Folic acid response of chicks and poults fed diets containing ingredients from natural sources

Eight experiments, two with poults and six with chicks, were undertaken to determine the requirement for supplemental folic acid as related to protein level and major protein source. Protein levels for chicks and poults were 21, and 28 or 28 and 32%, respectively. Major protein sources were soybean meal, fish meal, or a fish meal and meat and bone meal combination. High methionine levels were obtained in formulating the fish meal rations and high calcium and phosphorus levels were present in the fish meal and meat and bone meal diets. Exploratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of high levels of these ingredients with and without supplemental folic acid. Free folic acid content of the feed ingredients was determined by microbiological assay and the amount of folic acid in the high protein fish meal rations for both species was related to the N. R. C. requirement values. The protein levels studied did not influence the need for supplemental folic acid for chicks or poults. Rations composed of herring fish meal required folic acid supplementation. For chicks or poults the amount of folic acid added to the high protein fish meal ration plus the amount in the diet determined by microbiological assay of the ingredients agreed closely with the N. R. C. requirement values of these species. The soybean meal rations calculated low in folic acid in regard to the N. R. C. requirement for poults. Poults fed these diets did not respond to added folic acid suggesting that a lower calculated free folic acid content when using soybean meal rations will not necessarily result in deficient diets. Perosis appeared to be more prevalent in chicks fed the high calcium and phosphorus levels, although it could not be separated statistically from perosis caused by a folic acid deficiency. No effect could be found from the high methionine content of the fish meal rations. Anemia was not produced in chicks or poults fed these marginally deficient rations as judged by hemoglobin determinations or microhematocrit readings. Values obtained by either of these testing methods were quite variable. Microbiological analysis of herring fish meal showed it to contain 0.26 mg. of folic acid/lb. This is much lower than the average reported value of 1.1 mg./lb. although it is well within the reported range of 0.12 to 2.37 mg./lb. The results of this investigation indicate that the lower value would be more applicable when formulating practical rations from the standpoint of reducing mortality and increasing body weights

Formaldehyde, glyoxal, and methylglyoxal in air and cloudwater at a rural mountain site in central Virginia

As part of the Shenandoah Cloud and Photochemistry Experiment (SCAPE), we measured formaldehyde (HCHO), glyoxal (CHOCHO), and methylglyoxal (CH3C(O)CHO) concentrations in air and cloudwater at Pinnacles (elevation 1037 m) in Shenandoah National Park during September 1990. Mean gas‐phase concentrations of HCHO and CHOCHO were 980 and 44 pptv, respectively. The concentration of CH3C(O)CHO rarely exceeded the detection limit of 50 pptv. Mean cloudwater concentrations of HCHO and CHOCHO were 9 and 2 μM, respectively; the mean CH3C(O)CHO concentration was below its detection limit of 0.3 μM. The maximum carbonyl concentrations were observed during stagnation events with high O3, peroxides, and CO. Outside of these events the carbonyls did not correlate significantly with O3, CO, or NOy. Carbonyl concentrations and concentration ratios were consistent with a major source for the carbonyls from isoprene oxidation. Oxidation of CH4 supplies a significant background of HCHO. The carbonyl concentrations were indistinguishable in two size fractions of cloudwater having a cut at d=18 μm. Gas‐ and aqueous‐phase concentrations of HCHO from samples collected during a nighttime cloud event agree with thermodynamic equilibria within a factor of 2. Samples collected during a daytime cloud event show HCHO supersaturation by up to a factor of 4. Positive artifacts in the cloudwater samples due to hydrolysis of hydroxymethylhydroperoxide (HOCH2OOH) could perhaps account for this discrepancy

On the relative role of convection, chemistry, and transport over the South Pacific Convergence Zone during PEM-Tropics B: A case study

A mesoscale 3D model (Meso‐NH) is used to assess the relative importance of convection (transport and scavenging), chemistry, and advection in the vertical redistribution of HOx and their precursors in the upper tropical troposphere. The study is focused on marine deep convection over the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ) during the PEM‐Tropics B Flight 10 aircraft mission. The model reproduces well the HOx mixing ratios. Vertical variations and the contrast between north and south of the SPCZ for O3 are captured. Convection uplifted O3‐poor air at higher altitude, creating a minimum in the 9–12 km region, in both modeled and observed profiles. The model captured 60% of the observed HCHO variance but fails to reproduce a peak of HCHO mixing ratio at 300 hPa sampled during the northern spirals. Simulated HCHO mixing ratios underestimate observations in the marine boundary layer. In the model, convection is not an efficient process to increase upper tropospheric HCHO, and HCHO is unlikely to serve as a primary source of HOx. Convection plays an important role in the vertical distribution of CH3OOH with efficient vertical transport from the boundary layer to the 10–15 km region where it can act as a primary source of HOx. The SPCZ region acts as a barrier to mixing of tropical and subtropical air at the surface and at high altitudes (above 250 hPa). The 400–270 hPa region over the convergence zone was more permeable, allowing subtropical air masses from the Southern Hemisphere to mix with tropical air from NE of the SPCZ and to be entrained in the SPCZ‐related convection. In this altitude range, exchange of subtropical and tropical air also occurs via airflow, bypassing the convective region SW and proceeding toward the north of the SPCZ

