Ant-Plant Relationships in a Re-Created Tallgrass Prairie

Relationships between the distributions of nesting ants and flora were investigated in a re-created tallgrass prairie located in northeastern Illinois. One-third of 167 randomly selected 1m2 quadrats in the prairie contained ant nests. Basal coverage of ground by tall grass shoots was greater in quadrats having ant nests than in those lacking ant nests. In addition, clumps of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) that were inhabited by the ant, Acanthomyops clavigera, had higher median rank densities than adjacent clumps lacking nests. The clumps also showed a negative correlation between big bluestem shoots/ cm2 and area occupied by the clump at ground level. These significant findings relating to the distribution of nesting ants and tall grasses indicate ants have ecologic importance in re-created prairie that warrants greater scrutiny among restoration scientists

The VWFA: It\u27s not just for words anymore

Reading is an important but phylogenetically new skill. While neuroimaging studies have identified brain regions used in reading, it is unclear to what extent these regions become specialized for use predominantly in reading vs. other tasks. Over the past several years, our group has published three studies addressing this question, particularly focusing on whether the putative visual word form area (VWFA) is used predominantly in reading, or whether it is used more generally in a number of tasks. Our three studies utilize a range of neuroimaging techniques, including task based fMRI experiments, a seed based resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) experiment, and a network based RSFC experiment. Overall, our studies indicate that the VWFA is not used specifically or even predominantly for reading. Rather the VWFA is a general use region that has processing properties making it particularly useful for reading, though it continues to be used in any task that requires its general processing properties. Our network based RSFC analysis extends this finding to other regions typically thought to be used predominantly for reading. Here, we review these findings and describe how the three studies complement each other. Then, we argue that conceptualizing the VWFA as a brain region with specific processing characteristics rather than a brain region devoted to a specific stimulus class, allows us to better explain the activity seen in this region during a variety of tasks. Having this type of conceptualization not only provides a better understanding of the VWFA but also provides a framework for understanding other brain regions, as it affords an explanation of function that is in keeping with the long history of studying the brain in terms of the type of information processing performed (Posner, 1978)

Fast fluorescence dynamics in non-ratiometric calcium indicators

A fluorescence decay of high-affinity non-ratiometric Ca2+ indicator Oregon Green BAPTA-1 (OGB-1) is analyzed with unprecedented temporal resolution in the two-photon excitation regime. A triple exponential decay is shown to best fit the fluorescence dynamics of OGB-1. We provide a new model for accurate measurements of the free Ca2+ concentration and dissociation constants of non-ratiometric calcium indicators.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, figures revised, added chi-square goodness of fi

Ant-Plant Relationships in a Re-Created Tallgrass Prairie

Relationships between the distributions of nesting ants and flora were investigated in a re-created tallgrass prairie located in northeastern Illinois. One-third of 167 randomly selected 1m2 quadrats in the prairie contained ant nests. Basal coverage of ground by tall grass shoots was greater in quadrats having ant nests than in those lacking ant nests. In addition, clumps of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) that were inhabited by the ant, Acanthomyops clavigera, had higher median rank densities than adjacent clumps lacking nests. The clumps also showed a negative correlation between big bluestem shoots/ cm2 and area occupied by the clump at ground level. These significant findings relating to the distribution of nesting ants and tall grasses indicate ants have ecologic importance in re-created prairie that warrants greater scrutiny among restoration scientists

Satellite detection of vegetative damage and alteration caused by pollutants emitted by a zinc smelter

The author has identified the following significant results. Field observations and data collected by low flying aircraft were used to verify the accuracy of maps produced from the satellite data. Although areas of vegetation as small as six acres can accurately be detected, a white pine stand that was severely damaged by sulfur dioxide could not be differentiated from a healthy white pine stand because spectral differences were not large enough. When winter data were used to eliminate interference from herbaceous and deciduous vegetation, the damage was still undetectable. The analysis was able to produce a character map that accurately delineated areas of vegetative alteration due to high zinc levels accumulating in the soil. The map depicted a distinct gradient of less damage and alteration as the distance from the smelter increased. Although the satellite data will probably not be useful for detecting small acreages of damaged vegetation, it is concluded that the data may be very useful as an inventory tool to detect and delineate large vegetative areas possessing differing spectral signatures

