A Corrosion Control Manual for Rail Rapid Transit

This manual addresses corrosion problems in the design, contruction, and maintenance of rapid transit systems. Design and maintenance solutions are provided for each problem covered. The scope encompasses all facilities of urban rapid transit systems: structures and tracks, platforms and stations, power and signals, and cars. The types of corrosion and their causes as well as rapid transit properties are described. Corrosion control committees, and NASA, DOD, and ASTM specifications and design criteria to which reference is made in the manual are listed. A bibliography of papers and excerpts of reports is provided and a glossary of frequently used terms is included

Heterodyne detection of the 752.033-GHz H2O rotational absorption line

A tunable high resolution two stage heterodyne radiometer was developed for the purpose of investigating the intensity and lineshape of the 752.033 GHz rotational transition of water vapor. Single-sideband system noise temperatures of approximately 45,000 K were obtained using a sensitive GaAs Schottky diode as the first stage mixer. First local oscillator power was supplied by a CO2 laser pumped formic acid laser (761.61 GHz), generating an X-band IF signal with theoretical line center at 9.5744 GHz. Second local oscillator power was provided by means of a 3 GHz waveguide cavity filter with only 9 dB insertion loss. In absorption measurements of the H2O taken from a laboratory simulation of a high altitude rocket plume, the center frequency of the 752 GHz line was determined to within 1 MHz of the reported value. A rotational temperature 75 K, a linewidth 5 MHz and a Doppler shift 3 MHz were measured with the line-of-sight intersecting the simulated-plume axis at a distance downstream of 30 nozzle diameters. These absorption data were obtained against continuum background radiation sources at temperatures of 1175 and 300 K

Brood patch and sex-ratio observations indicate breeding provenance and timing in New Zealand storm petrel (Fregetta maoriana)

We used measurements of brood patch and moult status to estimate the breeding phenology of New Zealand Storm-Petrel, using birds caught at sea within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park near Auckland, New Zealand. Birds caught October–January had completely downy brood patches, whereas birds caught February–April had bare brood patches with an observed male bias in the February sex-ratio, consistent with a female pre-laying exodus typical of petrels and with the existence of an unknown colony in the region. No birds captured exhibited primary moult, which is known to occur in storm-petrels during their non-breeding season. Our data support the conclusion that the New Zealand storm-petrel breeds during January–June in northern New Zealand and that field surveys for the species on offshore islands in this region during this period are warrante

The planetary nebula Abell 48 and its [WN] nucleus

We have conducted a detailed multi-wavelength study of the peculiar nebula Abell 48 and its central star. We classify the nucleus as a helium-rich, hydrogen-deficient star of type [WN4-5]. The evidence for either a massive WN or a low-mass [WN] interpretation is critically examined, and we firmly conclude that Abell 48 is a planetary nebula (PN) around an evolved low-mass star, rather than a Population I ejecta nebula. Importantly, the surrounding nebula has a morphology typical of PNe, and is not enriched in nitrogen, and thus not the `peeled atmosphere' of a massive star. We estimate a distance of 1.6 kpc and a reddening, E(B-V) = 1.90 mag, the latter value clearly showing the nebula lies on the near side of the Galactic bar, and cannot be a massive WN star. The ionized mass (~0.3 M_Sun) and electron density (700 cm^-3) are typical of middle-aged PNe. The observed stellar spectrum was compared to a grid of models from the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) grid. The best fit temperature is 71 kK, and the atmospheric composition is dominated by helium with an upper limit on the hydrogen abundance of 10 per cent. Our results are in very good agreement with the recent study of Todt et al., who determined a hydrogen fraction of 10 per cent and an unusually large nitrogen fraction of ~5 per cent. This fraction is higher than any other low-mass H-deficient star, and is not readily explained by current post-AGB models. We give a discussion of the implications of this discovery for the late-stage evolution of intermediate-mass stars. There is now tentative evidence for two distinct helium-dominated post-AGB lineages, separate to the helium and carbon dominated surface compositions produced by a late thermal pulse. Further theoretical work is needed to explain these recent discoveries.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, to appear in MNRAS. Version 3 incorporates proof correction

