Static longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a hammerhead-shaped Little Joe II - Lunar module model at Mach 0.30 to 1.20

Static longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of 0.03 scale model of hammerhead-shaped Little Joe II /lunar module suborbital space vehicle/ over Mach number 0.30 to 1.20 rang

Sting-support interference on longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of cargo-type airplane models at Mach 0.70 to 0.84

Transonic pressure tunnel tests to determine effects of sting-support interference on longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of transport aircraft models with upswept aft end

Local in time master equations with memory effects: Applicability and interpretation

Non-Markovian local in time master equations give a relatively simple way to describe the dynamics of open quantum systems with memory effects. Despite their simple form, there are still many misunderstandings related to the physical applicability and interpretation of these equations. Here we clarify these issues both in the case of quantum and classical master equations. We further introduce the concept of a classical non-Markov chain signified through negative jump rates in the chain configuration.Comment: Special issue on loss of coherence and memory effects in quantum dynamics, J. Phys. B., to appea

Biomarkers of Heavy Metal Effects in Two Species of Caddisfly Larvae from Clark Fork River, Montana: Stress Proteins (HSP70) and Lysosomal Membrane Integrity

Potential sublethal effects of heavy metals in stream macroinvertebrates were examined with two cellular and biochemical biomarkers in larvae of two caddisflies indigenous to the Clark Fork River, Montana, - Hydropsyche spp. and Arctopsyche grandis. Stress proteins, in particular members of the HSP70 family, are involved in cellular protein homeostasis and repair, and are induced by a variety of stressors, which either damage cellular proteins directly or cause cells to synthesize aberrant proteins. Lysosomes are intracellular organelles that play key roles in the detoxification of both organic and inorganic xenobiotic compounds. Larvae of Hydropsyche spp. were collected from four sites on the Clark Fork (Galen Gage--4.7 km, Goldcreek--85.6 km, Turah--189.7 km, above Flathead--381 km) and a reference site (the Blackfoot River). Larvae of A. grandis were collected from the same sites minus the Galen site. Samples were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen for HSP70 analysis, or preserved with Tissue Tek, then frozen in liquid nitrogen for the lysosomal stability assay. HSP70 was analyzed by western blotting using monoclonal antibodies. Lysosomal integrity was measured in cryosections by acid labilization with acid phosphatase as a marker enzyme. Results to date show elevated tissue concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn and significantly increased levels of HSP70 in Arctopsyche from Goldcreek compared to reference samples. Lysosomal integrity also was compromised in samples from Goldcreek. In Hydropsyche, tissue concentrations of Cd, Cu and Pb from Galen Gage were elevated (4-7 times) relative to the Blackfoot River, but levels of HSP70 did not differ between the two sites. These preliminary results indicate that sublethal effects of metal exposure may differ between species

Caries inhibitory effect of fluoridated sugar in a trial in Indonesia

The document attached has been archived with permission from the Australian Dental Association. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Background: In some regional areas of Indonesia, caries prevalence is increasing rapidly. As water, salt or milk fluoridation were not considered suitable for use throughout Indonesia, and fluoridated tooth paste is mostly too expensive, a fluoride cocrystallised sugar containing 10ppm fluoride was prepared. Its efficacy in inhibiting caries development was tested in a field trial. Methods: The field trial was established in Medan, Sumatera. All dietary background data necessary to ensure the safety of a trial were collected. Subjects chosen were 176 children who were residents of two orphanages and a boarding school for children of poor rural families. The trial used a double-blind format. Close monitoring of fluoride consumption was maintained, and fluoride excretion rates were assessed six monthly by urinary fluoride analysis. Results: Records of total tooth surface caries present initially and after 18 months of sugar supply showed that the children using fluoridated sugar had significantly fewer carious lesions than those who used normal sugar. Conclusion: This result indicates that sugar might be considered as a further vehicle for supplementary dietary fluoride in communities where there is a high caries prevalence or high caries risk and little exposure to fluoride.Mulyani, J McIntyr

