A Method for Modeling Low-Probability, High- Consequence Risk Events: Vessel Traffic on the Lower Mississippi River

[Excerpt] A variety of commodities, from chlorine to corn and petroleum to passengers, are transported on the lower Mississippi River regularly. Corn, wheat and coal are the most commonly carried commodities. From a human health and safety perspective, these are relatively benign products in that a vessel accident and spill of these are not directly hazardous to people, whatever other ecological disturbances may ensue. However, over eighty million tons of petroleum products are transported on the river annually. Over a million tons of liquid natural gas traverse the river through the center of New Orleans. Additionally, over 400,000 tons of ammonium nitrate2 pass through the center of Baton Rouge annually. The potential for a technological disaster is certainly present […] The vast majority of the literature relevant to the question of vessel accident risk concerns the question of on-board causes of vessel accidents. It is assumed that the predictors of which vessel will have an accident are on-board the vessel (i.e., vessel and crew characteristics). The most commonly cited on-board hazards include: the size of the vessel; the age of the vessel; the length of the vessel; whether the vessel is single or double hulled; the maintenance of the vessel; the classification society under which the vessel is registered; the type of ownership; the history of ownership; where the vessel is flagged (i.e., flag of convenience or traditional maritime nation); license qualifications of mates and engineers; the vessel’s casualty history; the vessel’s history of violations; whether the vessel has system (e.g., steering) redundancy; and personnel history (including manning levels and the comparison of the present levels of manning with that of the vessel in the past and with similar type vessels)

Water sharing for the environment and agriculture in the Broken catchment

The Commonwealth of Australia Water Act 2007 changed the priority for water use in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) to first ensure environmentally sustainable levels of extraction and then to maximise net economic returns to the community from water use. The Murray- Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is expected to deliver a draft Basin Plan in 2011 providing a framework for future water planning. The Plan will include Sustainable Diversion Limits (SDLs) which define water diversions for consumption while maintaining environmental assets and ecosystem functions. The 2009 MDBA Concept Statement acknowledged that in some areas less information is available to determine the SDLs. The 2010 MDBA Guide to the Basin Plan proposed SDLs reducing the current long-term average surface water diversions to between 25 and 34% for the Goulburn-Broken region. Representative farm-level models of irrigated dairy, horticulture and viticulture, and dryland broadacre, industries were developed to determine the likely impacts on farm income and farm enterprise mix if the price and quantity of irrigation water changes. Water for ecological benefits and ecosystem functioning was determined for a range of river health levels using a bottom-up approach identifying flow requirements for fish, riparian vegetation, invertebrates, and geomorphic and nutrient processes. A novel part of the analysis is the conjunctive use of water for both purposes, e.g. wetland filling and then pumping for irrigation. The linkages between changed land use and surface/ground water outcomes are assessed using a Catchment Analysis Tool. An experimental design of different proportions of water going to the environment and consumptive uses showed potential trade-offs between agricultural, environmental and surface/ground water outcomes. These trade-offs were examined to assess the impact of alternative water management on catchment welfare, and provide information about setting SDLs.Water sharing, environment, agriculture, Murray-Darling Basin, Broken catchment, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q18, Q25, Q28,

Low-rate discharge of various electrochemical batteries for use with oceanographic instruments

The endurance of self-sustained oceanographic instruments is generally limited to battery energy. Tests were initiated to measure the capacities of several types of electrochemical batteries when discharged at temperatures and rates typical of oceanographic use. Battery systems represented are alkaline-manganese dioxide, mercuric-oxide, and lithium sulphur oxychloride. Results of tests completed so far are presented. A brief overview of those batteries best suited for use with self-sustained oceanographic instruments is included as an appendix.Funding was provided by the Office of Naval Research under contract Number N00014-76-C-0197, NR 083-400

Prevalence of elevated alanine transaminase in Australia and its relationship to metabolic risk factors: A cross-sectional study of 9,447 people

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) is a strong predictor of metabolic syndrome, but there are few data from the Australian population. We aimed to determine the prevalence of elevated ALT and association with metabolic risk factors. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study including adult participants (N = 9,447) from a nationwide, population-based survey, we assessed the prevalence of elevated ALT [defined as ≥ 40 IU/L (men) and ≥ 30 IU/L (women) as baseline, and ALT as ≥ 30 IU/L (men) and ≥ 19 IU/L (women) as lower threshold], distribution of metabolic risk factors, and independent predictors of elevated ALT in logistic regression models. Analyses were weighted to the population with population weights. RESULTS: Elevated ALT levels were found in 11.2% of the Australian population. People with elevated ALT were younger (43 vs 46 yrs) with more truncal adiposity (100 vs 91 cm), higher pro-atherogenic lipids and glucose and exercised less (120 vs 160 min per week, P < 0.05 for all analyses). Regression analyses indicated that younger age, male sex, diabetes, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, and waist circumference were independent predictors of elevated ALT. The population attributable fraction of elevated ALT due to truncal obesity was estimated at 47%. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate a high prevalence of elevated ALT in the general population that is closely associated with metabolic risk factors. Individuals with elevated ALT should be evaluated for co-existent metabolic disorders

