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Upcycling plastics enables the design of value-added materials, a distinct alternative to landfilling. A recently published article in Nature Communications ( McNeil et al. ) reports a sustainable metamorphosis of crosslinked sodium polyacrylate, the superabsorbent material in diapers, into adhesives. Life cycle analyses of the several operationally simple transformations emphasize environmental consciousness.

Infrared absorption cross sections of pure propane, as well as propane broadened by He or H2, have been obtained from spectra recorded using Fourier transform instruments located at the Old Dominion University (ODU) and at the Canadian Light Source (CLS). Pressure and temperature regimes for He and H2 foreign gas broadening range from 10 Torr to 300 Torr between 298 K and 200 K. The integrated absorption cross sections were compared to reference data obtained from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) spectroscopic database, with most values lying within ±10% of their expected values.

A new line list for the A 2 Σ + − X 2 Π electronic transition of OH has been calculated. Line positions have been taken from the literature and refitted with Western’s PGOPHER program. Line intensities were calculated using a new ab initio Transition Dipole Moment Function (TDMF) obtained with Molpro 2012. The new TDMF and the potential functions from LeRoy’s RKR program have been used as input to LeRoy’s LEVEL program in order to calculate Transition Dipole Moment Matrix Elements (TDMMEs). These matrix elements were transformed from Hund’s case (b) to Hund’s case (a) as required for the PGOPHER program using the method of Brooke et al. [JQSRT 2016; 168: 142–157] The line list was calculated with PGOPHER for bands with v ′ = 0 − 4 in the A 2 Σ + state and v ″ = 0 − 9 for the X2Π state.

A new linelist for the A3Π– X 3 Σ − electronic transition of NH has been prepared using line positions from the literature and calculated line intensities. High level ab initio calculations were performed with the MOLPRO program to obtain the A–X transition dipole moment function. Potential energy curves and line strengths were calculated with Le Roy’s RKR1 and LEVEL programs. Line intensities and Einstein A values were calculated with Western’s PGOPHER program after converting the Hund’s case (b) output of LEVEL to Hund’s case (a) input needed for PGOPHER . The Herman–Wallis effect is included in the Einstein A calculations of the bands for the levels with v ′ = 0 − 2 and v ″ = 0 − 6 .

Urbanization has tremendous impacts on most native species. This is especially true in land snails, which are surprisingly understudied organisms. Due to their low mobility and dispersal potential, land snails are valuable indicators of ecosystem disturbance. For this study, land snails were collected in 54 city parks along an urban gradient to understand impacts of urbanization on snail communities. Sampled parks include small extensively landscaped downtown parks, neighborhood and community parks, district parks, and large nature parks, each with variable vegetation, soil characteristics, disturbance regimes, and human activities. Sampling recovered 12,153 individual snails, representing 20 families, 43 genera, and 95 species. Seven new Tennessee state and 87 new county occurrences were recorded. Five non-native and one extra-limital non-native species were found, four of which are new Tennessee state records. Results show that urbanization greatly alters land snail community structure. Nature and district parks have significantly greater species richness, species diversity and species evenness than community, neighborhood, and downtown parks. Degradation of parks, distance from the park to the commercial city center and percent of coarse woody debris accounted for most of the variation between park types. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and pairwise Jaccard indices indicate that downtown snail communities are more similar whereas snail communities in nature parks are more distinct. This suggests that urbanization promotes homogenization among land snail communities. We also show that this homogenization is thus far driven mainly by synanthropic, broadly adapted native species rather than non-native snail species.

The performance of sensitive spectroscopic methods in the mid-IR is often limited by fringing due to parasitic etalons and the background noise in mid-infrared detectors. In particular, the technique Noise Immune Cavity Enhanced Optical Heterodyne Velocity Modulation Spectroscopy (NICE-OHVMS), which is capable of determining the frequencies of strong rovibrational transitions of molecular ions with sub-MHz uncertainty, needs improved sensitivity in order to probe weaker transitions. In this work, we have implemented up-conversion detection with NICE-OHVMS in the 3.2 - 3.9 µm region to enable the use of faster and more sensitive detectors which cover visible wavelengths. The higher bandwidth enabled detection at optimized heterodyne frequencies, which increased the overall signal from the H3+ cation by a factor of three and was able to resolve sub-Doppler features which had previously overlapped. Also, we demonstrate the effectiveness of Brewster-plate spoilers to remove fringes due to parasitic etalons in a cavity enhanced technique. Together, these improvements reduced the instrument's noise equivalent absorption to 5.9×10sup-11/supcmsup-1/supHzsup-1/2/sup, which represents a factor of 34 improvement in sensitivity compared to previous implementations of NICE-OHVMS. This work will enable extended high-precision spectroscopic surveys of H3+ and other important molecular ions.

