Traditional Biocidal Replacement Viability of Microcrystalline Silver Chloride

The antimicrobial effects of silver ions and silver chloride nanoparticles have been well established while the efficacy of microcrystalline silver chloride has been less studied. Certex-AM, a microcrystalline silver chloride product produced by Cerion, Rochester, NY, was tested for its antimicrobial properties as a possible replacement for traditional biocidal techniques used in water cooling towers. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the compound was determined using a microtiter broth assay. The compound was found to have inhibitory effects on bacterial growth for all tested organisms at concentrations greater than 9 ppm. Additional testing simulating a water cooling system showed the effectiveness of reducing an established wild population at concentrations of 10 ppm of the microcrystalline silver chloride. Certex-AM was found to be a promising replacement for traditional biocides as well as for other applications. Introduction of effective antimicrobial compounds such as this could reduce the pathogenic risk to humans associated with water cooling towers

Easter Rising 1916: How to Remember the Terrible Beauty Born

My research covers the 1916 Easter Rising that occurred in Dublin. I am looking at how the media coverage portrayed the events of Easter Week 1916 both in their immediate aftermath and during the Centenary celebrations that recently occurred. I am investigating this to determine if the more recent interpretations of what happened over romanticize the events that took place or if they provide the proper weight to events that are the first steps toward the birth of a modern nation free of colonial domination. To do this I plan to look at newspaper accounts from the period, both from the US and England. For modern accounts, I will examine the some of the celebratory events and other commemorations that occurred in 2016

Quadratically Dense Matroids

This thesis is concerned with finding the maximum density of rank-$n$ matroids in a minor-closed class. The extremal function of a non-empty minor-closed class $\mathcal M$ of matroids which excludes a rank-2 uniform matroid is defined by $$h_{\mathcal M}(n)=\max(|M|\colon M\in \mathcal M \text{ is simple, and } r(M)\le n).$$ The Growth Rate Theorem of Geelen, Kabell, Kung, and Whittle shows that this function is either linear, quadratic, or exponential in $n$. In this thesis we prove a general result about classes with quadratic extremal function, and then use it to determine the extremal function for several interesting classes of representable matroids, for sufficiently large integers $n$. In particular, for each integer $t\ge 4$ we find the extremal function for all but finitely many $n$ for the class of $\mathbb C$-representable matroids with no $U_{2,t}$-minor, and we find the extremal function for the class of matroids representable over finite fields $\mathbb F_1$ and $\mathbb F_2$ where $|\mathbb F_1|-1$ divides $|\mathbb F_2|-1$ and $|\mathbb F_1|$ and $|\mathbb F_2|$ are relatively prime

On The Density of Binary Matroids Without a Given Minor

This thesis is motivated by the following question: how many elements can a simple binary matroid with no \PG(t,2)-minor have? This is a natural analogue of questions asked about the density of graphs in minor-closed classes. We will answer this question by finding the eventual growth rate function of the class of matroids with no \PG(t,2)-minor, for any $t\ge 2$. Our main tool will be the matroid minors structure theory of Geelen, Gerards, and Whittle, and much of this thesis will be devoted to frame templates, the notion of structure in that theory

A Cultural Resources Survey Of The BP-Fletcher No.1 Proposed 4.4-Acre Well Pad, 1.5-Acre Well Pad, And 2.4-Mile Pipeline Project, Within Village Greek State Park, Hardin County, Texas

Perennial Environmental Services, LLC (Perennial), on behalf of Upstream Exploration, LLC (Upstream) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey of the BP – Fletcher No. 1 well pads and pipeline Project (Project) located east of Lumberton, Texas on the recently acquired Hancock Tract within the Village Creek State Park. The Project will include vegetation clearing, equipment staging as well as construction and installation of an approximately 4.4-acre pad site, 1.5-acre pad site, and a 3.8-kilometer- (km-) (2.4-mile- [mi-]) long 10.2-centimeter- (cm-) 4.0-inch- [in.-]) diameter pipeline. The pipeline portion of the Project will run adjacent to an unnamed road that bisects the Hancock property from west to east approximately 2.7 km (1.7 mi) to the east of Alma Drive. The two pad sites are located at either terminus of the pipeline and average approximately 1.5 acres and 4.4 acres in size. The 3.8-km- (2.4-mi-) long pipeline will be installed within an approximately 6.9-meter-(m-) (20.0-foot- [ft.-]) wide permanent corridor with temporary workspace extending up to a 15.2-m- (50-ft.-) wide corridor in some areas (14.2 acres). In all, the Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the Project totals 20.5 acres, with depths of impacts ranging from 1.2 to1.8 m (4.0 to 6.0 ft.). Abby Peyton served as Principal Investigator for the Project, Jennifer Cochran served as Project Archeologist, and Chris Shelton, Amy Goldstein, and Kirsten Atwood conducted the fieldwork on January 27-29, 2016. The Project is located on property owned by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), a political subdivision of the State of Texas. As such, the property falls under the jurisdiction of the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT). A cultural resources assessment was necessary within the Project in order to satisfy requirements of the ACT. The purpose of the survey was to identify any prehistoric and historic-age archaeological sites located within the APE and evaluate their significance and eligibility for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). The cultural resources investigations were conducted under Texas Antiquities Committee (TAC) Permit No. 7499. In all, a total of 144 shovel tests and 7 bucket auger tests were excavated across the Project. Shovel tests revealed diverse soil textures, such as silty clay loam, sandy loam, loamy sand, and sandy clay. Auger testing was terminated upon reaching compact clay or the presence of the water table at 110.0-175.0 cm (43.0-69.0 in.) below ground surface. No evidence of any cultural resources was observed along the modern ground surface or within any of the shovel tests or bucket augers excavated within the Project. Previously recorded site 41HN59, a historic-age site consisting of a historic-age trash scatter, was observed approximately 6.1 m (20.0 ft.) west of the proposed pipeline right-of-way (ROW). The ground surface was thoroughly inspected and shovel tests were excavated at 30.0-m (98.4-ft.) intervals along the Project area near site 41HN59. No evidence of site 41HN59 was observed along the modern ground surface within any of the shovel tests excavated in this area. Based on the results of the survey effort, no intact, significant cultural resources will be affected by any construction activities within the Project area. In accordance with the ACT, Perennial recommends no further cultural resources investigations within the 20.5-acre Project area

