Optical/Near-Infrared Imaging of Infrared-Excess Palomar-Green QSOs

Ground-based high spatial-resolution (FWHM < 0.3-0.8") optical and near-infrared imaging (0.4-2.2um) is presented for a complete sample of optically selected Palomar-Green QSOs with far-infrared excesses at least as great as those of "warm" AGN-like ultraluminous infrared galaxies (L_ir/L_big-blue-bump > 0.46). In all cases, the host galaxies of the QSOs were detected and most have discernable two-dimensional structure. The QSO host galaxies and the QSO nuclei are similar in magnitude at H-band. H-band luminosities of the hosts range from 0.5-7.5 L* with a mean of 2.3 L*, and are consistent with those found in ULIGs. Both the QSO nuclei and the host galaxies have near-infrared excesses, which may be the result of dust associated with the nucleus and of recent dusty star formation in the host. These results suggest that some, but not all, optically-selected QSOs may have evolved from an infrared-active state triggered by the merger of two similarly-sized L* galaxies, in a manner similar to that of the ultraluminous infrared galaxies.Comment: Aastex format, 38 pages, 4 tables, 10 figures. Higher quality figures are available in JPG forma

Imaging of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies in the Near-UV

We present the first ground-based U' (3410 angstroms) images of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIGs). Strong U' emission (median total M_U' = -20.8) is seen in all systems and in some cases the extended tidal features (both the smooth stellar distribution and compact star-forming features) contribute up to 60-80% of the total flux. The star-forming regions in both samples are found to have ages based on spectral synthesis models in the range 10-100 Myrs, and most differences in color between them can be attributed to the effects of dust reddening. Additionally, it is found that star-formation in compact knots in the tidal tails is most prominent in those ULIGs which have double nuclei, suggesting that the star-formation rate in the tails peaks prior to the actual coalescence of the galaxy nuclei and diminishes quickly thereafter. Similar to results at other wavelengths, the observed star formation at U' can only account for a small fraction of the known bolometric luminosity of the ULIGs. Azimuthally averaged radial light profiles at U' are characterized by a sersic law with index n=2, which is intermediate between an exponential disk and an r^(-1/4) law and closely resembles the latter at large radii. The implications of this near-ultraviolet imaging for optical/near-infrared observations of high redshift counterparts of ULIGs are discussed.Comment: 30 pages, 4 tables, and 9 figures, 2 of which are JPEGs. To appear in the August, 2000 edition of the Astronomical Journa

The zebrafish xenograft platform-A novel tool for modeling KSHV-associated diseases

Kaposi\u27s sarcoma associated-herpesvirus (KSHV, also known as human herpesvirus-8) is a gammaherpesvirus that establishes life-long infection in human B lymphocytes. KSHV infection is typically asymptomatic, but immunosuppression can predispose KSHV-infected individuals to primary effusion lymphoma (PEL); a malignancy driven by aberrant proliferation of latently infected B lymphocytes, and supported by pro-inflammatory cytokines and angiogenic factors produced by cells that succumb to lytic viral replication. Here, we report the development of the firs

Using a descriptive social norm to increase vegetable selection in workplace restaurant settings

Objective: Recent work has shown that exposure to social norm messages may enhance the consumption of vegetables. However, the majority of this work has been conducted in laboratories, often with student populations. Little is known about whether this approach can be successfully used in other contexts. In this study, a poster featuring a message based on social norms was tested to examine whether it could increase and maintain the purchase of meals with vegetables in workplace restaurants. Methods: A pretest-posttest design with three phases was used in three workplace restaurants in the United Kingdom. The first two weeks formed the pre-intervention phase, the second two weeks the intervention phase, and the last two weeks the post-intervention phase. During the intervention phase only, posters containing a social norm message relaying information about vegetable purchases of other diners were placed in each restaurant. The main outcome measure was the percentage of meals purchased with vegetables, which was analysed using Pearson’s chi-squared test. Results: Participants were judged to be: male (57%), not overweight (75%) and under the age of 60 (98%). The intervention was positively associated with the percentage of meals purchased with vegetables: baseline vs. intervention (60% vs. 64% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.01); intervention vs. post-intervention (64% vs. 67% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.01); and baseline vs. post-intervention (60% vs. 67% of meals purchased with vegetables; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Social norm messages may increase the purchase of vegetables in workplace settings. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved

