Enabling Data-Driven Transportation Safety Improvements in Rural Alaska

Safety improvements require funding. A clear need must be demonstrated to secure funding. For transportation safety, data, especially data about past crashes, is the usual method of demonstrating need. However, in rural locations, such data is often not available, or is not in a form amenable to use in funding applications. This research aids rural entities, often federally recognized tribes and small villages acquire data needed for funding applications. Two aspects of work product are the development of a traffic counting application for an iPad or similar device, and a review of the data requirements of the major transportation funding agencies. The traffic-counting app, UAF Traffic, demonstrated its ability to count traffic and turning movements for cars and trucks, as well as ATVs, snow machines, pedestrians, bicycles, and dog sleds. The review of the major agencies demonstrated that all the likely funders would accept qualitative data and Road Safety Audits. However, quantitative data, if it was available, was helpful

Synthesis of [2.2.2]-Diazabicyclic Alkaloids: I: Diels-Alder Reactions of a C2-Carboxy Pyrazinone & Ii: Intermolecular Diels-Alder Reaction of a Proline Derived Pyrazinone with Symmetric Dienophiles

[2.2.2]-Diazabicyclic alkaloids are a natural product family with diverse biological activities. The development of a synthetic methods towards the synthesis of [2.2.2]-diazabicyclic alkaloids is described. I: Diels-Alder Reactions of a C2-Carboxy Pyrazinone Using an N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed aroylation of a proline 3,5-dichloropyrazinone, a synthetic route to C2-carboxy pyrazinones was developed to study the intermolecular and intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of these compounds to form the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane core. Studies showed that having oxidation present α to the pyrazinone ring did not provide any significant increase in reactivity or selectivity as compared to pyrazinones without oxidation α to the ring. In some cases, the oxidation completely hindered reactivity. II: Intermolecular Diels-Alder Reaction of a Proline Derived Pyrazinone with Symmetric Dienophiles The intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction of a proline derived pyrazinone with maleic anhydride allows for selective access the anti-C19 isomer of the [2.2.2]-diazabicylic alkaloid. Selective opening of the resulting anhydride cycloadduct followed by radical excision of the C18 carboxy group provides a known intermediate in the Williams’ synthesis of Brevianamide B. The overall route provides the desired anti-C19 isomer of the methyl ester product in 6 steps and 12% overall yield from the proline derived pyrazinone. This route constitutes a 15 step formal synthesis of Brevianamide B

Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor bioactivity in patients with acute lung injury

Background: Reduced bioactive vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been demonstrated in several inflammatory lung conditions including the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). sVEGFR-1, a soluble form of VEGF-1 receptor, is a potent natural inhibitor of VEGF. We hypothesised that sVEGFR-1 plays an important role in the regulation of the bioactivity of VEGF within the lung in patients with ARDS. Methods: Forty one patients with ARDS, 12 at risk of developing ARDS, and 16 normal controls were studied. Bioactive VEGF, total VEGF, and sVEGFR-1 were measured by ELISA in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for sVEGFR-1 was performed on BAL cells. Results: sVEGFR-1 was detectable in the BAL fluid of 48% (20/41) of patients with early ARDS (1.4– 54.8 ng/ml epithelial lining fluid (ELF)) compared with 8% (1/12) at risk patients (p = 0.017) and none of the normal controls (p = 0.002). By day 4 sVEGFR-1 was detectable in only 2/18 ARDS patients (p = 0.008). Patients with detectable sVEGFR-1 had lower ELF median (IQR) levels of bioactive VEGF than those without detectable sVEGFR-1 (1415.2 (474.9–3192) pg/ml v 4761 (1349–7596.6) pg/ml, median difference 3346 pg/ml (95% CI 305.1 to 14711.9), p = 0.016), but there was no difference in total VEGF levels. BAL cells expressed mRNA for sVEGFR-1 and produced sVEGFR-1 protein which increased following incubation with tumour necrosis factor a. Conclusion: This study shows for the first time the presence of sVEGFR-1 in the BAL fluid of patients with ARDS. This may explain the presence of reduced bioactive VEGF in patients early in the course of ARDS