Interventions for raising breast cancer awareness in women

Background: Breast cancer continues to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women globally. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer are key to better outcomes. Since many women will discover a breast cancer symptom themselves, it is important that they are breast cancer aware i.e. have the knowledge, skills and confidence to detect breast changes and present promptly to a healthcare professional.Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of interventions for raising breast cancer awareness in women.Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group's Specialised Register (searched 25 January 2016), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2015, Issue 12) in the Cochrane Library (searched 27 January 2016), MEDLINE OvidSP (2008 to 27 January 2016), Embase (Embase.com, 2008 to 27 January 2016), the World Health Organization’s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) search portal and ClinicalTrials.gov (searched 27 Feburary 2016). We also searched the reference lists of identified articles and reviews and the grey literature for conference proceedings and published abstracts. No language restriction was applied.Selection criteriaRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on interventions for raising women’s breast cancer awareness i.e. knowledge of potential breast cancer symptoms/changes and the confidence to look at and feel their breasts, using any means of delivery, i.e. one-to-one/group/mass media campaign(s).Data collection and analysis: Two authors selected studies, independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We reported the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous outcomes and mean difference (MD) and standard deviation (SD) for continuous outcomes. Since it was not possible to combine data from included studies due to their heterogeneity, we present a narrative synthesis. We assessed the quality of evidence using GRADE methods.Main results: We included two RCTs involving 997 women: one RCT (867 women) randomised women to receive either a written booklet and usual care (intervention group 1), a written booklet and usual care plus a verbal interaction with a radiographer or research psychologist (intervention group 2) or usual care (control group); and the second RCT (130 women) randomised women to either an educational programme (three sessions of 60 to 90 minutes) or no intervention (control group).Knowledge of breast cancer symptoms: In the first study, knowledge of non-lump symptoms increased in intervention group 1 compared to the control group at two years postintervention, but not significantly (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.6; P = 0.66; 449 women; moderate-quality evidence). Similarly, at two years postintervention, knowledge of symptoms increased in the intervention group 2 compared to the control group but not significantly (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.9 to 2.1; P = 0.11; 434 women; moderate-quality evidence). In the second study, women’s awareness of breast cancer symptoms had increased one month post intervention in the educational group (MD 3.45, SD 5.11; 65 women; low-quality evidence) compared to the control group (MD −0.68, SD 5.93; 65 women; P < 0.001), where there was a decrease in awareness.Knowledge of age-related risk: In the first study, women’s knowledge of age-related risk of breast cancer increased, but not significantly, in intervention group 1 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 1.8; 95% CI 0.9 to 3.5; P < 0.08; 447 women; moderate-quality evidence). Women's knowledge of risk increased significantly in intervention group 2 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 4.8, 95% CI 2.6 to 9.0; P < 0.001; 431 women; moderate-quality evidence). In the second study, women’s perceived susceptibility (how at risk they considered themselves) to breast cancer had increased significantly one month post intervention in the educational group (MD 1.31, SD 3.57; 65 women; low-quality evidence) compared to the control group (MD −0.55, SD 3.31; 65 women; P = 0.005), where a decrease in perceived susceptibility was noted.Frequency of Breast Checking: In the first study, no significant change was noted for intervention group 1 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.6; P = 0.54; 457 women; moderate-quality evidence). Monthly breast checking increased, but not significantly, in intervention group 2 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.9; P = 0.14; 445 women; moderate-quality evidence). In the second study, women’s breast cancer preventive behaviours increased significantly one month post intervention in the educational group (MD 1.21, SD 2.54; 65 women; low-quality evidence) compared to the control group (MD 0.15, SD 2.94; 65 women; P < 0.045).Breast Cancer Awareness: Women’s overall breast cancer awareness did not change in intervention group 1 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.6 to 5.30; P = 0.32; 435 women; moderate-quality evidence) while overall awareness increased in the intervention group 2 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 8.1, 95% CI 2.7 to 25.0; P < 0.001; 420 women; moderate-quality evidence). In the second study, there was a significant increase in scores on the Health Belief Model (that included the constructs of awareness and perceived susceptibility) at one month postintervention in the educational group (mean 1.21, SD 2.54; 65 women) compared to the control group (mean 0.15, SD 2.94; 65 women; P = 0.045).Neither study reported outcomes relating to motivation to check their breasts, confidence to seek help, time from breast symptom discovery to presentation to a healthcare professional, intentions to seek help, quality of life, adverse effects of the interventions, stages of breast cancer, survival estimates or breast cancer mortality rates.Authors' conclusions: Based on the results of two RCTs, a brief intervention has the potential to increase women’s breast cancer awareness. However, findings of this review should be interpreted with caution, as GRADE assessment identified moderate-quality evidence in only one of the two studies reviewed. In addition, the included trials were heterogeneous in terms of the interventions, population studied and outcomes measured. Therefore, current evidence cannot be generalised to the wider context. Further studies including larger samples, validated outcome measures and longitudinal approaches are warranted

Speciesistic Veganism: An Anthropocentric Argument

The paper proposes an anthropocentric argument for veganism based on a speciesistic premise that most carnists likely affirm: human flourishing should be promoted. I highlight four areas of human suffering promoted by a carnistic diet: (1) health dangers to workers (both physical and psychological), (2) economic dangers to workers, (3) physical dangers to communities around slaughterhouses, and (4) environmental dangers to communities-at-large. Consequently, one could ignore the well-being of non-human animals and nevertheless recognize significant moral failings in the current standard system of meat production

Interaction Between X-Irradiated Plateau-Phase Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Lines and Co-Cultivated Factor-Dependent Cell Lines Leading to Leukemogenesis in Vitro