The H 3 + molecular ion has served as a long-standing benchmark for state-of-the-art ab initio calculations of molecular potentials and variational calculations of rovibrational energy levels. However, the accuracy of such calculations would not have been confirmed if not for the wealth of spectroscopic data that has been made available for this molecule. Recently, a new high-precision ion spectroscopy technique was demonstrated by Hodges et al., which led to the first highly accurate and precise (∼MHz) H 3 + transition frequencies. As an extension of this work, we present ten additional R-branch transitions measured to similar precision as a next step toward the ultimate goal of producing a comprehensive high-precision survey of this molecule, from which rovibrational energy levels can be calculated.

The technique of velocity modulation spectroscopy has recently been combined with cavity enhancement and frequency modulation methods into a technique called noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical heterodyne velocity modulation spectroscopy (NICE-OHVMS). We have implemented NICE-OHVMS with a cw-optical parametric oscillator (OPO) tunable from 3.2 to 3.9 μm, and used it to record spectra of the R(1,0) and R(1,1)u transitions of the ν 2 fundamental band of H 3 + . The high optical power and cavity enhancement enable saturation of rovibrational transitions, which allows for line center frequencies to be measured with a precision of 70 kHz.

Recent limitations in the TiO line list used in cross-correlation detection schemes have made the detection and quantification of TiO in exoplanetary atmospheres challenging. The quality of the line list appears to degrade at wavelengths shorter than 630 nm. The C ?X electronic transition has strong rovibronic bands near 500 nm. In an effort to improve the line list, a spectrum of TiO in a furnace at 1950 K is analyzed, and the assigned lines of the C ?X transition are fit with the Hamiltonian in the molecular spectrum fitting software, PGOPHER. Several newly determined molecular constants are reported and the average error in fitting the line positions is 0.017 cm?1 or ~1 ppm relative error. The new line positions are expected to resolve any problems with cross-correlation templates near 500 nm.

The University of Arizona's work in controlled-environment agriculture is reviewed, followed by discussions of their contemporary modifications of these techniques in controlled-environment aquaculture. Open and closed systems of agriculture have been designed, constructed and operated by the University in desert regions of Arabia and North America to obtain high yields of superior quality crops while greatly reducing water usage. This required the development of innovative and cost-efficient construction techniques and simplified systems to control temperature and other environmental variables. Similar systems for controlled-environment aquaculture are discussed, including the new University applications in shrimp culture. Techniques of construction and operation are reviewed and evaluated, particularly in relation to the major problems of maintaining appropriate water quality in confined systems enriched by large populations of animals and frequent introduction of artificial feeds.

This work describes the properties of plastics made from partially denatured proteins produced by the animal coproduct (rendering) industry and these plastics' fabrication. Specifically, plastic samples from partially denatured feathermeal protein were successfully produced by a compression-molding process. The modulus (stiffness) of the material obtained was found to be comparable with that of commercial synthetic materials, such as polystyrene, but was found to have lower toughness characteristics, which is a common phenomenon among plastics produced from animal and plant proteins. A reversible stress–strain property was observed over the yield region. Plastic-forming conditions for undenatured animal proteins, such as albumen and whey proteins, were also formulated for fabricating plastics out of these proteins' blends with feathermeal proteins. The resultant plastic samples that were developed of biomacromolecular blends, such as feathermeal/whey and feathermeal/albumen, demonstrated improved mechanical properties, specifically tensile strength, when compared with neat plastics from feathermeal proteins. The values for the stiffness of the feathermeal/whey blends deviated from simple mixing rule and showed a synergistic effect. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

A comparative study was made of the vapour phase oxidation of methanol in presence of gold and platinum, using a flow system at temperatures below 500°C. Over gold there is a stoichiometric conversion to formaldehyde and water. In presence of platinum, the reaction is the same up to 200°C, but at higher temperatures other oxidation products appear. Mechanisms are suggested involving interaction between chemisorbed oxygen and methanol fragments.

