Improving the renovation, repair and painting training course to eliminate childhood lead poisonings: Wisconsin observations

Master's Project (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2013In 2011, I worked briefly with the Asbestos and Lead Program for the State of Wisconsin. It was my job to conduct audits of our training providers as well as on-site inspections of work sites. During my time there I discovered a real disconnect between what I saw in the field and what is taught in class. Wisconsin has its own lead rules that are more stringent than the EPA's. After taking a critical look at the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) curriculum, I saw where the problems lay. The required hands-on training does not present the skills in a logical order and the demonstration is not similar enough to reality to be retained and transferred to a worksite consistently. Instead of contractors and homeowners learning how to conduct a job safely from start to finish, they are presented specific skills broken down into 11 skill sets. Over a four month time span I took the EPA curriculum and wrote scripts, videotaped, edited and narrated training videos with the assistance of Department of Health Service staff to eliminate the disconnect between the classroom learning and the real world. The videos demonstrate lead-safe work practices in a manner intended to increase retention rates. The videos were released in July 2012, and since then inspection statistics show a 13 percent decrease in offenses from certified workers and a 31 percent decrease in violations overall. Data for the first half of 2013 also indicated a positive trend; violations by certified contracts are down an additional percent. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation conducted a study in 1996, finding that 62 percent of Alaska private homes were built prior to 1979. This means approximately 49 percent of all Alaskan homes contain lead-based paint, 14 percent higher than the national average. The use of lead-based paint in colder regions is not uncommon. Lead-based paint was praised for its durability and longevity, making it ideal for regions in the circumpolar north. Americans spend nearly 90 percent of their time indoors. In cold climates, such as the Arctic, people tend to spend even more time indoors (EPA, 2012). Increased time indoors allows for increased wear on friction surfaces in the home. For children, deteriorating lead-based paint and lead in house dust are the primary and often most concentrated sources of lead (CDC, 2012). The Center for Disease Control reports that in 2004 there were 143,000 deaths and a loss of 8,977,000 disability-adjusted life years attributed to lead exposure worldwide. The primary cause was lead-associated adult cardiovascular disease and mild intellectual disability in children. Children represent approximately 80 percent of the disease impact attributed to lead, with an estimated 600,000 new cases of childhood intellectual disabilities resulting from blood lead levels (BLLs) greater than 10 υg/dL(CDC, 2012)

Prävalenz von Ehrlichien der Ehrlichia phagocytophila Genogruppe und Borrelien des Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato Komplexes in Ixodes ricinus Zecken aus dem Ilmtal

In der Dissertation "Prävalenz von Ehrlichien der Ehrlichia phagocytophila Genogruppe und Borrelien des Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato Komplexes in Ixodes ricinus Zecken aus dem Ilmtal" wurden 305 Zecken aus drei verschiednen Gebieten (Belvedere, Bad Berka, Dienstedt) auf das Vorhandensein von Ehrlichien und Borrelien untersucht. Ehrlichien sind in Deutschland relativ unbekannte Erreger, so dass diese Arbeit erstmals Daten über die Infektionsrate in Zecken in Thüringen bereitstellt. Das Ilmtal gilt als Endemiegebiet für Borreliose, weshalb wir eine aktuelle Infektionsrate aufzeigen wollten. Eine Speziesdifferenzierung wurde u.a. durchgeführt, um Doppelinfektionen mit verschiedenen Spezies des Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato Komplexes zu erfassen. Ausserdem soll auf die Möglichkeit der Koinfektion der Zecken mit Ehrlichien und Borrelien hingewiesen werden

Bedeutung des Vektors Ixodes ricinus und verschiedener Wirte im Transmissionszyklus zeckenassoziierter Pathogene

Ixodes ricinus Zecken spielen eine wichtige Rolle in der Übertragung einer Vielzahl von Pathogenen. Im Laufe des Entwicklungszyklus saugen Larven, Nymphen und adulte Weibchen an unterschiedlichen Wirten. Die kumulative Habilitationsschrift beleuchtet – basierend auf vierzehn Originalarbeiten – die Bedeutung des Vektors Ixodes ricinus und verschiedener Wirte im Transmissionszyklus zeckenassoziierter Erreger. Ungesogene Freilandzecken sowie an siebzehn Vogel- und zwei Kleinsäugerarten parasitierende Zecken aus vier Regionen in Deutschland waren Gegenstand der zugrundeliegenden Untersuchungen. Die Arbeit stellt erstmals Daten zur Prävalenz und Koexistenz bestimmter humanpathogener Erreger, in deren Transmissionszyklus Zecken eine Rolle spielen, in komplexer Form zur Verfügung. Neben einer Vielzahl von Borrelienspezies des früheren Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato Komplexes gewinnen in diesem Zusammenhang vor allem emerging pathogens an Bedeutung: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, verschiedene Rickettsien der spotted fever group sowie Babesia microti und Babesia divergens. Weiterhin ist die Übertragung der bislang selten in Ixodes ricinus beschriebenen Erreger Coxiella burnetii und Francisella tularensis auf den Menschen denkbar. Die einzelnen Wirte können an der Verbreitung der Pathogene beteiligt sein und bei entsprechender Kompetenz als Reservoir dienen. Zecken, in denen mehrere Erreger nachweisbar sind, deuten auf die Möglichkeit der Interaktion in den Transmissionszyklen sowie auf die Gefahr von Koinfektionen beim Menschen hin

