Developing best practice for infilling daily river flow data

Complete river flow time series are indispensable to the sustainable management of water resources and even very short gaps can severely compromise data utility. Suitably-flagged flow estimates, derived via judicious infilling, are thus highly beneficial. The UK National River Flow Archive provides stewardship of and access to daily river flow records from over 1500 gauging stations and, whilst the majority are sensibly complete, historical validation reveals a significant quantity of gaps. A full assessment of the suitability of existing techniques for infilling such gaps is lacking. This paper therefore presents an appraisal of various simple infilling techniques, including regression, scaling and equipercentile analysis, according to their ability to generate daily flow estimates for 25 representative UK gauging stations. All of the techniques rely upon data transfer from donor stations and results reveal that the equipercentile and multiple regression approaches perform best. Case studies offer further insight and an example of infilling is presented, along with areas of future study. The results demonstrate the potential for developing generic infilling methodologies to ensure a consistent and auditable approach towards infilling, which could find wider application both within the UK and internationally

Agricultural Policies and the GATT: Reconciling Protection, Support and Distortion

This paper analyzes the relationship between the theory of protection, farm income support and international trade distortion. To parallel those of protection, a measure of distortion is derived which compares trade volumes under support policies with those which would occur under multilateral free trade. Estimates are made of these measures for the European Community and the United States for a selection of commodities. The relationship between measures of protection and economic efficiency is also highlighted. The conclusion is that present measures of protection such as the Producer Subsidy Equivalent are confusing as measures of either trade distortion or income support. Some implications are drawn for the GAIT negotiations on agriculture and for the design of domestic policies which minimize trade distortion.Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade,

Functional analysis of miRNA in chemotherapy resistant neuroblastoma.

The acquisition of drug resistance is the principle obstacle to the successful treatment of many forms of cancer. This is particularly true for neuroblastoma, a highly heterogeneous tumor accounting for 15 % of all pediatric cancer deaths. Thus, the elucidation of mechanisms involving drug resistance in this tumor, along with the development of novel approaches for sensitizing tumor cells to therapy, would be of great translational benefit. There are multiple mechanisms and genetic pathways involved in the acquisition of this phenotype, all of which are influenced by initiation treatment, often cisplatin in the case of neuroblastoma. The purpose of this work is to ascertain the contribution of genomic factors influencing drug resistance in neuroblastoma, specifically those induced by cisplatin. To this end, I have developed in vitro neuroblastoma models; SK-N-ASCis24, KellyCis32, KellyCis83 and CHP-212CislOO, significantly resistant to cisplatin and other agents and identified a novel panel of miRNA and chromosomal aberrations associated with the cisplatin drug-resistant phenotype. A focal gain discovered on chromosome 5 of SK-N-ASCis24 contains a region encoding NAIP; the founding member of the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) family. Through modulation of NAIP I have confirmed a functional role in relation to drug resistance. I have also identified miR-520f, the down regulation of which correlates with up regulation of NAIP. The study further demonstrates that miR-520f directly targets the NAIP 3\u27UTR, and that up regulation of miR-520f results in a significant increase in sensitivity to cisplatin. In addition we show that lower levels of miR-520f expression are associated with tumours post-treatment. In conclusion, this work provides the first evidence that NAIP and miR-520f are functional constituents in a neuroblastoma drug-resistance model not influenced by the overexpression of MYCN. Additionally, it demonstrates for the first time a significant association between patients post-treatment and low expression of miR-520f. In the MNA models KellyCis83 and CHP-212CislOO, enhanced proliferation rates were observed when grown in low doses of cisplatin. Through miRNA profiling and analysis a unique panel of miRNA were identified that were induced by low dose treatment and preliminary functional analysis indicates a role in proliferation. The observation of this drug inducible phenotype could have a significant impact in a clinical setting due to the fact that residual cisplatin can be detected in patients for long periods after treatment, suggesting cisplatin treatment could actually drive tumor growth. Although the precise mechanism involved remains to be fully elucidated, this thesis demonstrates for the first time, a link between miRNA and enhanced proliferation in response to low dose treatment. Overall, this work provides important biological insight into neuroblastoma drug resistance which has significant implications for future development of novel therapeutics and the more efficient design of re-initiation treatment, sparing patients unnecessary rounds of chemotherapy and ultimately increasing survival

The Ursinus Weekly, October 17, 1932

Fighting bears trounce F. & M. 16-6: McAvoy\u27s grid men make game look easy as they pile up big score • Old timers return for annual fete • Anniversary celebration to be held on Monday • New equipment aids work in biology fields • Dr. Rubin leaves campus to continue study abroad • Cross country men open season with 25-30 victory • Eighteen pre-medics in honorary society • Gay crowd gathers for dance on even of holiday • Cubs fall before fast attack of Villanova frosh • Hockeyists romp over grads in first game, 8-1 • Various committees named • Poverty Day prize winners • Biology Club to organize • Women gather at dinner • Alumni dine after game • Co-eds make known aims • Pajamas and torches feature at pre-game pep parade • Erring freshmen become clowns for student council • Frosh girls breakfast with junior advisors • Foreign problems reviewed • Men\u27s chorus progressing • Curtain Club plans varied play season • Pan-Hellenic ball date announced by councils • F. and M. flasheshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/2032/thumbnail.jp

