3,319 research outputs found
A commentary on recent water safety initiatives in the context of water utility risk management.
Over the last decade, suppliers of drinking water have recognised the
limitations of relying solely on end-product monitoring to ensure safe water
quality and have sought to reinforce their approach by adopting preventative
strategies where risks are proactively identified, assessed and managed. This is
leading to the development of water safety plans; structured ‘route maps’ for
managing risks to water supply, from catchment to consumer taps. This paper
reviews the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) procedure on
which many water safety plans are based and considers its appropriateness in the
context of drinking water risk management. We examine water safety plans in a
broad context, looking at a variety of monitoring, optimisation and risk
management initiatives that can be taken to improve drinking water safety. These
are cross-compared using a simple framework that facilitates an integrated
approach to water safety. Finally, we look at how risk management practices are
being integrated across water companies and how this is likely to affect the
future development of water safety p
Single cell PCR amplification of diatoms using fresh and preserved samples
Single cell Chelex® DNA extraction and nested PCR amplification were used to examine partial gene sequences from natural diatom populations for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies at and above the level of species. DNA was extracted from cells that were either fresh collected or stored in RNAlater. Extractions from Lugol’s fixation were also attempted with limited success. Three partial gene sequences (rbcL, 18S and psbA) were recovered using existing and new primers with a nested or double nested PCR approach with amplification and success rates between 70–96%. An rbcL consensus tree grouped morphologically similar specimens and was consistent across the two primary sample treatments: fresh and RNAlater. This tool will greatly enhance the number of microscopic diatom taxa (and potentially other microbes) available for barcoding and phylogenetic studies. The near-term increase in sequence data for diatoms generated via routine single cell extractions and PCR will act as a multiproxy validation of longer-term next generation genomics
Creatine kinase/α-crystallin interaction functions in cataract development
Creatine kinase (CK) is an energy storage enzyme that plays an important role in energy metabolism. CK/phosphocreatine functions as an energy buffer and links ATP production sites with ATP utilization sites. Several key mutations in the αA-crystallin
Creatine kinase/α-crystallin interaction functions in cataract development
Creatine kinase (CK) is an energy storage enzyme that plays an important role in energy metabolism. CK/phosphocreatine functions as an energy buffer and links ATP production sites with ATP utilization sites. Several key mutations in the αA-crystallin
Impulsive Spin-Motion Entanglement for Fast Quantum Computation and Sensing
We perform entanglement of spin and motional degrees of freedom of a single,
ground-state trapped ion through the application of a ps laser pulse. The
duration of the interaction is significantly shorter than both the motional
timescale ( s) and spin precession timescale (
ns), demonstrating that neither sets a fundamental speed limit on this
operation for quantum information processing. Entanglement is demonstrated
through the collapse and revival of spin coherence as the spin components of
the wavefunction separate and recombine in phase space. We infer the fidelity
of these single qubit operations to be .Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Forest Views: Shifting Attitudes Toward the Environment in Northeast Oregon
This brief reports on a telephone survey conducted in fall 2014 as part of the ongoing Communities and Forests in Oregon (CAFOR) project. CAFOR focuses on seven counties in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon (Baker, Crook, Grant, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler), where the landscape and local livelihoods are changing in interconnected ways. In an effort to inform policy development around natural resource management, the study seeks to understand how public perceptions of climate change and forest management intersect. Authors Angela Boag, Joel Hartter, Lawrence Hamilton, Forrest Stevens, Mark Ducey, Michael Palace, Nils Christoffersen, and Paul Oester report that 65 percent of those surveyed believe that forests are less healthy than they were twenty years ago. Approximately half of residents support increased user fees to improve forest health on federal land, and a majority believes that climate change is happening, although opinion is split between those who believe it is human-caused and those who believe it is caused by natural forces. The authors conclude that innovative economic and policy solutions are needed across the Inland West to help people and forests regain a strong and productive relationship that both supports livelihoods and sustains working landscapes
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