An inventory of state natural resources information systems

The status of a project to inventory state natural resources information systems is summarized. All tasks accomplished are described, and tasks remaining to be completed are outlined

Vacuum Infusion Process Development for Conformal Ablative Thermal Protection System Materials

Conformal ablators are low density composite materials comprised of a flexible carbon felt based fibrous substrate and a high surface area phenolic matrix. These materials are fabricated to near net shape by molding the substrate, placing in a rigid matched mold and infusing with liquid resin through a vacuum assisted process. The open mold process, originally developed for older rigid substrate ablators, such as PICA, wastes a substantial amount of resin. In this work, a vacuum infusion process a type of liquid composite molding where resin is directly injected into a closed mold under vacuum is advanced for conformal ablators. The process reduces waste over the state-of-the-art technique. Small, flat samples of Conformal Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator are infused using the new approach and subjected to a range of curing configurations and conditions. Resulting materials are inspected for quality and compared to material produced using the standard process. Lessons learned inform subsequent plans for process scale up

Development of the Historical and Local History Cross-border Tourist Route «Ukrainian-Polish Combination From Zamoyschyna to Volyn»

Розглянуто питання розробки системи історично-краєзнавчих туристичних маршрутів, які б сприяли українсько-польському примиренню й поєднанню, а також вихованню сучасного молодого покоління поваги до інших народів, здорове почуття патріотизму та національної гідності, розвитку найкращих людських якостей – взаємоповаги, взаємопідтримки та співчуття. Представлено розроблений авторами транскордонний історико-краєзнавчий туристичний маршрут «Українсько-польське поєднання: від Замойщини до Волині», який проходить по лінії Луцьк–Горохів–Володимир-Волинський і далі по території суміжної Польщі вздовж лінії Грубешів–Сагринь–Замостя. The question of developing a system of historical and local history touristic routes, which would help in Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation and also in education of the modern younger generation to respect other peoples, a healthy sense of patriotism and national dignity, the development of the best human qualities ─ mutual respect, mutual support and compassion. Cross-border local historical tourist route «Ukrainian-Polish combination from Zamoyschyna to Volyn» are presented by authors. It passes through Lutsk‒Horohiv‒Volodymyr-Volyns'k and than throu the territory of neighboring Poland along the Hrubiesziw‒Sahryn‒Zamosc

High-field magnetoexcitons in unstrained GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum dots

The magnetic field dependence of the excitonic states in unstrained GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum dots is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The diamagnetic shift for the ground and the excited states are studied in magnetic fields of varying orientation. In the theoretical study, calculations are performed within the single band effective mass approximation, including band nonparabolicity, the full experimental three-dimensional dot shape and the electron-hole Coulomb interaction. These calculations are compared with the experimental results for both the ground and the excited states in fields up to 50 Tesla. Good agreement is found between theory and experiment

The impact of early life immune challenge on behavior and microglia during postnatal development

Sexual dichotomy exists in the development, presentation, and course of many neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety. Anxiety disorders are one of the earliest psychiatric illnesses to manifest and a role for immune system programming of the developing CNS has emerged in relation to anxiety. Adult rodents neonatally exposed to an immune challenge exhibit increased anxiety-related behaviors. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of postnatal immune challenge on behavior and microglia during the postnatal period and in adulthood. Mice were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 0.05mg/kg, i.p.) or saline on postnatal days (P) three and five. Anxiety-related behavior was assessed during early development on P15 and P21, and re-assessed in adulthood at 10 and 12 weeks. Results reveal sex-specificity in the temporal emergence and phenotypic profile of behaviors displayed by LPS-treated mice. Male LPS-treated mice exhibited reduced exploratory in early development (P15 and P21) that persisted into adulthood. Female LPS-mice exhibited increased anxiety-like behaviors in the EPM in adulthood. These results demonstrate a role for interactions between sex and the immune system in shaping the developmental trajectory of exploratory and anxiety-like behaviors

Spatial-frequency selection of complex degree of coherence of laser images of blood plasma in diagnostics and differentiation of pathological states of humanorganism of various nosology

The theoretical background of correlation and phase analysis of laser images of human blood plasma with the spatial-frequency selection of the manifestations of mechanisms of linear and circular birefringence of albumin and globulin is presented. The comparative results of measuring the coordinate distributions of the module of complex degree of coherence (CDC) of laser images of blood plasma taken from the patients of three groups-healthy patients (donors), the patients suffering from the rheumatoid arthritis, and those with stomach cancer (adenocarcinoma)-are shown. The values and ranges of change of the statistical (moments of the 1st–4th order), correlation (excess of autocorrelation functions), and fractal (slopes of approximating curves and dispersion of the extremes of logarithmic dependencies of power spectra) parameters of CDC coordinate distributions are studied. The objective criteria of diagnostics of the pathology and differentiation of the inflammation and oncological state are determined

Excitons in coupled InAs/InP self-assembled quantum wires

Optical transitions in coupled InAs/InP self-assembled quantum wires are studied within the single-band effective mass approximation including effects due to strain. Both vertically and horizontally coupled quantum wires are investigated and the ground state, excited states and the photoluminescence peak energies are calculated. Where possible we compare with available photo-luminescence data from which it was possible to determine the height of the quantum wires. An anti-crossing of the energy of excited states is found for vertically coupled wires signaling a change of symmetry of the exciton wavefunction. This crossing is the signature of two different coupling regimes.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures. To appear in Physical Review