We prospectively determined the safety and efficacy of valganciclovir for prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in at-risk (donor positive/recipient negative [D+/R-] or R+) lung transplant recipients. We also determined the length of prophylaxis required to significantly decrease both CMV infection and disease. Consecutive lung transplant recipients surviving >30 days (n = 90) received combination prophylaxis with intravenous (i.v.) ganciclovir (GCV) 5 mg/kg/day and cytomegalovirus immune globulin (CMV-IVIG) followed by valganciclovir (450 mg twice-daily) to complete 180, 270 or 365 days of prophylaxis. This group was compared to a historical group (n = 140) who received high-dose oral acyclovir following i.v. GCV and CMV-IVIG. CMV disease was significantly lower in patients receiving valganciclovir compared to acyclovir (2.2% vs. 20%; p < 0.0001). Freedom from CMV infection and disease was significantly greater (p < 0.02) in patients receiving 180, 270 or 365 days of prophylaxis (90%, 95% and 90%, respectively) compared to those receiving 100-179 days (64%) or < 100 days (59%). No patient receiving valganciclovir died during the study. Following prophylaxis with i.v. GCV and CMV-IVIG, valganciclovir is safe and effective for prevention of CMV infection and disease in at-risk lung transplant recipients. The required length of prophylaxis was at least 180 days.

To assess the present state of fetal ultrasound training in the United States from the perspective of obstetrics and gynecology ultrasound program directors and residents.One hundred thirty-six ultrasound program directors from 254 accredited obstetrics and gynecology residency programs completed a web-based survey regarding obstetric ultrasound training for residents. Questions were presented in yes-or-no, ranking, short-answer, and open-comment formats that examined general teaching environment and curriculum content. These results were compared with a mandatory fetal ultrasound training survey that was independently administered to 4,666 obstetrics and gynecology residents during the 2003 Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) In-Training Examination. Friedman one-way analysis of variance was used to compare ranked nonparametric data with the Dunn posttest. Statistical significance was taken at the P.05 level.Fifty-four percent of accredited obstetrics and gynecology residencies responded to the survey of ultrasound directors from November 2000 to April 2003. Nearly all responding directors were obstetrician-gynecologists, many of whom had subspecialty training in maternal-fetal medicine. Full-time faculty and sonographers were the most important individuals contributing to ultrasound training for obstetrics and gynecology residents. Hands-on scanning and observation were the most significant educational activities for ultrasound training. Ultrasound program directors generally rated the overall preparedness of residents as ranging from adequate to excellent. The most important learning obstacles were limited curriculum and faculty time. Most programs evaluated competency by direct observation of scanning skills. According to the CREOG survey, only 16.3% of residents indicated that the performance and interpretation of fetal ultrasound examinations were mandatory program requirements. Nearly two thirds of residents believed that their training would be adequate by the time of graduation. Only 18.4% of residents, however, were planning to perform or interpret fetal ultrasound scans in clinical practice.Fetal ultrasound training for obstetrics and gynecology residents is perceived by most ultrasound program directors and residents to be adequate. Future development of standardized guidelines and competency assessment tools should consider that approximately one fifth of obstetrics and gynecology residents are currently planning to use this diagnostic modality in clinical practice.II-2

Sternal wound infections can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Managing these complications is particularly challenging when infected hardware is involved. Traditional thinking mandates removal of infected hardware, yet this hardware is often essential to chest wall stability in the early postoperative period. Here, we present a case of an infected transverse sternotomy wound involving hardware in a lung transplant patient whose treatment included successful hardware preservation. Our experience and other experiences reported in the literature highlight the alternatives in the management of this complication.

