Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials in Produced Water and Oil-Field Equipment

This report summarizes the current knowledge of naturally occurring radioactive materials in oil-fields of the United States. Of particular concern is the effect on public health and the environment of exposure to radioactive materials in the form of radium-bearing water and 'scale' deposits in tanks and pipes, which may travel far from the oil fields as scrap metal products. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Body Size Distribution and Frequency of Anthropogenic Injuries of Bluntnose Sixgill Sharks, Hexanchus griseus, at Flora Islets, British Columbia

The Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus) is a widely distributed demersal species whose population biology is poorly understood. Although H. griseus is normally found in deep continental slope waters, individuals from a population in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, make unexpected diurnal movements onto a shallow reef (Flora Islets) between June and August. This shallow water activity allowed in situ length measurements to be made on 35 free-swimming Bluntnose Sixgill Sharks using stereo videography. The measured sharks were all large juveniles and sub-adults, although smaller juveniles and pregnant females are known to occur in deeper adjacent waters. The restricted size distribution at Flora Islets may arise because small juveniles avoid contact with larger conspecifics and mating takes place offshore. All measured sharks were individually identified by unique scar patterns. In 13 of 35 sharks these scars were consistent with injuries expected from hooking and entanglement by commercial fishing gear

A Study of the Personality Characteristics of Patients in Methadone Maintenance Programs

Estimates of the number of heroin addicts in the United States vary between 200,000 and 500,000. Although differences of opinion exist as to the numbers of heroin addicts, there is little argument about the cost of supporting their addiction. Hundreds of millions of dollars are lost each year through criminal activities perpetrated to support addictions. No price can be assessed for the addict\u27s misery, suffering, poor health, and even sometimes his untimely death

Constraining the magnetic field properties of Bok globule B335 using SOFIA/HAWC+

Thanks to their well-defined shape and mostly isolated locations, Bok globules are suitable objects for studying the physics of low-mass star formation. To study the magnetic field of the prototypical Bok globule B335, we obtained a spatially resolved polarization map with SOFIA/HAWC+ at a wavelength of 214$\,\mu$m. For the first time, these observations reveal that polarization holes in Bok globules, that is, the decrease in polarization degree towards their dense centers, also occur in the far-infrared wavelength regime. The observed polarization pattern is uniform with a mean polarization angle of 48$^\circ\pm$26$^\circ$ and a magnetic field strength of $\sim$ 142$\,\mu$G. Moreover, we use complementary polarimetic data for B335 obtained at near-infrared to millimeter wavelengths to analyze and constrain the magnetic field across different scales. By applying the 3D Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code POLARIS (Reissl et al. 2016), we developed a model for the density and magnetic field structure as well as for the dust properties of this globule. We conclude that the column density towards the center of B335 is too low to cause the observed polarization hole in B335 via dichroic absorption (Brauer et al. 2016). Furthermore, we conclude that the effect of self-scattering has no significant impact on the observed polarization. Adopting dust-grain alignment via the radiative torque mechanism, a combination of the interstellar radiation field and the central star as radiation sources is consistent with the decrease in polarization degree at the outer regions of B335 ($\approx\,$10$^4\,$au from the core). However, the model fails to explain the low polarization degree within the inner 5000 au.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 11 pages, 10 figure

Colojejunal Fistula Resulting from a D-PEJ Feeding Tube

Numerous procedures have been developed to provide adequate enteral nutrition to patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Previously, operative placement of a feeding gastrostomy or jejunostomy tube was the accepted means of gaining chronic enteral access. However, improved technology and experience with endoscopic techniques have quickly replaced primary operative placement of enteral access. Direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (D-PEJ) is a procedure that was designed to deliver enteral feeding solutions for patients with proximal disease after unsatisfactory results from percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes with jejunal extensions (PEG-J). As with any procedure, it is associated with complications. We present the first reported case of a colojejunal fistula resulting from a D-PEJ placement. While D-PEJ has been shown to be relatively safe, complications related to the inherent limitations of the procedure need to be considered when the patient experiences unusual post-procedure symptoms and worked up appropriately

Macromolecular recognition: Structural aspects of the origin of the genetic system

