Distribution of Bats in the Delta Region of Northeastern Arkansas

Eight taxa of bats are reported from seven counties in northeastern Arkansas. Localities, natural history notes, sex, age and reproductive condition are reported for most species. New records are combined with previously existing ones to reveal a greater distribution of chiroptera for the stat

Pathogenic potential of respirable spodumene cleavage fragments following application of regulatory counting criteria for asbestiform fibres

Health risks from exposure to lithium-bearing spodumene cleavage fragments are unknown. While asbestiform fibres can lead to fibrosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer, controversy remains whether non-asbestiform cleavage fragments, having equivalent dimensions, elicit similar pathologic responses. The mineralogy of respirable particles from two alpha (α) - spodumene concentrate grades (chemical and technical) were characterised using semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particles were measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the dimensions (length [L], diameter [D], aspect ratio [AR]) applied to regulatory counting criteria for asbestiform fibres. Application of the current World Health Organization (WHO) and National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) counting criteria, L ˃ 5 µm, D ˂ 3 µm, AR ˃ 3 : 1, to 10 SEM images of each grade identified 47 countable particles in the chemical and 37 in the technical concentrate test samples. Of these particles, 17 and 16 in the chemical and technical test samples, respectively, satisfied the more rigorous, previously used Mines Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 (Western Australia [WA]) criteria, L ˃ 5 µm and D ≤ 1 µm. The majority of the countable particles were consistent with α - spodumene cleavage fragments. These results suggest elongated α - spodumene particles may pose a health risk. It is recommended the precautionary principle be applied to respirable α - spodumene particles and the identification and control of dust hazards in spodumene extraction, handling and processing industries be implemented

Population Densities and Disease Surveys of Wild Pigs in the Coast Ranges of Central and Northern California

In 1994 and 1995, 233 different wild pigs were captured during population research at seven research sites focused primarily in the coastal regions of central and northern California. Mark-resight data and information on wild pig movements were used to assess wild pig population densities at those sites. Population densities ranged from 1.01 wild pigs/km2 in Mendocino County in 1994 to 3.32 wild pigs/km2 in Santa Clara County in 1995. Comparisons of population densities between years at three research sites suggested that wild pig populations increased in 1995 in response to favorable forage conditions after the wet fall and winter of 1994-95. Serum samples collected from 462 wild pigs at 28 different sites were screened for exposure to brucellosis and pseudorabies. Preliminary results were that seropositive results for brucellosis were noted at only three sites, whereas no animals were confirmed seropositive for pseudorabies. Although analyses of these two diseases are continuing, test results for trichinellosis, toxoplasmosis, and sylvatic plague reinforce previous warnings to hunters and consumers that sanitary handling and cooking of wild swine meat are warranted

RECEIPT AND STORAGE ISSUES AT THE TMI-2 IRRADIATED FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION

ABSTRACT In less than a year, up to 12 canisters of TMI-2 reactor fuel debris were loaded into each of 28 Dry Storage Containers (DSCs), and placed into interim storage at an Irradiated Spent Fuel Storage Facility (ISFSI) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Draining and drying the canisters, loading and welding the DSCs, shipping the DSCs 25 miles, and storing in the ISFSI initially required up to 3 weeks per DSC. Significant time efficiencies were achieved during the early stages, reducing the time to less than one week per DSC. These efficiencies were achieved mostly in canister draining and drying and DSC lid welding, and despite several occurrences that had to be resolved before continuing work. The ISFSI has been operated without issue since, with the exception that license basis monitoring has indicated an unusual pattern of season-and position-dependent hydrogen generation. This paper discusses some of the innovations and storage experiences for the first ISFSI designed for the storage of severely defected fuel. INTRODUCTION In the mid-to late 1980s the TMI-2 debris was packaged, transported to the INEEL, and stored in a water pool. Approximately 340 canisters of debris were removed from water storage, dried four at a time in a separate furnace, packaged into 29 larger steel canisters, and transported to the ISFSI. The TMI-2 ISFSI was the second operated by DOE, the first being the Fort Saint Vrain ISFSI near Denver. Preparation and storage of the TMI-2 fuel presented special challenges. First, the TMI-2 was required to be stored in the ISFSI before May 2001 as part of an INEEL fuel consolidation plan. Only one of the 29 Dry Storage Containers (DSCs) had been stored prior to June 2000. Most of the TMI-2 fuel debris consists of beds of porous chunks, granules, powders, and partial rods and assemblies packed within canisters lined with lightweight concrete, making the debris very difficult to dry. The ISFSI was positioned approximately 25 miles from the water pool where the canisters were stored. Structural considerations limited transport during cold weather and ISFSI loading during high winds. Long, cold winters and high winds are common at the INEEL. This paper describes the means by which these challenges were met and the unplanned occurrences were managed during the shipments. Finally it describes interesting monitoring results from the stored fuel, which suggests that some of the original design assumptions dealing with radiolysis were not realistic

