Climate Change and San Francisco Bay-Delta Tidal Wetlands

Climate change will affect tidal wetlands with higher rates of sea-level rise and higher concentrations of salt in brackish and freshwater tidal systems, in addition to causing increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration, warmer temperatures, and shifts in precipitation. In the San Francisco Bay–Delta, the areas most likely to be affected—brackish and freshwater tidal wetlands—are also the sites with the majority of endemic plant species and the greater biodiversity and productivity. Effects on the San Francisco Bay– Delta estuary are complex and difficult to predict, but a few things are clear. Biodiversity of the tidal wetland system in the San Francisco Bay–Delta region will decline, with subsequent effects on ecosystem functioning and services. Altered plant production, physiological tolerances, and shifts in rates of mortality will modify wetland plant communities in ways not yet predictable. Lower ecosystem productivity from salinity increases will affect both primary and detrital-based food webs. Such changes will cascade via the food webs into invertebrate, bird, and pelagic systems. Tidal wetlands are especially sensitive to processes that climate change will alter. Several of these altered processes are exacerbated by water diversions from the Delta

Onset of runaway fragmentation of salt marshes

Salt marshes are valuable but vulnerable coastal ecosystems that adapt to relative sea level rise (RSLR) by accumulating organic matter and inorganic sediment. The natural limit of these processes defines a threshold rate of RSLR beyond which marshes drown, resulting in ponding and conversion to open waters. We develop a simplified formulation for sediment transport across marshes to show that pond formation leads to runaway marsh fragmentation, a process characterized by a self-similar hierarchy of pond sizes with power-law distributions. We find the threshold for marsh fragmentation scales primarily with tidal range and that sediment supply is only relevant where tides are sufficient to transport sediment to the marsh interior. Thus the RSLR threshold is controlled by organic accretion in microtidal marshes regardless of the suspended sediment concentration at the marsh edge. This explains the observed fragmentation of microtidal marshes and suggests a tipping point for widespread marsh loss

University Woodwind Quintet

Centennial Lecture Hall November 25, 1968 8:15p.m

The University Woodwind Quintet

Centennial Lecture Hall April 17, 1969 8:15p.m

Molecular and flow cytometric analysis of the Vβ repertoire for clonality assessment in mature TCRαβ T-cell proliferations

Clonality assessment through Southern blot (SB) analysis of TCRB genes or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of TCRG genes is important for diagnosing suspect mature T-cell proliferations. Clonality assessment through reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis of Vbeta-Cbeta transcripts and flow cytometry with a Vbeta antibody panel covering more than 65% of Vbeta domains was validated using 28 SB-defined clonal T-cell receptor (TCR)alphabeta(+) T-ALL samples and T-cell lines. Next, the diagnostic applicability of the V(beta) RT-PCR and flow cytometric clonality assays was studied in 47 mature T-cell proliferations. Clonal Vbeta-Cbeta RT-PCR products were detected in all 47 samples, whereas single Vbeta domain usage was found in 31 (66%) of 47 patients. The suspect leukemic cell populations in the other 16 patients showed a complete lack of Vbeta monoclonal antibody reactivity that was confirmed by molecular data showing the usage of Vbeta gene segments not covered by the applied Vbeta monoclonal antibodies. Nevertheless, this could be considered indirect evidence for the "clonal" character of these cells. Remarkably, RT-PCR revealed an oligoclonal pattern in addition to dominant Vbeta-Cbeta products and single Vbeta domain expression in many T-LGL proliferations, providing further evidence for the hypothesis raised earlier that T-LGL derive from polyclonal and oligoclonal proliferations of antigen-activated cytotoxic T cells. It is concluded that molecular Vbeta analysis serves to assess clonality in suspect T-cell proliferations. However, the faster and cheaper Vbeta antibody studies can be used as a powerful screening method for the detection of single Vbeta domain expression, followed by molecular studies in patients with more than 20% single Vbeta domain expression or large suspect T-cell populations (more than 50%-60%) without Vbeta reactivity

Whole-genome plasma sequencing reveals focal amplifications as a driving force in metastatic prostate cancer

Genomic alterations in metastatic prostate cancer remain incompletely characterized. Here we analyse 493 prostate cancer cases from the TCGA database and perform whole-genome plasma sequencing on 95 plasma samples derived from 43 patients with metastatic prostate cancer. From these samples, we identify established driver aberrations in a cancer-related gene in nearly all cases (97.7%), including driver gene fusions (TMPRSS2:ERG), driver focal deletions (PTEN, RYBP and SHQ1) and driver amplifications (AR and MYC). In serial plasma analyses, we observe changes in focal amplifications in 40% of cases. The mean time interval between new amplifications was 26.4 weeks (range: 5–52 weeks), suggesting that they represent rapid adaptations to selection pressure. An increase in neuron-specific enolase is accompanied by clonal pattern changes in the tumour genome, most consistent with subclonal diversification of the tumour. Our findings suggest a high plasticity of prostate cancer genomes with newly occurring focal amplifications as a driving force in progression

Risk Adjustment and Outcome Measures for Out-of-hospital Respiratory Distress

: The purpose of the Emergency Medical Services Outcomes Project (EMSOP) is to develop a foundation and framework for out-of-hospital outcomes research. In prior work, this group delineated the priority conditions, described conceptual models, suggested core and risk adjustment measures potentially useful to emergency medical services research, and summarized out-of-hospital pain measurement. In this fifth article in the EMSOP series, the authors recommend specific risk-adjustment measures and outcome measures for use in out-of-hospital research on patients presenting with respiratory distress. The methodology included systematic literature searches and a structured review by an expert panel. The EMSOP group recommends use of pulse oximetry, peak expiratory flow rate, and the visual analog dyspnea scale as potential risk-adjustment measures and outcome measures for out-of-hospital research in patients with respiratory distress. Furthermore, using mortality as an outcome measure is also recommended. Future research is needed to alleviate the paucity of validated tools for out-of-hospital outcomes research.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73779/1/j.aem.2004.03.010.pd

Establishing the Scope and Methodological Approach to Out-of-hospital Outcomes and Effectiveness Research

: Outcomes research offers out-of-hospital medicine a valuable methodology for studying the effectiveness of services provided in the out-of hospital setting. A clear understanding of the history and constructs of outcomes research is necessary for its integration into emergency medical services research. This report describes the conceptual framework of outcomes research and key methodological considerations for the successful implementation of out-of-hospital outcomes research. Illustrations of the specific applications of outcomes research and implications to existing methodologies are given, as well as suggestions for improved interdisciplinary research.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75033/1/j.aem.2004.04.014.pd