Skin Cancers Among Albinos at a University Teaching Hospital in Northwestern Tanzania: A Retrospective Review of 64 Cases.

Skin cancers are a major risk associated with albinism and are thought to be a major cause of death in African albinos. The challenges associated with the care of these patients are numerous and need to be addressed. The aim of this study was to outline the pattern and treatment outcome of skin cancers among albinos treated at our centre and to highlight challenges associated with the care of these patients and proffer solutions for improved outcome. This was a retrospective study of all albinos with a histopathological diagnosis of skin cancer seen at Bugando Medical Centre from March 2001 to February 2010. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 64 patients were studied. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1. The median age of patients was 30 years. The median duration of illness at presentation was 24 months. The commonest reason for late presentation was financial problem. Head and the neck was the most frequent site afflicted in 46(71.8%) patients. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histopathological type in 75% of cases. Surgical operation was the commonest modality of treatment in 60 (93.8%) patients. Radiotherapy was given in 24(37.5%) patients. Twenty-seven (42.2%) of the patients did not complete their treatment due to lack of funds. Local recurrence following surgical treatment was recorded in 6 (30.0%) patients. Only thirty-seven (61.7%) patients were available for follow-up at 6-12 months and the remaining patients were lost to follow-up. Skin cancers are the most common cancers among albinos in our environment. Albinism and exposure to ultraviolet light appears to be the most important risk factor in the development of these cancers. Late presentation and failure to complete treatment due to financial difficulties and lack of radiotherapy services at our centre are major challenges in the care of these patients. Early institution of preventive measures, early presentation and treatment, and follow-up should be encouraged in this population for better outcome

From Public Sewer to Public Park: The Story of the James River in Richmond, VA

Book Review of Ralph Hambrick’s Transforming the James River in Richmond (2020) by Todd Lookingbill, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability, University of Richmon

American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains

Review of: American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains, by Dan Flores

Design and Preliminary Evaluation of a Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle for Solar Dish Concentrator Clean Energy Production

As we move toward energy independence and more ambitious clean energy goals, solar energy research must push the efficiency limits of traditional energy generation systems. Increases in efficiency can be achieved by increasing the hot temperature of the power cycle. Recent research demonstrates the potential for increased efficiency and a vastly smaller component size when supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton power cycles are used. Concentrated solar and nuclear heat sources are capable of achieving the high working fluid temperatures needed for significant efficiency gains. This NSF EPSCoR funded, experimental research system is designed to exploit the uniquely immense solar irradiance of the Mojave Desert, coupling a solar dish concentrator with the UNLV supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) Brayton cycle, fabricated on campus at the UNLV Center for Energy Research and the UNLV Machine Shop. This, in conjunction with dry cooling, compounds the capacity for increased efficiency with trivial water consumption and decreased environmental and geographical footprints. Photographic flux mapping was used to provide solar flux information leading to the custom design and on-site fabrication of the solar receiver. A custom air-cooled heat exchanger with expansion capabilities was designed and fabricated for heat rejection. To further increase efficiency, internationally collaborative custom minichannel heat exchangers from the research team at Xi’an Jiaotong University, P.R. China, were added in both zigzag and straight channel geometries; these heat exhangers are installed in parallel, with isolation valves, for experimental comparison and singular recuperation in the system. The turbine and compressor housing exhibits a modular design to allow ease of desired experimental modifications. All components are mounted on an SAIC dish concentrator solar tracking system for on-sun experimental testing. A computational model of the solar receiver and heat rejection system, as well as the entire power cycle, has been created in Engineering Equation Solver (EES). On-sun experimental tests of the solar receiver and heat rejection systems have indicated system capability to both reach high temperatures and reject the heat required to achieve accelerated efficiencies. Once high efficiency temperature ranges are achieved, efficient turbomachinery is required for high efficiency operational success. Fabrication issues and resolutions surrounding the machining of small turbomachinery in this high temperature environment are described as a part of this research. Of particular consequence are issues surrounding the design and fabrication of the turbo-compressor shaft to housing interface. Bearing issues prove to be the core limitation preceding successful operational performance of the turbo-compressor unit. Decisions leading to the successful resolution to this issue are also described. This concentrated solar research system is a demonstration of the innovative component and system design needed to reach the next level in clean solar energy using trivial water consumption. The experimental and computational components support previous theories for the role of concentrated solar in clean power generation systems with increased efficiencies. This experimental system provides proof of concept for supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycles with solar concentrator technology, contributes to the advancement of SCO2 Brayton cycle component fabrication processes, and displays the capacity of UNLV to move this SCO2 turbo-compressor unit toward commercialization

Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians

Review of: "Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians," edited by David J. Wishart

Designing a Regional Trail Network of High Conservation Value Using Principles of Green Infrastructure

Conservation and recreation planning potentially share many common goals, including the desire to increase landscape connectivity. Trail networks, however, typically develop independently of ecological corridors, with emphasis placed solely on their human services. The failure to align conservation and human use values results in missed opportunities to maximize the benefits of new trail development. This study uses concepts of green infrastructure and tools of connectivity modeling to identify priority locations for a regional trail network in the James River watershed, Virginia U.S.A. The approach uses methods derived from circuit theory to identify potential pathways that meet basic trail design criteria but are also deemed to be of high conservation value. Results are discussed with respect to three separate regions within the watershed, each with distinct planning challenges. The relatively undeveloped headwaters region allows for the greatest flexibility of trail design. In contrast, the narrow watershed boundary in the coastal zone, along with high levels of development, permit limited options for trail placement. As funding for conservation and recreation development is often limited, multi-purpose trails located strategically within densely settled watersheds provide an opportunity for integrated recreation and conservation planning

[Introduction to] Collateral Values: The Natural Capital Created by Landscapes of War.

