Comet Halley returns: A teachers' guide 1985-1986

This booklet has been put together as an aid for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. It is divided into two distinct parts. The first part is a brief tutorial which introduces some of the most important concepts about comets, including their historical significance. A list of selected readings is provided at the end of the booklet. The second part of the booklet contains a number of suggested activities, built around the comet. These include both classroom exercises and carefully described field work to observe the comet. Guidance is provided on where to look for the comet, how to observe it, and to photograph it

Effect of Increasing Supplemental Rumen Undegradable Protein (RUP) on Performance of Calves Fed a Silage Growing Diet

A growing study evaluated the effects of increasing supplemental rumen undegradable protein (RUP) on performance of calves fed an 85% corn silage diet. Five levels of supplementation were evaluated with 12 individually fed steers per level of supplement. Supplement levels consisted of 0, 3.25, 6.5, 9.75 and 13% supplemental RUP (% of diet DM) fed as a blend of 60% Soypass and 40% Empyreal. Increasing supplemental RUP in the diet increased ending body weight and average daily gain linearly, and decreased F:G linearly while DMI remained constant among treatments. As cattle grew from 600 to 730 lb, F:G was improved 30% by supplying RUP. Th e same amount of RUP improved F:G by 11% as cattle grew beyond 730 lb. By meeting MP requirements, supplementing RUP linearly improved both ADG and F:G of growing calves, especially early in the growing period

Effect of Increasing Supplemental Rumen Undegradable Protein (RUP) on Performance of Calves Fed a Silage Growing Diet

A growing study evaluated the effects of increasing supplemental rumen undegradable protein (RUP) on performance of calves fed an 85% corn silage diet. Five levels of supplementation were evaluated with 12 individually fed steers per level of supplement. Supplement levels consisted of 0, 3.25, 6.5, 9.75 and 13% supplemental RUP (% of diet DM) fed as a blend of 60% Soypass and 40% Empyreal. Increasing supplemental RUP in the diet increased ending body weight and average daily gain linearly, and decreased F:G linearly while DMI remained constant among treatments. As cattle grew from 600 to 730 lb, F:G was improved 30% by supplying RUP. Th e same amount of RUP improved F:G by 11% as cattle grew beyond 730 lb. By meeting MP requirements, supplementing RUP linearly improved both ADG and F:G of growing calves, especially early in the growing period

Quantum enhanced positioning and clock synchronization

A wide variety of positioning and ranging procedures are based on repeatedly sending electromagnetic pulses through space and measuring their time of arrival. This paper shows that quantum entanglement and squeezing can be employed to overcome the classical power/bandwidth limits on these procedures, enhancing their accuracy. Frequency entangled pulses could be used to construct quantum positioning systems (QPS), to perform clock synchronization, or to do ranging (quantum radar): all of these techniques exhibit a similar enhancement compared with analogous protocols that use classical light. Quantum entanglement and squeezing have been exploited in the context of interferometry, frequency measurements, lithography, and algorithms. Here, the problem of positioning a party (say Alice) with respect to a fixed array of reference points will be analyzed.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication by Natur

Reliability and validity of the Wolfram Unified Rating Scale (WURS)

BACKGROUND: Wolfram syndrome (WFS) is a rare, neurodegenerative disease that typically presents with childhood onset insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, followed by optic atrophy, diabetes insipidus, deafness, and neurological and psychiatric dysfunction. There is no cure for the disease, but recent advances in research have improved understanding of the disease course. Measuring disease severity and progression with reliable and validated tools is a prerequisite for clinical trials of any new intervention for neurodegenerative conditions. To this end, we developed the Wolfram Unified Rating Scale (WURS) to measure the severity and individual variability of WFS symptoms. The aim of this study is to develop and test the reliability and validity of the Wolfram Unified Rating Scale (WURS). METHODS: A rating scale of disease severity in WFS was developed by modifying a standardized assessment for another neurodegenerative condition (Batten disease). WFS experts scored the representativeness of WURS items for the disease. The WURS was administered to 13 individuals with WFS (6-25 years of age). Motor, balance, mood and quality of life were also evaluated with standard instruments. Inter-rater reliability, internal consistency reliability, concurrent, predictive and content validity of the WURS were calculated. RESULTS: The WURS had high inter-rater reliability (ICCs>.93), moderate to high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.78-0.91) and demonstrated good concurrent and predictive validity. There were significant correlations between the WURS Physical Assessment and motor and balance tests (r(s)>.67, p<.03), between the WURS Behavioral Scale and reports of mood and behavior (r(s)>.76, p<.04) and between WURS Total scores and quality of life (r(s)=-.86, p=.001). The WURS demonstrated acceptable content validity (Scale-Content Validity Index=0.83). CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings demonstrate that the WURS has acceptable reliability and validity and captures individual differences in disease severity in children and young adults with WFS

