Two wheeled lunar dumptruck

The design of a two wheel bulk material transport vehicle is described in detail. The design consists of a modified cylindrical bowl, two independently controlled direct drive motors, and two deformable wheels. The bowl has a carrying capacity of 2.8 m (100 ft) and is constructed of aluminum. The low speed, high HP motors are directly connected to the wheels, thus yielding only two moving parts. The wheels, specifically designed for lunar applications, utilize the chevron tread pattern for optimum traction. The vehicle is maneuvered by varying the relative angular velocities of the wheels. The bulk material being transported is unloaded by utilizing the motors to oscillate the bowl back and forth to a height at which dumping is achieved. The analytical models were tested using a scaled prototype of the lunar transport vehicle. The experimental data correlated well with theoretical predictions. Thus, the design established provides a feasible alternative for the handling of bulk material on the moon

Genetic Structure of Mosquitofish Populations in the Altamaha and Ogeechee Drainages of Georgia: Reporting an Undescribed Form in the Ocmulgee River

An electrophoretic survey of genetic variation in mosquitofish populations of the Altamaha and Ogeechee drainages in Georgia revealed significant divergence (fs,=O.270) among populations within the Altamaha. Cluster analysis showed two lineages: one formed by populations from the Ogeechee drainage and the eastern and central Altamaha branches and another consisting of populations from the Ocmulgee River, the westernmost branch of the Altamaha drainage. These lineages may represent two independent forms. Average modified Rogers’ genetic distance was 0.25% between the two groups. The O_cmulgee lineage had significantly higher multilocus heterozygosity (H=0.206) than the other one (I-/=0.120). The high heterozygosity in the Ocmulgee lineage is consistent with the hypothesis that it originated by hybridization. Populations in the Altamaha and Ogeechee exhibit spatial patterns of genetic characteristics similar to those previously described for populations in other drainages

Genetic Structure of Mosquitofish Populations in the Altamaha and Ogeechee Drainages of Georgia: Reporting an Undescribed Form in the Ocmulgee River

An electrophoretic survey of genetic variation in mosquitofish populations of the Altamaha and Ogeechee drainages in Georgia revealed significant divergence (fs,=O.270) among populations within the Altamaha. Cluster analysis showed two lineages: one formed by populations from the Ogeechee drainage and the eastern and central Altamaha branches and another consisting of populations from the Ocmulgee River, the westernmost branch of the Altamaha drainage. These lineages may represent two independent forms. Average modified Rogers’ genetic distance was 0.25% between the two groups. The O_cmulgee lineage had significantly higher multilocus heterozygosity (H=0.206) than the other one (I-/=0.120). The high heterozygosity in the Ocmulgee lineage is consistent with the hypothesis that it originated by hybridization. Populations in the Altamaha and Ogeechee exhibit spatial patterns of genetic characteristics similar to those previously described for populations in other drainages

A Rubbish Idea: The material dump, and casting trash talk in a new light

Inspired by the trash-art creations of artists such as Tim Noble and Sue Webster, this creative article-assemblage was gathered together over several months by the UNNC Litter Lovers collective. The aleatoric article attempts to provocatively explore alternative ways of thinking about (or with) trash, modern life and recycling. The article is formed by found, chanced upon, and recycled fragments of used cultural material, at times united by original-organic discussions and catalytic ideas, but ultimately demands the intellectual light of the reader to cast the concepts into relief. The collective utilises form and content to generate new ways of seeing and thinking about waste and rubbish, and like the actual trash heaps and trash-art that inspired this work, they attempt to show how matter itself and (used) material is not inert and passive but rather vibrant, expressive and alive: boasting productive powers and forces capable of bringing about unforeseen reactions and new forms of synthesis. The article is designed to ignite new processes within, between, across and ‘below’ the chaotically assembled fragments. The piece is in part motivated by a drive to ethically recycle in an inspiring and creative way, and be part of new things emerging out of the old. This alternative intellectual happening is also in part designed to help people ‘clean’ their collective conscience and learn to 'love rubbish.' We hope that this is in part achieved by de-centering the human, and foregrounding a polysemous concept of the material dump that forces readers to reinterrogate everyday (non-thought) notions of waste, nature, (human) resources, thought and art.Additional co-author: the UNNC Litter Lovers (a creative academic collective

A Profile of Tribal Health Departments

This study uses data to analyze the impacts of Tribal health departments in improving health status and reducing health disparities.

Bitten to the Bone: A Case of Anxiety-Induced Osteomyelitis

Onychophagia is a habitual nail-biting disorder, usually associated with mental or emotional diseases. It affects 20-30% of the population in all age groups. Human bites have the potential to become serious injuries due to high virulence in the human oral flora and may often require hospital admission, antibiotics and even debridement in the operating room. Thus, repetitive nail biting has the potential to be limb-threatening if not treated early and appropriately. We present a 49-year-old Spanish-speaking gentleman, with a past medical history of repetitive nail biting secondary to severe anxiety, major depression disorder, bilateral hand neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 who was initially admitted to the hospital due to cellulitis of the fingers with suspected osteomyelitis in the right hand. Anxiety was being treated by psychiatrist with paroxetine however, given no improvement and prolonged follow-ups, the primary care physician (PCP) added hydroxyzine and scheduled alprazolam in an attempt to minimize symptoms. Despite these efforts, patient continued with nail biting. On initial physical exam, the patient had a lack of fingernails and multiple wounds at various stages of healing across all digits. The distal and middle phalanges of the third right digit showed increased erythema and swelling and band tightening. Patient was started on broad-spectrum antibiotics. Initial radiography of the right hand was concerning for osteomyelitis which was later confirmed with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Infectious disease specialist agreed on a course of cefepime, vancomycin and metronidazole. On admission, hand surgeon did not see a need for amputation and patient was treated conservatively. Due to minimal improvement after six days on IV antibiotics, patient underwent fasciotomy of the flexor compartment of the right middle finger after patient rejected hand surgeon\u27s recommendation for amputation. He was discharged to a skilled nursing facility where he was to continue intravenous antibiotics for an additional four weeks. The vulnerable patient population of South Texas is predominately Hispanic, Spanish-speaking and uninsured. It is imperative to treat psychiatric disorders early to prevent complications, however, given the low numbers of psychiatrists in the Rio Grande Valley and even fewer who speak Spanish it is not unusual to find an appointment in more than six months. In this case, we observe how a trivial everyday behavior can lead to limb-threatening complications if not treated early and appropriately

