An Analysis of Fractures around the Sevier Fault Zone near Orderville, Utah

Structural discontinuities—such as opening mode joints, shear fractures, and faults— tend to occur in close geographic proximity to one another; however, the timing relationships between these structures is not always easy to discern in the field. In southwestern Utah, the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone is cut by large-scale normal faults associated with the Sevier Fault Zone, making it perfect for observing several fracture types. The aim of this study is to complete a dynamic and kinematic analyses of the fractures near a major fault and to determine the chronologic relationships between the fractures. Specifically, we observed a previously unnamed segment of the Sevier Fault Zone— herein referred to as the Mountain Lion Den Fault— previously interpreted as a west dipping normal fault striking 030. The primary field area is the Red Hollow Canyon/Elkheart Cliffs region, located southeast of Orderville, Utah. For this study, orientations (dip and dip direction) of fracture data within the Navajo Sandstone were measured and tracked on eight different scanlines. Scanline fractures were plotted on stereonets and averages determined. GPS locations were taken on a Trimble G7X at ends of each scanline for GIS mapping. Schmidt Hammer (L-type) data were taken to compare rock strengths near the Mountain Lion Den Fault. Fracture analyses show a general NNE strike similar to the Mountain Lion Den fault strike. Despite a few outliers, scanline averages typically strike within 10° of the 030 strike of the Mountain Lion Den fault. We interpret movement along the fault initiated around the same time some of the fractures formed. The fractures likely formed in front of the Mountain Lion Den fault at oblique angles to its strike as the fault propagated northward. These results suggest that an area of weakness formed in Red Hollow Canyon, allowing the fault to propagate easily at 030. This compares favorably to previous brittle fracture studies within propagating fault zones. Outliers in the data could be associated with NW rotation of σ3, similar to joints in Zion NP. Schmidt Hammer data show that oxidized beds have greater maximum compressive strengths than bleached zones in the Navajo Sandstone

Worlds Beyond: A Strategy for the Detection and Characterization of Exoplanets Executive Summary of a Report of the ExoPlanet Task Force Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee Washington, DC June 23, 2008

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Understanding the Challenges of Reducing Cancer in Appalachia: Addressing a Place-Based Health Disparity Population

The Appalachian region of the United States has long been recognized for its poor economic and social indicators. Only during the past decade have multi-state data become more accessible to describe the regions’ poor health status and resulting outcomes. A recent community-based participatory study engaged rural Appalachians to describe “what makes Appalachia different?” from other geographic areas and cultural groups in the United States and identify those characteristics that influence the region’s health. This article summarizes the community interpretation of these findings

Geometrical distribution of Cryptococcus neoformans mediates flower-like biofilm development

Microbial biofilms are highly structured and dynamic communities in which phenotypic diversification allows microorganisms to adapt to different environments under distinct conditions. The environmentally ubiquitous pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans colonizes many niches of the human body and implanted medical devices in the form of biofilms, an important virulence factor. A new approach was used to characterize the underlying geometrical distribution of C. neoformans cells during the adhesion stage of biofilm formation. Geometrical aspects of adhered cells were calculated from the Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi diagramobtained fromscanning electronmicroscopy images (SEM). A correlation between increased biofilm formation and higher ordering of the underlying cell distribution was found. Mature biofilm aggregates were analyzed by applying an adapted protocol developed for ultrastructure visualization of cryptococcal cells by SEM. Flower-like clusters consisting of cells embedded in a dense layer of extracellular matrix were observed as well as distinct levels of spatial organization: adhered cells, clusters of cells and community of clusters. The results add insights into yeast motility during the dispersion stage of biofilm formation. This study highlights the importance of cellular organization for biofilm growth and presents a novel application of the geometrical method of analysis

Investigating the impact of poverty on mental illness in the UK Biobank using Mendelian Randomization