Hydrological, Sedimentological, and Meteorological Observations and Analysis on the Sagavanirktok River

The Dalton Highway near Deadhorse was closed twice during late March and early April 2015 because of extensive overflow from the Sagavanirktok River that flowed over the highway. That spring, researchers from the Water and Environmental Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) monitored the river conditions during breakup, which was characterized by unprecedented flooding that overtopped and consequently destroyed several sections of the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse. The UAF research team has monitored breakup conditions at the Sagavanirktok River since that time. Given the magnitude of the 2015 flooding, the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company started a long-term monitoring program within the river basin. In addition, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) funded a multiyear project related to sediment transport conditions along the Sagavanirktok River. The general objectives of these projects include determining ice elevations, identifying possible water sources, establishing surface hydro-meteorological conditions prior to breakup, measuring hydro-sedimentological conditions during breakup and summer, and reviewing historical imagery of the aufeis extent. In the present report, we focus on new data and analyze it in the context of previous data. We calculated and compared ice thickness near Franklin Bluffs for 2015, 2016, and 2017, and found that, in general, ice thickness during both 2015 and 2016 was greater than in 2017 across most of the study area. Results from a stable isotope analysis indicate that winter overflow, which forms the aufeis in the river area near Franklin Bluffs, has similar isotopic characteristics to water flowing from mountain springs. End-of-winter snow surveys (in 2016/2017) within the watershed indicate that the average snow water equivalent was similar to what we observed in winter 2015/2016. Air temperatures in May 2017 were low on the Alaska North Slope, which caused a long and gradual breakup, with peak flows occurring in early June, compared with mid-May in both 2015 and 2016. Maximum discharge measured at the East Bank station, near Franklin Bluffs was 750 m3/s (26,485 ft3/s) on May 30, 2017, while the maximum measured flow was 1560 m3/s (55,090 ft3/s) at the same station on May 20, 2015. Available cumulative rainfall data indicate that 2016 was wetter than 2017. ii In September 2015, seven dry and wet pits were dug near the hydro-sedimentological monitoring stations along the Sagavanirktok River study reach. The average grain-size of the sediment of exposed gravel bars at sites located upstream of the Ivishak-Sagavanirktok confluence show relatively constant values. Grain size becomes finer downstream of the confluence. We conducted monthly topo-bathymetric surveys during the summer months of 2016 and 2017 in each pit. Sediment deposition and erosion was observed in each of the pits. Calculated sedimentation volumes in each pit show the influence of the Ivishak River in the bed sedimenttransport capacity of the Sagavanirktok River. In addition, comparison between dry and wet pit sedimentation volumes in some of the stations proves the complexity of a braided river, which is characterized by frequent channel shifting A two-dimensional hydraulic model is being implemented for a material site. The model will be used to estimate the required sediment refill time based on different river conditions.ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... i LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... i LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... xiv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLAIMER ........................................................................ xvi CONVERSION FACTORS, UNITS, WATER QUALITY UNITS, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DATUM, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SYMBOLS .......................................... xvii ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND SYMBOLS .............................................................. xix 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 2 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................ 2 2.1 Sagavanirktok River near MP318 Site 066 (DSS4) ......................................................... 7 2.2 Sagavanirktok River at Happy Valley Site 005 (DSS3) .................................................. 7 2.3 Sagavanirktok River below the Confluence with the Ivishak River (DSS2) ................... 9 2.4 Sagavanirktok River near MP405 Site 042 (DSS1) ....................................................... 10 3 METHODOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT .............................................................................. 13 3.1 Pits .................................................................................................................................. 13 3.1.1 Excavation............................................................................................................... 13 3.1.2 Surveying ................................................................................................................ 14 3.2 Surface Meteorology ...................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Aufeis Extent .................................................................................................................. 17 3.3.1 Field Methods ......................................................................................................... 18 3.3.2 Imagery ................................................................................................................... 18 3.4 Water Level Measurements ............................................................................................ 