Lakes and society: The contribution of lakes to sustainable societies

Lake management is typically approached from a biophysical perspective. Lake managers ask how lakes can be managed to sustain their ecological functions. The social value of lakes is usually given less attention. The present paper begins the analysis at the other end of the lake and society connection by posing the question: what social needs must be met to sustain society? The primary social needs of sustainable societies are outlined and then the contribution of lakes to each need is discussed. Lakes can only provide optimal social benefits if management decisions recognize the full set of potential contributions lakes can make to society and those management decisions are integrated to provided balanced attention to all values that lakes provide. The present paper expands the domain of values beyond the traditional environmental and recreational contributions of lake management to also include aesthetics, education, economic opportunity, emotional security, cultural opportunity, individual freedom and spirituality. Citizen involvement is essential in broadening the conceptualization of the lake values and in implementing integrated management plans.     

My head says yes but my heart says no: Cognitive and affective attraction as a function of similarity to the ideal self.

The authors hypothesized that similarity to the ideal self (IS) simultaneously generates attraction and repulsion. Attraction research has suggested that a person likes individuals who are similar to his or her IS. Social comparison research has suggested that upward social comparison threatens self-evaluation. In Experiment 1, attraction to a partner increased and then decreased as the partner became more similar to and then surpassed the participant's IS. In Experiment 2, the cognitive and affective components of attraction increased and decreased, respectively, as the partner approached and surpassed the participant's IS to the extent that the dimension of comparison was meaningful and participants anticipated meeting their partner. Similarity to the IS generates opposing cognitive and affective reactions when the self-evaluative threat of upward comparison intensifies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Latino Health Advocacy Program: a collaborative lay health advisor approach

There have been numerous calls in the literature for health educators to develop programs to improve access to and utilization of health and human services by traditionally underserved communities, including Latinos. While the literature suggests several principles that can guide the development of these programs, it is important to address the needs, and build on the strengths, of the specific community of interest. It is, therefore, important to use collaborative approaches in which community members take an active role in the initiation, design, implementation, and evaluation of program activities. Lay health advisor programs are particularly well suited to this approach as they are designed to build on the strength of already existing community relationships to improve community health. This article describes a collaborative, culturally appropriate, holistic, and ecological lay health advisor program--the Latino Health Advocacy Program. Lessons learned and implications for future program development are discussed.     

Independent and opposing roles for Btk and lyn in B and myeloid signaling pathways

Transphosphorylation by Src family kinases is required for the activation of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk). Differences in the phenotypes of Btk-/- and lyn-/- mice suggest that these kinases may also have independent or opposing functions. B cell development and function were examined in Btk-/-lyn-/- mice to better understand the functional interaction of Btk and Lyn in vivo. The antigen-independent phase of B lymphopoiesis was normal in Btk-/-lyn-/- mice. However, Btk-/-lyn-/- animals had a more severe immunodeficiency than Btk-/- mice. B cell numbers and response to T cell-dependent antigens were reduced. Btk and Lyn therefore play independent or partially redundant roles in the maintenance and function of peripheral B cells. Autoimmunity, hypersensitivity to B cell receptor (BCR) cross-linking, and splenomegaly caused by myeloerythroid hyperplasia were alleviated by Btk deficiency in lyn-/- mice. A transgene expressing Btk at approximately 25% of endogenous levels (Btklo) was crossed onto Btk-/- and Btk-/-lyn-/- backgrounds to demonstrate that Btk is limiting for BCR signaling in the presence but not in the absence of Lyn. These observations indicate that the net outcome of Lyn function in vivo is to inhibit Btk-dependent pathways in B and myeloid cells, and that Btklo mice are a useful sensitized system to identify regulatory components of Btk signaling pathways.     

A Robust Cooling Platform for NIS Junction Refrigeration and sub-Kelvin Cryogenic Systems

