Alaska mining and water quality

The Institute of Water Resources has sought financial assistance for some time in an attempt to initiate research relative to the impact of mining on water quality. Attempts were made as early as 1971 by Dr. Timothy Tilsworth and later by Dr. Donald Cook and Dr. Sage Murphy. These investigators anticipated growth in placer gold mining and the development of natural resources in Alaska during a period of national and environmental concern. The subsequent energy "crisis," the major increase in the price of gold on the world market, and dwindling nonrenewable resource supplies have resulted in large-scale mineral exploration in Alaska. This exploration, coupled with development of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, has attracted considerable capital for potential investment and development in Alaska. Expected industrial growth has already started and major new projects are "just around the corner." Yet, as of 1976, no major research effort has occurred to determine the extent of or potential for water quality impacts from mining operations in Alaska. Recently a series of interdisciplinary research projects have been completed in Canada; however, the application of Canadian data to Alaskan problems is uncertain. Although, state and federal government agencies have been advised and are aware of this potential problem and lack of baseline data they have not sought out new information or rational solutions. Even now, with deadlines of Public Law 92-500 at hand, some regulatory agencies give the impression of attempting to ignore the situation. Interim limitations are proposed and permits are issued with no discernible rationale or basis. Data have not been obtained relative to the Alaskan mining operations and thus are not available for use in seeking solutions compatible with mining and environmental protection. Numbers appear to have been arbitrarily assigned to permits and water quality standards. When permits are issued, self-monitoring requirements are negligible or nonexistent. Nor have regulatory agencies demonstrated the ability or inclination to monitor mining operations or enforce permits and water quality standards. It was hoped that the project would bring together miners, environmentalists, and regulators in a cooperative effort to identify the problems and seek solutions. The investigators recognized the political sensitivity of the subject matter but proceeded optimistically. Relatively good cooperation, though not total, occurred early in the project. In April 1976, a symposium was held to exchange ideas and determine the state-of-the-art. Although the symposium had good attendance and an exchange of information occurred, the symposium itself was somewhat of a disappointment. With few exceptions, the participants aligned on one side or the other in preconceived fixed positions. Some even chose not to attend and were therefore able to avoid the issues. Little hard data was presented. Optimistically, some of the miners, environmentalists, and regulators are prepared to resolve their differences. This report, hopefully, will be of benefit to them. It is our experience that miners and environmentalists share a love of the land that is uniquely Alaska. We feel that technology is available for application to this problem for those who care about doing the job right in the "last frontier." Whether or not it will be effectively applied to protect Alaska's water resources is a question which remains unanswered.The work upon which this report is based was supported in part by funds provided by the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Water Resources Research Act of 1964, Public Law 88-379, as amended (Project A-055-ALAS)

Method of making an airfoil

An improved method of making an airfoil includes stacking plies in two groups. A separator ply is positioned between the two groups of plies. The groups of plies and the separator ply are interconnected to form an airfoil blank. The airfoil blank is shaped, by forging or other methods, to have a desired configuration. The material of the separator ply is then dissolved or otherwise removed from between the two sections of the airfoil blank to provide access to the interior of the airfoil blank. Material is removed from inner sides of the two separated sections to form core receiving cavities. After cores have been placed in the cavities, the two sections of the airfoil blank are interconnected and the shaping of the airfoil is completed. The cores are subsequently removed from the completed airfoil

Method of making an airfoil

An improved method of making an airfoil includes stacking plies in two groups. A separator ply is positioned between the two groups of plies. The groups of plies and the separator ply are interconnected to form an airfoil blank. The airfoil blank is shaped, by forging or other methods, to have a desired configuration. The material of the separator ply is then dissolved or otherwise removed from between the two sections of the airfoil blank to provide access to the interior of the airfoil blank. Material is removed from inner sides of the two separated sections to form core receiving cavities. After cores have been placed in the cavities, the two sections of the airfoil blank are interconnected and the shaping of the airfoil is completed. The cores are subsequently removed from the completed airfoil

Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) Infecting Cricetid Rodents from Alaska, U.S.A., and Northeastern Siberia, Russia, and Description of a New \u3ci\u3eEimeria\u3c/i\u3e Species from \u3ci\u3eMyodes rutilus\u3c/i\u3e, the Northern Red-Backed Vole