Microstratigraphic Analysis of Fossil Distribution in the Lower Hornerstown and Upper Navesink Formations at the Edelman Fossil Park, NJ

Maastrichtian–Danian sediments of the Navesink and Hornerstown formations at the Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park of Rowan University in Mantua Township, New Jersey, have long intrigued paleontologists. Within the basal Hornerstown Formation occurs the Main Fossiliferous Layer (MFL), a regionally well-known and diverse bonebed. The lithostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic position of this fossil layer have been debated for more than 50 years, fueling debate over its origin. Herein, we present the results of a microstratigraphic analysis of the fossil composition and distribution of the MFL undertaken to rectify these discrepancies. Through methodical top-down excavation, we recorded the three-dimensional position of every fossil encountered. Three-dimensional visualization and analyses of these data in ArcGIS Pro yielded an unprecedented view of this bonebed. Most reported discrepancies about the stratigraphic placement and thickness of the MFL can be explained by the presence of two distinct fossil assemblages within this interval that are occasionally combined into a single bonebed. The stratigraphically-lower assemblage, herein termed an “oyster layer”, is geometrically-tabular and exhibits low taxonomic diversity, high abundance of the oyster Pycnodonte, and moderate taxonomic richness. The stratigraphically-higher assemblage, the MFL, occurs approximately 9 cm higher in section and exhibits high values of taxonomic diversity, fossil abundance, and taxonomic richness. Sedimentological homogeneity throughout this interval suggests that these faunal contrasts arise from the two assemblages having formed via independent taphonomic pathways. Specifically, prevalence of Pycnodonte in the oyster layer implies formation by a selective mortality event, whereas the diversity of the MFL appears to reflect a more universal agent of mortality. Spatial variations in the stratigraphic distribution of fossils within the MFL in our excavation area indicate this assemblage does not form a simple, tabular layer as previously thought and may, in part, record original bathymetry. Importantly, our definition of the MFL and detailed characterization of its stratigraphic placement are essential for future studies on the taphonomic origin and chronostratigraphy of this bonebed. Universal use of this definition would allow researchers to confidently elucidate the exact lithostratigraphic positions of precise chronostratigraphic indicators within the MFL and accurately estimate the degree of time averaging of its fossils

Exile Vol. XXXIV No. 1

Rock by Cam Martin (cover) New Arrival by Kent Lambert 3 Le Sacre Du Printemps by David Zivan 4 Nightscape by Cam Martin 5 A Cry For Life by Kent Lambert 7-8 Untitled by Grant Young 9 Crazy Circle by Melissa Wellington 10 Untitled by Shelley Dickerson 13 *The Tall Boy by Lauren Williams 15-19 *Untitled by Shelley Dickerson 21 Our Native Images by Cam Martin 23-38 Untitled by Lauran Hannan 39 Psych 100 by David Zivan 41 Routine by Lauren Williams 42-47 Untitled by Shelley Dickerson 49 A Man\u27s Descent to Hell, by Chris Rynd 51-53 Separation by David Zivan 54 Boat by Cynthia Hoag 55 Passage by Rosemary Walsh 57 Whales by Zachary Smith 58 Untitled by Lauren Hannan 59 Contributor Notes 61 Editorial decision is shared equally amoung [sic] the Editorial Board members. - title page * indicates contest winner -2 NOTE: The poem Crazy Circle by Melissa Wellington is listed as page 10 in the published table of contents but actually appears on page 11

Self-perceived quality of life, cognitive and behavioural impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

BACKGROUND: Self-perceived quality of life (QoL) is important in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although caregiver burden and strain have been related to cognitive and behavioural impairment, there has been no comprehensive research looking at these impairments and how they may influence self-perceived QoL subdomains.AIMS: To explore how cognitive and behavioural impairment are related to different areas of self-perceived QoL using disease-specific measures.METHODS: This was a quantitative, cross-sectional, observational cohort study, utilising existing specialist ALS clinic data. Clinical and demographic variables were available as well as multidimensional measures, ALS-specific QoL Short Form (ALSsQoL-SF) results and the data from the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS). Group comparison and regression analyses were performed.RESULTS: Data from 121 participants with ALS were analysed. 61.2% (N = 74) had either cognitive and/or behavioural impairment, with 28.9% (N = 35) with cognitive impairment (ALSci), 14.1% (N = 17) with behavioural impairment (ALSbi) and 18.2% (N = 22) with both (ALScbi). 38.8% (N = 47) were classified as having no impairments (ALSni). Those with ALSbi had significantly lower QoL in the domains of negative emotions and the interaction with people and the environment compared to those with ALSci and ALSni (ps &lt; 0.05). Further, those with ALScbi had significantly lower QoL in the intimacy domains than those with ALSci and ALSni (ps &lt; 0.05). Regression analysis showed specific cognitive and behavioural (inclusive of psychosis) predictors associated with specific QoL subdomains.CONCLUSIONS: Behavioural impairments effect QoL in specific subdomains, namely relating to internalising (negative emotions) and externalising (interaction with people and the environment subdomains, intimacy).</p