Biochemical processes in sagebrush ecosystems: Interactions with terrain

The objectives of a biogeochemical study of sagebrush ecosystems in Wyoming and their interactions with terrain are as follows: to describe the vegetational pattern on the landscape and elucidate controlling variables, to measure the soil properties and chemical cycling properties associated with the vegetation units, to associate soil properties with vegetation properties as measured on the ground, to develop remote sensing capabilities for vegetation and surface characteristics of the sagebrush landscape, to develop a system of sensing snow cover and indexing seasonal soil to moisture; and to develop relationships between temporal Thematic Mapper (TM) data and vegetation phenological state

High Resolution Spectrometry of Leaf and Canopy Chemistry for Biochemical Cycling

High-resolution laboratory spectrophotometer and Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) data were used to analyze forest leaf and canopy chemistry. Fundamental stretching frequencies of organic bonds in the visible, near infrared and short-wave infrared are indicative of concentrations and total content of nitrogen, phosphorous, starch and sugar. Laboratory spectrophotometer measurements showed very strong negative correlations with nitrogen (measured using wet chemistry) in the visible wavelengths. Strong correlations with green wet canopy weight in the atmospheric water absorption windows were observed in the AIS data. A fairly strong negative correlation between the AIS data at 1500 nm and total nitrogen and nitrogen concentration was evident. This relationship corresponds very closely to protein absorption features near 1500 nm

Development of improved thermoelectric mater- ials for spacecraft applications final summary report, 29 jun. 1964 - 29 jun. 1965

Thermoelectric materials for spacecraft applications - optimization of bismuth-antimony alloys and ag-sb-fe-te-se system alloys for thermoelectric cooling in space environmen

Rx for Addiction and Medication Safety (RAMS-PEER): Evaluation of an Education and Peer Program on Opioid Misuse

The Rx (prescription) for Addiction and Medication Safety (RAMS) program was developed during the 2017 through 2018 academic year to educate students from 6 selected Rhode Island public high schools about opioid misuse, overdose, and recovery. During 2016, 3 schools participated in the RAMS program and returned for RAMS-PEER in 2017; 3 schools were newly recruited in 2016. Tenth graders returned from schools that participated during RAMS in 2016, and all ninth graders were new. Our study’s aim was to evaluate the overall effect and spillover benefit of the RAMS-PEER intervention from tenth to ninth graders by surveying students both before and after the education program. Survey questions were modified from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the 2015 Ontario Study Survey. Student responses were matched for preintervention and postintervention analysis using a unique identifier. We observed an improvement in knowledge of opioid misuse; however, we found no evidence of a significant spillover benefit

Rx for addiction and medication safety: An evaluation of teen education for opioid misuse prevention

Background: Rhode Island (RI) ninth graders report lifetime nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) of 8.9%. NMUPO is associated with transition to heroin use, opioid overdose, and death. Objectives: Measure changes in 9th grade students\u27 knowledge, confidence, perceptions of opioid use disorder prevention, overdose response with naloxone, treatment, and recovery, following the delivery of an interactive substance use disorder curriculum. Methods: Eight RI public high schools were recruited to participate. Freshman in each school were administered identical surveys that collected demographic data, substance use and misuse knowledge, students\u27 perceptions of substance misuse harm, reported drug use, and risk and protective behaviors before and after the curriculum. Results: Among 969 pre-intervention survey respondents, 19% reported use of marijuana, 3% heroin use, and 21% nonmedical use of prescription opioids. Between the pre-intervention to the post-intervention survey, significantly more students identified that addiction is a chronic brain disease (79%–83%, p = 0.05), drug users are not responsible for their addiction (81%–88%, p = 0.001), and that non-medical use of a prescription medication is use without a prescription (81%–88%, p = 0.001). Improved confidence was also reported in identifying opioid withdrawal symptoms (26%–45%, p \u3c 0.0001), identifying signs of an opioid overdose from 29% to 46% (p \u3c 0.0001), and knowing when to administer naloxone (17%–45%, p \u3c 0.0001). Confidence to refer someone to treatment improved from 31% to 45% (p \u3c 0.0001). Logistic regression showed associations between mental health, peer use, parental affection, and academic performance factors as related to NMUPO. Conclusions: Students reported significant NMUPO prevalence. Ninth grade students\u27 knowledge and confidence of opioid misuse, overdose response, and recovery resources increased following the delivery of a multi-modal interactive substance use disorder curriculum. Community, school, and student-level interventions are needed to reduce NMUPO

