Comparison of Aquifer Sustainability Under Groundwater Administrations in Oklahoma and Texas

We compared two approaches to administration of groundwater law on a hydrologic model of the North Canadian River, an alluvial aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma. Oklahoma limits pumping rates to retain 50% aquifer saturated thickness after 20 years of groundwater use. The Texas Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District’s (GCD) rules limit pumping to a rate that consumes no more than 50% of saturated thickness in 50 years, with reevaluation and readjustment of permits every 5 years. Using a hydrologic model (MODFLOW), we simulated river-groundwater interaction and aquifer dynamics under increasing levels of ‘‘development’’ (i.e., increasing groundwater withdrawals). Oklahoma’s approach initially would limit groundwater extraction more than the GCD approach, but the GCD approach would be more protective in the long run. Under Oklahoma rules more than half of aquifer storage would be depleted when development reaches 65%. Reevaluation of permits under the Texas Panhandle GCD approach would severely limit pumping as the 50% level is approached. Both Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle GCD approaches would deplete alluvial base flow at approximately 10% development. Results suggest periodic review of permits could protect aquifer storage and river base flow. Modeling total aquifer storage is more sensitive to recharge rate and aquifer hydraulic conductivity than to specific yield, while river leakage is most sensitive to aquifer hydraulic conductivity followed by specific yield

Illinois Waterfowl Surveys and Investigations W-43-R-62 Annual Progress Report Period: 1 July 2014 – 30 June 2015

This study addresses the following objectives: 1)Inventory abundance and distribution of waterfowl and other waterbirds (a minimum of 10 species and guilds) during autumn migration at a minimum of 40 sites along the Illinois and central Mississippi rivers; 2) Investigate the ecology of canvasback and lesser scaup during spring migration in the central Illinois River valley (IRV) and Pool 19 of the Mississippi River; 3) Estimate waterfowl and other waterbird population sizes (a minimum of 10 species and guilds) during autumn migration using an aerial quadrat survey in the IRV for comparison with aerial inventories (Objective 1); 4) Determine breeding bird use of a minimum of 10 moist-soil wetlands managed for waterfowl during summer in central Illinois; 5) Investigate the breeding ecology of sandhill cranes during spring and summer in northeastern Illinois; 6) Distribute our findings to site managers and biologists, make recommendations for future management, and draw conclusions relevant to regional conservation planning during the project period as appropriate and requested.Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife & U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Number: RC09-13FWUIUCunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Hypoxia sensing requires H₂S-dependent persulfidation of olfactory receptor 78

Oxygen (O2) sensing by the carotid body is critical for maintaining cardiorespiratory homeostasis during hypoxia. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) signaling is implicated in carotid body activation by low O2. Here, we show that persulfidation of olfactory receptor 78 (Olfr78) by H2S is an integral component of carotid body activation by hypoxia. Hypoxia and H2S increased persulfidation in carotid body glomus cells and persulfidated cysteine240 in Olfr78 protein in heterologous system. Olfr78 mutants manifest impaired carotid body sensory nerve, glomus cell, and breathing responses to H2S and hypoxia. Glomus cells are positive for GOlf, adenylate cyclase 3 (Adcy3) and cyclic nucleotide–gated channel alpha 2 (Cnga2), key molecules of odorant receptor signaling. Adcy3 or Cnga2 mutants exhibited impaired carotid body and glomus cell responses to H2S and breathing responses to hypoxia. These results suggest that H2S through redox modification of Olfr78 participates in carotid body activation by hypoxia to regulate breathing

Soft Templating and Disorder in an Applied 1D Cobalt Coordination Polymer Electrocatalyst

Disordered materials with resilient and soft-templated functional units bear the potential to fill the pipeline of robust catalysts for renewable energy storage. However, for novel materials lacking long-range order, the ability to discern local structure with atomic resolution still pushes the boundaries of current analytical and modeling approaches. We introduce a two-pillar strategy to monitor the formation and unravel the structure of the first disordered onedimensional cobalt coordination polymer catalyst, Co-dppeO2. This target material excels through proven high performance in commercial alkaline electrolyzers and organic transformations. We demonstrate that the key architecture behind this activity is the unconventional embedding of hydrated {H2O-Co2(OH)2-OH2} edge-site motifs, nested into a flexible organic matrix of highly oxidized and bridging hydrophobic dppeO2 ligands. Our combination of in situ spectroscopy and computational modeling of X-ray scattering and absorption spectra, backed with complementary experimental techniques, holds the key to understanding the atomic-range structure of important disordered materials

Porphyromonas gingivalis oral infection exacerbates the development and severity of collagen-induced arthritis

