Evaluation of HRL condensing temperature controls

Sensitivities of condenser, radiator, and pump bypass temperature controls to control flo

An Analysis of Mercury Accumulation Within the Upper Estuarine Food Chain of Lake Charles, Louisiana

Analysis of the level of mercury contamination within the sediments and fish associated food chain of Lake Charles, Louisiana, an area located within the Calcasieu River system, were assessed. Sediment levels were found to be slightly elevated (0.33µg Hg/g) from natural background levels (0.20 µg Hg/g). Levels found within the fish of the region were also found to be slightly elevated (0.287 µg Hg/g) from natural levels. This is below the hazardous level designated by the Food and Drug Administration (0.50 µg Hg/g). The statistical analysis of the pathway of mercury through a food chain composed of eight different species was found to be strongly influenced by the factors of percent piscivory, a quantitative measure of trophic level, body length (measured as standard length) and condition factor, measured as weight/body length~3. The predictive model developed for evaluating the mercury level in an individual fish within Lake Charles is: Hg= Bo +B1(PER)+ B2(CF) + B3(BL) + B4( BL2) + B5(BL3) + Bs(CF*BL) + B7(CF*BL2) + Ba(CF*BL3) where 130 • 7.740 X 10-1 131 • 6.525 X 1o-3 132 • -4.637 X 1o2 134 • 2.066 X 1o-3 a5 • -1.42 x 1o-s 135 • 5.466 X 101 B7 • -1.536 X 1QO a8 • 1.109 x 10-2 This model is highly predictive with a A-square value of 0.53 and indicates that mercury accumulation does not follow a perfectly linear trend as it increases through the food chain but is highly correlated with trophic position. Values for mercury within the sampled areas of Lake Charles are not sufficient to cause concern for possible health risks in the area. x

A water vision for Johnstone

The Water Vision is based on ideas from The Netherlands which promote communication with the public on key water related issues in a local authority area. A Water Vision for Johnstone was developed in Renfrewshire, Scotland where serious flooding has occurred in the past and new, predominantly non-structural approaches to surface water management were demanded. The paper outlines the development of a ‘Water Vision for Johnstone’ which became a key outcome of the Interreg III B project ‘Urban Water’.The Water Toets (Assessments) are statutory procedures in the Netherlands which come into play from the concept stage of developments onwards to full implementation. They are undertaken jointly on behalf of the spatial planning authority and the water authorities to evaluate the impact of development on the water network. In contrast, the Water Vision is a less well-defined process to identify community needs and aspirations but in many areas the vision is essential to support the Water Toets. The Water Vision is initiated by planning officers from the municipalities asking very basic questions of their communities about what they required of the water network. It was felt that adopting such a proactive approach where virtually any question about water bodies and drainage infrastructure could be asked, would not be practicable in the UK and it was decided to assemble information about water issues in the area, the agencies involved and potential ways forward, before approaching the public.Johnstone was selected as a test area as it was felt that this locality included many of the water related problems that can be found throughout Renfrewshire. Key water issues were identified and a range of possible solutions provided. Problems, solutions and organisations responsible for different aspects of the water network are described in the document, using images and plans to facilitate the public awareness. Normally the man in the street would not be expected to be as familiar with the nature of water-related problems as the general public in the Netherlands. The Water Vision is yet to go to public consultation as it is currently primarily a planning tool in which council processes are embedded. However, it is planned that workshops including all key stakeholders involved in water management will be held. Those bodies currently responsible for water management will then be encouraged to discuss the various options and opportunities available in a creative and integrated manner. By working together as a team in addressing water related issues it will be possible to develop a vision for the future that better assists the public in moving forward together

Consolidated guidance about materials licenses: Program-specific guidance about portable gauge licenses. Final report; Volume 1

As part of its redesign of the materials licensing process, NRC is consolidating and updating numerous guidance documents into a single comprehensive repository as described in NUREG-1539 and draft NUREG-1541. NUREG-1556, Vol. 1, is the first program-specific guidance developed for the new process and will serve as a template for subsequent program-specific guidance. This document is intended for use by applicants, licensees, and NRC staff and will also be available to Agreement States. This document supersedes the guidance previously found in draft Regulatory Guide DG-0008, ``Applications for the Use of Sealed Sources in Portable Gauging Devices,`` and in NMSs Policy and guidance Directive 2-07, ``Standard Review Plan for Applications for Use of Sealed Sources in Portable Gauging Devices.`` This final report takes a more risk-informed, performance-based approach to licensing portable gauges, and reduces the information(amount and level of detail) needed to support an application to use these devices. It incorporates many suggests submitted during the comment period on draft NUREG-1556, Volume 1. When published, this final report should be used in preparing portable gauge license applications. NRC staff will use this final report in reviewing these applications