Wind-tunnel study of downwash at the Bay Shore Power Station

CER78-79RLP-JEC54.Prepared for The Toledo Edison Company.Includes bibliographical references (pages 40-41).April 1979.The proposed Environmental Protection Agency stack height regulation gives regional administrators the authority to require a field or fluid modeling demonstration of an air quality problem due to downwash, wakes or eddies at existing sources. If the demonstration indicates the existence of an air quality problem then an existing source which increases its stack height may employ an empirical equation to determine the stack height credit it will receive. Since Toledo Edison is replacing its existing four stacks at the Bay Shore Power Station with one taller single stack, the requirement of the regulation seemingly must be satisfied before credit for the new stack is obtained. Toledo Edison contracted Colorado State University to conduct a fluid modeling investigation of the effect of structural generated downwash, wakes or eddies upon ground level concentrations. The tests were conducted using state of the art wind-tunnel testing procedures. Visualization and concentration measurements of the simulated plumes from the Bay Shore Power Station stacks were obtained for eight wind directions, three plant load conditions and one wind speed. For comparison several tests were run without the plant structure present. The results of the study show that the maximum concentration is in excess of the national ambient air quality standard for SO2 and is at least 40 percent in excess of the maximum concentration experienced in the absence of downwash, wakes, and eddy effects produced by nearby structures. The maximum concentration excess observed was approximately 650 percent

Atmospheric transport of hydrogen sulfide from proposed geothermal power plant (unit 18): predictions by physical modeling in a wind tunnel

CER77-78JEC-RLP3.Prepared for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.September 1977.Tests were conducted in the Colorado State University environmental wind tunnel facility of the transport and dispersion of the H2S plume emanating from a cooling tower (Unit 18) positioned at two locations near Anderson Springs, California. The wind tunnel tests were conducted with a cooling tower and terrain modeled to a scale of 1:1920. The effects of wind direction and wind speed upon the groundlevel H2S concentrations in the vicinity of Anderson Springs were established. Data obtained include photographs and motion pictures of smoke plume trajectories and ground-level tracer gas concentrations downwind of the cooling tower

Atmospheric transport of hydrogen sulfide from proposed geothermal power plant (units 13, 14, 16, and 18) for the west wind direction: Predictions by physical modeling in a wind tunnel

CER77-78RLP-JEC10.Prepared for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.Includes bibliographical references (page 12).November 1977.Tests were conducted in the Colorado State University environmental wind tunnel facility of the transport and dispersion of the H2S plume emanating from cooling towers positioned at four locations in the Geysers area. The wind tunnel tests were conducted with the cooling towers and terrain modeled to a scale of 1:1920. Ground-level concentrations were measured in the vicinity of Anderson Springs for selected wind speeds and one wind direction. Ground-level concentration patterns were established for each test condition studied. Data obtained include photographs and motion pictures of smoke plume trajectories as well as ground-level tracer gas concentrations downwind of the cooling towers

European expectations of disaster information provided by critical infrastructure operators

Previous research into social media crisis communication has tended to focus on use by emergency managers rather than other key stakeholder, critical infrastructure (CI) operators. This article adds to the field by empirically investigating public expectations of information provided by CI operators during crisis situations and if CI operators currently meet such expectations. It draws on key themes that emerged from a review of the literature on public expectations of disaster related information shared via social media. Then, it presents the results of an online questionnaire and interview-based study of disaster-vulnerable communities in France, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. Results indicate that members of the public expect CI operators to provide disaster related information via traditional and social media, but not necessarily respond to their queries on social media. Operators appear to meet public expectations of traditional media use, but should expand their current practices to include digital media. Recommendations for CI operators on how to do use social media follow

Task Control Signals in Pediatric Tourette Syndrome Show Evidence of Immature and Anomalous Functional Activity

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a pediatric movement disorder that may affect control signaling in the brain. Previous work has proposed a dual-networks architecture of control processing involving a task-maintenance network and an adaptive control network (Dosenbach et al., 2008). A prior resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) analysis in TS has revealed functional immaturity in both putative control networks, with “anomalous” correlations (i.e., correlations outside the typical developmental range) limited to the adaptive control network (Church et al., 2009). The present study used functional MRI (fMRI) to study brain activity related to adaptive control (by studying start-cues signals), and to task-maintenance (by studying signals sustained across a task set). Two hypotheses from the previous rs-fcMRI results were tested. First, adaptive control (i.e., start-cue) activity will be altered in TS, including activity inconsistent with typical development (“anomalous”). Second, group differences found in task-maintenance (i.e., sustained) activity will be consistent with functional immaturity in TS. We examined regions found through a direct comparison of adolescents with and without TS, as well as regions derived from a previous investigation that showed differences between unaffected children and adults. The TS group showed decreased start-cue signal magnitude in regions where start-cue activity is unchanged over typical development, consistent with anomalous adaptive control. The TS group also had higher magnitude sustained signals in frontal cortex regions that overlapped with regions showing differences over typical development, consistent with immature task-maintenance in TS. The results demonstrate task-related fMRI signal differences anticipated by the atypical functional connectivity found previously in adolescents with TS, strengthening the evidence for functional immaturity and anomalous signaling in control networks in adolescents with TS