Eight years of sub-micrometre organic aerosol composition data from the boreal forest characterized using a machine-learning approach

The Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations (SMEAR) II, located within the boreal forest of Finland, is a unique station in the world due to the wide range of long-term measurements tracking the Earth-atmosphere interface. In this study, we characterize the composition of organic aerosol (OA) at SMEAR II by quantifying its driving constituents. We utilize a multi-year data set of OA mass spectra measured in situ with an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) at the station. To our knowledge, this mass spectral time series is the longest of its kind published to date. Similarly to other previously reported efforts in OA source apportionment from multi-seasonal or multi-annual data sets, we approached the OA characterization challenge through positive matrix factorization (PMF) using a rolling window approach. However, the existing methods for extracting minor OA components were found to be insufficient for our rather remote site. To overcome this issue, we tested a new statistical analysis framework. This included unsupervised feature extraction and classification stages to explore a large number of unconstrained PMF runs conducted on the measured OA mass spectra. Anchored by these results, we finally constructed a relaxed chemical mass balance (CMB) run that resolved different OA components from our observations. The presented combination of statistical tools provided a data-driven analysis methodology, which in our case achieved robust solutions with minimal subjectivity. Following the extensive statistical analyses, we were able to divide the 2012-2019 SMEAR II OA data (mass concentration interquartile range (IQR): 0.7, 1.3, and 2.6 mu gm(-3)) into three sub-categories - low-volatility oxygenated OA (LV-OOA), semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA), and primary OA (POA) - proving that the tested methodology was able to provide results consistent with literature. LV-OOA was the most dominant OA type (organic mass fraction IQR: 49 %, 62 %, and 73 %). The seasonal cycle of LV-OOA was bimodal, with peaks both in summer and in February. We associated the wintertime LV-OOA with anthropogenic sources and assumed biogenic influence in LV-OOA formation in summer. Through a brief trajectory analysis, we estimated summertime natural LV-OOA formation of tens of ngm 3 h 1 over the boreal forest. SV-OOA was the second highest contributor to OA mass (organic mass fraction IQR: 19 %, 31 %, and 43 %). Due to SV-OOA's clear peak in summer, we estimate biogenic processes as the main drivers in its formation. Unlike for LV-OOA, the highest SV-OOA concentrations were detected in stable summertime nocturnal surface layers. Two nearby sawmills also played a significant role in SV-OOA production as also exemplified by previous studies at SMEAR II. POA, taken as a mix of two different OA types reported previously, hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA) and biomass burning OA (BBOA), made up a minimal OA mass fraction (IQR: 2 %, 6 %, and 13 %). Notably, the quantification of POA at SMEAR II using ACSM data was not possible following existing rolling PMF methodologies. Both POA organic mass fraction and mass concentration peaked in winter. Its appearance at SMEAR II was linked to strong southerly winds. Similar wind direction and speed dependence was not observed among other OA types. The high wind speeds probably enabled the POA transport to SMEAR II from faraway sources in a relatively fresh state. In the event of slower wind speeds, POA likely evaporated and/or aged into oxidized organic aerosol before detection. The POA organic mass fraction was significantly lower than reported by aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements 2 to 4 years prior to the ACSM measurements. While the co-located long-term measurements of black carbon supported the hypothesis of higher POA loadings prior to year 2012, it is also possible that short-term (POA) pollution plumes were averaged out due to the slow time resolution of the ACSM combined with the further 3 h data averaging needed to ensure good signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Despite the length of the ACSM data set, we did not focus on quantifying long-term trends of POA (nor other components) due to the high sensitivity of OA composition to meteorological anomalies, the occurrence of which is likely not normally distributed over the 8-year measurement period. Due to the unique and realistic seasonal cycles and meteorology dependences of the independent OA subtypes complemented by the reasonably low degree of unexplained OA variability, we believe that the presented data analysis approach performs well. Therefore, we hope that these results encourage also other researchers possessing several-yearlong time series of similar data to tackle the data analysis via similar semi- or unsupervised machine-learning approaches. This way the presented method could be further optimized and its usability explored and evaluated also in other environments.Peer reviewe