Recent Progress and Next Steps for the MATHUSLA LLP Detector

We report on recent progress and next steps in the design of the proposed MATHUSLA Long Lived Particle (LLP) detector for the HL-LHC as part of the Snowmass 2021 process. Our understanding of backgrounds has greatly improved, aided by detailed simulation studies, and significant R&D has been performed on designing the scintillator detectors and understanding their performance. The collaboration is on track to complete a Technical Design Report, and there are many opportunities for interested new members to contribute towards the goal of designing and constructing MATHUSLA in time for HL-LHC collisions, which would increase the sensitivity to a large variety of highly motivated LLP signals by orders of magnitude.Comment: Contribution to Snowmass 2021 (EF09, EF10, IF6, IF9), 18 pages, 12 figures. v2: included additional endorser

FKBPL:a marker of good prognosis in breast cancer

FK506-binding protein-like (FKBPL) has established roles as an anti-tumor protein, with a therapeutic peptide based on this protein, ALM201, shortly entering phase I/II clinical trials. Here, we evaluated FKBPL’s prognostic ability in primary breast cancer tissue, represented on tissue microarrays (TMA) from 3277 women recruited into five independent retrospective studies, using immunohistochemistry (IHC). In a meta-analysis, FKBPL levels were a significant predictor of BCSS; low FKBPL levels indicated poorer breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–1.49, p < 0.001). The prognostic impact of FKBPL remained significant after adjusting for other known prognostic factors (HR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.07–1.45, p = 0.004). For the sub-groups of 2365 estrogen receptor (ER) positive patients and 1649 tamoxifen treated patients, FKBPL was significantly associated with BCSS (HR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.13–1.58, p < 0.001, and HR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.04–1.49, p = 0.02, respectively). A univariate analysis revealed that FKBPL was also a significant predictor of relapse free interval (RFI) within the ER positive patient group, but it was only borderline significant within the smaller tamoxifen treated patient group (HR = 1.32 95% CI 1.05–1.65, p = 0.02 and HR = 1.23 95% CI 0.99–1.54, p = 0.06, respectively). The data suggests a role for FKBPL as a prognostic factor for BCSS, with the potential to be routinely evaluated within the clinic

Instrumentation and measurement strategy for the NOAA SENEX aircraft campaign as part of the Southeast Atmosphere Study 2013

Natural emissions of ozone-and-aerosol-precursor gases such as isoprene and monoterpenes are high in the southeastern US. In addition, anthropogenic emissions are significant in the southeastern US and summertime photochemistry is rapid. The NOAA-led SENEX (Southeast Nexus) aircraft campaign was one of the major components of the Southeast Atmosphere Study (SAS) and was focused on studying the interactions between biogenic and anthropogenic emissions to form secondary pollutants. During SENEX, the NOAA WP-3D aircraft conducted 20 research flights between 27 May and 10 July 2013 based out of Smyrna, TN. Here we describe the experimental approach, the science goals and early results of the NOAA SENEX campaign. The aircraft, its capabilities and standard measurements are described. The instrument payload is summarized including detection limits, accuracy, precision and time resolutions for all gas-and-aerosol phase instruments. The inter-comparisons of compounds measured with multiple instruments on the NOAA WP-3D are presented and were all within the stated uncertainties, except two of the three NO2 measurements. The SENEX flights included day- and nighttime flights in the southeastern US as well as flights over areas with intense shale gas extraction (Marcellus, Fayetteville and Haynesville shale). We present one example flight on 16 June 2013, which was a daytime flight over the Atlanta region, where several crosswind transects of plumes from the city and nearby point sources, such as power plants, paper mills and landfills, were flown. The area around Atlanta has large biogenic isoprene emissions, which provided an excellent case for studying the interactions between biogenic and anthropogenic emissions. In this example flight, chemistry in and outside the Atlanta plumes was observed for several hours after emission. The analysis of this flight showcases the strategies implemented to answer some of the main SENEX science questions.</p

Simulation of summertime ozone over North America

The concentrations of O3 and its precursors over North America are simulated for three summer months with a three-dimensional, continental-scale photochemical model using meteorological input from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) general circulation model (GCM). The model has 4°×5° grid resolution and represents non linear chemistry in urban and industrial plumes with a subgrid nested scheme. Simulated median afternoon O3 concentrations at rural U.S. sites are within 5 ppb of observations in most cases, except in the south central United States where concentrations are overpredicted by 15–20 ppb. The model captures successfully the development of regional high-O3 episodes over the northeastern United States on the back side of weak, warm, stagnant anticyclones. Simulated concentrations of CO and nonmethane hydrocarbons are generally in good agreement with observations, concentrations of NOx are underpredicted by 10–30%, and concentrations of peroxyacylnitrates (PANs) are overpredicted by a factor of 2 to 3. The overprediction of PANs is attributed to flaws in the photochemical mechanism, including excessive production from oxidation of isoprene, and may also reflect an underestimate of PANs deposition. Subgrid nonlinear chemistry as captured by the nested plumes scheme decreases the net O3 production computed in the United States boundary layer by 8% on average