DAMAGE TO CONVENTIONAL AND SPECIAL TYPES OF RESIDENCES EXPOSED TO NUCLEAR EFFECTS

Ten residential structures of wood, brick, lightweight reinforced concrete block, and lightweight precast concrete slabs were exposed in pairs to the effects of a nuclear device of approximately 30 kt yield, detonated atop a 500-ft tower. The houses represented various structural types, and two houses of each type were tested. One house was located at an anticipated overpressure at which collapse or major damage might be expected and the other was located at an anticipated overpressure at which damage without collapse might be expected. The one-story reinforced lightweight concrete block house and the one-story precast lightweight concrete house suffered only minor structural damage. Photographs are included of the houses both before and after damage. Motion pictures were made during the event and were analyzed for information on thermal and blast effects. Recommendations are included for strengthening the structures within the limits of practical economy and so providing increased protection to dwelling structures. (C.H.

The Benefits of Combined Anti-platelet Treatment in Carotid Artery Stenting

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the benefits of a combined anti-platelet regime of aspirin and clopidogrel in carotid artery stenting.MethodsA randomised controlled trial was performed comparing aspirin and 24-h heparin with aspirin and clopidogrel for patients undergoing carotid artery stenting. Outcome measures included 30-day bleeding and neurological complications and 30-day stenosis rates.ResultsBleeding complications (groin haematoma or excessive bleeding at the groin site) occurred in 17% of the heparin and 9% of the clopidogrel group (p=0.35; n.s). The neurological complication rate in the 24-h heparin group was 25% compared to 0% in the clopidogrel group (p=0.02). The 30-day 50–100% stenosis rates were 26% in the heparin group and 5% in the clopidogrel group (p=0.10; n.s).ConclusionsThe dual anti-platelet regime has a significant impact on reducing adverse neurological outcomes without an additional increase in bleeding complications. This study was terminated prematurely due to an unacceptable level of complications in the heparin arm of the trial

Safety of Arch Aortography for Assessment of Carotid Arteries

AbstractPurposeTo retrospectively review the safety of arch aortography and compare complication rates with published figures for selective catheter angiography.MethodsThe medical records of patients undergoing arch aortography over the last 3 years (n=311; 180 male, 131 female; mean±SD age 71.0±9.2 years, range 42–90 years) were retrospectively reviewed. Any peri-procedural (0–48h) complications were recorded. A certified neurologist (MSR/GSV) classified all questionable neurological events.ResultsThere were no focal neurological events or deaths (n=0; 0%; CI: 0–0.96%). Non-focal neurological events included mild disorientation (n=2; 0.6%; CI: 0.176–2.31) and unequal pupils (n=1; 0.3%; CI: 0.056–1.79%). Cardiovascular events included symptomatic hypotension (n=4; 1.3%; CI: 0.50–3.25%), angina (n=1; 0.3%; CI: 0.056–1.79%) and arrhythmia (n=4; 1.3%; CI: 0.50–3.25). There were 27 minor access site complications (8.7%; CI: 6.0–12.3). None of these complications extended hospital stay. None of the arch angiograms had to be followed by selective carotid angiography.ConclusionArch aortography appears to have a lower neurological complication rate than selective carotid angiography

Altered functional brain network connectivity and glutamate system function in transgenic mice expressing truncated Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1

Considerable evidence implicates DISC1 as a susceptibility gene for multiple psychiatric diseases. DISC1 has been intensively studied at the molecular, cellular and behavioral level, but its role in regulating brain connectivity and brain network function remains unknown. Here, we utilize a set of complementary approaches to assess the functional brain network abnormalities present in mice expressing a truncated Disc1 gene (Disc1tr Hemi mice). Disc1tr Hemi mice exhibited hypometabolism in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and reticular thalamus along with a reorganization of functional brain network connectivity that included compromised hippocampal–PFC connectivity. Altered hippocampal–PFC connectivity in Disc1tr Hemi mice was confirmed by electrophysiological analysis, with Disc1tr Hemi mice showing a reduced probability of presynaptic neurotransmitter release in the monosynaptic glutamatergic hippocampal CA1–PFC projection. Glutamate system dysfunction in Disc1tr Hemi mice was further supported by the attenuated cerebral metabolic response to the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine and decreased hippocampal expression of NMDAR subunits 2A and 2B in these animals. These data show that the Disc1 truncation in Disc1tr Hemi mice induces a range of translationally relevant endophenotypes underpinned by glutamate system dysfunction and altered brain connectivity

