Pilot Project Funding Opportunities

Learn about funding opportunities offered through the UMCCTS in the 2011-2012 academic year. Two previously-funded researchers also describe their projects: Olga Hardy on Capacity Building at GoKids Boston: An Inter-­Campus Initiative and Jie Song on New Therapeutic Strategy for the Treatment of Hard-to-heal Bony Lesions

Magnetic White Dwarfs from the SDSS II. The Second and Third Data Releases

Fifty-two magnetic white dwarfs have been identified in spectroscopic observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) obtained between mid-2002 and the end of 2004, including Data Releases 2 and 3. Though not as numerous nor as diverse as the discoveries from the first Data Release, the collection exhibits polar field strengths ranging from 1.5MG to ~1000MG, and includes two new unusual atomic DQA examples, a molecular DQ, and five stars that show hydrogen in fields above 500MG. The highest-field example, SDSSJ2346+3853, may be the most strongly magnetic white dwarf yet discovered. Analysis of the photometric data indicates that the magnetic sample spans the same temperature range as for nonmagnetic white dwarfs from the SDSS, and support is found for previous claims that magnetic white dwarfs tend to have larger masses than their nonmagnetic counterparts. A glaring exception to this trend is the apparently low-gravity object SDSSJ0933+1022, which may have a history involving a close binary companion.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

Positron emission tomography with f18-fluorodeoxyglucose in the staging and preoperative evaluation of malignant pleural mesothelioma

AbstractObjectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of positron emission tomography with F18-fluorodeoxyglucose in the preoperative evaluation and staging of malignant mesothelioma in patients who were candidates for aggressive combined modality therapy. Methods: Eighteen consecutive patients with biopsy-proven malignant mesothelioma underwent positron emission tomographic scanning. The results of positron emission tomographic imaging were compared with results obtained by computed tomography, mediastinoscopy, thoracoscopy, and pathologic examination of surgical specimens. All patients fasted and received an average of 14.5 ± 2.7 mCi of F18-fluorodeoxyglucose for positron emission tomographic scanning. Attenuation-corrected whole-body and regional emission images of the chest and upper abdomen were acquired and formatted into transaxial, coronal, and sagittal images. Results: All primary malignant mesotheliomas accumulated F18-fluorodeoxyglucose, and the mean standardized uptake value was 7.6 (range, 3.33-14.85; n = 9). There were no false-negative results of positron emission tomography. Identification of occult extrathoracic metastases by positron emission tomography was the basis for excluding two patients from surgical therapy. There were two false-positive results of positron emission tomography: increased F18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the contralateral chest that was negative by thoracoscopic biopsy (n = 1) and increased abdominal F18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake after partial colectomy for diverticular disease (n = 1). Conclusions: Positron emission tomography can identify malignant pleural mesothelioma and appears to be a useful noninvasive staging modality for patients being considered for aggressive combined modality therapy. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;120:128-33

Food Waste Posing a Serious Threat to Sustainability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – A Systematic Review

Worldwide, food waste is one of the prime issues threatening food security and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is not an exception. With 427 kg of food wasted per capita per year, the country ranks among the top food wasters. Ironically, the Kingdom has limited arable lands and scarce water resources to support mass-scale agriculture and to feed its increasing population, KSA relies heavily on imports and subsidized food to meet needs. Yet, food is wasted at restaurants, caterers, cafeterias and, especially, by households such that food waste is the single-largest component of the landfills. The review article is based on the grey and scientific literature published in the English and Arabic languages on the issue of food waste in Saudi Arabia. Information sources like Web of knowledge, online resources and the databases available through the King Saud University, Saudi Arabia were accessed and used to collect information on food waste, its social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts and related topics. Since food items and groceries are abundantly available to all living in KSA and they are highly subsidized, the residents take food for granted. According to a recent survey, about 78% of food purchased in KSA is discarded each week in order to make room for new groceries. The factors responsible for food waste include: lack of awareness; and insufficient and inappropriate planning when shopping. Food waste in restaurants, celebrations, social events and occasions are enormous. Waste is common in festivals and special events where the customs is to provide more food than required. There is a need to change society’s food culture, particularly among the women and the youth, as they are largest segment of the society and the prime food wasters. The analysis of the factors responsible for food waste, identified in this article suggests a “Stop Wasting Food” campaign should be launched. It is also recommended to determine and activate the role of extension education to reduce food waste in the KSA through vibrant capacity building programs for youth and women, in particular, and society in general

Assessment of the non-destructive nature of PASD on wire insulation integrity.

The potential of a new cable diagnostic known as Pulse-Arrested Spark Discharge technique (PASD) is being studied. Previous reports have documented the capability of the technique to locate cable failures using a short high voltage pulse. This report will investigate the impact of PASD on the sample under test. In this report, two different energy deposition experiments are discussed. These experiments include the PASD pulse ({approx}6 mJ) and a high energy discharge ({approx}600 mJ) produced from a charged capacitor source. The high energy experiment is used to inflict detectable damage upon the insulators and to make comparisons with the effects of the low energy PASD pulse. Insulator breakdown voltage strength before and after application of the PASD pulse and high energy discharges are compared. Results indicate that the PASD technique does not appear to degrade the breakdown strength of the insulator or to produce visible damage. However, testing of the additional materials, including connector insulators, may be warranted to verify PASDs non-destructive nature across the full spectrum of insulators used in commercial aircraft wiring systems

Candidate Type II Quasars from the SDSS: III. Spectropolarimetry Reveals Hidden Type I Nuclei

We have conducted spectropolarimetry of 12 type II (obscured) quasar candidates selected from the spectroscopic database of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey based on their emission line properties. Polarization was detected in all objects, with nine being highly polarized (> 3%) and with polarization reaching as high as 17% in two objects. Broad lines were detected in the polarized spectra of five objects. These observations prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the objects in our sample are indeed type II quasars, in that they harbor luminous UV-excess AGNs in their centers and that the direct view to the AGN is highly obscured. For three of the objects in this paper, we have obtained HST images in three bands. The HST observations, combined with the spectropolarimetry data, imply that scattering off material outside the obscuration plane is the dominant polarization mechanism. In all three objects the sizes of scattering regions are a few kpc. For one object, the extent of the scattering region, coupled with the characteristics of the polarized spectrum, argue strongly that dust scattering rather than electron scattering dominates the polarized light. Our observations are well-described by the basic orientation-based unification model of toroidal obscuration and off-plane scattering, implying that the model can be extended to include at least some high-luminosity AGNs.Comment: 31 pages including 4 b/w pictures, 1 color HST image and 2 tables. Submitted to AJ on Sept 26, accepted for March 2005. Minor modifications to match the accepted versio