Consolidated guidance about materials licenses: Program-specific guidance about portable gauge licenses. Final report; Volume 1

As part of its redesign of the materials licensing process, NRC is consolidating and updating numerous guidance documents into a single comprehensive repository as described in NUREG-1539 and draft NUREG-1541. NUREG-1556, Vol. 1, is the first program-specific guidance developed for the new process and will serve as a template for subsequent program-specific guidance. This document is intended for use by applicants, licensees, and NRC staff and will also be available to Agreement States. This document supersedes the guidance previously found in draft Regulatory Guide DG-0008, ``Applications for the Use of Sealed Sources in Portable Gauging Devices,`` and in NMSs Policy and guidance Directive 2-07, ``Standard Review Plan for Applications for Use of Sealed Sources in Portable Gauging Devices.`` This final report takes a more risk-informed, performance-based approach to licensing portable gauges, and reduces the information(amount and level of detail) needed to support an application to use these devices. It incorporates many suggests submitted during the comment period on draft NUREG-1556, Volume 1. When published, this final report should be used in preparing portable gauge license applications. NRC staff will use this final report in reviewing these applications

Systemic Immunologic Consequences of Chronic Periodontitis

Chronic periodontitis (ChP) is a prevalent inflammatory disease affecting 46% of the US population. ChP produces a profound local inflammatory response to dysbiotic oral microbiota that leads to destruction of alveolar bone and tooth loss. ChP is also associated with systemic illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases, malignancies, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying these adverse health outcomes are poorly understood. In this prospective cohort study, we used a highly multiplex mass cytometry immunoassay to perform an in-depth analysis of the systemic consequences of ChP in patients before (n = 28) and after (n = 16) periodontal treatment. A high-dimensional analysis of intracellular signaling networks revealed immune system–wide dysfunctions differentiating patients with ChP from healthy controls. Notably, we observed exaggerated proinflammatory responses to Porphyromonas gingivalis–derived lipopolysaccharide in circulating neutrophils and monocytes from patients with ChP. Simultaneously, natural killer cell responses to inflammatory cytokines were attenuated. Importantly, the immune alterations associated with ChP were no longer detectable 3 wk after periodontal treatment. Our findings demarcate systemic and cell-specific immune dysfunctions in patients with ChP, which can be temporarily reversed by the local treatment of ChP. Future studies in larger cohorts are needed to test the boundaries of generalizability of our results

Study protocol for the evaluation of an Infant Simulator based program delivered in schools: a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial

Background: This paper presents the study protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a school based program developed to prevent teenage pregnancy. The program includes students taking care of an Infant Simulator; despite growing popularity and an increasing global presence of such programs, there is no published evidence of their long-term impact. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the Virtual Infant Parenting (VIP) program by investigating pre-conceptual health and risk behaviours, teen pregnancy and the resultant birth outcomes, early child health and maternal health. Methods and Design: Fifty-seven schools (86% of 66 eligible secondary schools) in Perth, Australia were recruited to the clustered (by school) randomised trial, with even randomisation to the intervention and control arms. Between 2003 and 2006, the VIP program was administered to 1,267 participants in the intervention schools, while 1,567 participants in the non-intervention schools received standard curriculum. Participants were all female and aged between 13-15 years upon recruitment. Pre and post-intervention questionnaires measured short-term impact and participants are now being followed through their teenage years via data linkage to hospital medical records, abortion clinics and education records. Participants who have a live birth are interviewed by face-to-face interview. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and proportional hazards regression will test for differences in pregnancy, birth and abortion rates during the teenage years between the study arms.Discussion: This protocol paper provides a detailed overview of the trial design as well as initial results in the form of participant flow. The authors describe the intervention and its delivery within the natural school setting and discuss the practical issues in the conduct of the trial, including recruitment. The trial is pragmatic and will directly inform those who provide Infant Simulator based programs in school settings