On the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on the International Space Station

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III on International Space Station (SAGE3/ISS) is anticipated to be delivered to Cape Canaveral in the spring of 2015. This is the fourth generation, fifth instrument, of visible/near-IR solar occultation instruments operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) to investigate the Earth's upper atmosphere. The instrument is a moderate resolution spectrometer covering wavelengths from 290 nm to 1550 nm. The nominal science products include vertical profiles of trace gases, such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide and water vapor, along with multi-wavelength aerosol extinction. The SAGE3/ISS validation program will be based upon internal consistency of the measurements, detailed analysis of the retrieval algorithm, and comparisons with independent correlative measurements. The Instrument Payload (IP), mission architecture, and major challenges are also discussed

Blood pressure and sodium: association with MRI markers in cerebral small vessel disease

Dietary salt intake and hypertension are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease including stroke. We aimed to explore the influence of these factors, together with plasma sodium concentration, in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). In all, 264 patients with nondisabling cortical or lacunar stroke were recruited. Patients were questioned about their salt intake and plasma sodium concentration was measured; brain tissue volume and white-matter hyperintensity (WMH) load were measured using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) while diffusion tensor MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI were acquired to assess underlying tissue integrity. An index of added salt intake (P = 0.021), pulse pressure (P = 0.036), and diagnosis of hypertension (P = 0.0093) were positively associated with increased WMH, while plasma sodium concentration was associated with brain volume (P = 0.019) but not with WMH volume. These results are consistent with previous findings that raised blood pressure is associated with WMH burden and raise the possibility of an independent role for dietary salt in the development of cerebral SVD

Development of a patient-centred, evidence-based and consensus-based discharge care bundle for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted. https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/bmjresp/5/1/e000265.full.pdfAlberta Innovates Health Solutions Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Health System Program (AIHS PRIHS 201400390), Alberta Health ServicesPeer ReviewedIntroduction: Hospital and emergency department discharge for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often poorly organised. We developed a patient-centred, evidence-based and consensus-based discharge care bundle for patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. Methods: A purposeful sample of clinicians and patients were invited to participate in a two-round Delphi study (July–November 2015). In round 1, participants rated on a seven-point Likert scale (1=not at all important; 7=extremely important) the importance of 29 unique COPD care actions. Round 2 comprised items selected from round 1 based on consensus (>80%endorsement for Likert values 5–7). A list of 18 care items from round 2 was discussed in a face-to-face nominal group meeting. Results: Seven care items were included in the COPD discharge bundle based on clinician and patient input: (1) ensure adequate inhaler technique is demonstrated; (2) send discharge summary to family physician and arrange follow-up; (3) optimise and reconcile prescription of respiratory medications; (4) provide a written discharge management plan and assess patient’s and caregiver’s comprehension of discharge instructions; (5) refer to pulmonary rehabilitation; (6) screen for frailty and comorbidities; and (7) assess smoking status, provide counselling and refer to smoking cessation programme. Conclusion: We present a seven-item, patient-centred, evidence-based and consensus-based discharge bundle for patients with acute exacerbations of COPD. Alignment with clinical practice guidelines and feasibility of local adaptations of the bundle should be explored to facilitate wide applicability and evaluation of the effectiveness of the COPD discharge bundle

Circulating cardiac troponin I levels measured by a novel highly sensitive assay in acute decompensated heart failure: insights from the ASCEND-HF trial

Background: Circulating cardiac troponin levels (cTn), representative of myocardial injury, are commonly elevated in heart failure (HF) and related to adverse clinical events. However, whether cTn represents a spectrum of risk in HF is unclear. Methods: Baseline, 48–72 hour, and 30 day plasma cTnI was measured by a novel highly-sensitive assay in 900 subjects with acute decompensated HF (ADHF) in ASCEND-HF. Multivariable models determined the relationship between cTnI and outcomes. Results: The median(interquartile range) cTnI was 16.4 (9.3-31.6) ng/L at baseline, 14.1 (7.8-29.7) ng/L at 48-72 hours, and 11.6 (6.8-22.5) ng/L at 30 days. After additional adjustment for amino terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) to established risk predictors, both baseline and 48-72 hour cTnI were associated with higher risk for death or worsening HF prior to discharge (OR 1.25, P=0.03 and OR 1.43, P=0.001, respectively). However, only cTnI at 30 days was associated 180-day death (HR 1.25, P=0.007). There were no curvilinear associations between changing cTnI and clinical outcomes. Conclusions: Circulating cTnI level was associated with clinical outcomes in ADHF, but these observations diminished with additional adjustment for NT-proBNP. Although they likely represent a spectrum of risk in ADHF, these findings question the implications of changing cTnI levels during treatment