Microbial diversity in the thermal springs within Hot Springs National Park

The thermal water systems of Hot Springs National Park (HSNP) in Hot Springs, Arkansas exist in relative isolation from other North American thermal systems. The HSNP waters could therefore serve as a unique center of thermophilic microbial biodiversity. However, these springs remain largely unexplored using culture-independent next generation sequencing techniques to classify species of thermophilic organisms. Additionally, HSNP has been the focus of anthropogenic development, capping and diverting the springs for use in recreational bathhouse facilities. Human modification of these springs may have impacted the structure of these bacterial communities compared to springs left in a relative natural state. The goal of this study was to compare the community structure in two capped springs and two uncapped springs in HSNP, as well as broadly survey the microbial diversity of the springs. We used Illumina 16S rRNA sequencing of water samples from each spring, the QIIME workflow for sequence analysis, and generated measures of genera and phyla richness, diversity, and evenness. In total, over 700 genera were detected and most individual samples had more than 100 genera. There were also several uncharacterized sequences that could not be placed in known taxa, indicating the sampled springs contain undescribed bacteria. There was great variation both between sites and within samples, so no significant differences were detected in community structure between sites. Our results suggest that these springs, regardless of their human modification, contain a considerable amount of biodiversity, some of it potentially unique to the study site

Herman L. Midlo: Social Ally in Louisiana Religious Civil Rights

The study of social allies in the field of American Civil Rights and Liberties History is largely an underappreciated aspect of this historical era. This work argues that social allies and their stories are worthwhile histories that are beneficial to the study of American Civil Rights and Liberties using Louisiana lawyer Herman Lazard Midlo as a case study. Midlo worked as a Louisiana lawyer from the 1930s to 1960s and fought tirelessly for the religious liberties of the Jehovah’s Witness community in the state. His story shows how beneficial and consequential the actions of social allies have had and can have on the protection and expansion of civil rights and religious liberties

Acoustic anisotropy and microfabric development in accreted sediment from the Nankai Trough

Complete penetration of frontal thrust and décollement of the Nankai Trough accretionary complex in Site 808 during ODP Leg 131 provided a wealth of structural observations and physical property data. In this paper possible mechanisms are discussed that could be responsible for the development of irregular downhole trends in acoustic anisotropy observed in Site 808. After various steps of data reduction and screening, a paleomagnetic reorientation procedure is applied to a selected group of physical property data sets. This facilitates the integration of the observed changes in physical properties with the geotectonic framework at the deformation front of the Nankai Trough accretionary complex. The paleomagnetic database was employed in the reconstruction of directional properties of acoustic velocities of the Lower Shikoku Basin sedimentary sequence, which is divided by a sharply defined décollement into an accreting and a subducting portion. P-wave velocity anisotropies derived from paleomagnetically oriented samples in the upper part of this 420-m-thick hemipelagic sequence show maximum values in the direction parallel and normal to the inferred vector of plate convergence (31O°-315°). No preferred orientation of P-wave velocity anisotropy is found in the subducting part of the sequence. The preferred direction of maximum anisotropy parallel to the convergence vector is also in accordance with the true direction of the observed macro- to mesoscale structural features in Site 808. Microfractures and microcracks forming as stress relief and tensile fractures in cores of semilithified sediment normal and perpendicular to the maximum horizontal stress are discussed as control mechanisms for the development of the observed anisotropy pattern

Connecting Cluster Substructure in Galaxy Cluster Cores at z=0.2 With Cluster Assembly Histories

We use semi-analytic models of structure formation to interpret gravitational lensing measurements of substructure in galaxy cluster cores (R<=250kpc/h) at z=0.2. The dynamic range of the lensing-based substructure fraction measurements is well matched to the theoretical predictions, both spanning f_sub~0.05-0.65. The structure formation model predicts that f_sub is correlated with cluster assembly history. We use simple fitting formulae to parameterize the predicted correlations: Delta_90 = tau_90 + alpha_90 * log(f_sub) and Delta_50 = tau_50 + alpha_50 * log(f_sub), where Delta_90 and Delta_50 are the predicted lookback times from z=0.2 to when each theoretical cluster had acquired 90% and 50% respectively of the mass it had at z=0.2. The best-fit parameter values are: alpha_90 = (-1.34+/-0.79)Gyr, tau_90 = (0.31+/-0.56)Gyr and alpha_50 = (-2.77+/-1.66)Gyr, tau_50 = (0.99+/-1.18)Gyr. Therefore (i) observed clusters with f_sub<~0.1 (e.g. A383, A1835) are interpreted, on average, to have formed at z>~0.8 and to have suffered <=10% mass growth since z~0.4, (ii) observed clusters with f_sub>~0.4 (e.g. A68, A773) are interpreted as, on average, forming since z~0.4 and suffering >10% mass growth in the ~500Myr preceding z=0.2, i.e. since z=0.25. In summary, observational measurements of f_sub can be combined with structure formation models to estimate the age and assembly history of observed clusters. The ability to ``age-date'' approximately clusters in this way has numerous applications to the large clusters samples that are becoming available.Comment: Accepted by ApJL, 4 pages, 2 figure