19 3.5 Runoff............................................................................................................................. 20 3.6 Suspended Sediment ...................................................................................................... 21 3.7 Turbidity ......................................................................................................................... 22 3.8 Stable Isotopes................................................................................................................ 22 4 RESULTS .............................................................................................................................. 23 4.1 Meteorology ................................................................................................................... 23 4.1.1 Air Temperature ...................................................................................................... 23 4.1.2 Precipitation ............................................................................................................ 31 4.1.2.1 Cold Season Precipitation ................................................................................ 31 4.1.2.2 Warm Season Precipitation ............................................................................. 36 4.1.3 Wind Speed and Direction ...................................................................................... 39 iv 4.2 Aufeis Extent .................................................................................................................. 40 4.2.1 Historical Aufeis at Franklin Bluffs ........................................................................ 41 4.2.2 Delineating Ice Surface Elevation with GPS and Aerial Imagery .......................... 45 4.3 Surface Water Hydrology ............................................................................................... 52 4.3.1 Sagavanirktok River at MP318 (DSS4) .................................................................. 58 4.3.2 Sagavanirktok River at Happy Valley (DSS3) ....................................................... 61 4.3.3 Sagavanirktok River near MP347 (ASS1) .............................................................. 65 4.3.4 Sagavanirktok River below the Ivishak River (DSS2) ........................................... 66 4.3.5 Sagavanirktok River at East Bank (DSS5) near Franklin Bluffs ............................ 70 4.3.6 Sagavanirktok River at MP405 (DSS1) West Channel .......................................... 78 4.3.7 Additional Field Observations ................................................................................ 82 4.3.8 Preliminary Rating Curves and Estimated Discharge ............................................. 85 4.4 Stable Isotopes................................................................................................................ 86 4.5 Sediment Grain Size Distribution .................................................................................. 90 4.5.1 Streambed Sediment Grain Size Distribution ......................................................... 90 4.5.2 Suspended Sediment Grain Size Distribution ......................................................... 94 4.6 Suspended Sediment Concentration ............................................................................... 95 4.6.1 Sagavanirktok River near MP318 (DSS4) .............................................................. 95 4.6.2 Sagavanirktok River at Happy Valley (DSS3) ..................................................... 100 4.6.3 Sagavanirktok River below the Ivishak River (DSS2) ......................................... 105 4.6.4 Sagavanirktok River near MP405 (DSS1) ............................................................ 111 4.6.5 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 114 4.7 Turbidity ....................................................................................................................... 116 4.7.1 Sagavanirktok River near MP318 (DSS4) ............................................................ 116 4.7.2 Sagavanirktok River at Happy Valley (DSS3) ..................................................... 119 4.7.3 Sagavanirktok River below the Ivishak (DSS2) ................................................... 124 4.7.4 Sagavanirktok River near MP405 (DSS1) ............................................................ 126 4.7.5 Discussion ............................................................................................................. 130 4.8 Analysis of Pits............................................................................................................. 130 4.8.1 Photographs of Pits ............................................................................................... 130 4.8.2 GIS Analysis of Pit Bathymetry ........................................................................... 141 4.8.3 Pit Sedimentation .................................................................................................. 142 4.8.4 Erosion Surveys .................................................................................................... 149 4.8.5 Patterns of Sediment Transport Along the River .................................................. 156 v 4.9 Hydraulic Modeling ..................................................................................................... 158 4.9.1 Model Development .............................................................................................. 160 4.9.2 Results of Simulation ............................................................................................ 165 5 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................. 171 6 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 174 7 APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................... 18