This book explores the unanticipated benefits that may arise after wars and conflicts, showing how the preservation of battlefields and the establishment of borderlands can create natural capital in the former landscapes of war. The editors call this Collateral Value, in contrast to the collateral damage that war inflicts upon infrastructure, natural capital, and human capital. The book includes case studies recounting successes and failures, opportunities and risks, and ambitious proposals. The book is organized in two sections. The first visits U.S., English, and French battlefield sites dating from medieval England to World War I. The second explores borderlands located on several continents, established to end or prevent conflict. Both of these can create value beyond their original purpose, by preserving natural areas and restoring biodiversity. Among the topics covered are: · Registering English Battlefields · Old forts and new amenities in the Southern Plains of the U.S. · Verdun, France, and the conservation of WWI cultural and natural heritage · Conservation lessons learned in the Cordillera del Condor Corridor of the Andes mountains · Korea’s DMZ and its nature preserve · Wakhan National Park, a mountainous buffer area between Afghanistan and Pakistan The book examines state-of-the-art applications of landscape ecology, including methods for change detection, connectivity analysis, and the quantification of ecosystem services. Also included is a chapter on a creative proposal for “Guantánamo 2.0,” which would transform the Gitmo detention facility into a peace park and ecological research center. A concluding chapter appraises the past, present, and future of Collateral Values. Collateral Values: The Natural Capital Created by Landscapes of War benefits a broad audience of advanced undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and practicing professionals.https://scholarship.richmond.edu/bookshelf/1369/thumbnail.jp

Landscapes of War Permanently Altered Topography Is One of the Casualties of War, but Battlefields Can Also Be of Collateral Value

But the rationale for creating battlefield parks has changed over the past 100 years, as have attitudes about battlefield conservation with a related emphasis on the physical landscapes themselves, leading to their management for multiple, layered assets through principles of constructive conservation. Existing battlefield parks provide perhaps the longest-standing examples of the evolution of landscapes of war toward generators of multiple ecosystem benefits. Moving from battlefield parks that, in some cases, have not seen warfare for hundreds of years, we examined landscapes of more recent conflict and considered the future collateral values that could be attained by establishing parks at conflict sites along international borders. The evolution of warfare suggests that current and future wars are unlikely to be restricted to well-defined battlefields that can later be set aside as protected landscapes

Forest birds respond to the spatial pattern of exurban development in the Mid-Atlantic region, USA

Housing development beyond the urban fringe (i.e., exurban development) is one of the fastest growing forms of land-use change in the United States. Exurban development\u27s attraction to natural and recreational amenities has raised concerns for conservation and represents a potential threat to wildlife. Although forest-dependent species have been found particularly sensitive to low housing densities, it is unclear how the spatial distribution of houses affects forest birds. The aim of this study was to assess forest bird responses to changes in the spatial pattern of exurban development and also to examine species responses when forest loss and forest fragmentation were considered. We evaluated landscape composition around North American Breeding Bird Survey stops between 1986 and 2009 by developing a compactness index to assess changes in the spatial pattern of exurban development over time. Compactness was defined as a measure of how clustered exurban development was in the area surrounding each survey stop at each time period considered. We used Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis to detect the response of forest and forest-edge species in terms of occurrence and relative abundance along the compactness gradient at two spatial scales (400-m and 1-km radius buffer). Our results showed that most forest birds and some forest-edge species were positively associated with high levels of compactness at the larger spatial scale; the proportion of forest in the surrounding landscape also had a significant effect when forest loss and forest fragmentation were accounted for. In contrast, the spatial configuration of exurban development was an important predictor of occurrence and abundance for only a few species at the smaller spatial scale. The positive response of forest birds to compactness at the larger scale could represent a systematic trajectory of decline and could be highly detrimental to bird diversity if exurban growth continues and creates more compacted development

Biodiversity and carbon content of trees on a university campus

The summer research project described in this chapter can serve as a model for the introduction of a spatial approach to problem solving in a multidisciplinary setting. This example demonstrates that even undergraduate students can collect, analyze, and build web applications for relevant spatial databases. It also demonstrates the importance of having a campus GIS support group to guide projects, train the students in technical skills, and enable them to share their results through an ArcGIS Online based web app. Involvement in the summer project prompted the students to pursue degrees in geography, economics and environmental studies, and computer science and biology. By gathering their own spatially explicit biological data, the students learn fundamental skills that cross the STEM disciplines, such as measurement, cataloging, data standards, and problem-solving. They were able to complete each step of the project from field collection, database design, analysis, and publication of a web site. The authors believe that it is critical at a small liberal arts school to provide students with the opportunity to visualize abstract processes of biodiversity change, gain experience quantifying biomass and carbon storage, evaluate the impact of tree loss on carbon budget and biodiversity, and place those local observations in the context of global processes