A field investigation of phreatophyte-induced fluctuations in the water table

This is the published version. Copyright American Geophysical Union[1] Hydrographs from shallow wells in vegetated riparian zones frequently display a distinctive pattern of diurnal water table fluctuations produced by variations in plant water use. A multisite investigation assessed the major controls on these fluctuations and the ecohydrologic insights that can be gleaned from them. Spatial and temporal variations in the amplitude of the fluctuations are primarily a function of variations in (1) the meteorological drivers of plant water use, (2) vegetation density, type, and vitality, and (3) the specific yield of sediments in the vicinity of the water table. Past hydrologic conditions experienced by the riparian zone vegetation, either in previous years or earlier within the same growing season, are also an important control. Diurnal water table fluctuations can be considered a diagnostic indicator of groundwater consumption by phreatophytes at most sites, so the information embedded within these fluctuations should be more widely exploited in ecohydrologic studies

Great Wall Starbucks

This is one of hundreds of 60-second radio spots created by the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) for Kansas Public Radio (KPR). The purpose of this outreach program is to introduce the people of Kansas to the culture and current issues of East Asia.Broadcast Transcript: For roughly 2,000 years, the Great Wall--or chang cheng in Chinese -- has snaked more than 4,000 miles through China's topography doing its duty: deterring invasions from the North. It has been somewhat less successful at deterring invasions from the West: neither its width of 5 meters nor its height of 10 has proven effective against consumerism in the form of designer coffee. That's right. Starbucks has opened a new store at badaling, 47 miles outside of Beijing and right along the Great Wall. When you think about it, it's not a bad marketing strategy: the Wall is high, the stairs relentless; what better than an espresso to energize you for the steep climb up? On second thought, make that a double. #ceas #china #tsutsui #gatewoo

Epigenetic inheritance: histone bookmarks across generations

Multiple circuitries ensure that cells respond correctly to the environmental cues within defined cellular programs. There is increasing evidence suggesting that cellular memory for these adaptive processes can be passed on through cell divisions and generations. However, the mechanisms by which this epigenetic information is transferred remain elusive largely because it requires that such memory survive through gross chromatin remodeling events during DNA replication, mitosis, meiosis and developmental reprogramming. Elucidating the processes by which epigenetic information survives and is transmitted is a central challenge in biology. Here we consider recent advances in understanding mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance with a focus on histone segregation at the replication fork and how an epigenetic memory may get passed through the paternal lineage