Map Showing the Distribution of Surficial Sediments in Fishers Island Sound, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island

The data presented on this map were collected as part of a State of Connecticut and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative program intended to further understand the marine geology of Connecticut and Long Island Sound. The purpose of this cooperative program is (1) to resolve sedimentologic and oceanographic problems and data gaps in Long Island Sound, (2) to integrate these findings with terrestrial data and the Pleistocene histories of Long Island and Connecticut, and (3) to initiate investigations of offshore resources that are keyed to the better management of Long Island Sound. With this in mind, the fundamental objectives of this study were to determine the distribution of surficial sediments in Fishers Island Sound and to describe the active sedimentary processes

Obesity and the food environment: income and ethnicity differences among people with diabetes: the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE).

ObjectiveIt is unknown whether any association between neighborhood food environment and obesity varies according to individual income and/or race/ethnicity. The objectives of this study were to test whether there was an association between food environments and obesity among adults with diabetes and whether this relationship differed according to individual income or race/ethnicity.Research design and methodsSubjects (n = 16,057) were participants in the Diabetes Study of Northern California survey. Kernel density estimation was used to create a food environment score for each individual's residence address that reflected the mix of healthful and unhealthful food vendors nearby. Logistic regression models estimated the association between the modeled food environment and obesity, controlling for confounders, and testing for interactions between food environment and race/ethnicity and income.ResultsThe authors found that more healthful food environments were associated with lower obesity in the highest income groups (incomes 301-600% and >600% of U.S. poverty line) among whites, Latinos, and Asians. The association was negative, but smaller and not statistically significant, among high-income blacks. On the contrary, a more healthful food environment was associated with higher obesity among participants in the lowest-income group (<100% poverty threshold), which was statistically significant for black participants in this income category.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the availability of healthful food environments may have different health implications when financial resources are severely constrained

Selection for Non-Amyloidogenic Mutants of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP) Identifies an Extended Region for Amyloidogenicity

The aggregation of the 37-residue polypeptide IAPP, as either insoluble amyloid or as small oligomers, appears to play a direct role in the death of pancreatic β-islet cells in type II diabetes. While IAPP has been known to be the primary component of type II diabetes amyloid, the molecular interactions responsible for this aggregation have not been identified. To identify the aggregation-prone region(s), we constructed a library of randomly generated point mutants of IAPP. This mutant IAPP library was expressed in E. coli as genetic fusions to the reporter protein enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Because IAPP aggregates rapidly, both independently and when fused to EGFP, the fusion protein does not yield a functional, fluorescent EGFP. However, mutations of IAPP that result in non-amyloidogenic sequences remain soluble and allow EGFP to fold and fluoresce. Using this screen, we identified 22 single mutations, 4 double mutations and 2 triple mutations of IAPP that appear to be less amyloidogenic than wild type human IAPP. A comparison of these sequences suggests residues 13 and 15–17 comprise an additional aggregation-prone region outside of the main amyloidogenic region of IAPP

Myricetin Inhibits Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP) Aggregation and Rescues Living Mammalian Cells from IAPP Toxicity

The aggregation of the amyloidogenic polypeptide IAPP (Islet Amyloid Polypeptide, amylin) is believed to play a direct role in the death of pancreatic β-islet cells in type II diabetes. Preventing the initial aggregation event of IAPP is one strategy for slowing, and possibly preventing, the progression of this disease. Here, we investigate myricetin’s potential as an inhibitor of IAPP aggregation. We show that myricetin prevented thioflavin T binding in a concentration dependent manner. Atomic force microscopy revealed that myricetin prevented fiber formation under rigorous conditions conducive to forming IAPP aggregates. Using an IAPP-EGFP (Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein) protein construct, we find that high concentrations of myricetin slowed the in vivo aggregation of IAPP-EGFP. Myricetin was also found to rescue living mammalian cells from the toxic effects of IAPP. These results indicate that myricetin is a strong inhibitor of IAPP amyloid aggregation and a potential lead molecule for the development of an amyloid inhibiting therapeutic

Measurement of ambient aerosols in northern Mexico City by single particle mass spectrometry

International audienceContinuous ambient measurements with aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) were carried out in an industrial/residential section in the northern part of Mexico City as part of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area ? 2006 campaign (MCMA-2006) between 7?27 March, 2006. Biomass and organic carbon (OC) particle types were found to dominate the accumulation mode both day and night. The concentrations of both organic carbon and biomass particles were roughly equal early in the morning, but biomass became the largest contributor to the accumulation mode mass from the late morning until early evening. The diurnal pattern can be attributed to aging and/or a change in meteorology. Fresh elemental carbon (EC) particles were observed during rush hour. The majority of the EC particles were mixed with nitrate, sulfate, organic carbon and potassium. Submicron particles from industrial sources in the northeast were composed of an internal mixture of Pb, Zn, EC and Cl and peaked early in the morning. A unique nitrogen-containing organic (NOC) particle type was observed, and is hypothesized to be from industrial emissions based on the temporal profile and back trajectory analysis. This study provides unique insights into the real-time changes in single particle mixing state as a function of size and time for aerosols in Mexico City. These new findings indicate that biomass burning and industrial operations make significant contributions to particles in Mexico City. These sources have received relatively little attention in previous intensive field campaigns

Measurement of ambient aerosols in northern Mexico City by single particle mass spectrometry