Maintaining standing stones benefits biodiversity in lowland heathland

The exploitation of natural resources by people generally has detrimental effects on nature but in some cases anthropogenic activities can result in changes to the natural environment that produce new habitats and increase biodiversity. Understanding and supporting such cultural aspects of land use is an important part of effective conservation strategies. The UK has a range of cultural landscapes that contribute to the landscape matrix and are often important for biodiversity. However, little research has been conducted on the relationship between various types of cultural landscapes or their effects on biodiversity. We examined the interaction between semi-natural sacred sites and lowland heathland in Cornwall, and the contribution these sites make to the overall biodiversity within the habitat. We found that semi-natural sacred sites had significantly higher levels of biodiversity compared to surrounding heathland; the existence and use of the sites created new and important habitats for rare and threatened heathland species; and the spiritual and cultural use of the sites aids the management of heathland. Promoting the use of semi-natural sacred sites could therefore contribute to biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, the cultural and spiritual importance of such sites potentially increases the availability of volunteer resources for their management. We highlight the importance of an integrated management approach for achieving effective biodiversity conservation in areas containing multiple types of cultural landscapes

Australia’s Grains Farm Biosecurity Program – a national initiative in plant biosecurity awareness, education and best management practice.: Presentation

Sound biosecurity systems contribute to achieving sustainable agricultural and environmental systems, reducing the threat of introducing unwanted pests and supporting food safety and product integrity. Within Australia, the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program (GFBP) is a national initiative to assist in the development and implementation of improved biosecurity practice within its grain industry. Initiated in 2007, the extension focused program contributes to the industry’s risk mitigation activities, supports continued market access and promotes a partnership approach involving governments, industry and community. The program is funded through grower levies in partnership with state government agencies and Plant Health Australia. Using a variety of community engagement strategies, the GFBP has developed a wide range of tools to improve the management of and preparedness for, biosecurity risks in the Australian grains industry at the farm and industry level by highlighting risk pathways and activities throughout the supply chain and encouraging adoption of practices and strategies to mitigate risks. The GFPB also promotes and conducts surveillance for high priority pests especially in on-farm storage. Evaluations indicate an increased awareness of biosecurity risks, industry capacity and voluntary adoption of biosecurity best practices throughout the sector. The GFBP focus on biosecurity best practice through industry engagement has seen it contribute to safeguarding and maintaining Australia’s export reputation, with the program recently winning a national biosecurity award.Sound biosecurity systems contribute to achieving sustainable agricultural and environmental systems, reducing the threat of introducing unwanted pests and supporting food safety and product integrity. Within Australia, the Grains Farm Biosecurity Program (GFBP) is a national initiative to assist in the development and implementation of improved biosecurity practice within its grain industry. Initiated in 2007, the extension focused program contributes to the industry’s risk mitigation activities, supports continued market access and promotes a partnership approach involving governments, industry and community. The program is funded through grower levies in partnership with state government agencies and Plant Health Australia. Using a variety of community engagement strategies, the GFBP has developed a wide range of tools to improve the management of and preparedness for, biosecurity risks in the Australian grains industry at the farm and industry level by highlighting risk pathways and activities throughout the supply chain and encouraging adoption of practices and strategies to mitigate risks. The GFPB also promotes and conducts surveillance for high priority pests especially in on-farm storage. Evaluations indicate an increased awareness of biosecurity risks, industry capacity and voluntary adoption of biosecurity best practices throughout the sector. The GFBP focus on biosecurity best practice through industry engagement has seen it contribute to safeguarding and maintaining Australia’s export reputation, with the program recently winning a national biosecurity award

Celebrating 70 years of nursing and midwifery in NHS Scotland. [Exhibition]

This set of infographics were displayed together in an exhibition celebrating 70 years of nursing and midwifery in NHS Scotland. They highlight events and images covering each decade of the history of NHS Scotland, from the 1940s through to present day and beyond

Dating Around: Investigating Gender Differences in First Date Behavior Using Self‐Report and Content Analyses from Netflix

In the current studies, we used qualitative, quantitative, and content analysis to understand which frst date behaviors individuals perceive as critical for landing second dates. In Study 1 (N=100), men and women reported tactics or behaviors that they believed someone of their gender would perform on a successful frst date. We observed that men and women perceive similar behaviors as important to engage in on successful frst dates. Study 2 (N=131) had men and women rate the perceived efectiveness of these tactics. When the behaviors are aggregated, men perceive women who engage in “Involvement” behaviors as better at obtaining sec- ond dates. In contrast, women perceive men who engage in “Etiquette” behaviors as more likely to land second dates. In Study 3, we coded the Netfix show, Dat- ing Around, using the tactics from Study 1 to examine if engaging in these tactics more frequently predicted having a successful date. Results revealed that receiving a second date was not related to an individual’s engagement in these tactics. This research is the frst to attempt to empirically delineate tactics that occur on frst dates and lead to second dates for men and women

Degron tagging for rapid protein degradation in mice

Degron tagging allows proteins of interest to be rapidly degraded, in areversible and tuneable manner, in response to a chemical stimulus.This provides numerous opportunities for understanding diseasemechanisms, modelling therapeutic interventions and constructingsynthetic gene networks. In recent years, many laboratories haveapplied degron tagging successfully in cultured mammalian cells,spurred by rapid advances in the fields of genome editing andtargeted protein degradation. In this At a Glance article, we focus onrecent efforts to apply degron tagging in mouse models, discussingthe distinct set of challenges and opportunities posed by the in vivoenvironmen