Willingness to Pay for Emission Reductions with E85

This study examines consumers' WTP for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from E85 as opposed to gasoline. Data were collected via a contingent choice exercise in a 2009 national online survey. As part of the fuel choice exercise, several fuel attributes were allowed to vary including emission reductions, import level, proximity of fuel availability, price, and fuel blend (E85 or regular gasoline). A random parameters model with demographics and attitudes interacted with emission reductions was estimated. The resulting estimates suggest that, overall the WTP for an emission reduction is not statistically significant. However, for some demographic and attitudinal profiles, the WTP is significant. An example profile includes younger age, female, concerned about climate change, not supportive of additional drilling, supportive of farmland being used for fuel, own or are likely to own a FlexFuel vehicle, and primary vehicle not an SUV.Willingness to Pay, Emission Reductions, E85, Consumer/Household Economics, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q41, Q51,

Phytoplankton growth at the shelf-break front in the Middle Atlantic Bight

The summertime front near the shelf break in the Middle Atlantic Bight is both thermohaline and baroclinic. Near the surface, large gradients of temperature (T) and salinity (S) exist with little cross-frontal variation in density. At depths \u3e50 m, an isopycnal boundary separates Slope Water from colder, fresher shelf water. Higher concentrations of chlorophyll are found in the upper part of the front, between water types of shelf and Slope Water origin. Calculations show also that the front is a region of enhanced phytoplankton growth. It is proposed that the relative fertility of the front is the result of large-scale deformations of the T/S boundary between shelf and Slope Water. The entrainment of deep shelf water along the shallowing, seaward-sloping, isopycnals in the deeper part of the front by these large-scale perturbations bring turbid, nutrient-rich water into clearer water that is also nutrient poor. The combination of this nutrient enrichment and a well-lighted water column makes the front more productive than elsewhere

Functions of Fibroblast Growth Factor Homologous Factor 2 in Excitable Tissues

Purpose: Fibroblast Growth Factor Homologous Factors (FHFs) are a group of proteins known to associate with and modulate voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav) in excitable cells. The four FHF genes are differentially expressed in specific cell-types, with FHF2 expressed prominently in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, heart and dorsal root ganglia. Due to previous unavailability of an Fhf2 knockout mouse, this gene’s functions have been understudied in comparison to other those encoding other FHFs. The purpose of this research has been to better understand the normal physiological functions of FHF2 at the cellular and system levels in the heart, sensory nervous system and central nervous system. These studies also include functional analysis of a point mutation in FHF2 that causes early-onset epileptic encephalopathy (EOEE) in humans. Methods: A stable fertile Fhf2KO mouse line was derived and used for phenotypic observation, in vivo experimentation, tissue harvest and primary cell culture for imaging, protein analysis and electrophysiological recordings. Whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology on primary cultured cardiomyocytes and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells supplemented with ectopic expression experiments in transfected HEK and Neuro2A cells was used to determine the modulatory effects of various FHF2 isoforms on various sodium channels. Results:FHF2 is required for proper cardiac function specifically under hyperthermic conditions. In the absence of FHF2, there is a breakdown in cardiac conduction due to the impairment of cardiomyocyte action potential generation. Without FHF2 there is a hyperpolarizing shift in cardiac Nav1.5 steady-state inactivation decreasing Nav1.5 availability. This reduces overall available sodium conductance at resting potential which, when paired with accelerated inactivation brought about by elevated temperatures, suppresses excitability. FHF2 is also necessary for topical heat nociception, as Fhf2KO mice do not respond to noxious heat. The nociceptive deficit is reproduced in mice where Fhf2 disruption is restricted to peripheral sensory neurons. Our experiments support an underlying mechanism that parallels the cardiac phenotype, as the absence of FHF2 induces hyperpolarizing shifts in the predominant sodium channel isoforms Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 expressed in DRG nociceptors. Reduced Nav1.7 availability is again exacerbated by more rapid channel inactivation at elevated temperature, which correlates with reversible temperature-sensitive conduction failure in Fhf2KO peripheral sensory fibers. Lastly, in light of recently discovered missense mutations in the A-type first exon of the FHF2 gene in several people suffering from EOEE, I have shown that these mutations prevent anti-excitatory FHF2A-mediated Nav1.6 fast-onset long-term inactivation without impairing the pro-excitatory modulation of Nav1.6 steady-state inactivation, likely leaving CNS neurons hyperexcitable and susceptible to the epileptogenic phenotype

