Climate change vulnerability assessment for rare plants of the San Juan Region of Colorado

Prepared for: Tres Rios Bureau of Land Management and San Juan U.S. Forest Service.May 2014.Includes bibliographical references.The 5 million-acre San Juan Region lies in southwest Colorado and is considered part of the Four Corners area. The Colorado Natural Heritage Program tracks 122 plant species within this region. Recently published climate models for the Southern San Juan Region project a median decrease in May precipitation across southwestern Colorado and a 4.3° F increase in average annual temperatures, suggesting drought may become problematic for these species in the future (Lukas et al. 2014). As of 2014, we have conducted Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments using methodology developed by NatureServe for 60 of the tracked plant species known from the region, primarily focused on federally listed or agency sensitive species. Our results indicate that nearly 60% (36 species) of these plant species are extremely vulnerable to climate change. The most vulnerable species were from alpine, cliff and canyon, barrens, and groundwater dependent wetland habitats. Spruce-fir and ponderosa pine forests, and montane grasslands had the least amount of vulnerable species. Of the 60 species assesed, 37% (22 species) are endemic to the Four Corners region and most (19 species) are extremely vulnerable. Barrens support the highest number of endemic species of any habitat (7), and all but one barrens species is extremely vulnerable. We recommend developing climate adaptation strategies for extremely and highly vulnerable species and as time permits, assessing additional rare species

Southeastern Colorado survey of critical biological resources 2009: addendum to the 2007 survey

Prepared for: Colorado Cattleman's Agricultural Land Trust, Great Outdoors Colorado, Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources.March 2010.Includes bibliographical references

State of Colorado's biodiversity 2011, The

December 2011.Includes bibliographical references.In order to assist the Colorado office of The Nature Conservancy with their Measures of Success program, and to provide biodiversity status information to other organizations in Colorado, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program has developed a prototype analysis of the status of Colorado's biodiversity, using a scorecard approach. Following the three-part model of effective conservation developed by The Nature Conservancy, our scorecard evaluated the status of ecological systems, animals, and rare plants under three broad categories: 1) Biodiversity status - including size, quality; and landscape integrity 2) Threat status - focused on both current and potential future impacts; and 3) Protection status. Plants, animals, and ecological systems can only be considered effectively conserved when their biodiversity status is viable, threats have been abated, and land management/protection is sufficient to ensure the long-term persistence of the element

Southeastern Colorado survey of critical biological resources, 2007

Prepared for: Colorado Cattleman's Agricultural Land Trust, Great Outdoors Colorado, Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources.May 2008.Includes bibliographical references

Epigenetic responses following maternal dietary exposure to physiologically relevant levels of bisphenol A

Animal studies have linked perinatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure to altered DNA methylation, but little attention is given to analyzing multiple physiologically relevant doses. Utilizing the viable yellow agouti ( A vy ) mouse, we examine the effects of developmental exposure through maternal diet to 50 ng BPA/kg ( n = 14 litters), 50 μg BPA/kg ( n = 9 litters), or 50 mg BPA/kg ( n = 13 litters) on global and candidate gene methylation at postnatal day 22. Global methylation analysis reveals hypermethylation in tail tissue of a/a and A vy /a offspring across all dose groups compared with controls ( n = 11 litters; P < 0.02). Analysis of coat color phenotype replicates previous work showing that the distribution of 50 mg BPA/kg A vy /a offspring shifts toward yellow ( P = 0.006) by decreasing DNA methylation in the retrotransposon upstream of the Agouti gene ( P = 0.03). Maternal exposure to 50 μg or 50 ng BPA/kg, however, results in altered coat color distributions in comparison with control ( P = 0.04 and 0.02), but no DNA methylation effects at the Agouti gene are noted. DNA methylation at the CDK5 activator‐binding protein ( Cabp IAP ) metastable epiallele shows hypermethylation in the 50 μg BPA/kg offspring, compared with controls ( P = 0.02). Comparison of exposed mouse liver BPA levels to human fetal liver BPA levels indicates that the three experimental exposures are physiologically relevant. Thus, perinatal BPA exposure affects offspring phenotype and epigenetic regulation across multiple doses, indicating the need to evaluate dose effects in human clinical and population studies. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91363/1/21692_ftp.pd

The Surgical Infection Society revised guidelines on the management of intra-abdominal infection

