stay compared with conventional testing.MethodsWe performed a planned secondary economic analysis of a large, cluster randomized trial across nine emergency departments (EDs) from July 2020 to April 2021. Patients were included if they were 18 years or older with clinical suspicion for MI. In the AP, patients could be discharged without further testing at 0 h if they had a hs-cTnI < 4 ng/L and at 1 h if the initial value were 4 ng/L and the 1-h value ≤7 ng/L. Patients in the standard of care (SC) protocol used conventional cTn testing at 0 and 3 h. The primary outcome was the total cost of treatment, and the secondary outcome was ED length of stay.ResultsAmong 32,450 included patients, an AP had no significant differences in cost (+$89, CI: −$714, $893 hospital cost, +$362, CI: −$414,$1138 health system cost) or ED length of stay (+46, CI: −28, 120 min) compared with the SC protocol. In lower acuity, free-standing EDs, patients under the AP experienced shorter length of stay (−37 min, CI: −62, 12 min) and reduced health system cost (−$112, CI: −$250, $25).ConclusionOverall, the implementation of AP using hs-cTn does not result in higher costs

Increased Nucleotide Diversity with Transient Y Linkage in Drosophila americana

Recombination shapes nucleotide variation within genomes. Patterns are thought to arise from the local recombination landscape, influencing the degree to which neutral variation experiences hitchhiking with selected variation. This study examines DNA polymorphism along Chromosome 4 (element B) of Drosophila americana to identify effects of hitchhiking arising as a consequence of Y-linked transmission. A centromeric fusion between the X and 4(th) chromosomes segregates in natural populations of D. americana. Frequency of the X-4 fusion exhibits a strong positive correlation with latitude, which has explicit consequences for unfused 4(th) chromosomes. Unfused Chromosome 4 exists as a non-recombining Y chromosome or as an autosome proportional to the frequency of the X-4 fusion. Furthermore, Y linkage along the unfused 4 is disrupted as a function of the rate of recombination with the centromere. Inter-population and intra-chromosomal patterns of nucleotide diversity were assayed using six regions distributed along unfused 4(th) chromosomes derived from populations with different frequencies of the X-4 fusion. No difference in overall level of nucleotide diversity was detected among populations, yet variation along the chromosome exhibits a distinct pattern in relation to the X-4 fusion. Sequence diversity is inflated at loci experiencing the strongest Y linkage. These findings are inconsistent with the expected reduction in nucleotide diversity resulting from hitchhiking due to background selection or selective sweeps. In contrast, excessive polymorphism is accruing in association with transient Y linkage, and furthermore, hitchhiking with sexually antagonistic alleles is potentially responsible