During the summers of 2000, 2001, and 2002, 1,950 fecal samples from 4 families, 10 genera, and 16 species of rodents in Alaska, U.S.A. (N = 1,711), and Siberia, Russia (N = 239) were examined for coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). The 4 families sampled were Dipodidae (jumping mice), Erethizontidae (New World porcupines), Muridae (mice, rats), and Cricetidae (voles, lemmings). Nineteen oocyst morphotypes were observed, of which 10 were consistent with descriptions of known coccidia species from murid hosts, 8 were similar to oocysts described previously from other genera than those in which they are found here (and are called Eimeria species 1-8), and 1 is described as new. In the Dipodidae, all from Alaska, 0/15 Zapus hudsonius had coccidian oocysts in their feces when examined. In the Erethizontidae, all from Alaska, 0/5 Erethizon dorsatum had oocysts when examined. In the Muridae, all from Russia, 0/5 Apodemus peninsulae had oocysts when examined. In the Cricetidae from Alaska, we found the following infections: 15/72 (21%) Lemmus trimucronatus,/i\u3e (Eimeria spp. 3, 4, 5); 10/29 (34%) Microtus longicaudus (Eimeria saxei, Eimeria wenrichi); 41/88 (47%) Microtus miurus (Eimeria coahiliensis, Eimeria ochrogasteri, Eimeria saxei, Eimeria wenrichi); 278/405 (68%) Microtus oeconomus (E. ochrogasteri, E. saxei, E. wenrichi); 116/159 (73%) Microtus pennsylvanicus (E. saxei, E. wenrichi); 9/52 (17%) Microtus xanthognathus (E. wenrichi); 218/699 (31%) Myodes rutilus (Eimeria cernae, Eimeria gallati, Eimeria marconii, Isospora clethrionomydis, Isospora clethrionomysis, and a new Eimeria species); 34/187 (18%) Synaptomys borealis (Eimeria spp. 6, 7, 8, Eimeria synaptomys). In the Cricetidae from Siberia, we found the following infections: 5/24 (21%) Alticola macrotis (Eimeria spp.1, 2); 0/5 Dicrostonyx torquatus; 1/11 (9%) Lemmus lemmus (Eimeria sp. 3); 30/48 (52%) Mi. oeconomus (E. saxei, E. wenrichi); 5/53 (9%) Myodes rufocanus (E. cernae, E. gallati, I. clethrionomydis, the new Eimeria sp.); 21/85 (25%) Myodes rutilus (E. cernae, E. gallati, E. marconii, the new Eimeria sp.); 0/8 Myopus schisticolor. Oocysts of the new species, found in both My. rutilus (Alaska, Siberia) and My. rufocanus (Siberia), are ellipsoidal with a striated outer wall and measured 30.6 × 20.5 (27–33 × 19–23) μm; micropyle and oocyst residuum absent, but a polar granule is present. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 14.5 × 9.1 (13–16 × 8–10) μm; Stieda body, sub-Stieda body and sporocyst residuum are present

Written informed consent and selection bias in observational studies using medical records: systematic review

Objectives To determine whether informed consent introduces selection bias in prospective observational studies using data from medical records, and consent rates for such studies

Persistent expression of chemokine and chemokine receptor RNAs at primary and latent sites of herpes simplex virus 1 infection

Inflammatory cytokines and infiltrating T cells are readily detected in herpes simplex virus (HSV) infected mouse cornea and trigeminal ganglia (TG) during the acute phase of infection, and certain cytokines continue to be expressed at lower levels in infected TG during the subsequent latent phase. Recent results have shown that HSV infection activates Toll-like receptor signaling. Thus, we hypothesized that chemokines may be broadly expressed at both primary sites and latent sites of HSV infection for prolonged periods of time. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymrease chain reaction (RT-PCR) to quantify expression levels of transcripts encoding chemokines and their receptors in cornea and TG following corneal infection. RNAs encoding the inflammatory-type chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR2, CCR5, and CXCR3, which are highly expressed on activated T cells, macrophages and most immature dendritic cells (DC), and the more broadly expressed CCR7, were highly expressed and strongly induced in infected cornea and TG at 3 and 10 days postinfection (dpi). Elevated levels of these RNAs persisted in both cornea and TG during the latent phase at 30 dpi. RNAs for the broadly expressed CXCR4 receptor was induced at 30 dpi but less so at 3 and 10 dpi in both cornea and TG. Transcripts for CCR3 and CCR6, receptors that are not highly expressed on activated T cells or macrophages, also appeared to be induced during acute and latent phases; however, their very low expression levels were near the limit of our detection. RNAs encoding the CCR1 and CCR5 chemokine ligands MIP-1α, MIP-1β and RANTES, and the CCR2 ligand MCP-1 were also strongly induced and persisted in cornea and TG during the latent phase. These and other recent results argue that HSV antigens or DNA can stimulate expression of chemokines, perhaps through activation of Toll-like receptors, for long periods of time at both primary and latent sites of HSV infection. These chemokines recruit activated T cells and other immune cells, including DC, that express chemokine receptors to primary and secondary sites of infection. Prolonged activation of chemokine expression could provide mechanistic explanations for certain aspects of HSV biology and pathogenesis

Linking Ligand-Induced Alterations in Androgen Receptor Structure to Differential Gene Expression: A First Step in the Rational Design of Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators

We have previously identified a family of novel androgen receptor (AR) ligands that, upon binding, enable AR to adopt structures distinct from that observed in the presence of canonical agonists. In this report, we describe the use of these compounds to establish a relationship between AR structure and biological activity with a view to defining a rational approach with which to identify useful selective AR modulators. To this end, we used combinatorial peptide phage display coupled with molecular dynamic structure analysis to identify the surfaces on AR that are exposed specifically in the presence of selected AR ligands. Subsequently, we used a DNA microarray analysis to demonstrate that differently conformed receptors facilitate distinct patterns of gene expression in LNCaP cells. Interestingly, we observed a complete overlap in the identity of genes expressed after treatment with mechanistically distinct AR ligands. However, it was differences in the kinetics of gene regulation that distinguished these compounds. Follow-up studies, in cell-based assays of AR action, confirmed the importance of these alterations in gene expression. Together, these studies demonstrate an important link between AR structure, gene expression, and biological outcome. This relationship provides a firm underpinning for mechanism-based screens aimed at identifying SARMs with useful clinical profiles