Objectives To demonstrate a standardized approach for the evaluation of cleft lip and palate by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography. Design This was a retrospective study of seven fetuses with confirmed facial cleft anomalies. Post-natal findings were compared to a blinded review of 3D volume data from abnormal fetuses with seven other normal fetuses that were matched for gestational age. Upper lip integrity was examined by 3D multiplanar imaging. Sequential axial views were used to evaluate the maxillary tooth-bearing alveolar ridge contour and anterior tooth socket alignment. Alveolar ridge disruption suggested cleft palate. Premaxillary protrusion, either by multiplanar imaging or surface rendering, indicated bilateral cleft lip and palate. Results Post-natal findings confirmed bilateral cleft lip and palate (four cases), unilateral cleft lip and palate (one case), and unilateral cleft lip (two cases). Multiplanar review identified all three fetuses with unilateral cleft lip, three of four fetuses with bilateral cleft lip, one fetus with unilateral cleft palate, and three of four fetuses with bilateral cleft palate. Surface rendering correctly identified all cleft lips, with the exception of one fetus, who was thought to have a unilateral cleft lip and palate, despite the actual presence of a bilateral lesion. One cleft palate defect was directly visualized by 3D surface rendering. No false-positives occurred. Conclusion Interactive review of standardized 3D multiplanar images allows one to evaluate labial defects, abnormalities of the maxillary tooth-bearing alveolar ridge, and presence of premaxillary protrusion for detecting cleft lip and palate anomalies. Surface rendering may increase diagnostic confidence for normal or abnormal studies. This technology provides an array of visualization tools that may improve the prenatal characterization of facial clefts, particularly of the palate. Copyright © 2000 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Study objectives To demonstrate that pulmonary capillaritis and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) occur and are isolated to the lung and therefore not part of systemic vasculitis at the time of the DAH episode in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Design Lung biopsy specimens from patients with DAH were reviewed and those with the histologic features of pulmonary capillaritis were identified. Setting The patients were selected from seven Denver-area general hospitals. Patients Fifty-eight patients with biopsy specimen proved pulmonary capillaritis (1991 to 1997) were identified and classified according to disease. Three patients met the American Rheumatism Association criteria for RA and one patient fulfilled clinical and serologic criteria for MCTD. Interventions All clinical, laboratory, and radiographic data on initial presentation and at follow-up periods were extracted from the charts of the four study patients. Histologic slides were reviewed and immunofluorescent studies of lung tissue were performed. Measurements and results All four patients had a connective tissue disease diagnosis prior to the DAH episode. Symptoms referable to pulmonary capillaritis were of short duration (2 to 14 days) and there was no clinical or serologic evidence for an accompanying systemic vasculitis, in particular glomeronephritis. Three patients, two with RA and one with MCTD, demonstrated pulmonary immune complex deposition. Three resolved their illness following IV methylprednisilone and cyclophosphamide therapy. One RA patient died following a myocardial infarction. In the three survivors, no further episodes of DAH have occurred after a mean of 24 months (range, 10 to 48 months). Conclusions To our knowledge, these are the first cases of DAH due to pulmonary capillaritis documented to complicate RA and MCTD. The capillaritis was not part of a systemic vasculitis at the time of the DAH episode, but rather represented an isolated small-vessel vasculitis of the lungs in this group of patients. Immune complex deposition may be involved in the pathogenesis.

short ofbreath with stridor while on a commercial airline. Upon arrival attheairport terminal, hesustained a cardiopulmonary arrest. Endotracheal intubation was complicated bythepresence ofanapparent massinhis upperairway. Subsequent history revealed that hehad symptoms ofasinusproblem afewdays earlier andhad taken over-the-counter sinusmedications. Thepatient smoked apack ofcigarettes aday. There was nohistory of alcohol abuse, allergies, orforeign body aspiration. Hedid nottake anyprescription medications. Physical Examination Onarrival intheICU, histemperature was 37.2°C; pulse, 144beats/min; BP,150/95 mm Hg; respirations, 14 breaths/min on mechanical ventilation. Hewas ahealthy appearing man whowasintubated endotracheally. There was norash orlymphadenopathy; physical examination of thehead, neck, chest, abdomen, andextremities was normal. Neurological exam was notable forprofound coma with no response tonoxious stimuli, intermittent generalized myoclonic jerks, diminished deep tendon reflexes, and anextensor plantar response bilaterally.

This paper describes medication management by elderly patients living in their own homes, and the effects of patient counselling during five domiciliary pharmacy visits on patient compliance and medication management. The 190 subjects who completed the 12-month study were randomly allocated to either an intervention group (receiving counselling on the correct use and storage of their drugs during five domiciliary visits), a control (V) group (receiving visits but no counselling), or a control (NV) group (having no contact between an initial visit and the end of the study). The patients' drug knowledge, dexterity and cognitive functioning were assessed, and patients in all three groups were well matched at baseline. At each follow-up visit, patient compliance was measured using pill counts and interviews. After the initial visit, patients in the intervention group demonstrated better compliance, better drug storage practices and a reduced tendency to hoard drugs, and required fewer GP consultations, than patients in either of the control groups. The provision of the domiciliary pharmacy service was effective in detecting drug-related problems in a potentially high risk patient group. The effectiveness of such a service may be improved by increased transfer of patient information between community pharmacists and general medical practitioners.

We present a versatile new instrument capable of measuring rovibrational transition frequencies of molecular ions with sub-MHz accuracy and precision. A liquid-nitrogen cooled positive column discharge cell, which can produce large column densities of a wide variety of molecular ions, is probed with sub-Doppler spectroscopy enabled by a high-power optical parametric oscillator locked to a moderate finesse external cavity. Frequency modulation (heterodyne) spectroscopy is employed to reduce intensity fluctuations due to the cavity lock, and velocity modulation spectroscopy permits ion-neutral discrimination. The relatively narrow Lamb dips are precisely and accurately calibrated using an optical frequency comb. This method is completely general as it relies on the direct measurement of absorption or dispersion of rovibrational transitions. We expect that this new approach will open up many new possibilities: from providing new benchmarks for state-of-the-art ab initio calculations to supporting astronomical observations to helping assign congested spectra by combination differences. Herein, we describe the instrument in detail and demonstrate its performance by measuring ten R-branch transitions in the ν2 band of H3(+), two transitions in the ν1 band of HCO(+), and the first sub-Doppler transition of CH5(+).