Characterisation of carbon nanotubes in the context of toxicity studies

Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionise our futures, but has also prompted concerns about the possibility that nanomaterials may harm humans or the biosphere. The unique properties of nanoparticles, that give them novel size dependent functionalities, may also have the potential to cause harm. Discrepancies in existing human health and environmental studies have shown the importance of good quality, well-characterized reference nanomaterials for toxicological studies

Comparison of Group-based Outpatient Physiotherapy With Usual Care After Total Knee Replacement: a Feasibility Study For a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial comparing group-based outpatient physiotherapy with usual care in patients following total knee replacement. Design: A feasibility study for a randomized controlled trial. Setting: One secondary-care hospital orthopaedic centre, Bristol, UK. Participants: A total of 46 participants undergoing primary total knee replacement. Interventions: The intervention group were offered six group-based exercise sessions after surgery. The usual care group received standard postoperative care. Participants were not blinded to group allocation. Outcome measures: Feasibility was assessed by recruitment, reasons for non-participation, attendance, and completion rates of study questionnaires that included the Lower Extremity Functional Scale and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. Results: Recruitment rate was 37%. Five patients withdrew or were no longer eligible to participate. Intervention attendance was high (73%) and 84% of group participants reported they were ‘very satisfied’ with the exercises. Return of study questionnaires at six months was lower in the usual care (75%) than in the intervention group (100%). Mean (standard deviation) Lower Extremity Functional Scale scores at six months were 45.0 (20.8) in the usual care and 57.8 (15.2) in the intervention groups. Conclusion: Recruitment and retention of participants in this feasibility study was good. Group-based physiotherapy was acceptable to participants. Questionnaire return rates were lower in the usual care group, but might be enhanced by telephone follow-up. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale had high responsiveness and completion rates. Using this outcome measure, 256 participants would be required in a full-scale randomized controlled trial

Ectomycorrhizal communities of ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine in the south-central Oregon pumice zone

Forest ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest of the USA are changing as a result of climate change. Specifically, rise of global temperatures, decline of winter precipitation, earlier loss of snowpack, and increased summer drought are altering the range of Pinus contorta. Simultaneously, flux in environmental conditions within the historic P. contorta range may facilitate the encroachment of P. ponderosa into P. contorta territory. Furthermore, successful pine species migration may be constrained by the distribution or co-migration of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF). Knowledge of the linkages among soil fungal diversity, community structure, and environmental factors is critical to understanding the organization and stability of pine ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to establish a foundational knowledge of the EMF communities of P. ponderosa and P. contorta in the Deschutes National Forest, OR, USA, and to examine soil characteristics associated with community composition. We examined EMF root tips of P. ponderosa and P. contorta in soil cores and conducted soil chemistry analysis for P. ponderosa cores. Results indicate that Cenococcum geophilum, Rhizopogon salebrosus, and Inocybe flocculosa were dominant in both P. contorta and P. ponderosa soil cores. Rhizopogon spp. were ubiquitous in P. ponderosa cores. There was no significant difference in the species composition of EMF communities of P. ponderosa and P. contorta. Ordination analysis of P. ponderosa soils suggested that soil pH, plant-available phosphorus (Bray), total phosphorus (P), carbon (C), mineralizable nitrogen (N), ammonium (NH₄), and nitrate (NO₃) are driving EMF community composition in P. ponderosa stands. We found a significant linear relationship between EMF species richness and mineralizable N. In conclusion, P. ponderosa and P. contorta, within the Deschutes National Forest, share the same dominant EMF species, which implies that P. ponderosa may be able to successfully establish within the historic P. contorta range and dominant EMF assemblages may be conserved.Keywords: Pinus ponderosa, Pine species migration, Climate change, Ectomycorrhizal communities, Pinus contort