Plateau-phase mouse clonal bone marrow stromal cell lines D2XRII and C3H c1 II produce decreasing levels of M-CSF (CSF-I), a specific macrophage progenitor cell humoral regulator, following x-irradiation in vitro. The decrease did not go below 40% of control levels, even after irradiation doses of 50,000 rad (500 Gy). In contrast, a distinct humoral regulator stimulating growth of GM-CSF/IL-3 factor-dependent (FD) hematopoietic progenitor cell lines was detected following radiation to doses above 2,000 rad. This humoral factor was not detectable in conditioned medium from irradiated cells, weakly detected using factor-dependent target cell populations in agar overlay, and was prominently detected by liquid co-cultivation of factor-dependent cells with irradiated stromal cell cultures. Subclonal lines of FD cells, derived after co-cultivation revealed karyotypic abnormalities and induced myeloblastic tumors in syngeneic mice. Five - eight weeks co-cultivation was required for induction of factor independence and malignancy and was associated with dense cell to cell contact between FD cells and stromal cells demonstrated by light and electron microscopy. Increases in hematopoietic to stromal cell surface area, total number of adherent cells per flask, total non-adherent cell colonies per flask, and cumulative non-adherent cell production were observed after irradiation. The present data may prove very relevant to an understanding of the cell to cell interactions during x-irradiation-induced leukemia

Spinal interleukin-6 contributes to central sensitisation and persistent pain hypersensitivity in a model of juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Pain is the most debilitating symptom in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. As pain correlates poorly to the extent of joint pathology, therapies that control joint inflammation are often inadequate as analgesics. We test the hypothesis that juvenile joint inflammation leads to sensitisation of nociceptive circuits in the central nervous system, which is maintained by cytokine expression in the spinal cord. Here, transient joint inflammation was induced in postnatal day (P)21 and P40 male Sprague-Dawley rats with a single intra-articular ankle injection of complete Freund's adjuvant. Hindpaw mechanical pain sensitivity was assessed using von Frey hair and weight bearing tests. Spinal neuron activity was measured using in vivo extracellular recording and immunohistochemistry. Joint and spinal dorsal horn TNFα, IL1β and IL6 protein expression was quantified using western blotting. We observed greater mechanical hyperalgesia following joint inflammation in P21 compared to P40 rats, despite comparable duration of swelling and joint inflammatory cytokine levels. This is mirrored by spinal neuron hypersensitivity, which also outlasted the duration of active joint inflammation. The cytokine profile in the spinal cord differed at the two ages: prolonged upregulation of spinal IL6 was observed in P21, but not P40 rats. Finally, spinal application of anti-IL-6 antibody (30 ng) reduced the mechanical hyperalgesia and neuronal activation. Our results indicate that persistent upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the spinal dorsal horn is associated with neuronal sensitisation and mechanical hyperalgesia in juvenile rats, beyond the progress of joint pathology. In addition, we provide proof of concept that spinal IL6 is a key target for treating persistent pain in JIA

A New Measurement of the Average FUV Extinction Curve

We have measured the extinction curve in the far-ultraviolet wavelength region of (900 -- 1200 A) using spectra obtained with the Berkeley EUV/FUV spectrometer during the ORFEUS-I and the ORFEUS-II missions in 1993 and 1996. From the complete sample of early-type stars observed during these missions, we have selected pairs of stars with the same spectral type but different reddenings to measure the differential FUV extinction. We model the effects of molecular hydrogen absorption and exclude affected regions of the spectrum to determine the extinction from dust alone. We minimize errors from inaccuracies in the cataloged spectral types of the stars by making our own determinations of spectral types based on their IUE spectra. We find substantial scatter in the curves of individual star pairs and present a detailed examination of the uncertainties and their effects on each extinction curve. We find that, given the potentially large uncertainties inherent in using the pair method at FUV wavelengths, a careful analysis of measurement uncertainties is critical to assessing the true dust extinction. We present a new measurement of the average far-ultraviolet extinction curve to the Lyman limit; our new measurement is consistent with an extrapolation of the standard extinction curve of Savage & Mathis (1979).Comment: 13 pages text, 7 figures 4 tables. Sent as gzipped tar, with ms.tex and 7 figure

Trapped and marginally trapped surfaces in Weyl-distorted Schwarzschild solutions

To better understand the allowed range of black hole geometries, we study Weyl-distorted Schwarzschild solutions. They always contain trapped surfaces, a singularity and an isolated horizon and so should be understood to be (geometric) black holes. However we show that for large distortions the isolated horizon is neither a future outer trapping horizon (FOTH) nor even a marginally trapped surface: slices of the horizon cannot be infinitesimally deformed into (outer) trapped surfaces. We consider the implications of this result for popular quasilocal definitions of black holes.Comment: The results are unchanged but this version supersedes that published in CQG. The major change is a rewriting of Section 3.1 to improve clarity and correct an error in the general expression for V(r,\theta). Several minor errors are also fixed - most significantly an incorrect statement made in the introduction about the extent of the outer prison in Vaidya. 17 pages, 2 figure