Tyrosinnitrierung von CD40 als antiarteriosklerotischer Schutzmechanismus humaner Endothelzellen

Die Arteriosklerose tritt im menschlichen Körper am häufigsten in mittleren und großen Arterien auf. Dabei entstehen fibröse Plaques vorzugsweise an Biegungen und Verzweigungen dieser Gefäße. Die Lokalisation der arteriosklerotischen Plaques scheint mit Bereichen verminderter laminarer Schubspannung bei gleichzeitiger zyklischer Dehnung zu korrelieren. Interaktionen von CD40 mit CD40 Ligand werden als ein wesentlicher pathogenetischer Mechanismus bei Entzündungen einschließlich der Entwicklung der Arteriosklerose angenommen. In dieser Arbeit wurde die durch zyklische Dehnung (Flexercell FX-3000) induzierte Tyrosinnitrierung von CD40, gefolgt von dessen schnellen Abbau in kultivierten humanen Endothelzellen untersucht. Die Hemmung der 20SUntereinheit des Proteasoms und die Peroxynitritscavenger Urat und FeTPPs verhinderten die dehnungsinduzierte Abnahme von CD40-Protein. Darüber hinaus war eine Tyrosinnitrierung von CD40 auch unter statischen Kulturbedingungen nach Inkubation mit exogenem Peroxynitrit oder dem Peroxynitritdonor SIN-1 nachweisbar. Weitere Untersuchungen ergaben einen signifikanten Rückgang der CD154-induziertem IL-12p40 und E-Selektin Expression auf mRNA- und Protein-Ebene nach zyklischer Dehnung oder der Exposition mit exogenem ONOO-. Dieser Effekt wurde durch eine Vorinkubation der Zellen mit Urat verhindert. Western Blot-Analysen mit immunpräzipitiertem CD40 konnten eine signifikante Abnahme der CD154-abhängigen Rekrutierung von Traf 2 und Traf 6 an CD40 nach kurzer Exposition gegenüber exogenen ONOO- nachweisen. Eine Vorinkubation der Zellen mit Urat oder die Depletierung von Cholesterin aus der Plasmamembran mit Methyl-β-Cyclodextrin stellten die CD154-vermittelte Assoziation von Traf 2 und Traf 6 mit CD40 wieder her. Zusätzliche Western Blot-Analysen ergaben eine signifikante Abnahme des CD40 Protein in der mikrosomalen Membranfraktion von HUVECs und THP-1-Monozyten nach Zugabe von exogenem ONOO-. Immunfluoreszenzfärbungen von Monozyten zeigten letztlich eine ONOO--abhängige Internalisierung von CD40 von der Plasmamembran ins Zytoplasma der Zellen, die durch Methyl-β-Cyclodextrin verhindert wurde. Dieser posttranskriptionelle Mechanismus könnte Endothelzellen u. a. vor einer Initiation und Progression der Arteriosklerose durch Kontakt mit pro-inflammatorischen CD154-positiven T-Zellen oder Thrombozyten in Regionen mit verstärktem hämodynamischen Stress schützen