The Relationship Between Large Ensemble Participation and the Social Identity of High-Performing Secondary Band, Orchestra, and Choir Students

The purpose of this study was to examine how high-performing secondary school students perceive their school music ensemble participation in relationship to their social identity. Research questions included the following: (1) How do participants rate their primary large ensemble membership in relationship to their self-concept?; (1a) How do selected variables: type of ensemble (i.e. band, orchestra, choir), age, time dedicated per week, and leadership positions, collectively and individually predict the importance of participants’ primary large ensemble membership to their self-concept? (2) How do participants rate their personal judgments of how valuable their primary large ensemble membership is compared to their perception of how others view their ensemble membership? (3) How do participants’ scores on the Social and Personal Identities Scale compare with previous research findings involving individuals engaged in the arts? To address the research questions, adolescent band, orchestra, and choir musicians (N = 126, 86.3% response rate) participating in a summer performing arts camp completed a paper and pencil survey about their high school music ensemble experiences. The survey included general and music demographic questions as well as a modified version of the Collective Self-Esteem Scale (CSE) and the Social and Personal Identities Scale (SIPI) as a means of measuring social identity and the salience of their group memberships. In general, participants self-identified as active members of their high school music program, with 66.6% holding some level of leadership position, and participants reported devoting an average of eight hours per week to their primary ensemble. Most respondents reported taking private music lessons, participating in additional music ensembles, and holding memberships in other non-music groups at the same time. Results of this study include: (a) participants who reported holding a major, or significant, leadership position indicated that their primary large ensemble membership had a greater importance to their self-concept, (b) respondents’ perceptions of how others evaluate their large ensemble was strongly related to their personal judgments of how favorable their large ensemble was, and (c) participants in this study indicated a lower desire for uniqueness and independence within their social groups and, consequently, were more likely to emphasize conformity in their social groups when compared to previous research findings. Implications for music education practice include recommendations that music teachers: (a) aim to situate their ensemble in a socially favorable position, (b) strive to maximize leadership opportunities without diluting the value of these positions, and (c) consider how to create a greater sense of unity and inclusiveness within their ensembles. Additionally, pre-service music teachers would likely benefit from a deeper understanding of theories related to social identity and how they can be applied to their future environments. Suggestions for future research and a possible extension of theories related to identity and music participation are discussed.PHDMusic: Music EducationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149923/1/cmarra_1.pd

uPAR promotes formation of the p130Cas–Crk complex to activate Rac through DOCK180

The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) drives tumor cell membrane protrusion and motility through activation of Rac; however, the pathway leading from uPAR to Rac activation has not been described. In this study we identify DOCK180 as the guanine nucleotide exchange factor acting downstream of uPAR. We show that uPAR cooperates with integrin complexes containing β3 integrin to drive formation of the p130Cas–CrkII signaling complex and activation of Rac, resulting in a Rac-driven elongated-mesenchymal morphology, cell motility, and invasion. Our findings identify a signaling pathway underlying the morphological changes and increased cell motility associated with uPAR expression

How to capture wild passerine species to study baseline corticosterone levels

Baseline corticosterone levels have been suggested to be an effective tool to assess and monitor the health status of individuals and populations of wild birds. However, measuring baseline corticosterone levels in the field is difficult because the capture protocol may affect rates of corticosterone secretion. In passerine birds, two methods of capture are widely used: (1) passive netting consisting of monitoring mist-nets frequently to check if a bird has been caught; and (2) target netting consisting of installing a conspecific decoy and/or playing a tape-recorded conspecific song in the vicinity of a mist-net until the territorial bird is captured. Our objective here was to determine whether these methods of capture are effective at achieving non-disturbed baseline corticosterone levels in American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla). We found that passive netting was associated with elevated corticosterone levels, suggesting that hanging in a net for several minutes activates the HPA axis and, thus, elicits an adreno-cortical stress response. In contrast, target netting was not associated with an increase in corticosterone levels, regardless of the length of time between when the target bird first approached the net and when it was captured. Therefore, we suggest that researchers interested in estimated baseline corticosterone in this species use target netting and not passive netting

