Commentary on "state tax revenue growth and volatility"

Taxation ; State finance ; Revenue

Pulling Apart: A State-by-State Analysis of Income Trends

Presents findings from a state-by-state analysis of trends in income inequality since the late 1980s, and examines the causes of widening inequality, including policy. Recommends state options such as higher minimum wages and more progressive tax systems

Source-age dynamics of estuarine particulate organic matter using fatty acid delta C-13 and Delta C-14 composition

This study used a multiproxy approach to elucidate the source and age composition of estuarine particulate organic matter (POM) using bulk stable isotopes (C-13(POC)), fatty acid (FA) biomarkers, and compound specific isotopic analyses in surface waters along the Delaware River and Bay (Delaware Estuary, hereafter). C-13 values of FA (C-13(FA)) ranged more widely (-30.9 parts per thousand to -21.8 parts per thousand) than C-13(POC) (-27.5 parts per thousand to -23.5 parts per thousand), providing greater insight about POM sources along the estuary. C-13 values of C-16:0 phospholipid FA (primarily, aquatic sources) increased along the salinity gradient (-29.8 parts per thousand to -23.4 parts per thousand), while C-13(FA) values of long-chain neutral fatty acid (terrestrial sources) decreased (-28.6 parts per thousand to -30.9 parts per thousand). C-13(FA) values for C-18\u27s FA indicated the importance of marsh-derived organic matter within Delaware Estuary. Compound specific radiocarbon analysis showed the heterogeneous age structure of FA associated with POM (FA(POM)). C-14 ages of FA ranged from modern (postbomb) to 1790BP; aged FA (120BP to 1700BP) derived primarily from the watershed, whereas modern FA were produced within Delaware Estuary. C-14 ages of short-chain FA (aquatic sources) reflected differences in the age of dissolved inorganic carbon along the estuary and had older C-14 ages at the river end-member. C-14 ages of FA from terrigenous sources were older than water and sediment residence times indicating this source derived from the watershed. This study is the first to document the complex age distribution of FA(POM) along the estuarine salinity gradient and shows that inorganic carbon sources, watershed inputs and autochthonous production contribute to variation in the ages of POM

Constraining the sources and cycling of dissolved organic carbon in a large oligotrophic lake using radiocarbon analyses

© The Author(s), 2017. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here under a nonexclusive, irrevocable, paid-up, worldwide license granted to WHOI. It is made available for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 208 (2017): 102-118, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2017.03.021.We measured the concentrations and isotopic compositions of solid phase extracted (SPE) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and high molecular weight (HMW) DOC and their constituent organic components in order to better constrain the sources and cycling of DOC in a large oligotrophic lacustrine system (Lake Superior, North America). SPE DOC constituted a significant proportion (41-71 %) of the lake DOC relative to HMW DOC (10-13%). Substantial contribution of 14C-depleted components to both SPE DOC (Δ14C = 25 to 43‰) and HMW DOC (Δ14C = 22 to 32‰) was evident during spring mixing, and depressed their radiocarbon values relative to the lake dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC; Δ14C ~ 59‰). There was preferential removal of 14C-depleted (older) and thermally recalcitrant components from HMW DOC and SPE DOC in the summer. Contemporary photoautotrophic addition to HMW DOC was observed during summer stratification in contrast to SPE DOC, which decreased in concentration during stratification. Serial thermal oxidation radiocarbon analysis revealed a diversity of sources (both contemporary and older) within the SPE DOC, and also showed distinct components within the HMW DOC. The thermally labile components of HMW DOC were 14C-enriched and are attributed to heteropolysaccharides (HPS), peptides/amide and amino sugars (AMS) relative to the thermally recalcitrant components reflecting the presence of older material, perhaps carboxylic-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM). The solvent extractable lipid-like fraction of HMW DOC was very 14C-depleted (as old as 1270-2320 14C years) relative to the carbohydrate-like and protein-like substances isolated by acid hydrolysis of HMW DOC. Our data constrain relative influences of contemporary DOC and old DOC, and DOC cycling in a modern freshwater ecosystem.This work was funded by the National Science Foundation OCE 0825600 to E.C.M. and J.P.W., a graduate student internship fellowship to P.K.Z by National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility (OCE 0753487), and the Postdoctoral Scholar Program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to P.K.Z, with funding provided by the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility (OCE 0753487)

Ultra-small graphitization reactors for ultra-microscale 14C analysis at the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (NOSAMS) Facility