Characteristics of Human Babesiosis in Europe

EditorialS

Ecohydrology of a seasonal cloud forest in Dhofar

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-211).The hydrology of a semiarid broadleaf forest in Dhofar (Oman) is investigated by performing a field experiment and a modeling study. Based on the results of the field experiment, the ecosystem in Dhofar is classified, for the first time, as a seasonal deciduous cloud forest. Owing to the seasonal cloud cover, the soil storage in this ecosystem is filled and emptied in such a fashion that allows trees to allocate most of the water to transpiration by their relatively deep roots. In addition to annual rainfall amounts of about 100 millimeters, more water is gained by trees directly through interception of cloud droplets (horizontal precipitation). Through- fall measured below the canopy is about twice the rainfall measured above the canopy. Stemflow contributes about one third of the total water received by the soil. Soil moisture observations are consistent with increased infiltration in proximity of the tree trunks. Sap flow and meteorological observations indicate that transpiration is suppressed during the wet season, which allows for deep infiltration of the water received at the surface. This soil water storage supports transpiration by the relatively deep-rooted trees for up to four month into the dry season. All these factors combine to shape and enhance the water conserving nature of the ecosystem, and to allow for tree dominance in an otherwise too dry environment. A dynamical vegetation model is used to investigate tree- grass competition in this arid region. The model simulations elucidate the role of clouds in reducing the available energy for transpiration during the wet season. Without representing this role in the model, the simulated soil water storage by the end of the wet season is not enough to allow for tree survival and dominance.(cont.) The same model is used to investigate the role of the soil in controlling relative performance of trees and grass in this ecosystem. A characteristic rooting depth that is optimal for tree growth is identified, function of soil type and climate. This is the smallest depth at which transpiration is maximized and all other water sinks such as surface runoff or drainage are minimized. The optimal rooting depth is deeper when the evaporative demand during the wet season is low, similar to conditions in Dhofar. Such conditions improve competitiveness of trees in the model simulations. A horizontal precipitation module is used to illustrate how the contribution of this process is markedly reduced over grass as compared to trees. When the horizontal precipitation module is coupled to the vegetation model, two stable states are simulated by the model. Equilibrium vegetation simulated by the model starting from forest (grass) initial conditions is dominated by trees (grass). Deforestation, in the model, reduces soil water input and hence would tend to inhibit re-emergence of trees as a dominant land cover. Implications of this feedback for the re-forestation efforts in Dhofar are discussed. The results of this study should provide a solid basis for sound environmental management of the ecosystem.by Anke Hildebrandt.Ph.D

Die Mutation des mitochondrialen ATP8 Gens verbessert den hepatischen Energiestatus im murinen Modell des akuten septischen Leberversagens

We investigated whether a mutation in the ATPase subunit-8 gene exerts effects on the course of endotoxemic acute liver failure in mice. Wildtype and ATP8 mutant mice were challenged with D-galactosamine and E. coli lipopolysaccharide and studied 6 hrs thereafter. Induction of endotoxemic liver failure provoked marked liver damage, a drop of total adenosine nucleotide level and an increased malondialdehyde production. In contrast, ATP levels in livers ATP8 mutants remained significantly higher. As a net result, ATP8 mutant mice showed lower transaminase release and better survival rate

Stemflow Infiltration Hotspots Create Soil Microsites Near Tree Stems in an Unmanaged Mixed Beech Forest

In stemflow, rainfall is collected and channeled to a concentrated soil water input. It can constitute up to 30% of incident precipitation in some ecosystems. However, the size of the zone influenced by stemflow is unclear, and statistically representative measurement of stemflow (on and in between sites) is scarce. Therefore, whether stemflow creates hotspots of infiltration and potential impacts on forest soils remain subject to controversy. In this study, we investigated the areal dimension of infiltrating stemflow fluxes as well as effects on near-stem soils. We measured throughfall, stemflow and soil properties in high-resolution statistical designs on a mixed forest plot in Germany receiving moderate stemflow. From this data, we modeled the spatial distribution of net precipitation infiltration depth on the plot. Furthermore, we examined soil chemical and physical properties around tree stems to test for and assess a stemflow impact. Results show that stemflow infiltration areas are much smaller than typically assumed and constitute strong infiltration hotspots compared to throughfall. This is also mirrored in soil properties, which are significantly altered near stems. Here, accelerated soil formation and enhanced translocation processes indicate increased soil water fluxes due to high inputs. Additionally, altered soil hydraulic properties enable quicker soil water fluxes near stems. Our findings attest that even comparatively low stemflow fractions (of gross precipitation) can generate strong hotspots of water and matter inputs, which are impactful to subsequent hydrological and biogeochemical processes and properties. Trees shape their direct soil environment, thereby establishing pathways of preferential water flow connecting the canopy and the deeper subsurface

Leveraging sap flow data in a catchment-scale hybrid model to improve soil moisture and transpiration estimates

Sap flow encodes information about how plants regulate the opening and closing of stomata in response to varying soil water supply and atmospheric water demand. This study leverages this valuable information with model- data integration and deep learning to estimate canopy conductance in a hybrid catchment-scale model for more accurate hydrological simulations. Using data from three consecutive growing seasons, we first highlight that integrating canopy conductance inferred from sap flow data in a hydrological model leads to more realistic soil moisture estimates than using the conventional Jarvis-Stewart equation, particularly during drought conditions. The applicability of this first approach is, however, limited to the period where sap flow data are available. To overcome this limitation, we subsequently train a recurrent neural network (RNN) to predict catchment-averaged sap velocities based on standard hourly meteorological data. These simulated velocities are then used to estimate canopy conductance, allowing simulations for periods without sap flow data. We show that the hybrid model, which uses the canopy conductance from the machine learning (ML) approach, matches soil moisture and transpiration equally as well as model runs using observed sap flow data and has good potential for extrapolation beyond the study site. We conclude that such hybrid approaches open promising avenues for parametrizations of complex water-plant dynamics by improving our ability to incorporate novel or untypical data sets into hydrological models