The Effect of Cone Opsin Mutations on Retinal Structure and the Integrity of the Photoreceptor Mosaic

Purpose. To evaluate retinal structure and photoreceptor mosaic integrity in subjects with OPN1LW and OPN1MW mutations. Methods. Eleven subjects were recruited, eight of whom have been previously described. Cone and rod density was measured using images of the photoreceptor mosaic obtained from an adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (AOSLO). Total retinal thickness, inner retinal thickness, and outer nuclear layer plus Henle fiber layer (ONL+HFL) thickness were measured using cross-sectional spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images. Molecular genetic analyses were performed to characterize the OPN1LW/OPN1MW gene array. Results. While disruptions in retinal lamination and cone mosaic structure were observed in all subjects, genotype-specific differences were also observed. For example, subjects with “L/M interchange” mutations resulting from intermixing of ancestral OPN1LW and OPN1MW genes had significant residual cone structure in the parafovea (∼25% of normal), despite widespread retinal disruption that included a large foveal lesion and thinning of the parafoveal inner retina. These subjects also reported a later-onset, progressive loss of visual function. In contrast, subjects with the C203R missense mutation presented with congenital blue cone monochromacy, with retinal lamination defects being restricted to the ONL+HFL and the degree of residual cone structure (8% of normal) being consistent with that expected for the S-cone submosaic. Conclusions. The photoreceptor phenotype associated with OPN1LW and OPN1MW mutations is highly variable. These findings have implications for the potential restoration of visual function in subjects with opsin mutations. Our study highlights the importance of high-resolution phenotyping to characterize cellular structure in inherited retinal disease; such information will be critical for selecting patients most likely to respond to therapeutic intervention and for establishing a baseline for evaluating treatment efficacy

The Charles Lamb Bulletin 173 (Summer) 2021

Summer edition of the Charles and Mary Lamb Journal, The Charles Lamb Bulletin. pp. 104 pages

Student Employment: Linking College and the Workplace

The focus of National Student Employment Association (formerly the National Association of Student Employment Administrators, or NASEA) publications has always been on students in transition. From the freshman moving from high school to higher education, to the senior attempting the transition to professional employment and financial independence, we always have explored how students can better accomplish these linking experiences. Student employment is a hybrid, serving as a bridge between work and school, and ultimately, a link between school and full-time work. Student employment links elements of financial aid, career development, academic learning, experiential education, and personal development. Student employment, in all of these ways, is a bridge, moving the student from point A to point B. Because of this variety, any publication on student employment must necessarily speak to diverse themes. We have organized this publication in four sections: an introduction followed by three themed sections.https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/bookshelf/1000/thumbnail.jp

Tailoring psychosocial risk assessment in the oil and gas industry by exploring specific and common psychosocial risks

Background: Psychosocial risk management [Psychosocial Risk Management Approach (PRIMA)] has, through the years, been applied in several organizations in various industries and countries globally. PRIMA principles have also been translated into international frameworks, such as PRIMA-EF (European framework) and the World Health Organization Healthy Workplace Framework. Over the past 10 years, an oil and gas company has put efforts into adopting and implementing international frameworks and standards for psychosocial risk management. More specifically, the company uses a PRIMA. Methods: This study explores available quantitative and qualitative risk data collected through the PRIMA method over the past 8 years in order to explore specific and common psychosocial risks in the petroleum industry. Results: The analyses showed a significant correlation between job resources and symptoms of work-related stress, there was a significant correlation between job demands and symptoms of work-related stress, and there were differences in psychosocial risk factors and symptoms of work-related stress onshore and offshore. The study also offers recommendations on how the results can further be utilized in building a robust system for managing psychosocial risks in the industry. Conclusion: The results from the analyses have provided meaningful and important information about the company-specific psychosocial risk factors and their impact on health and well-being

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT): High-resolution imaging and spectroscopy in the far-infrared

We report results of a recently-completed pre-Formulation Phase study of SPIRIT, a candidate NASA Origins Probe mission. SPIRIT is a spatial and spectral interferometer with an operating wavelength range 25 - 400 microns. SPIRIT will provide sub-arcsecond resolution images and spectra with resolution R = 3000 in a 1 arcmin field of view to accomplish three primary scientific objectives: (1) Learn how planetary systems form from protostellar disks, and how they acquire their inhomogeneous composition; (2) characterize the family of extrasolar planetary systems by imaging the structure in debris disks to understand how and where planets of different types form; and (3) learn how high-redshift galaxies formed and merged to form the present-day population of galaxies. Observations with SPIRIT will be complementary to those of the James Webb Space Telescope and the ground-based Atacama Large Millimeter Array. All three observatories could be operational contemporaneously.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in J. Adv. Space Res. on 26 May 200