Spectroscopy of the ν1 band of the astrophysically relevant ion HCO(+) is performed with an optical parametric oscillator calibrated with an optical frequency comb. The sub-MHz accuracy of this technique was confirmed by performing a combination differences analysis with the acquired rovibrational data and comparing the results to known ground-state rotational transitions. A similar combination differences analysis was performed from the same data set to calculate the previously unobserved rotational spectrum of the ν1 vibrationally excited state with precision sufficient for astronomical detection. Initial results of cavity-enhanced sub-Doppler spectroscopy are also presented and hold promise for further improving the accuracy and precision in the near future.

Urban metabolism considers a city as a system with flows of energy and material between it and the environment. Recent advances in bio-physical sciences provide methods and models to estimate local scale energy, water, carbon and pollutant fluxes. However, good communication is required to provide this new knowledge and its implications to endusers (such as urban planners, architects and engineers). The FP7 project BRIDGE (sustainaBle uRban plannIng Decision support accountinG for urban mEtabolism) aimed to address this gap by illustrating the advantages of considering these issues in urban planning. The BRIDGE Decision Support System (DSS) aids the evaluation of the sustainability of urban planning interventions. The Multi Criteria Analysis approach adopted provides a method to cope with the complexity of urban metabolism. In consultation with targeted end-users, objectives were defined in relation to the interactions between the environmental elements (fluxes of energy, water, carbon and pollutants) and socioeconomic components (investment costs, housing, employment, etc.) of urban sustainability. The tool was tested in five case study cities: Helsinki, Athens, London, Florence and Gliwice; and sub-models were evaluated using flux data selected. This overview of the BRIDGE project covers the methods and tools used to measure and model the physical flows, the selected set of sustainability indicators, the methodological framework for evaluating urban planning alternatives and the resulting DSS prototype.

Surveys were undertaken to determine both the current extent of provision of non-dispensing services by community pharmacists, and pharmacists' attitudes, together with those of medical practitioners and district/practice nurses, towards the development of domiciliary and other community pharmacy services. Five out of a list of 10 professional services were available on the premises in the majority of pharmacies. Approximately 65 per cent of pharmacists undertook prescription collection and medicine delivery and 43 per cent provided domiciliary patient counselling at least once a week. Medical practitioners and nurses expressed high levels of support for the majority of the established services; the exceptions were blood pressure testing and cholesterol monitoring for both of which only 30 per cent of each group were in favour. Most pharmacists were willing, in principle, to train for and to provide a domiciliary service which would include counselling on the use and storage of medicines and the supply or fitting of appliances; support for these services was high among medical practitioners and nurses (85–88 per cent). The proportions of pharmacists who were willing, after training, to provide domiciliary management of total parenteral nutrition, pain control and chemotherapy were 68, 85 and 36 per cent, respectively, but medical practitioners and nurses generally were not in favour of these extended roles. The length of professional registration and frequency of contact with pharmacists were both factors which significantly influenced the level of support by medical practitioners but not by nurses.

A study was conducted to measure hydrogen peroxide from three sources: (1) zero air in the presence and absence of common interferences, (2) steady-state irradiations of hydrocarbon/NO/sub x/ mixtures, and (3) ambient air. The techniques employed for measuring H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ included infrared absorption from a diode laser, fluorescence from an enzymatically produced complex, and chemiluminescence from reaction with luminol. The measurements were conducted simultaneously from a common manifold. Four systems, each of which utilized one of the above techniques, were compared with respect to sensitivity, selectivity, and dynamic range in measuring H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ concentrations ranging from 0.062 to 128 ppbv. For pure samples measured in zero air, agreement of 14-23% was achieved when compared to standard values. In these examples, there was no indication of interferences for an H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ level of 6 ppbv except in the luminol technique where a negative interference was caused by SO/sub 2/. Agreement among techniques was much worse for measurement of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ produced in the photochemical mixtures. In these mixtures, significant concentrations of organic peroxide were also measured by the enzymatic techniques.

Population growth, arable land and fresh water limits, and climate change have profound implications for the ability of agriculture to meet this century’s demands for food, feed, fiber, and fuel while reducing the environmental impact of their production. Success depends on the acceptance and use of contemporary molecular techniques, as well as the increasing development of farming systems that use saline water and integrate nutrient flows.