Recent advances in Normal metal–insulator-superconductor (NIS) tunnel junctions (Clark et al. Appl Phys Lett 86: 173508, 2005, Appl Phys Lett 84: 4, 2004) have proven these devices to be a viable technology for sub-Kelvin refrigeration. NIS junction coolers, coupled to a separate cold stage, provide a flexible platform for cooling a wide range of user-supplied payloads. Recently, a stage was cooled from 290 to 256 mK (Lowell et al. Appl Phys Lett 102: 082601 2013), but further mechanical and electrical improvements are necessary for the stage to reach its full potential. We have designed and built a new Kevlar suspended cooling platform for NIS junction refrigeration that is both lightweight and well thermally isolated; the calculated parasitic loading is \(<\!\!300\)  pW from 300 to 100 mK. The platform is structurally rigid with a measured deflection of 25  \(\upmu \) m under a 2.5 kg load and has an integrated mechanical heat switch driven by a superconducting stepper motor with thermal conductivity G \( = 4.5 \times 10^{-7}\)  W/K at 300 mK. An integrated radiation shield limits thermal loading and a modular platform accommodates enough junctions to provide nanowatts of continuous cooling power. The compact stage size of 7.6 cm \(\times \) 8.6 cm \(\times \) 4.8 cm and overall radiation shield size of 8.9 cm \(\times \) 10.0 cm \(\times \) 7.0 cm along with minimal electrical power requirements allow easy integration into a range of cryostats. We present the design, construction, and performance of this cooling platform as well as projections for coupling to arrays of NIS junctions and other future applications.     

The effect of fuel-to-air ratio on burner rig hot corrosion

Samples of a cobalt-base alloy, Mar M-509, were subjected to hot corrosion in a Mach 0.3 burner rig. The corrodent was NaCl added as an aqueous solution to the combustion products of a sulphur-containing Jet-A fuel. The metal temperature was fixed at 900°C. The extent of hot corrosion increased by a factor of three as the fuel-to-air mass ratio was increased from 0.033 to 0.050. Because the depositing salt was always Na₂SO₄, the increased attack appeared to be related to the gas composition.     

Prophylactic oral ganciclovir compared with deferred therapy for control of cytomegalovirus in renal transplant recipients

BACKGROUND: Treatment with prophylactic oral acyclovir, intravenous ganciclovir, or immunoglobulins to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and disease in renal transplantation is associated with variable efficacy and significant expense. We studied control of CMV in renal transplant recipients using either prophylactic oral ganciclovir or deferred therapy with intensive monitoring with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. METHODS: Forty-two recipients were followed for 6 months after transplantation. Ganciclovir (1000 mg p.o. t.i.d.; n=19) or acyclovir (200 mg p.o. b.i.d.; n=23) was begun at transplantation and continued for 12 weeks. PCR for CMV was performed on buffy-coat specimens every week for 15 weeks and at months 5 and 6. RESULTS: No patients in the ganciclovir group, compared with 14 of 23 patients (61%) in the deferred-therapy group (P<0.0001), developed CMV disease during the first 12 weeks. In the ganciclovir group, 4 of 19 patients (21%) subsequently experienced 5 episodes, whereas 14 patients in the deferred-therapy group experienced 18 episodes (P=0.013 for subjects and P=0.026 for episodes). The time to disease was also delayed in the ganciclovir group compared with the deferred-therapy group (133+/-17 days vs. 51+/-7 days; P<0.0001). Oral ganciclovir also prevented CMV viremia during prophylaxis (2/19 patients [11%] vs. 23/23 patients [100%]). Time to CMV viremia was delayed in the ganciclovir group; however, 13/19 patients (68%) ultimately showed PCR evidence for CMV viremia (P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: An initial 12-week course of oral ganciclovir prevents CMV disease and infection in renal transplant recipients during prophylaxis, and the benefits persist after discontinuation.     

Resistance of Ni-Cr-Al alloys to cyclic oxidation at 1100 and 1200°C

A series of Ni-rich alloys in the Ni-Cr-Al system were cyclically oxidized in still air for 500 1 -hr heating cycles at 1100°C and 200 1 -hr heating cycles at 1200° C. The specific sample weight-change data for each sample were then used to determine both a scaling constant k₁ and a spalling constant k₂ for each alloy, using the regression equation w/A=k ₁ ^1/2 t^1/2 – k₂t±.These in turn were combined to form an oxidation attack parameter K_a,where K_a= (k ₁ ^1/2 + 10 k₂).Log K_a was then fitted to a fourth-order regression equation as a function of the Cr and Al content at the two test temperatures. The derived estimating equations for log K_a were presented graphically as iso-attack contour lines on ternary phase diagrams at each temperature. At 1100°C compositions estimated to have the best cyclic oxidation resistance were Ni-45 at. % Al and Ni-30 at. % Cr-20 at. % Al, while at 1200°C compositions estimated to have the best cyclic oxidation resistance were Ni-45 at. % Al and Ni-35 at. % Cr-15 at. % Al. In general, good cyclic oxidation resistance is associated with Al₂O₃ and/or NiAl₂O₄ formation. The analysis also indicated that alloys prepared by zirconia crucible melting, compared to other types of melting, had tramp Zr pickup, which significantly improved the cyclic oxidation resistance. The nature of the improvement in oxidation due to tramp Zr pickup, however, is not yet understood.