Abstract Introduction Clinical studies suggest a direct influence of periodontal disease (PD) on serum inflammatory markers and disease assessment of patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the influence of PD on arthritis development remains unclear. This investigation was undertaken to determine the contribution of chronic PD to immune activation and development of joint inflammation using the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. Methods DBA1/J mice orally infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis were administered with collagen II (CII) emulsified in complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) or incomplete Freund’s adjuvant (IFA) to induce arthritis. Arthritis development was assessed by visual scoring of paw swelling, caliper measurement of the paws, mRNA expression, paw micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis, histology, and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase for osteoclast detection (TRAP)-positive immunohistochemistry. Serum and reactivated splenocytes were evaluated for cytokine expression. Results Mice induced for PD and/or arthritis developed periodontal disease, shown by decreased alveolar bone and alteration of mRNA expression in gingival tissues and submandibular lymph nodes compared to vehicle. P. gingivalis oral infection increased paw swelling and osteoclast numbers in mice immunized with CFA/CII. Arthritis incidence and severity were increased by P. gingivalis in mice that received IFA/CII immunizations. Increased synovitis, bone erosions, and osteoclast numbers in the paws were observed following IFA/CII immunizations in mice infected with P gingivalis. Furthermore, cytokine analysis showed a trend toward increased serum Th17/Th1 ratios when P. gingivalis infection was present in mice receiving either CFA/CII or IFA/CII immunizations. Significant cytokine increases induced by P. gingivalis oral infection were mostly associated to Th17-related cytokines of reactivated splenic cells, including IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-22 in the CFA/CII group and IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, transforming growth factor-β, IL-6 and IL-23 in the IFA/CII group. Conclusions Chronic P. gingivalis oral infection prior to arthritis induction increases the immune system activation favoring Th17 cell responses, and ultimately accelerating arthritis development. These results suggest that chronic oral infection may influence RA development mainly through activation of Th17-related pathways.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112639/1/13075_2013_Article_4062.pd

Reverberation Mapping of the Kepler-Field AGN KA1858+4850

KA1858+4850 is a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy at redshift 0.078 and is among the brightest active galaxies monitored by the Kepler mission. We have carried out a reverberation mapping campaign designed to measure the broad-line region size and estimate the mass of the black hole in this galaxy. We obtained 74 epochs of spectroscopic data using the Kast Spectrograph at the Lick 3-m telescope from February to November of 2012, and obtained complementary V-band images from five other ground-based telescopes. We measured the H-beta light curve lag with respect to the V-band continuum light curve using both cross-correlation techniques (CCF) and continuum light curve variability modeling with the JAVELIN method, and found rest-frame lags of lag_CCF = 13.53 (+2.03, -2.32) days and lag_JAVELIN = 13.15 (+1.08, -1.00) days. The H-beta root-mean-square line profile has a width of sigma_line = 770 +/- 49 km/s. Combining these two results and assuming a virial scale factor of f = 5.13, we obtained a virial estimate of M_BH = 8.06 (+1.59, -1.72) x 10^6 M_sun for the mass of the central black hole and an Eddington ratio of L/L_Edd ~ 0.2. We also obtained consistent but slightly shorter emission-line lags with respect to the Kepler light curve. Thanks to the Kepler mission, the light curve of KA1858+4850 has among the highest cadences and signal-to-noise ratios ever measured for an active galactic nucleus; thus, our black hole mass measurement will serve as a reference point for relations between black hole mass and continuum variability characteristics in active galactic nuclei

Period and chemical evolution of SC stars

The SC and CS stars are thermal-pulsing AGB stars with C/O ratio close to unity. Within this small group, the Mira variable BH Cru recently evolved from spectral type SC (showing ZrO bands) to CS (showing weak C2). Wavelet analysis shows that the spectral evolution was accompanied by a dramatic period increase, from 420 to 540 days, indicating an expanding radius. The pulsation amplitude also increased. Old photographic plates are used to establish that the period before 1940 was around 490 days. Chemical models indicate that the spectral changes were caused by a decrease in stellar temperature, related to the increasing radius. There is no evidence for a change in C/O ratio. The evolution in BH Cru is unlikely to be related to an on-going thermal pulse. Periods of the other SC and CS stars, including nine new periods, are determined. A second SC star, LX Cyg, also shows evidence for a large increase in period, and one further star shows a period inconsistent with a previous determination. Mira periods may be intrinsically unstable for C/O ~ 1; possibly because of a feedback between the molecular opacities, pulsation amplitude, and period. LRS spectra of 6 SC stars suggest a feature at wavelength > 15 micron, which resembles one recently attributed to the iron-sulfide troilite. Chemical models predict a large abundance of FeS in SC stars, in agreement with the proposed association.Comment: 14 pages, 20 figures. MNRAS, 2004, accepted for publication. Janet Mattei, one of the authors, died on 22 March, 2004. This paper is dedicated to her memor