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The article reports on research related to constructing a Kentucky snowfall impact scale (KYSIS), developed to rank and categorize 21 heavy snow events from a historical snowstorm climatology. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to measure the area, population and length of highways impacted by snowfalls to objectively determine the worst snowstorms in the state since 1960. The methodology was created so that snowstorms that cover the entire state are expected to rank the highest.

Complaints of health symptoms from ambient odors have become more frequent in communities with confined animal facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and biosolids recycling operations. The most frequently reported health complaints include eye, nose, and throat irritation, headache, nausea, diarrhea, hoarseness, sore throat, cough, chest tightness, nasal congestion, palpitations, shortness of breath, stress, drowsiness, and alterations in mood. Typically, these symptoms occur at the time of exposure and remit after a short period of time. However, for sensitive individuals such as asthmatic patients, exposure to odors may induce health symptoms that persist for longer periods of time as well as aggravate existing medical conditions. A workshop was held at Duke University on April 16-17, 1998 cosponsored by Duke University, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) to assess the current state of knowledge regarding the health effects of ambient odors. This report summarizes the conclusions from the Workshop regarding the potential mechanisms responsible for health symptoms from ambient odors. Methods for validation of health symptoms, presence of odor, and efficacy of odor management techniques are described as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary structure of the calf thymus non-histone chromosomal protein HMG-17 has been determined. The sequence was determined mainly from data provided by the peptides obtained by cleavage with staphylococcal protease. Additional information was obtained from peptides produced by cleavage with trypsin and α-protease (from Crotalus atrox venom) and by partial acid hydrolysis. The protein is 89 amino acid residues in length, and has molecular weight of 9247. The N-terminal two-thirds of the molecule is highly basic, 22 of the first 58 residues being lysine or arginine, whereas only seven residues are aspartic or glutamic acid residues. In contrast, the C-terminal region of the molecule has an overall negative charge, only four of the last 31 residues being basic, whereas seven aspartic and glutamic acid residues are present. The protein is also characterised by a region of high density of proline residues, there being six proline residues between residues 31 and 40. A region of 19 residues sequence similarity with the trout-specific histone, H6, is noted together with some smaller regions of sequence similarity with histones H1 and H5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparison has been made of two non-histone chromosomal proteins, high-mobility-group proteins 1 and 2. Peptides produced from the two proteins by various chemical and enzymic cleavages have been compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and peptide mapping. In addition the cysteine content, C-terminal sequences and amide content have been determined for both proteins. The results obtained, together with previous results, show that high-mobility-group proteins 1 and 2 have closely related primary structures, although obviously being different molecules. When analysed by isoelectric focusing both proteins exhibit complex banding patterns. In the case of high-mobility-group protein 1, this could be caused by aggregation, but with high-mobility-group protein 2 there are four distinctive subfractions focusing between pH 7.8 and 8.9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are a group of disorders of clonal haemopoiesis associated with an inherent risk of arterial and venous thrombotic complications. The prevalence of thrombotic complications and the impact of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in contemporary patient cohorts within the current era of MPN treatments have not been completely defined. We aim to characterise the cardiovascular risk of patients with MPN by identifying the prevalence of CVRFs and describing the pattern of thrombotic events. We also aim to utilise the QRISK3 algorithm, which is a validated model used to estimate an individual's risk of developing cardiovascular disease, to further phenotype this cohort of patients. We perform a retrospective analysis on a single-centre cohort of 438 patients with MPN. MPN patients continue to carry a high burden of vascular morbidity with a prevalence of arterial thrombotic events in 15.8 % (69/438) and venous thrombotic events in 13.2 % (58/438) of the cohort. The novel use of the QRISK3 algorithm, which showed a mean score of 13.7 % across the MPN population, provides further evidence to suggest an increased cardiovascular risk in MPN patients. With an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with MPN, we propose an integrated approach between primary and specialised healthcare services using risk stratification tools such as QRISK3, which will allow aggressive optimisation of CVRFs to prevent thrombosis and reduce the overall morbidity and mortality in patients with MPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complaints of health symptoms from ambient odors have become more frequent in communities with confined animal facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and biosolids recycling operations. The most frequently reported health complaints include eye, nose, and throat irritation, headache, nausea, diarrhea, hoarseness, sore throat, cough, chest tightness, nasal congestion, palpitations, shortness of breath, stress, drowsiness, and alterations in mood. Typically, these symptoms occur at the time of exposure and remit after a short period of time. However, for sensitive individuals such as asthmatic patients, exposure to odors may induce health symptoms that persist for longer periods of time as well as aggravate existing medical conditions. A workshop was held at Duke University on April 16-17, 1998 cosponsored by Duke University, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) to assess the current state of knowledge regarding the health effects of ambient odors. This report summarizes the conclusions from the Workshop regarding the potential mechanisms responsible for health symptoms from ambient odors. Methods for validation of health symptoms, presenceof odor, and efficacy of odor management techniques are described aswell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information about the isolation and characterization of nerve growth factor from the prostate gland of the guinea-pig. Properties of the nerve growth factor from the guinea-pig prostrate gland; Information about the esterase activity of the nerve growth factor fractions of guinea-pig prostrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isopotential specific volume of cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase from pig heart was found to be 0.763 ml g-1 whereas the value of the apparent specific volume obtained by summation of contributions from each type of amino acid in the protein is 0.735 ml g-1. Use of the experimentally determined isopotential specific volume largely abolishes the discrepancy between a previously reported value of the molecular weight of the native (dimeric) enzyme and that of the enzyme subunit obtained from its primary structure (46300). A new non-empirical method based on quantitative N-terminal analysis involving radioisotope dilution is described for the determination of subunit molecular weight of proteins. The method is capable of considerable accuracy and sensitivity. Some of the methods available for the determination of molecular weights and subunit compositions of proteins are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]