Nunavut

On April first, Nunavut became a reality - the first change in Canada's geopolitical boundaries since the 1949 addition of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... There is recognition in Nunavut that the road ahead will be difficult. But there is an enthusiasm for the task, rather like the enthusiasm that prevailed in 1967 when the Territorial administration moved north out of Ottawa and the Territorial Council began its rapid growth to fully elected status. In the ensuing years, the Inuit embraced elected government and, through education and experience, readied themselves for Nunavut. They are fortunate indeed in having a core of long-time public servants, dedicated to the east, to work with them in the months to come. The challenges faced by the people of Nunavut are considerable. The solutions they seek will be of their own making, and therein lies their strength. ..

Structural panels

Vinyl pyridines including vinyl stilbazole materials and vinyl styrylpyridine oligomer materials are disclosed. These vinylpyridines form copolymers with bismaleimides which copolymers have good fire retardancy and decreased brittleness. The cure temperatures of the copolymers are substantially below the cure temperatures of the bismaleimides alone. Reinforced composites made from the cured copolymers are disclosed as well

Vinyl stilbazoles

Vinyl pyridines including vinyl stilbazole materials and vinyl styrylpyridine oligomer materials are disclosed. These vinylpyridines form copolymers with bismaleimides which copolymers have good fire retardancy and decreased brittleness. The cure temperatures of the copolymers are substantially below the cure temperatures of the bismaleimides alone. Reinforced composites made from the cured copolymers are disclosed as well

Treating produced water from hydraulic fracturing: Composition effects on scale formation and desalination system selection

Produced water from unconventional gas and oil extraction may be hypersaline with uncommon combinations of dissolved ions. The aim of this analysis is to aid in the selection of produced water treatment technology by identifying the temperature, pH, and recovery ratio under which mineral solid formation from these produced waters is likely to occur. Eight samples of produced water from the Permian Basin and the Marcellus shale are discussed, with an average TDS of about 177 g/L but significant variability. Crystallization potential is quantified by the saturation index, and activity coefficients are calculated using the Pitzer model. The method is applied to estimate solid formation in the treatment of two design case samples: a 183 g/L sample representing the Permian Basin water and a 145 g/L sample representing the Marcellus. Without pretreatment, the most likely solids to form, defined by highest saturation index, are: CaCO[subscript 3], FeCO[subscript 3], MgCO[subscript 3], MnCO[subscript 3], SrCO[subscript 3], BaSO[subscript 4], CaSO[subscript 4], MgSO[subscript 4] and SrSO[subscript 4]. Some options for mitigating the formation of these scales are discussed. With appropriate pretreatment, it is estimated that recovery ratios of as high as 40–50% are achievable before NaCl, a major constituent, is likely to limit further concentration without significant crystallization.Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM (Project R4-CW-08)MIT Energy InitiativeMIT Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainabilit

Entropy generation in condensation in the presence of high concentrations of noncondensable gases

The physical mechanisms of entropy generation in a condenser with high fractions of noncondensable gases are examined using scaling and boundary layer techniques, with the aim of defining a criterion for minimum entropy generation rate that is useful in engineering analyses. This process is particularly relevant in humidification-dehumidification desalination systems, where minimizing entropy generation per unit water produced is critical to maximizing system performance. The process is modeled by a consideration of the vapor/gas boundary layer alone, as it is the dominant thermal resistance and, consequently, the largest source of entropy production in many practical condensers with high fractions of noncondensable gases. Most previous studies of condensation have been restricted to a constant wall temperature, but it is shown here that for high concentrations of noncondensable gases, a varying wall temperature greatly reduces total entropy generation rate. Further, it is found that the diffusion of the condensing vapor through the vapor/noncondensable mixture boundary layer is the larger and often dominant mechanism of entropy production in such a condenser. As a result, when seeking to design a unit of desired heat transfer and condensation rates for minimum entropy generation, minimizing the variance in the driving force associated with diffusion yields a closer approximation to the minimum overall entropy generation rate than does equipartition of temperature difference.Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM (Project R4-CW-08)Eni S.p.A. (Firm) (Eni-MIT Energy Fellowship