Continuous ambient measurements with aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) were made in an industrial/residential section in the northern part of Mexico City as part of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area-2006 campaign (MCMA-2006). Results are presented for the period of 15–27 March 2006. The submicron size mode contained both fresh and aged biomass burning, aged organic carbon (OC) mixed with nitrate and sulfate, elemental carbon (EC), nitrogen-organic carbon, industrial metal, and inorganic NaK inorganic particles. Overall, biomass burning and aged OC particle types comprised 40% and 31%, respectively, of the submicron mode. In contrast, the supermicron mode was dominated by inorganic NaK particle types (42%) which represented a mixture of dry lake bed dust and industrial NaK emissions mixed with soot. Additionally, aluminosilicate dust, transition metals, OC, and biomass burning contributed to the supermicron particles. Early morning periods (2–6 a.m.) showed high fractions of inorganic particles from industrial sources in the northeast, composed of internal mixtures of Pb, Zn, EC and Cl, representing up to 73% of the particles in the 0.2–3μm size range. A unique nitrogen-containing organic carbon (NOC) particle type, peaking in the early morning hours, was hypothesized to be amines from local industrial emissions based on the time series profile and back trajectory analysis. A strong dependence on wind speed and direction was observed in the single particle types that were present during different times of the day. The early morning (3:30–10 a.m.) showed the greatest contributions from industrial emissions. During mid to late mornings (7–11 a.m.), weak northerly winds were observed along with the most highly aged particles. Stronger winds from the south picked up in the late morning (after 11 a.m.), resulting in a decrease in the concentrations of the major aged particle types and an increase in the number fraction of fresh biomass particles. The highest wind speeds were correlated with the highest number fraction of fresh biomass particles (up to 76% of the submicron number fraction) when winds were coming directly from fires that were located south and southeast of the city based on MODIS fire count data. This study provides a unique clock of hourly changes in single particle mixing state and sources as a function of meteorology in Mexico City. These new findings indicate that biomass burning and industrial emissions can make significant contributions to primary particle loadings in Mexico City that are strongly coupled with local meteorology

Inhibition of Aβ42 aggregation using peptides selected from combinatorial libraries

Increasing evidence suggests that the aggregation of the small peptide Aβ42 plays an important role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Inhibiting the initial aggregation of Aβ42 may be an effective treatment for preventing, or slowing, the onset of the disease. Using an in vivo screen based on the enzyme EGFP, we have searched through two combinatorially diverse peptide libraries to identify peptides capable of inhibiting Aβ42 aggregation. From this initial screen, three candidate peptides were selected and characterized. ThT studies indicated that the selected peptides were capable of inhibiting amyloid aggregation. Additional ThT studies showed that one of the selected peptides was capable of disaggregating preformed Aβ42 fibers

Observation of playa salts as nuclei in orographic wave clouds

During the Ice in Clouds Experiment-Layer Clouds (ICE-L), dry lakebed, or playa, salts from the Great Basin region of the United States were observed as cloud nuclei in orographic wave clouds over Wyoming. Using a counterflow virtual impactor in series with a single-particle mass spectrometer, sodium-potassium-magnesium-calcium-chloride salts were identified as residues of cloud droplets. Importantly, these salts produced similar mass spectral signatures to playa salts with elevated cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) efficiencies close to sea salt. Using a suite of chemical characterization instrumentation, the playa salts were observed to be internally mixed with oxidized organics, presumably produced by cloud processing, as well as carbonate. These salt particles were enriched as residues of large droplets (>19 μm) compared to smaller droplets (>7 μm). In addition, a small fraction of silicate-containing playa salts were hypothesized to be important in the observed heterogeneous ice nucleation processes. While the high CCN activity of sea salt has been demonstrated to play an important role in cloud formation in marine environments, this study provides direct evidence of the importance of playa salts in cloud formation in continental North America has not been shown previously. Studies are needed to model and quantify the impact of playas on climate globally, particularly because of the abundance of playas and expected increases in the frequency and intensity of dust storms in the future due to climate and land use changes

Short Peptides as Inhibitors of Amyloid Aggregation

The misfolding and aggregation of proteins into amyloid has been linked to a variety of age-related diseases. Aggregation of proteins, such as Aβ in Alzheimer\u27s disease and Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP, amylin) in type 2 diabetes, appears to lead to the formation of toxic assemblies. These assemblies range in size from small oligomers (2-8 proteins) to large fibrils (thousands of proteins). It remains unclear how these amyloidogenic proteins misfold and form toxic species, but growing evidence suggests that inhibiting the aggregation of these proteins could slow, if not prevent altogether, the progression of these diseases. We describe the use of small peptides (\u3c43 amino acids) as inhibitors of amyloid- based aggregation. These peptides, often short complementary segments of the amyloid proteins, can be useful (i) for identifying the aggregation-prone regions of the amyloid proteins (ii) as models for drug discovery and (iii) as potential therapeutic agents themselves

IAPP aggregation and cellular toxicity are inhibited by 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose

The polyphenol, 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (PGG) has been found to exhibit a host of positive pharmacologic activities, including anti-cancer and anti-diabetic. Little is known about the mode of action of PGG in yielding these positive activities. We show here that PGG is a potent inhibitor of IAPP (islet amyloid polypeptide, amylin) aggregation. Preventing the initial aggregation event of IAPP is one strategy for slowing, and possibly preventing, the toxic effects of IAPP oligomeric intermediates. Equal molar ratios of PGG to IAPP substantially reduced the ability of IAPP to bind thioflavin T. Atomic force microscopy revealed that PGG prevented amyloid-based fiber formation under rigorous conditions conducive to forming IAPP aggregates. PGG was also found to protect PC12 rat cells from toxic IAPP. PGG was compared to the known amyloid inhibitors (and structural relatives); tannic acid and gallic acid. In every test, PGG was far superior to tannic and gallic acids at inhibiting amyloid aggregation. These results indicate that PGG is a potent inhibitor of IAPP amyloid aggregation and a potential lead molecule for development of an amyloid inhibiting therapeutic