Background: Previous evidence-based guidelines on the management of intra-abdominal infection (IAI) were published by the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) in 1992, 2002, and 2010. At the time the most recent guideline was released, the plan was to update the guideline every five years to ensure the timeliness and appropriateness of the recommendations. Methods: Based on the previous guidelines, the task force outlined a number of topics related to the treatment of patients with IAI and then developed key questions on these various topics. All questions were approached using general and specific literature searches, focusing on articles and other information published since 2008. These publications and additional materials published before 2008 were reviewed by the task force as a whole or by individual subgroups as to relevance to individual questions. Recommendations were developed by a process of iterative consensus, with all task force members voting to accept or reject each recommendation. Grading was based on the GRADE (Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) system; the quality of the evidence was graded as high, moderate, or weak, and the strength of the recommendation was graded as strong or weak. Review of the document was performed by members of the SIS who were not on the task force. After responses were made to all critiques, the document was approved as an official guideline of the SIS by the Executive Council. Results: This guideline summarizes the current recommendations developed by the task force on the treatment of patients who have IAI. Evidence-based recommendations have been made regarding risk assessment in individual patients; source control; the timing, selection, and duration of antimicrobial therapy; and suggested approaches to patients who fail initial therapy. Additional recommendations related to the treatment of pediatric patients with IAI have been included. Summary: The current recommendations of the SIS regarding the treatment of patients with IAI are provided in this guideline

The Wnt antagonist sFRP1 is downregulated in premalignant large bowel adenomas

Our previous studies have implicated the Wnt antagonist, sFRP1, as a tumour suppressor gene in advanced colorectal cancer. In this study, we set out to investigate the relationship between sFRP1 expression and large bowel adenomas, a precursor of colorectal cancer. The induction of β-catenin/TCF mediated transcription is both a frequent early event in colorectal neoplasia, and a key downstream effect of wnt growth factor signalling. Lithium treatment of a small bowel mucosal cell line (FHs 74 int) induced sFRP1 within 8 h, indicating that this gene is positively regulated by β-catenin, contrasting with the suppression of sFRP1 expression, we saw previously in advanced colorectal cancers. We therefore investigated a series of 12 adenomas and matched large bowel mucosa samples. Real-time RT–PCR analysis showed a reduction in sFRP1 expression in all 12 dysplastic lesions (median 485-fold, IQR 120- to 1500-fold), indicating factors other than β-catenin influence sFRP1 levels. In a second series of 11 adenomas, we identified methylation of the sFRP1 promotor region in all 11 samples, and this was increased compared with the surrounding normal mucosa in seven cases. Immunohistochemical analysis using a polyclonal antibody supported these findings, with sFRP1 expression reduced in many of the adenoma samples examined. sFRP1 staining in normal mucosa adjacent to the dysplastic tissue was also reduced compared with the normal controls, suggesting that sFRP1 expression may be suppressed in a field of mucosa rather than in individual cells. This study identifies sFRP1 inactivation at the premalignant stage of colorectal cancer development, indicating that these pathways may be useful targets for chemoprevention strategies in this common solid tumour

Ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum Use after Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Quality of Life: A Report from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study

Objective: To evaluate associations between quality of life (QOL) and use of ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) among breast cancer survivors. Methods: Included in this study were 4,149 women with breast cancer who participated in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study. Ginseng use was assessed at 6-, 18-, and 36-month post-diagnosis surveys; G. lucidum use was assessed at the 6- and 36-month surveys. QOL was evaluated at the 6- and 36-month surveys. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine associations between ginseng and G.lucidum use and QOL assessed at the 36-month survey, with adjustment for potential confounders and baseline QOL. Results: At 6 months post-diagnosis, 14.2 % of participants reported regular use of ginseng and 58.8 % reported use of G. lucidum. We found no significant associations between ginseng use at 6, 18, and 36 months post-diagnosis and participants’ total QOL score or individual scores for psychological, physical, or social well-being. Post-diagnosis G. lucidum use was positively associated with social well-being (adjusted mean difference: 1.26; 95 % CI: 0.66, 1.86), but was inversely associated with physical well-being (adjusted mean difference: 21.16; 95 % CI: 21.86, 20.47) with a dose-response pattern observed for cumulative number of times of use (P for trend,0.001 for both). Conclusion: We found no evidence that post-diagnosis ginseng use improved the QOL of breast cancer survivors. Post

Numerical study of wetting transitions on biomimetic surfaces using a lattice Boltzmann approach with large density ratio

The hydrophobicity of natural surfaces have drawn much attention of scientific communities in recent years. By mimicking natural surfaces, the manufactured biomimetic hydrophobic surfaces have been widely applied to green technologies such as self-cleaning surfaces. Although the theories for wetting and hydrophobicity have been developed, the mechanism of wetting transitions between heterogeneous wetting state and homogeneous wetting state is still not fully clarified. As understanding of wetting transitions is crucial for manufacturing a biomimetic superhydrophobic surface, more fundamental discussions in this area should be carried out. In the present work the wetting transitions are numerically studied using a phase field lattice Boltzmann approach with large density ratio, which should be helpful in understanding the mechanism of wetting transitions. The dynamic wetting transition processes between Cassie-Baxter state and Wenzel state are presented, and the energy barrier and the gravity effect on transition are discussed. It is found that the two wetting transition processes are irreversible for specific inherent contact angles and have different transition routes, the energy barrier exists on an ideally patterned surface and the gravity can be crucial to overcome the energy barrier and trigger the transition