Management of an elderly patient with respiratory failure due to double aortic arch

AbstractVascular rings are congenital malformations of the aortic arch. A double aortic arch (DAA), the most common type of vascular ring, results from the failure of the fourth embryonic branchial arch to regress, leading to an ascending aorta that divides into a left and right arch that fuse together to completely encircle the trachea and esophagus. The subsequent DAA causes compressive effects on the trachea and esophagus that typically manifests in infancy or early childhood. Adult presentations, particularly in the elderly, are exceedingly rare. Historically such patients have a long-standing history of dyspnea on exertion and dysphagia, with many assumed to have obstructive lung or intrinsic cardiac disease. We describe a case of an elderly woman who presented with respiratory failure due to DAA. In her case, surgery was not feasible and we describe our experience with airway stenting

Racial Ideology and Implementation of the Khmer Rouge Genocide

https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/student_scholarship_posters/1011/thumbnail.jp

Somatosensory Deficits in Post-ACL Reconstruction Patients: A Case-Control Study

Introduction: Diminished cutaneous detection thresholds have been identified in patients with multiple orthopedic conditions, and these phenomena may occur in postanterior cruciate ligament reconstructed (ACLR) patients. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in lower extremity cutaneous detection thresholds exist in post-ACLR patients when compared with healthy controls. Methods: Fifteen individuals who were post-ACLR and 15 individuals who had no history of knee injury participated. Light touch cutaneous detection thresholds were assessed at 4 locations on the foot and ankle (first metatarsal, fifth metatarsal, medial malleolus, and lateral malleolus). Nonparametric statistics examined group differences between the sites. Results: ACLR subjects had decreased cutaneous sensation at the first metatarsal and medial malleolus compared with healthy controls. Conclusions: Somatosensory deficits are present in post-ACLR patients. Future research should investigate these phenomena longitudinally in post-ACLR individuals along with somatosensory targeted interventions

Topographic Constraints on Magma Accumulations Below the Actively Uuplifting Uturuncu and Lazufre Volcanic Centers in the Central Andes

Geodetic surveys of Volcán Uturuncu and the Lazufre volcanic complex in the Central Andes of South America reveal sustained surface uplift from magmatic intrusion at depth. However, the decadal timescales of geodetic surveys are short relative to the timescales of magma chamber growth. Thus, from geodesy alone, it is difficult to infer the deformation and hence magma accumulation history of these volcanoes. Here we combine data from InSAR, long-wavelength topography, GPS and high-resolution topographic surveys of lake shorelines and rivers, and lava flow morphology to constrain the spatial and temporal evolution of magmatism at Uturuncu and Lazufre. Near Uturuncu, dated lake shorelines show no evidence of tilting since ca. 16 ka, and we find no evidence of deformation in the long-wavelength topography. A lack of net surface displacement suggests that uplift related to a rising diapir must be less than a century old, or, more likely, magmatic inflation at Uturuncu is transient over millennial timescales and is therefore not recorded in the topography. At Lazufre, we also find no evidence for sustained uplift recorded in Late Pleistocene lake shorelines. However, the orientations of multiple dated lava flows suggest that the long-wavelength dome at the center of Lazufre’s uplift has persisted since at least 400 ka. Additionally, we find that the radial distribution of volcanic vents at Lazufre, coupled with the presence of an apical graben, is consistent with experimental and theoretical predictions of magmatic doming. The dome’s longevity indicates significant magma storage at depth, and therefore Lazufre is likely a highly evolved pre-caldera magmatic system. These two case studies demonstrate that combining geomorphic and geophysical data sets to extend the geodetic record back in time can help determine the style and magnitude of magma transport in volcanic systems