Neurosyphilis Presenting as Asymptomatic Optic Perineuritis

Introduction. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that is known as “the great imitator” due to its wide variety of clinical presentations, including ocular disorders. There has been an increase in the rate of syphilis in the United States, especially in persons with HIV. We report a case of optic perineuritis in an asymptomatic male secondary to central nervous system (CNS) syphilis. Case Report. A 41-year-old man was found to have bilateral disc edema on a routine exam. Brain MRI was unremarkable, and lumbar puncture revealed a normal opening pressure, with an elevated cerebrospinal fluid white cell count. Orbit MRI showed optic nerve sheath expansion and enhancement, consistent with optic perineuritis. He tested positive for syphilis based on serum RPR and FTA-ABS. Conclusion. Ophthalmologic findings, including disc edema, may be the presenting features of CNS syphilis. Even in asymptomatic persons, perineuritis should be considered early, as diagnosis and treatment are imperative given the progressive nature of the disease

The comparative resistance of varieties of oats to crown and stem rusts

Numerous instances of the production of disease-resistant crops may be noted in this and other countries, but comparatively little work has been done on the problem of resistance of oats to stem rust (Puccinia grarninis Pel\u27s.) and crown rust (P. coronata Corda.) Many of the published records on the rust resistance of oats are observations covering but a single season and too often with no determination of the species of rust present. The use of resistant varieties, however, appears . to be the most hopeful method of combating these rusts. This paper is chiefly an account of studies conducted to determine which of the existing varieties are resistant to either or both of the rusts mentioned above

Outdoor music festivals: Cacophonous consumption or melodious moderation?

Large outdoor music festivals have emerged as part of a general expansion of licensed recreational activities, but in research terms they have been largely impenetrable due to commercial sensitivities. These sensitivities notwithstanding, the number and scale of such events necessitate a greater understanding of alcohol and drug use and the potential to promote normative protective behaviours in this context. This study examines self-reported alcohol and drug behaviours of 1589 attendees at a music festival in Scotland during the summer of 2008. Similarities between the outdoor rock music festivals and the dance club scene are considered alongside the challenges associated with risk reduction in these settings. Results show that alcohol was consumed by the majority of samples; however, negative consequences were reported by a minority of respondents, suggesting evidence of controlled hedonism within a situation traditionally associated with unrestrained excess. Similarly, the majority of samples did not use drugs. The majority also report a number of self-regulating protective behaviours suggesting that alcohol and drug use is contained within a developing social culture of ‘controlled intoxication’. Results further suggest that although music festivals are transitory events, there is a degree of consistency amongst attendees. Music festivals may therefore be atypical but potentially effective environments to increase protective behaviours using normative messaging and modern communications media. This study was resourced exclusively by local alcohol and drug partnerships

B cells are capable of independently eliciting rapid reactivation of encephalitogenic CD4 T cells in a murine model of multiple sclerosis

<div><p>Recent success with B cell depletion therapies has revitalized efforts to understand the pathogenic role of B cells in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Using the adoptive transfer system of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of MS, we have previously shown that mice in which B cells are the only MHCII-expressing antigen presenting cell (APC) are susceptible to EAE. However, a reproducible delay in the day of onset of disease driven by exclusive B cell antigen presentation suggests that B cells require optimal conditions to function as APCs in EAE. In this study, we utilize an <i>in vivo</i> genetic system to conditionally and temporally regulate expression of MHCII to test the hypothesis that B cell APCs mediate attenuated and delayed neuroinflammatory T cell responses during EAE. Remarkably, induction of MHCII on B cells following the transfer of encephalitogenic CD4 T cells induced a rapid and robust form of EAE, while no change in the time to disease onset occurred for recipient mice in which MHCII is induced on a normal complement of APC subsets. Changes in CD4 T cell activation over time did not account for more rapid onset of EAE symptoms in this new B cell-mediated EAE model. Our system represents a novel model to study how the timing of pathogenic cognate interactions between lymphocytes facilitates the development of autoimmune attacks within the CNS.</p></div