Impacts of environmental structure on resilience of yeasts to stress

Ubiquitously, the environments of microorganisms have three-dimensional structure that create heterogeneous distributions of the space in which microorganisms reside. In particular, the soil environment is a complex porous medium inhabited by a vast array of microorganisms, essential for Earth processes like biogeochemical cycling. However, these microorganisms are subject to environmental perturbation. The physiological impacts of environmental stress on microorganisms are well studied, but whether (and to what extent) soil structure impacts exposure and response of microorganisms to stressors remains poorly understood. In this thesis, it was hypothesised that environmental structures could influence the stressor exposure of cells (and hence stressor survival) within them, and that the extent of this protective effect would depend on the type and scale of environmental structure. To examine this overall hypothesis, the influence of environmental structures on microbial response (or survival) to stress were assessed: first in relation to soil aggregation, then within macroscale pores ranging from 0.5 – 2 mm in diameter and last within micrometre scale structures using microfluidic approaches. A method was developed to manufacture soil aggregates from natural soils with defined quantities of soil yeast in the aggregate exterior or interior. This was used to examine the impact of soil aggregation on microbial survival of a small panel of stressors (anoxia, lead nitrate, and heat stress). Results indicated that yeast cells inside aggregates were protected from acute heat stress relative to cells at the aggregate exterior, whereas effects of aqueous lead nitrate or anoxia were similar on cells at either location. The protective effect against heat stress was compromised after prolonged heat exposure but was accentuated within compacted versions of soil aggregates, providing evidence that soil compaction, a common consequence of agricultural activity, can influence microbial stress resilience. In further experiments, structured environments with millimetre-scale pores were developed by setting up vessels containing glass beads of different sizes. Yeast ii inocula and stressors were introduced to these to explore the relationship between the environmental pore size and stress survival. Here, it was demonstrated that survival of yeast in response to lead nitrate within these structures increased with decreasing average pore size. This trend was reproduced using additively manufactured (3D-printed) lattice structures, containing pores of similar size ranges to the less-uniform glass bead structures. Finally, microfluidic devices were used to determine whether structure at the microscale impacted microbial survival of stress. These devices contained either fabricated soil-like structures, or small microspheres to create simplified structures within otherwise homogeneous environments. At this scale, an impact of environmental structure was less clear. However, in the simplified microsphere environments, results suggested that cells within more confined spaces (I.e., more surrounded by protective structures) were less exposed to stressor (copper sulfate), which was introduced as a flowing solution within the microfluidic devices. Taken together, results from this thesis suggest that environmental structure can determine microbial (exposure to and) survival of stress, at scales of structure ranging from micrometres to millimetres. The new methodologies and results developed within this thesis provide a foundation upon which the relationship between microbial perturbation and environmental structure can be further explored

The Ursinus Weekly, November 28, 1932

Curtain Club presents The Black flamingo • Board of Directors reviews progress of two decades • McAvoy\u27s proteges close season by losing to Albright Lions 26-0 • New administrative office created by college board • Eight seniors finish varsity grid careers • Pan-Hellenic ball will provide lively week-end • Mrs. Rice resigns post after eight months\u27 service • Results of sorority straw vote show divided interest • Captain Clark Sautter sets training record • College courtmen hope for successful season • Many debates scheduled for forensic artists • Chocolate industry to be traced this evening • Grapplers start preparing for strenuous mat season • Frosh-soph classic • Will attend conference • Sutin elected to lead 1933 cross country team • Women receive athletic awards • Chinese student speaks • Rousing bon-fire and band feature final pep meeting • Modern drama discussed • Classics group meeting • Garnet booters tie coach Baker\u27s proteges, 2-2 • Harriers close season • Jack McAvoy engaged • Chemist society meeting • Y.M.-Y.W. cabinet meeting • Thanksgiving game resultshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/2038/thumbnail.jp

A Dihydroxo-Bridged Ferric Dimer

Recent investigations have produced a large number of dimeric complexes containing the oxo-bridged structural unit Fe_2O^(4+). Here we report the isolation and characterization of [Fe (pic)_2OH]_2 which apparently is the first example of a crystalline iron(III) dimer which utilizes dihydroxo bridging in its coordination structure

The Ursinus Weekly, March 6, 1933

Seniors make plans for Broadway musical show • Y chorus sings tonight • Week of prayer services presented by YM-YW • Indian to address joint meeting on Wed. night • Varsity downs Drexel, but loses to F. and M., 45-40 • Matmen lose to Rutgers in season\u27s last match • J. M. Anders Society hears eminent gynecologist • Pre-meds. select caduceus as student insignia • Woman\u27s place in industry discussed before freshmen • Swarthmore defeats girls sextet in close game, 18-16 • Beethoven\u27s Mass in D to be presented in June • The seasons • Frosh debaters break even • Caribbean questionnaire given to group of seniors • Dr. Omwake at convention • Limbert speaks in chapel • Dr. Goepp speaks to co-eds on famous classical music • Stine clinches title • Co-eds play flashy ball in inter-hall competition • Frosh close season with victory over Drexel, 45-32https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/2048/thumbnail.jp