A new record of \u3ci\u3eProcynosuchus delaharpeae\u3c/i\u3e (Therapsida: Cynodontia) from the Upper Permian Usili Formation, Tanzania

Procynosuchus, the best-known Permian cynodont, has a remarkably broad geographic range, with records stretching from southern Africa to Europe. Fossils\u27 of Procynosuchus are most common in the Upper Permian Dicynodon Assemblage Zone of South Africa, but also occur in coeval East African rocks. Currently, there is one documented occurrence from the Madumabisa Mudstone Formation of Zambia, and two specimens from the Usili (=Kawinga) Formation of Tanzania. The Tanzanian specimens include a poorly preserved, incomplete skull and a partial cranium originally attributed to Parathrinaxodon proops. The latter is now considered a subjective junior synonym of Procynosuchus delaharpeae. Here we report on a new specimen collected in 2007 near the base of Kingori Mountain in Tanzania. It preserves the postorbital region of the skull and the posterior portions of both lower jaws, each containing several intact teeth. A well-preserved postcanine tooth exhibits the dental hallmarks of Procynosuchus and permits unambiguous referral to this taxon. Recent fieldwork corroborates previous suggestions that the Usili tetrapod fauna includes representatives of the Tropidostoma, Cistecephalus and Dicynodon assemblage zones of South Africa. Moreover, the presence of several endemic Usili taxa (e.g. Katumbia, Kawingasaurus, Peitobatrachus), suggests that a straightforward correlation between the Usili tetrapod fauna and a particular assemblage zone from the Beaufort Group may not be possible

Tetratrichomonas and Trichomonas spp.-Associated Disease in Free-Ranging Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) from Wellfleet Bay, MA and Description of ITS1 Region Genotypes

During an outbreak of Wellfleet Bay virus (WFBV) in common eiders (Somateria mollissima) from the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts, several birds were diagnosed with trichomonosis consisting of multiple trichomonad species. Six birds were examined, with trichomonads found in ceca in four birds and associated typhlitis in three of these four birds. PCR and DNA sequencing utilizing trichomonad-specific primers targeting the ITS1 region of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) revealed the presence of Tetratrichomonas gallinarum in the gastrointestinal tracts of five birds and Trichomonas spp. in the livers of two birds, one of which had a dual Te. gallinarum-Trichomonas gallinae infection. Sequence analysis revealed no variation between Te. gallinarum sequences whereas the ITS1 sequences obtained from the other Trichomonas spp. demonstrated the presence of multiple genotypes. One sequence had 100% identity to a Trichomonas sp. previously isolated from a Cooper\u27s hawk (Accipiter cooperii) and the other sequence was 100% identical to a previously described Tr. gallinae isolate obtained from a Pacific Coast band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata monilis). These findings suggest Te. gallinarum and other Trichomonas spp. possibly contributed to morbidity and mortality in this species. Furthermore, to the authors\u27 knowledge, this is the first report of trichomonad-associated disease in a free-ranging sea duck

Is There a Relationship between Objectively Measured Cognitive Changes in Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatment and Their Health-related Quality of Life? A Systematic Review

Background/purpose: Many people living with cancer experience depression. Research suggests that the therapeutic effect of exercise on depression is similar to pharmacotherapy or psychological intervention, yet cancer survivors are under-exercising compared to recommended doses. Self-efficacy may be a factor to explain exercise engagement. This cross-sectional study investigated whether exercise task self-efficacy (ETSE) was associated with exercise engagement, further examining differences between cancer survivors with and without elevated depressive symptoms. \ud \ud Methods: Ninety-seven cancer survivors (60.8 ±9.9 years) were mailed self-report questionnaires on ETSE, exercise engagement, and depressive symptoms. A Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale D cutoff score (≥8) was used to assign participants to a symptomatic (n = 34) or non-symptomatic group (n = 63). An independent t-test was used to examine differences in ETSE between groups. Correlational analyses were used to examine relationships between exercise task self-efficacy and exercise engagement. \ud \ud Results: There was a significant difference in the degree of exercise task self-efficacy between cancer survivors with (M=35.74, SD= 31.47) and without (M=57.30, SD= 26.71) depressive symptoms, t(95) =_3.56, p<0.01, with a large effect size (d =0.74). A positive association was found between ETSE and exercise engagement, r(95)= 0.49, p<0.01, which was similar for both groups. \ud \ud Conclusions: Exercise task self-efficacy appears to influence exercise engagement independently of mood status, but people with higher levels of depression symptoms tend to have lower self-efficacy. Therefore, future research should examine interventions to enhance exercise task self-efficacy, thereby potentially increasing exercise engagement in cancer survivors. Research Implications: These findings demonstrated that cancer survivors with depressive symptoms have low ETSE and that ETSE can predict exercise engagement. This suggests a role for enhancing ETSE to influence exercise engagement in cancer survivors. Future research could investigate causality between ETSE and exercise engagement and interventions to enhance ETSE. The findings of the present study could assist with more definitive research which could aid clinicians interested in behavioral change with regard to exercise engagement and improvement of depressive symptomatology in cancer survivors. Practice Implications: The findings illustrate that exercise self-efficacy predicts exercise engagement, independently of mood. Therefore, clinicians working with depressed or non-depressed cancer survivors should initially target increasing exercise self-efficacy as opposed to reinforcing the positive health benefits of increased physical activity