Summer Camp 1980

For the fourth consecutive summer, the Lubrecht Forestry Camp near Missoula, Montana was the escape (?) of 43 Iowa State forestry students. This camp is owned and operated by the University of Montana and is set on experimental forest land

Integrating Green Infrastructure into Urban Planning: Developing Melbourne’s Green Factor Tool

As cities increase in size and density, the ecosystem services supplied by urban greenery and green infrastructure are increasingly vital for sustainable, liveable urban areas. However, retaining and maximising urban greenery in densifying cities is challenging. Governments have critical roles in addressing these challenges through policy development and implementation. While there has been significant attention on the quality and quantity of green space on public land, there is an increasing focus on policy mechanisms for integrating green infrastructure into the private realm, including green roofs, walls, facades, balconies and gardens. As part of City of Melbourne’s efforts to increase greening across the municipality, its 2017 Green Our City Strategic Action Plan includes specific focus on the private realm, and development of regulatory processes for green infrastructure. This article reports on a participatory research project to develop a Green Factor Tool for application to building development proposals in Melbourne. We focus on the transdisciplinary collaborations that brought together contributions from researchers, practitioners, policymakers and designers. We discuss how local research on green space contributions to provision of ecosystem services shaped the design of the tool and provided the tool’s rigorous evidence-base. Finally, we consider the roles of urban planning in retaining and maximising urban green spaces in densifying urban areas

Coming Home: Homecomings and Return Migration in African -American Folklore and Literature Since 1970.

This dissertation explores homecoming narratives and the representation of return migration in African-American folklore and in African-American literature written since 1970. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, sociological, historical, religious and literary criticism are incorporated to examine African-American church and communal homecomings, personal memoir, and novels as extensions of the Great Migration narrative, leading to a reconfiguration of the South as home. This study includes an analysis of the structural features of the homecoming narrative, including the moment of return, the migrant\u27s connection to the Southern landscape, the significance of feast, and rituals of homecoming ceremonies. Subsequent chapters explore the decision to return home and the positioning of homecoming as claiming act or as salvation; the negotiation of home by returning migrants; the location of home by blacks in the New South; and family reunions and communal homecomings for African-Americans within the contested and non-contested Southern plantation site. Close readings of works by Toni Morrison, Ernest Gaines, Gloria Naylor, Walter Mosley, Bebe Moore Campbell, and Deborah McDowell also reveal ways in which the authors position homecoming and/or reinscribe the figure of the Prodigal Son (and daughter) in the narrative of return

'The Mould that Changed the World':Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of children's knowledge and motivation for behavioural change following participation in an antimicrobial resistance musical

BackgroundA primary school musical ("The Mould that Changed the World") was developed as a unique public engagement strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by engaging children in the story of the discovery of antibiotics, the risks of drug-resistant infections and the importance of prudent antibiotic use.MethodsThe musical intervention was implemented in two UK primary schools by music specialists through a series of workshops, associated learning resources and performances to relatives. Participating children (n = 182), aged 9 to 11 years, were given an online questionnaire in the classroom before rehearsals began and at two weeks post-performance with a six-month evaluation in one school. The impact of the musical was analysed using generalised linear models to control for confounding factors. For the qualitative evaluation, fifteen participating children were selected randomly from each school to take part in semi-structured focus groups (n = 5 per group) before rehearsals began and two weeks post-performance.FindingsKnowledge gain was demonstrated with children being more likely to answer questions on key messages of the musical correctly at two weeks post- performance (response rate 88%, n = 161) compared with the pre-rehearsal questionnaire (response rate 99%, n = 180) (bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics OR 4.63, C.I. 2.46-9.31 pInterpretationThis study demonstrates that musical theatre can improve both short and long-term knowledge. It demonstrates a hitherto infrequently reported change in attitude and motivation to change behaviour in children at an influential age for health beliefs. This unique public health tool has the potential for high impact particularly if rolled out within national education programmes for primary school aged children

Enhanced fluorescence from semiconductor quantum dot-labelled cells excited at 280 nm

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have significant advantages over more traditional fluorophores used in fluorescence microscopy including reduced photobleaching, long-term photostability and high quantum yields, but due to limitations in light sources and optics, are often excited far from their optimum excitation wavelengths in the deep-UV. Here, we present a quantitative comparison of the excitation of semiconductor QDs at a wavelength of 280 nm, compared to the longer wavelength of 365 nm, within a cellular environment. We report increased fluorescence intensity and enhanced image quality when using 280 nm excitation compared to 365 nm excitation for cell imaging across multiple datasets, with a highest average fluorescence intensity increase of 3.59-fold. We also find no significant photobleaching of QDs associated with 280 nm excitation and find that on average, ~80% of cells can tolerate exposure to high-intensity 280 nm irradiation over a 6-hour period

Identification, cloning and functional characterization of novel sperm associated antigen 11 (SPAG11) isoforms in the rat