Effected Cancer Region and Psychiatric Disorders in Smoking Cessation

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp23/1003/thumbnail.jp

PREDICTING CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON RIVERINE STONEFLY (INSECTA: PLECOPTERA) SPECIES IN THE UPPER MIDWEST

Stoneflies (Plecoptera) are the most environmentally sensitive of freshwater insects. They are recognized the world over as such and their decline has been documented in Europe and North America. A dataset of 30,355 specimen records, Maximum Entropy (Maxent) software, and BIOCLIM variables derived from downscaled climate data were used to compare the pre-European settlement and future geographic distributions of 78 of 155 stonefly species that occur in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Maximum temperature in the warmest month was predicted to increase by up to 4⁰ across much of the Upper Midwest Great Lakes Landscape Conservation Cooperative (UMGLLCC) by 2100. Rainfall in the driest month was not predicted to change appreciably during this time frame. Approximately 70% of 78 species and seven of eight families were predicted to experience dramatic range loss. Five species were predicted to increase in range by 100 to 300%. Four of the five are large river, warmwater species that were predicted to migrate northward as large, northern rivers warm. These predictions suggest that mismatches in predatory/prey resources may occur and that numerical criteria used by states for water quality assessment may require reassessment. The stonefly assemblage in the Midwest is in danger of going through a second drastic reduction by 2100, making it imperative that conservation organizations begin now to protect them. Suggestions include increasing forest cover alongside rivers and streams and improving the connectivity of rivers to allow migration from the south. The presence of Wisconsinan aged till and lake plain between southern, species rich areas and northern areas may act as a barrier to future dispersal, necessitating human aided migrations if conservation of stoneflies is accepted as a priority. Stoneflies may well be surrogates for the fate of other aquatic insects (e.g. mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and caddisflies (Trichoptera)). This assertion will be tested over the next year under a phase II contract with the Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service.unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Predicting Climate Change Effects on Riverine Mayfly (Ephemeroptera), Stonefly (Plecoptera), and Caddisfly (Trichoptera) Species in the Upper Midwest

unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Economic Valuation of Grazing Management Practices: Discrete Choice Modeling in Pastoral Systems of Kenya

This study estimates the economic contribution of grazing management practices in pastoral systems by specifically undertaking an economic analysis of pastoralists’ preferences for grazing management practices and the economic value pastoralists place on them. The study applied the discrete choice experiment technique using a D-optimal design, a multi-attribute preference elicitation method to evaluate the economic value of grazing management options practiced in pastoral areas of Kenya. The results show that pastoral communities derive positive utility in connected systems that enable reciprocal access to resources in both wet and dry seasons. Pastoralism adapts to spatial–temporal variability of pasture and water through herd mobility; hence the positive utility derived from practices that contribute to the availability of adequate water and pasture across the seasons. These findings provide empirical evidence on the social and economic net benefits of rangeland management practices that should be enhanced to promote sustainable management of rangeland resources

pH control for enhanced reductive bioremediation of chlorinated solvent source zones

Enhanced reductive dehalogenation is an attractive treatment technology for in situ remediation of chlorinated solvent DNAPL source areas. Reductive dehalogenation is an acid-forming process with hydrochloric acid and also organic acids from fermentation of the electron donors typically building up in the source zone during remediation. This can lead to groundwater acidification thereby inhibiting the activity of dehalogenating microorganisms. Where the soils’ natural buffering capacity is likely to be exceeded, the addition of an external source of alkalinity is needed to ensure sustained dehalogenation. To assist in the design of bioremediation systems, an abiotic geochemical model was developed to provide insight into the processes influencing the groundwater acidity as dehalogenation proceeds, and to predict the amount of bicarbonate required to maintain the pH at a suitable level for dehalogenating bacteria (i.e., > 6.5). The model accounts for the amount of chlorinated solvent degraded, site water chemistry, electron donor, alternative terminal electron- accepting processes, gas release and soil mineralogy. While calcite and iron oxides were shown to be the key minerals influencing the soil’s buffering capacity, for the extensive dehalogenation likely to occur in a DNAPL source zone, significant bicarbonate addition may be necessary even in soils that are naturally well buffered. Results indicated that the bicarbonate requirement strongly depends on the electron donor used and availability of competing electron acceptors (e.g., sulfate, iron(III)). Based on understanding gained from this model, a simplified model was developed for calculating a preliminary design estimate of the bicarbonate addition required to control the pH for user- specified operating conditions