Uterine Mast Cells and Immunoglobulin-E Antibody Responses During Clearance of \u3ci\u3eTritrichomonas foetus\u3c/i\u3e

We showed earlier that Tritrichomonas foetus–specific bovine immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 and IgA antibodies in uterine and vaginal secretions are correlated with clearance of this sexually transmitted infection. Eosinophils have been noted in previous studies of bovine trichomoniasis but the role of mast cells and IgE responses have not been reported. The hypothesis that IgE and mast cell degranulation play a role in clearance was tested in 25 virgin heifers inseminated experimentally and infected intravaginally with T. foetus strain D1 at estrus and cultured weekly. Groups were euthanatized at 3, 6, 9, or 12 weeks, when tissues were fixed and secretions were collected for culture and antibody analysis. Immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody to a soluble lipophosphoglycan (LPG)–containing surface antigen (TF1.17) demonstrated antigen uptake by uterine epithelial cells. Lymphoid nodules were detected below antigen-positive epithelium. Little IgG2 antibody was detected but IgG1, IgA, IgM, and IgE T. foetus–specific antibodies increased in uterine secretions at weeks 6 and 9 after infection. This was inversely proportional to subepithelial mast cells numbers and most animals cleared the infection by the sampling time after the lowest mast cell count. Furthermore, soluble antigen was found in uterine epithelium above inductive sites (lymphoid nodules). Cross-linking of IgE on mast cells by antigen and perhaps LPG triggering appears to have resulted in degranulation. Released cytokines may account for production of predominantly Th2 (IgG1 and IgE) and IgA antibody responses, which are related to clearance of the infection

Comparison of Commercial Lick Tubs to Distillers Grains Supplementation for Calves Grazing Corn Residue

Steer calves grazing irrigated corn residue were supplemented dried distillers grains plus solubles (DGS) or allowedcontinuous access to a commercial lick tub. Dried DGS was fed at 2.94 lb/steer/day and the lick tubs were consumed at 2.04 lb/steer/day (DM basis). Gain was greater for cattle supplemented with dried DGS (1.36 lb/day) compared to those with access to lick tubs (0.83 lb/day). Supplement efficiency varied between calves receiving dried DGS (46%) and those with continuous access to the lick tub (43%) when expressed on a DM basis. Values for dried DGS supplementation (48%) were not different for supplement efficiencyon an OM basis when compared to cattle on the lick tub treatment (50%). Economic analysis shows that as the price of DGS increases, the difference in profit between supplementation strategiesis reduced

Patient/Family Education for Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Oncology Patients

There is a paucity of data to support evidence-based practices in the provision of patient/family education in the context of a new childhood cancer diagnosis. Since the majority of children with cancer are treated on pediatric oncology clinical trials, lack of effective patient/family education has the potential to negatively affect both patient and clinical trial outcomes. The Children’s Oncology Group Nursing Discipline convened an interprofessional expert panel from within and beyond pediatric oncology to review available and emerging evidence and develop expert consensus recommendations regarding harmonization of patient/family education practices for newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients across institutions. Five broad principles, with associated recommendations, were identified by the panel, including recognition that (1) in pediatric oncology, patient/family education is family-centered; (2) a diagnosis of childhood cancer is overwhelming and the family needs time to process the diagnosis and develop a plan for managing ongoing life demands before they can successfully learn to care for the child; (3) patient/family education should be an interprofessional endeavor with 3 key areas of focus: (a) diagnosis/treatment, (b) psychosocial coping, and (c) care of the child; (4) patient/family education should occur across the continuum of care; and (5) a supportive environment is necessary to optimize learning. Dissemination and implementation of these recommendations will set the stage for future studies that aim to develop evidence to inform best practices, and ultimately to establish the standard of care for effective patient/family education in pediatric oncology