© The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, 2015. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Radiocarbon 57, no. 1 (2015): 109–122, doi:10.2458/azu_rc.57.18118.In response to the increasing demand for 14C analysis of samples containing less than 25 µg C, ultra-small graphitization reactors with an internal volume of ~0.8 mL were developed at NOSAMS. For samples containing 6 to 25 µg C, these reactors convert CO2 to graphitic carbon in approximately 30 min. Although we continue to refine reaction conditions to improve yield, the reactors produce graphite targets that are successfully measured by AMS. Graphite targets produced with the ultra-small reactors are measured by using the Cs sputter source on the CFAMS instrument at NOSAMS where beam current was proportional to sample mass. We investigated the contribution of blank carbon from the ultra-small reactors and estimate it to be 0.3 ± 0.1 µg C with an Fm value of 0.43 ± 0.3. We also describe equations for blank correction and propagation of error associated with this correction. With a few exceptions for samples in the range of 6 to 7 µg C, we show that corrected Fm values agree with expected Fm values within uncertainty for samples containing 6–100 µg C.This work was funded by the NSF Cooperative Agreement for the Operation of a National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility (OCE-0753487). S R Shah Walter was also partially supported by the WHOI Postdoctoral Scholar Program

Targeted metabolomics reveals proline as a major osmolyte in the chemolithoautotroph Sulfurimonas denitrificans

© The Author(s), 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in MicrobiologyOpen 7 (2018): e00586, doi:10.1002/mbo3.586.Chemoautotrophic bacteria belonging to the genus Sulfurimonas in the class Campylobacteria are widespread in many marine environments characterized by redox interfaces, yet little is known about their physiological adaptations to different environmental conditions. Here, we used liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/ MS) in a targeted metabolomics approach to study the adaptations of Sulfurimonas denitrificans to varying salt concentrations that are found in its natural habitat of tidal mudflats. Proline was identified as one of the most abundant internal metabolites and its concentration showed a strong positive correlation with ionic strength, suggesting that it acts as an important osmolyte in S. denitrificans. 2,3-dihydroxypropane- 1- sulfonate was also positively correlated with ionic strength, indicating it might play a previously unrecognized role in osmoregulation. Furthermore, the detection of metabolites from the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle at high internal concentrations reinforces the importance of this pathway for carbon fixation in Campylobacteria and as a hub for biosynthesis. As the first report of metabolomic data for an campylobacterial chemolithoautotroph, this study provides data that will be useful to understand the adaptations of Campylobacteria to their natural habitat at redox interfaces.NSF, Grant/Award Number: OCE- 1136727 and OCE-1154320; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; U.S. Geological Surve

Single cell genomics-based analysis of gene content and expression of prophages in a diffuse-flow deep-sea hydrothermal system

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Labonte, J. M., Pachiadaki, M., Fergusson, E., McNichol, J., Grosche, A., Gulmann, L. K., Vetriani, C., Sievert, S. M., & Stepanauskas, R. Single cell genomics-based analysis of gene content and expression of prophages in a diffuse-flow deep-sea hydrothermal system. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10, (2019): 1262, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.01262.Phage–host interactions likely play a major role in the composition and functioning of many microbiomes, yet remain poorly understood. Here, we employed single cell genomics to investigate phage–host interactions in a diffuse-flow, low-temperature hydrothermal vent that may be reflective of a broadly distributed biosphere in the subseafloor. We identified putative prophages in 13 of 126 sequenced single amplified genomes (SAGs), with no evidence for lytic infections, which is in stark contrast to findings in the surface ocean. Most were distantly related to known prophages, while their hosts included bacterial phyla Campylobacterota, Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Proteobacteria, Lentisphaerae, Spirochaetes, and Thermotogae. Our results suggest the predominance of lysogeny over lytic interaction in diffuse-flow, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, despite the high activity of the dominant Campylobacteria that would favor lytic infections. We show that some of the identified lysogens have co-evolved with their host over geological time scales and that their genes are transcribed in the environment. Functional annotations of lysogeny-related genes suggest involvement in horizontal gene transfer enabling host’s protection against toxic metals and antibacterial compounds.This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Dimensions of Biodiversity Program [OCE-1136488 (to RS), OCE-1136727 (to SMS) and OCE-1136451 (to CV)], as well as DEB-1441717 and OCE-1335810 (to RS), and the DOE JGI CSP project 1477