Phytoplankton bloom phenomena in the North Atlantic Ocean and Arabian Sea

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2014. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in ICES Journal of Marine Science 72 (2015): 2021-2028, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsu241.We review bio-optical and physical data from three mooring experiments, the Marine Light–Mixed Layers programme in spring 1989 and 1991 in the Iceland Basin (59°N/21°W), and the Forced Upper Ocean Dynamics Experiment in the central Arabian Sea from October 1994 to 1995 (15.5°N/61.5°E). In the Iceland Basin, from mid-April to mid-June in 1989, chlorophyll-a concentrations are sensitive to small changes in stratification, with intermittent increases early in the record. The spring increase occurs after 20 May, coincident with persistent water column stratification. In 1991, the bloom occurs 2 weeks earlier than in 1989, with a background of strong short-term and diurnal variability in mixed layer depth and minimal horizontal advection. In the Arabian Sea, the mixing response to the northeast and southwest monsoons, plus the response to mesoscale eddies, produces four blooms over the annual cycle. The mixed layer depth in the Arabian Sea never exceeds the euphotic zone, allowing interactions between phytoplankton and grazer populations to become important. For all three mooring experiments, change in water column stratification is key in producing phytoplankton blooms.2016-01-0

FHF-independent conduction of action potentials along the leak-resistant cerebellar granule cell axon

Neurons in vertebrate central nervous systems initiate and conduct sodium action potentials in distinct subcellular compartments that differ architecturally and electrically. Here, we report several unanticipated passive and active properties of the cerebellar granule cell’s unmyelinated axon. Whereas spike initiation at the axon initial segment relies on sodium channel (Nav)-associated fibroblast growth factor homologous factor (FHF) proteins to delay Nav inactivation, distal axonal Navs show little FHF association or FHF requirement for high-frequency transmission, velocity and waveforms of conducting action potentials. In addition, leak conductance density along the distal axon is estimated as o1% that of somatodendritic membrane. The faster inactivation rate of FHF-free Navs together with very low axonal leak conductance serves to minimize ionic fluxes and energetic demand during repetitive spike conduction and at rest. The absence of FHFs from Navs at nodes of Ranvier in the central nervous system suggests a similar mechanism of current flux minimization along myelinated axons

Responses of river-dependent wildlife to dam removal, salmon restoration, and nutrient subsidies in the Elwha River Watershed, Olympic Peninsula, Washington

The ongoing removal of two hydroelectric dams from the Elwha River on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the effects of dam removal and subsequent salmon restoration on river-dependent wildlife species. Salmon are widely known to distribute marine nutrients into freshwater systems, providing benefits to both riverine and upland wildlife communities through improved nutrient availability. We examined two species of river-dependent wildlife (river otter Lontra canadensis, and American dipper Cinclus mexicanus) to gather data on home range and seasonal movement patterns, body condition, and dietary contributions from marine-derived nutrients prior to and during dam removal. We radio-tracked ten river otters in the Elwha River and adjacent Salish Sea, and collected biological samples from all otters captured in the Elwha River as well as 246 dippers captured across four watersheds with varying qualities of salmon runs. We are using stable isotopes (C, N) to track marine derived nutrient contributions to the diets of otters and dippers, species that are both sensitive indicators of aquatic food web quality. In both species, stable-isotope ratios were more enriched in tissues from areas with intact salmon migrations, indicating greater consumption of salmon tissues and potential enrichment of invertebrate prey. In dippers, females breeding in areas with salmon migrations were in better condition and both sexes were more likely to occupy territories in fall. Adult condition patterns were more pronounced behind anthropogenic, compared to natural, obstructions. These patterns indicate that dams have sizeable individual level impacts on aquatic consumers and provide a valuable baseline to track the recovery of this watershed following completion of dam removal