Theoretical simulation of prebiotic chemical processes is an invaluable tool for probing the phenomenon of the evolution of life. Using computational and modeling techniques and guided by analogies from present day systems, we seek to understand the emergence of the genetic apparatus, enzymatic catalysis and protein synthesis under prebiotic conditions. Modeling of the ancestral aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases (aRS) may provide important clues to the emergence of the genetic code and the protein synthetic machinery. The minimal structural requirements for the catalysis of tRNA aminoacylation are being explored. A formation of an aminoacyl adenylate was studied in the framework of ab initio molecular orbital theory. The role of individual residues in the vicinity of the TyrRS active site was examined, and the effect of all possible amino acids substitutions near the active site was examined. A formation of aminoacyl tRNA was studied by the molecular modeling system SYBYL with the high resolution crystallographic structures of the present day tRNA, aRS's complexes. The ultimate goal is to propose a simple RNA segment that is small enough to be build in the primordial chemical environment but maintains the specificity and catalytic activity of the contemporary RNA enzyme. To understand the mechanism of ribozyme catalyzed reactions, ab initio and semi-empirical (ZINDO) programs were used to investigate the reaction path of transphosphorylation. A special emphasis was placed on the possible catalytic and structural roles played by the coordinated magnesium cation. Both the inline and adjacent mechanisms of transphosphorylation were studied. The structural characteristics of the target helices, particularly a possible role for the G-T pair, is also studied by a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique

Gough Island--evaluation of a fractional crystallization model and an experimental study of the partitioning of a rare earth element in the system diopside/water,

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science, 1972.Vita.Includes bibliographical references.by Robert A. Zielinski.Ph.D

'The best thing since sliced bread' : patient experiences of teleoncology in western NSW

Objective: This study explored experiences of rural cancer patients who were receiving treatments by remote video-assisted chemotherapy (RVAC) or participating in clinical trials remotely. Setting: Participants lived in Coonabarabran or Dubbo in western NSW. Participants: Seven cancer patients undergoing treatment for breast, bladder or colon cancer, renal cell carcinoma or lymphoma. Design: Appreciative inquiry informed this qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between July 2018 and January 2019 and thematically analysed. Results: The patient experience of teleoncology was overwhelmingly positive. Patients explained the value of relationships that developed with the local and virtual care team. Patients felt they received better care if they saw the same oncologist for the duration of their treatment and felt RVAC had accommodated this. Teleoncology allowed patients to remain independent because they were able to maintain their usual support mechanisms including family, friends and health care team. Patients described the reduced physical and emotional travel burden in addition to reduction in travel time and cost. Conclusions: These findings highlight the acceptability of teleoncology for rural patients as chemotherapy can be added to the health care and social and emotional supports, which exist in their hometown. Expansion of teleoncology should be codesigned with local communities with a focus on establishing care teams with consistent staffing to build trust between the treating team and the patient. These relationships improve the patient experience and enhance patient independence, which is a desirable attribute of cancer survivorship. Recruitment to clinical trials using teleoncology is acceptable and should be factored into trial development

Importance of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in potentially curable colorectal cancer liver metastases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Surgical resection of liver metastases arising from colorectal cancer is considered the only curative treatment option. However, many patients subsequently experience disease recurrence. We prospectively investigated whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy reduces the risk of recurrence following potentially curative liver resection. Special emphasis was directed to the importance of response.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>50 patients with resectable liver metastases received neoadjuvant XELOX or FOLFOX4 for six cycles (3 months). Complete resection of liver metastases was intended thereafter. Assessments included response rate, postoperative morbidity and recurrence-free survival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An objective response was observed in 72% of all patients, including two complete responses. Chemotherapy was well tolerated and the majority of adverse events were mild to moderate (grade 1/2). Potentially curative R0 resection was performed in all patients and postoperative complications were observed in only 12%. The median recurrence-free survival was significantly influenced by tumor response with 24.7 months (95% CI: 4.50 to 44.97) in responding patients, 8.2 months (95% CI: 3.09 to 13.31) in patients with stable disease and 3.0 months (95% CI: 0 to 8.91) in patients with progressive disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data suggest that neoadjuvant Oxaliplatin based chemotherapy provides high response rates without increased risk of perioperative morbidity. Response to chemotherapy can lead to long-term recurrence-free survival. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may identify best candidates for a potentially curative treatment approach.</p