Panel IV Discussion: The Future of 1st Amendment Protections: Examining the Use of Brutality on those Fighting Against Violence

The 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”. 35 Texas Constitution, Article I, Section 27, states, “The citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together for their common good.’’ What constitutes peaceful protest and limitations on such speech has been questioned for decades. Law enforcement agencies have, over the years, used various means of restricting free speech and peaceful assembly. Recall, during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, snarling dogs and high-powered water hoses were used in addition to other brutal physical attacks and excessive use of force on adults and children alike. This presentation examined current jurisprudence surrounding these issues. It questions what the future of the First Amendment right to protest does and should looks like while affirming the need to defend this critical right in protecting democracy. It further demonstrates the need to expand the constitutional protection for peaceful protestors as it relates to racial and social justice

Calving distribution of the Teshekpuk caribou herd, 1994-2003

Parturient female caribou from the Teshekpuk caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) herd (TCH) have been observed across the western North Slope, but most cows that were seen with calves during the calving period were in the area surrounding Teshekpuk Lake. During surveys conducted between 1994 and 2003, 155 (91%) of 171 collared cows seen with calves were within an area given protected status in the 1998 Bureau of Land Management Final Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (IAP/EIS). The percentage of adult collared cows seen with a calf between 1994 and 2003 has ranged from 44% to 86%, with a mean of 66%. The years with the lowest percentage of collared cows seen with calves were 1997 (50%) and 2001 (44%). In 1997 most of the herd migrated much farther south than usual, and in 2001 unusually deep, persistent snow restricted spring migration, resulting in fewer cows returning to the traditional calving area during the calving period. When snowmelt dates were earlier, calving locations were farther north. Average standardized travel rates for parturient cows were significantly greater before they had calves (7.25 km/day) than after 3.89 (km/day). Geographically, protections granted by the 1998 BLM IAP/EIS appear to adequately cover the concentrated calving grounds, allowing for variance in the annual distribution of calving cows

Toward Automation of the Supine Pressor Test for Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia leads to increased risk of morbidity and mortality for both mother and fetus. Most previous studies have largely neglected mechanical compression of the left renal vein by the gravid uterus as a potential mechanism. In this study, we first used a murine model to investigate the pathophysiology of left renal vein constriction. The results indicate that prolonged renal vein stenosis after 14 days can cause renal necrosis and an increase in blood pressure (BP) of roughly 30 mmHg. The second part of this study aimed to automate a diagnostic tool, known as the supine pressor test (SPT), to enable pregnant women to assess their preeclampsia development risk. A positive SPT has been previously defined as an increase of at least 20 mmHg in diastolic BP when switching between left lateral recumbent and supine positions. The results from this study established a baseline BP increase between the two body positions in nonpregnant women and demonstrated the feasibility of an autonomous SPT in pregnant women. Our results demonstrate that there is a baseline increase in BP of roughly 10-14 mmHg and that pregnant women can autonomously perform the SPT. Overall, this work in both rodents and humans suggests that (1) stenosis of the left renal vein in mice leads to elevation in BP and acute renal failure, (2) nonpregnant women experience a baseline increase in BP when they shift from left lateral recumbent to supine position, and (3) the SPT can be automated and used autonomously

Agonist-induced internalization and desensitization of the apelin receptor

Apelin acts via the G protein-coupled apelin receptor (APJ) to mediate effects on cardiovascular and fluid homeostasis. G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) trafficking has an important role in the regulation of receptor signalling pathways and cellular functions, however in the case of APJ the mechanisms and proteins involved in apelin-induced trafficking are not well understood. We generated a stable HEK-293 cell line expressing N-terminus HA-tagged mouse (m) APJ, and used a semi-automated imaging protocol to quantitate APJ trafficking and ERK1/2 activation following stimulation with [Pyr(1)]apelin-13. The mechanisms of [Pyr(1)]apelin-13-induced internalization and desensitization were explored using dominant-negative mutant (DNM) cDNA constructs of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), β-arrestin1, EPS15 and dynamin. The di-phosphorylated ERK1/2 (ppERK1/2) response to [Pyr(1)]apelin-13 desensitized during sustained stimulation, due to upstream APJ-specific adaptive changes. Furthermore, [Pyr(1)]apelin-13 stimulation caused internalization of mAPJ via clathrin coated vesicles (CCVs) and also caused a rapid reduction in cell surface and whole cell HA-mAPJ. Our data suggest that upon continuous agonist exposure GRK2-mediated phosphorylation targets APJ to CCVs that are internalized from the cell surface in a β-arrestin1-independent, EPS15- and dynamin-dependent manner. Internalization does not appear to contribute to the desensitization of APJ-mediated ppERK1/2 activation in these cells