BACKGROUND: Sperm binding proteins and their C-terminal peptides of the Sperm Associated Antigen 11 (SPAG11) family were found to play an important role in epididymal innate immunity in addition to their role in sperm maturation. However, the expression of Spag11 transcripts in rodents is not well documented. METHODS: Computational analysis was employed to identify novel Spag11 isoforms in the rat. RT-PCR analyses were carried out on RNAs isolated from the male reproductive tract tissues of rat using gene specific primers for Spag11c and Spag11t. The identities of PCR products were confirmed by sequencing. Tissue distribution, developmental expression and androgen regulation of Spag11t and Spag11c were studied using RT-PCR. The antimicrobial activities of recombinant Spag11t and Spag11c were tested against E coli in a colony forming unit assay. RESULTS: In this study, we identified two novel Spag11 transcripts, namely, Spag11t and Spag11c derived from the long arm of chromosome 16 in the rat (Rattus norvegicus), using both in silico and molecular biology approaches. Spag11c is expressed in all three regions of the epididymis, in testis and in ovary but is absent from the seminal vesicle. Spag11t expression is confined to the caput and it is not expressed in the testis, seminal vesicle or ovary. Age dependent expression of Spag11t and Spag11c was observed in the epididymides of rats (10–60 day old). Their expression was found to be most abundant in the adult rat (60 day) suggesting roles in mature reproductive function. Further, both Spag11t and Spag11c expression was down regulated in castrated rat epididymides and the expression was maintained in the testosterone replaced castrated rats. SPAG11C is a potent antibacterial agent. SPAG11T also displayed bactericidal capacity although weaker than SPAG11C and SPAG11E. CONCLUSION: The abundant expression of Spag11t and Spag11c in the male reproductive tract suggests an important role in male reproductive tract immunity. Their expression is developmentally regulated and androgen dependent. Characterization of novel SPAG11 isoforms will contribute to our understanding of the role of epididymal proteins in sperm maturation and innate immunity

4mu spectra of AGB stars I: Observations

We present times series of high resolution spectra of AGB variables at 4mu. Line profiles from the major contributors to the spectra of oxygen rich stars at 4mu, OH, H$_2$O, HCl and SiO, are examined. The velocity as well as shape variations of these profiles with time are discussed. The line profiles investigated frequently have emission and multiple absorption components. The changes with time of the 4mu region lines do not always follow the cyclic variability seen in NIR spectra and in the photometric light curve. We interpret and discuss the results qualitatively considering comparing the spectral variability with that of the well behaved 1.6mu region and of dynamical model atmospheres. Miras and semiregular variables are compared. The origins of non-periodic behavior are discussed, including the role of spatial inhomogeneities in the stellar atmosphere.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Isotopic constraints on the production rates, crystallisation histories and residence times of pre-caldera silicic magmas, Long Valley, California

Pre-caldera high-silica rhyolites of Glass Mountain, California erupted episodically from 2.1 Ma until the catastrophic eruption of the Bishop Tuff at 0.74 Ma. The lavas are extremely evolved, with Rb/Sr ratios between 128 to 3640, the latter being the highest recorded from a volcanic rock. Glass separates from pre-1.2 Ma lavas define two geographically controlled Rb---Sr isochrons. Lavas adjacent to the current caldera rim define an isochron age of 2.047 +/- 0.013 Ma with an initial ratio of 0.7063 +/- 2, and lavas more distant from the caldera define an isochron of 1.894 +/- 0.013 Ma with the same initial ratio. The isochrons are consistent with the magmas forming within 26 ka, which implies a minimum magma production rate of 0.75 x 10-3 km3/yr over this period. New 40Ar---39Ar ages on sanidine and biotite have established that lavas defining each isochron were erupted over a long time interval, the isochron ages being up to 360 ka older than the youngest eruption age.Rb---Sr isotope data are reported for minerals from three lavas with eruption ages of 1.990 +/- 0.012, 1.866 +/- 0.014 and 1.686 +/- 0.011 Ma. Petrographically early apatite inclusions in biotite and biotite inclusions in feldspar and quartz have glass-mineral Rb---Sr ages that are indistinguishable from the relevant regional isochron. Sr diffusion in feldspar is slow at the magmatic temperatures inferred for Glass Mountain rhyolites (~ 700[deg]C) such that over 0.5 Ma the cores of large feldspars ( > 1 mm) will retain > 99.9% of their original Sr. The cores of sanidine and plagioclase yield glass-mineral ages that are up to 300 ka older than eruption ages. Feldspar rim ages for two samples are indistinguishable from eruption ages. The rims of sanidines and plagioclases from the third sample are 110 and 280 ka older than the eruption age and 180 and 20 ka younger than the cores. These mineral age data probably reflect the combination of extended periods of mineral growth and partial isotopic exchange with the host liquid during protracted residence in a magma reservoir. However, the Ar and Sr isotopic data for biotite phenocrysts are consistent with the presence of a significant component that is recycled from earlier magmatic pulses.Due to the extreme Rb/Sr ratios of the rocks and minerals it is possible to very precisely resolve the time difference between the formation of different phases, assuming that they crystallised from the same host magmas (e.g., Tplagioclase - TFe---Ti oxide = 6.8 +/- 0.1 ka) and the maximum time taken to form a phase (e.g., Tplagioclase core - Tplagioclase rim = 32.3 +/- 0.2 ka). The timescale for mineral growth is shorter in the chemically more evolved and crystal-poor lavas, consistent with these magmas having resided at higher levels in the magma chamber with shorter residence times and being more liable to extrusion. By using mineral inclusion relationships, average mineral growth rates are estimated to be between 7 x 10-13 and 8 x 10-14 cm/s. These values are significantly lower than those measured in basaltic systems and probably reflect a combination of the slow cooling rate of the Glass Mountain magma chamber(s) and the highly polymerised nature of high-silica magmas.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31446/1/0000366.pd