Serologic Evidence of Various Arboviruses Detected in White Tailed Deer (\u3ci\u3eOdocoileus virginianus\u3c/i\u3e) in the United States

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are an abundant mammal with a wide geographic distribution in the United States, which make them good sentinels for monitoring arboviral activity across the country. Exposure to various arboviruses has been detected in white-tailed deer, typically in conjunction with another diagnostic finding. To better assess the exposure of white-tailed deer to seven arboviruses, wetested 1,508 sera collected from 2010 to 2016 for antibodies to eastern equine encephalitis (2.5%), Powassan (4.2%), St. Louis encephalitis, (3.7%), West Nile (6.0%), Maguari (19.4%), La Crosse (30.3%), and bluetongue (7.8%) viruses. At least one arbovirus was detected in 51.3%, and exposure to more than one arbovirus was identified in 17.6% of the white-tailed deer sampled

The stochastic gravitational wave background from turbulence and magnetic fields generated by a first-order phase transition

We analytically derive the spectrum of gravitational waves due to magneto-hydrodynamical turbulence generated by bubble collisions in a first-order phase transition. In contrast to previous studies, we take into account the fact that turbulence and magnetic fields act as sources of gravitational waves for many Hubble times after the phase transition is completed. This modifies the gravitational wave spectrum at large scales. We also model the initial stirring phase preceding the Kolmogorov cascade, while earlier works assume that the Kolmogorov spectrum sets in instantaneously. The continuity in time of the source is relevant for a correct determination of the peak position of the gravitational wave spectrum. We discuss how the results depend on assumptions about the unequal-time correlation of the source and motivate a realistic choice for it. Our treatment gives a similar peak frequency as previous analyses but the amplitude of the signal is reduced due to the use of a more realistic power spectrum for the magneto-hydrodynamical turbulence. For a strongly first-order electroweak phase transition, the signal is observable with the space interferometer LISA.Comment: 46 pages, 17 figures. Replaced with revised version accepted for publication in JCA

Tropical and subtropical cloud transitions in weather and climate prediction models: The GCSS/WGNE pacific cross-section intercomparison (GPCI)

International audienceA model evaluation approach is proposed in which weather and climate prediction models are analyzed along a Pacific Ocean cross section, from the stratocumulus regions off the coast of California, across the shallow convection dominated trade winds, to the deep convection regions of the ITCZ-the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Cloud System Study/Working Group on Numerical Experimentation (GCSS/WGNE) Pacific Cross-Section Intercomparison (GPCI). The main goal of GPCI is to evaluate and help understand and improve the representation of tropical and subtropical cloud processes in weather and climate prediction models. In this paper, a detailed analysis of cloud regime transitions along the cross section from the subtropics to the tropics for the season June-July-August of 1998 is presented. This GPCI study confirms many of the typical weather and climate prediction model problems in the representation of clouds: underestimation of clouds in the stratocumulus regime by most models with the corresponding consequences in terms of shortwave radiation biases; overestimation of clouds by the 40-yrECMWFRe-Analysis (ERA-40) in the deep tropics (in particular) with the corresponding impact in the outgoing longwave radiation; large spread between the different models in terms of cloud cover, liquid water path and shortwave radiation; significant differences between the models in terms of vertical cross sections of cloud properties (in particular), vertical velocity, and relative humidity. An alternative analysis of cloud cover mean statistics is proposed where sharp gradients in cloud cover along the GPCI transect are taken into account. This analysis shows that the negative cloud bias of some models and ERA-40 in the stratocumulus regions [as compared to the first International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP)] is associated not only with lower values of cloud cover in these regimes, but also with a stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition that occurs too early along the trade wind Lagrangian trajectory. Histograms of cloud cover along the cross section differ significantly between models. Some models exhibit a quasi-bimodal structure with cloud cover being either very large (close to 100%) or very small, while other models show a more continuous transition. The ISCCP observations suggest that reality is in-between these two extreme examples. These different patterns reflect the diverse nature of the cloud, boundary layer, and convection parameterizations in the participating weather and climate prediction models. © 2011 American Meteorological Society

Job searching with a history of drugs and crime

This article explores the experiences and aspirations of offenders with histories of substance misuse in job searching. The analysis is based upon qualitative data from a localised study of 27 men and two women who were undertaking community-based court orders in Scotland. Their perspectives on job searching, job-readiness and aspirations for sustained employment including the role of self-employment are presented. The article concludes that with adequate support, greater tolerance and flexibility by employers and job searchers could contribute to reducing the vicious cycle of suspicion and dishonesty. Policy action needs to be sustained and possibly augmented to include enterprise training