How sustainable agriculture can address the environmental and human health harms of industrial agriculture.

The industrial agriculture system consumes fossil fuel, water, and topsoil at unsustainable rates. It contributes to numerous forms of environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, soil depletion, diminishing biodiversity, and fish die-offs. Meat production contributes disproportionately to these problems, in part because feeding grain to livestock to produce meat--instead of feeding it directly to humans--involves a large energy loss, making animal agriculture more resource intensive than other forms of food production. The proliferation of factory-style animal agriculture creates environmental and public health concerns, including pollution from the high concentration of animal wastes and the extensive use of antibiotics, which may compromise their effectiveness in medical use. At the consumption end, animal fat is implicated in many of the chronic degenerative diseases that afflict industrial and newly industrializing societies, particularly cardiovascular disease and some cancers. In terms of human health, both affluent and poor countries could benefit from policies that more equitably distribute high-protein foods. The pesticides used heavily in industrial agriculture are associated with elevated cancer risks for workers and consumers and are coming under greater scrutiny for their links to endocrine disruption and reproductive dysfunction. In this article we outline the environmental and human health problems associated with current food production practices and discuss how these systems could be made more sustainable

Relativistic Multiconfigurational Ab Initio Calculation of Uranyl 3d4f Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering

We applied relativistic multiconfigurational all-electron ab initio calculations including the spin−orbit interaction to calculate the 3d4f resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) map (3d3/2 →5f5/2 U M 4 absorption edge and 4f5/2 →3d3/2 U M βemission) of uranyl (UO22+). The calculated data are in excellent agreement with experimental results and allow a detailed understanding of the observed features and an unambiguous assignment of all involved intermediate and final states. The energies corresponding to the maxima of the resonant emission and the non-resonant (normal) emission were determined with high accuracy, and the corresponding X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra extracted at these two positions were simulated and agree well with the measured data. With the high quality of our theoretical data, we show that the cause of the splitting of the three main peaks in emission is due to the fine structure splitting of the 4f orbitals induced through the trans di-oxo bonds in uranyl and that we are able to obtain direct information about the energy differences between the 5f and 4f orbitals: Δ5f δ/φ−4f δ/φ, Δ5f π*−4f π, and Δ5f σ*−4f σfrom the 3d4f RIXS map. RIXS maps contain a wealth of information, and ab initio calculations facilitate an understanding of their complex structure in a clear and transparent way. With these calculations, we show that the multiconfigurational protocol, which is nowadays applied as a standard tool to study the X-ray spectra of transition metal complexes, can be extended to the calculation of RIXS maps of systems containing actinides

Effects of rapid decompression and exposure to bright light on visual function in black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) and Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis)

Demersal fishes hauled up from depth experience rapid decompression. In physoclists, this can cause overexpansion of the swim bladder and resultant injuries to multiple organs (barotrauma), including severe exophthalmia (“pop-eye”). Before release, fishes can also be subjected to asphyxia and exposure to direct sunlight. Little is known, however, about possible sensory deficits resulting from the events accompanying capture. To address this issue, electroretinography was used to measure the changes in retinal light sensitivity, flicker fusion frequency, and spectral sensitivity in black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) subjected to rapid decompression (from 4 atmospheres absolute [ATA] to 1 ATA) and Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) exposed to 15 minutes of simulated sunlight. Rapid decompression had no measurable influence on retinal function in black rockfish. In contrast, exposure to bright light significantly reduced retinal light sensitivity of Pacific halibut, predominately by affecting the photopigment which absorbs the green wavelengths of light (≈520–580 nm) most strongly. This detriment is likely to have severe consequences for postrelease foraging success in green-wavelength-dominated coastal waters. The visual system of Pacific halibut has characteristics typical of species adapted to low light environments, and these characteristics may underlie their vulnerability to injury from exposure to bright light

Building the Research Enterprise in the Academic Environment:

The preponderance of nursing research conducted in the United States occurs in schools of nursing. Accordingly, a major role for academic leaders in nursing education is the development of a resource base to support and expand the research mission of the nursing program. The intersection of research and practice is also an essential element for assuring the relevance of nursing research and advancing the application of the evidence generated by nursing scientists. The following paper presents an introduction to nursing research in the U.S. with an emphasis on the educational and operational resources needed to maintain a robust research enterprise in schools of nursing. Key supports for this important work are profiled, including federal agencies and programs committed to advancing nursing science and the more widespread engagement of nurses in team-based research. The paper concludes with a look at efforts underway to enhance quality in research-focused doctoral programs and an assessment of critical roles nursing deans and faculty play in championing nursing research and preparing the next generation of nurse scientists. _________________ La majeure partie des activités de recherche en sciences infirmières aux États-Unis est effectuée dans les écoles de sciences infirmières. Par conséquent, les leaders académiques en sciences infirmières doivent jouer un rôle majeur dans l’établissement d’un ensemble de ressources pour appuyer et élargir la mission de recherche liée aux programmes de sciences infirmières. De plus, le lien entre la recherche et la pratique est un élément essentiel pour assurer la pertinence de la recherche effectuée en sciences infirmières et pour soutenir la mise en application des résultats probants produits par les scientifiques infirmières. L’article qui suit présente le développement de la recherche en sciences infirmières aux États-Unis, tout en mettant l’accent sur les ressources éducatives et opérationnelles nécessaires au maintien d’une importante activité de recherche dans les écoles de sciences infirmières. Les principaux appuis à cet important travail sont présentés, en particulier celui des organismes et programmes fédéraux mobilisés pour faire avancer les sciences infirmières et l’engagement grandissant des infirmières pour diriger des travaux de recherche en équipe. En guise de conclusion, l’article porte un regard sur les efforts en cours visant à accroître la qualité des programmes de doctorat axés sur la recherche. Il examine les rôles cruciaux que jouent les doyens/doyennes et les professeures de sciences infirmières pour promouvoir la recherche en sciences infirmières et préparer la prochaine génération d’infirmières/d’infirmiers scientifiques

Motion for Leave to File and Brief of East Tennessee Valley Landowner\u27s Association, \u3cem\u3eAmicus Curiae\u3c/em\u3e, on behalf of Respondents, \u3cem\u3eTVA v. Hill\u3c/em\u3e, No. 76-1701

Brief for the respondents in the case of Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hiram G. Hill Jr., et al., heard by the United States Supreme Court in the October Term of 1977

Optimized Sequence Library Design for Efficient In Vitro Interaction Mapping

Sequence libraries that cover all k-mers enable universal, unbiased measurements of binding to both oligonucleotides and peptides. While the number of k-mers grows exponentially in k, space on all experimental platforms is limited. Here, we shrink k-mer library sizes by using joker characters, which represent all characters in the alphabet simultaneously. We present the JokerCAKE (joker covering all k-mers) algorithm for generating a short sequence such that each k-mer appears at least p times with at most one joker character per k-mer. By running our algorithm on a range of parameters and alphabets, we show that JokerCAKE produces near-optimal sequences. Moreover, through comparison with data from hundreds of DNA-protein binding experiments and with new experimental results for both standard and JokerCAKE libraries, we establish that accurate binding scores can be inferred for high-affinity k-mers using JokerCAKE libraries. JokerCAKE libraries allow researchers to search a significantly larger sequence space using the same number of experimental measurements and at the same cost. We present a new compact sequence design that covers all k-mers utilizing joker characters and develop an efficient algorithm to generate such designs. We show through simulations and experimental validation that these sequence designs are useful for identifying high-affinity binding sites at significantly reduced cost and space. Keywords: sequence libraries; microarray design; de Bruijn graphNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01GM081871

Digital documentation and analysis of Native American rock art and Euro-American historical inscriptions from the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado

Szczegółowa fotogrametria i skanowanie laserowe 3D sztuki naskalnej, badania geofizyczne i wykopaliska sondażowe przeprowadzone w Painted Hand Petroglyph Panel, ogromnym stanowisku ze sztuką naskalną w południowo-zachodniej części Kolorado w USA, ujawniły nowe informacje na temat sytuacji kulturowej na prekolumbijskim i historycznym Południowym Zachodzie Ameryki Północnej.Detailed photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning of rock art, geophysics research and sondage excavations conducted at the Painted Hand Petroglyph Panel, a large rock art site in south-western Colorado, USA, has revealed new information about the cultural situation in the pre-Columbian and historic North American Southwest

The Relationship Between Residential Learning Communities and Student Engagement

Residential learning communities (RLCs) are residence hall environments designed to deliver academic and social benefits. For decades, many have argued RLCs are an effective means for increasing student success. Yet substantial changes in the defining characteristics of campus housing and student diversity have led to new questions about the impact of living on campus and the benefits of RLCs in particular. Consequently, we investigated the continued efficacy of RLCs as an effective educational practice. Using data from a diverse, multi-institution sample of first-year and sophomore students, this study provides insight into the relationships between RLC participation, student engagement, and perceived gains in learning