IR-dust observations of Comet Tempel 2 with CRAF VIMS

Measurement strategies are now being planned for using the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) to observe the asteroid Hestia, and the nucleus, and the gas and dust in the coma of comet P/Tempel 2 as part of the Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby (CRAF) mission. The spectral range of VIMS will cover wavelengths from 0.35 to 5.2 micrometers, with a spectral resolution of 11 nm from 0.35 to 2.4 micrometers and of 22 nm from 2.4 to 5.2 micrometers. The instantaneous field of view (IFOV) provided by the foreoptics is 0.5 milliradians, and the current design of the instrument provides for a scanning secondary mirror which will scan a swath of length 72 IFOVs. The CRAF high resolution scan platform motion will permit slewing VIMS in a direction perpendicular to the swath. This enables the building of a two dimensional image in any or all wavelength channels. Important measurements of the dust coma will include the onset of early coma activity, the mapping of gas and dust jets and correlations with active nucleus areas, observations of the dust coma from various scattering phase angles, coverage of the low wavelength portion of the thermal radiation, and the 3.4 micrometer hydrocarbon emission. A description of the VIMS instrument is presented

Age and environment affect constitutive immune function in Red Knots (Calidris canutus)

We studied subspecies, age and environmental effects on constitutive immune function (natural antibody and complement titres, haptoglobin activity and leukocyte concentrations) in Red Knots (Calidris canutus). We compared C. c. islandica and C. c. canutus in the Wadden Sea and found no difference in immune function between subspecies. However, C. c. canutus on their wintering grounds in Banc d’Arguin had higher natural antibody and lower complement levels than C. c. canutus or C. c. islandica in the Wadden Sea. This suggests that immune function is determined more by the surrounding environment than by subspecies. We also compared age classes in the Wadden Sea and found that first year birds had significantly lower natural antibody levels than adults, but that second year birds no longer differed from adults. Finally, we examined the interaction of age and environment in Banc d’Arguin. We found that first year birds (but not adults) in a low quality habitat had higher leukocyte concentrations than first year birds or adults in a high quality habitat. Differences in available resources and defence needs between environments, and differences among individuals differentially distributed between sites, are likely important contributors to the variation in immune function we report. Future studies, which examine these factors on wild birds, will be important for our understanding of how animals function in their natural environment.

RAD3 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a DNA helicase.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD3 gene, which is required for cell viability and excision repair of damaged DNA, encodes an 89-kDa protein that has a single-stranded DNA-dependent ATPase activity. We now show that the RAD3 protein also possesses a helicase activity that unwinds duplex regions in DNA substrates constructed by annealing DNA fragments of 71-851 nucleotides to circular, single-stranded M13 DNA. The DNA helicase activity is dependent on the hydrolysis of ATP, has a pH optimum of approximately 5.6, and is inhibited by antibodies raised against a truncated RAD3 protein produced in Escherichia coli. The RAD3 helicase translocates along single-stranded DNA in the 5'----3' direction. The direction of RAD3 helicase movement is consistent with the possibility that it unwinds DNA duplexes in advance of the replication fork during DNA replication

Multiple Projection Optical Diffusion Tomography with Plane Wave Illumination

We describe a new data collection scheme for optical diffusion tomography in which plane wave illumination is combined with multiple projections in the slab imaging geometry. Multiple projection measurements are performed by rotating the slab around the sample. The advantage of the proposed method is that the measured data can be much more easily fitted into the dynamic range of most commonly used detectors. At the same time, multiple projections improve image quality by mutually interchanging the depth and transverse directions, and the scanned (detection) and integrated (illumination) surfaces. Inversion methods are derived for image reconstructions with extremely large data sets. Numerical simulations are performed for fixed and rotated slabs