Safety and immunogenicity of rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP Ebola vaccine in adults and children in Lambaréné, Gabon: A phase I randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: The rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine prevented Ebola virus disease when used at 2 × 107 plaque-forming units (PFU) in a trial in Guinea. This study provides further safety and immunogenicity data. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A randomised, open-label phase I trial in Lambaréné, Gabon, studied 5 single intramuscular vaccine doses of 3 × 103, 3 × 104, 3 × 105, 3 × 106, or 2 × 107 PFU in 115 adults and a dose of 2 × 107 PFU in 20 adolescents and 20 children. The primary objective was safety and tolerability 28 days post-injection. Immunogenicity, viraemia, and shedding post-vaccination were evaluated as secondary objectives. In adults, mild-to-moderate adverse events were frequent, but there were no serious or severe adverse events related to vaccination. Before vaccination, Zaire Ebola virus (ZEBOV)-glycoprotein (GP)-specific and ZEBOV antibodies were detected in 11% and 27% of adults, respectively. In adults, 74%-100% of individuals who received a dose 3 × 104, 3 × 105, 3 × 106, or 2 × 107 PFU had a ≥4.0-fold increase in geometric mean titres (GMTs) of ZEBOV-GP-specific antibodies at day 28, reaching GMTs of 489 (95% CI: 264-908), 556 (95% CI: 280-1,101), 1,245 (95% CI: 899-1,724), and 1,503 (95% CI: 931-2,426), respectively. Twenty-two percent of adults had a ≥4-fold increase of ZEBOV antibodies, with GMTs at day 28 of 1,015 (647-1,591), 1,887 (1,154-3,085), 1,445 (1,013-2,062), and 3,958 (2,249-6,967) for the same doses, respectively. These antibodies persisted up to day 180 for doses ≥3 × 105 PFU. Adults with antibodies before vaccination had higher GMTs throughout. Neutralising antibodies were detected in more than 50% of participants at doses ≥3 × 105 PFU. As in adults, no serious or severe adverse events related to vaccine occurred in adolescents or children. At day 2, vaccine RNA titres were higher for adolescents and children than adults. At day 7, 78% of adolescents and 35% of children had recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus RNA detectable in saliva. The vaccine induced high GMTs of ZEBOV-GP-specific antibodies at day 28 in adolescents, 1,428 (95% CI: 1,025-1,989), and children, 1,620 (95% CI: 806-3,259), and in both groups antibody titres increased up to day 180. The absence of a control group, lack of stratification for baseline antibody status, and imbalances in male/female ratio are the main limitations of this study. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm the acceptable safety and immunogenicity profile of the 2 × 107 PFU dose in adults and support consideration of lower doses for paediatric populations and those who request boosting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Pan African Clinical Trials Registry PACTR201411000919191

Clinical oxidative stress during leprosy multidrug therapy:impact of dapsone oxidation

This study aims to assess the oxidative stress in leprosy patients under multidrug therapy (MDT; dapsone, clofazimine and rifampicin), evaluating the nitric oxide (NO) concentration, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, glutathione (GSH) levels, total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation, and methemoglobin formation. For this, we analyzed 23 leprosy patients and 20 healthy individuals from the Amazon region, Brazil, aged between 20 and 45 years. Blood sampling enabled the evaluation of leprosy patients prior to starting multidrug therapy (called MDT 0) and until the third month of multidrug therapy (MDT 3). With regard to dapsone (DDS) plasma levels, we showed that there was no statistical difference in drug plasma levels between multibacillary (0.518±0.029 μg/mL) and paucibacillary (0.662±0.123 μg/mL) patients. The methemoglobin levels and numbers of Heinz bodies were significantly enhanced after the third MDTsupervised dose, but this treatment did not significantly change the lipid peroxidation and NO levels in these leprosy patients. In addition, CAT activity was significantly reduced in MDT-treated leprosy patients, while GSH content was increased in these patients. However, SOD and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity levels were similar in patients with and without treatment. These data suggest that MDT can reduce the activity of some antioxidant enzyme and influence ROS accumulation, which may induce hematological changes, such as methemoglobinemia in patients with leprosy. We also explored some redox mechanisms associated with DDS and its main oxidative metabolite DDS-NHOH and we explored the possible binding of DDS to the active site of CYP2C19 with the aid of molecular modeling software