It is unclear whether poverty and mental illness are causally related. Using UK Biobank and Psychiatric Genomic Consortium data, we examined evidence of causal links between poverty and nine mental illnesses (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anorexia nervosa, anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia). We applied genomic structural equation modelling to derive a poverty common factor from household income, occupational income and social deprivation. Then, using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that schizophrenia and ADHD causally contribute to poverty, while poverty contributes to major depressive disorder and schizophrenia but decreases the risk of anorexia nervosa. Poverty may also contribute to ADHD, albeit with uncertainty due to unbalanced pleiotropy. The effects of poverty were reduced by approximately 30% when we adjusted for cognitive ability. Further investigations of the bidirectional relationships between poverty and mental illness are warranted, as they may inform efforts to improve mental health for all

Effects of Cooking in Solutions of Varying pH on the Dietary Fiber Components of Vegetables

To study the effect of pH on dietary fiber components of vegetables, beans, cauliflower, potatoes, peas and corn were cooked in buffers of pH 2, 4, 6, and 10. Water-soluble pectin and hemicellulose, water-insoluble pectin and hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were quantitated in raw, cooked vegetables and cooking medium. Tenderness and pH of raw and cooked vegetables were determined. Texture varied with cooking medium. Cooked vegetables were most firm at pH 4 and softest at pH 10. Dietary components found in cooking medium reflected these textural changes. Vegetables which showed greater pH effects exhibited greater changes in fiber components.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73821/1/j.1365-2621.1984.tb13237.x.pd

Genome-Wide Analysis of Secondary Metabolite Gene Clusters in Ophiostoma ulmi and Ophiostoma novo-ulmi Reveals a Fujikurin-Like Gene Cluster with a Putative Role in Infection

The emergence of new microbial pathogens can result in destructive outbreaks, since their hosts have limited resistance and pathogens may be excessively aggressive. Described as the major ecological incident of the twentieth century, Dutch elm disease, caused by ascomycete fungi from the Ophiostoma genus, has caused a significant decline in elm tree populations (Ulmus sp.) in North America and Europe. Genome sequencing of the two main causative agents of Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma ulmi and Ophiostoma novo-ulmi), along with closely related species with different lifestyles, allows for unique comparisons to be made to identify how pathogens and virulence determinants have emerged. Among several established virulence determinants, secondary metabolites (SMs) have been suggested to play significant roles during phytopathogen infection. Interestingly, the secondary metabolism of Dutch elm pathogens remains almost unexplored, and little is known about how SM biosynthetic genes are organized in these species. To better understand the metabolic potential of O. ulmi and O. novo-ulmi, we performed a deep survey and description of SM biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in these species and assessed their conservation among eight species from the Ophiostomataceae family. Among 19 identified BGCs, a fujikurin-like gene cluster (OpPKS8) was unique to Dutch elm pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that orthologs for this gene cluster are widespread among phytopathogens and plant-associated fungi, suggesting that OpPKS8 may have been horizontally acquired by the Ophiostoma genus. Moreover, the detailed identification of several BGCs paves the way for future in-depth research and supports the potential impact of secondary metabolism on Ophiostoma genus’ lifestyle

Polygenic basis and biomedical consequences of telomere length variation.

Funder: Health Data Research UK EU/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking BigData@Heart (11607).Funder: Health Data Research UKTelomeres, the end fragments of chromosomes, play key roles in cellular proliferation and senescence. Here we characterize the genetic architecture of naturally occurring variation in leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and identify causal links between LTL and biomedical phenotypes in 472,174 well-characterized UK Biobank participants. We identified 197 independent sentinel variants associated with LTL at 138 genomic loci (108 new). Genetically determined differences in LTL were associated with multiple biological traits, ranging from height to bone marrow function, as well as several diseases spanning neoplastic, vascular and inflammatory pathologies. Finally, we estimated that, at the age of 40 years, people with an LTL >1 s.d. shorter than the population mean had a 2.5-year-lower life expectancy compared with the group with ≥1 s.d. longer LDL. Overall, we furnish new insights into the genetic regulation of LTL, reveal wide-ranging influences of LTL on physiological traits, diseases and longevity, and provide a powerful resource available to the global research community