Development of Streams Classification System for Nutrient Criteria in Illinois

USEPApublished or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Probing the Evolution of the Galaxy Interaction/Merger Rate Using Collisional Ring Galaxies

We present the results from our program to determine the evolution of the galaxy interaction/merger rate with redshift using the unique star-forming characteristics of collisional ring galaxies. We have identified 25 distant collisional ring galaxy candidates (CRGCs) in a total of 162 deep Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field/Planetary Camera-2 images obtained from the HST Archives. Based on measured and estimated redshifts, these 25 CRGCs all lie in the redshift interval of 0.1 < z < 1. Using the local collisional ring galaxy volume density and the new ``standard'' cosmology, we find that in order to account for the number of identified CRGCs in our surveyed fields, the galaxy interaction/merger rate, parameterized as (1 + z)^m, must increase steeply with redshift.We determine a minimum value of m = 5.2 $\pm$ 0.7, though m could be as high as 7 or 8. We can rule out a non-evolving (m = 0) and weakly evolving (m = 1-2) galaxy interaction/merger rate at greater than the 4 sigma level of confidence.Comment: Accepted in the Astrophysical Journal (11 pages, 4 figures). Higher resolution version of the figures is available at http://www.astro.cornell.edu/~vassilis/papers

Healthcare Barriers of Residents at a Subsidized Housing Community

Introduction: Despite expanded healthcare programs, the low income and elderly lack coverage of vision, hearing, and dental services. Community services are often asked to fill these gaps. To evaluate the situation in Burlington, VT, we surveyed staff and residents in Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) subsidized housing to (1) identify gaps in healthcare coverage and (2) assess barriers to accessing those services in this population.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1207/thumbnail.jp

Science-based restoration monitoring of coastal habitats, Volume One: A framework for monitoring plans under the Estuaries and Clean Waters Act of 2000 (Public Law 160-457)

Executive Summary: The Estuary Restoration Act of 2000 (ERA), Title I of the Estuaries and Clean Waters Act of 2000, was created to promote the restoration of habitats along the coast of the United States (including the US protectorates and the Great Lakes). The NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science was charged with the development of a guidance manual for monitoring plans under this Act. This guidance manual, titled Science-Based Restoration Monitoring of Coastal Habitats, is written in two volumes. It provides technical assistance, outlines necessary steps, and provides useful tools for the development and implementation of sound scientific monitoring of coastal restoration efforts. In addition, this manual offers a means to detect early warnings that the restoration is on track or not, to gauge how well a restoration site is functioning, to coordinate projects and efforts for consistent and successful restoration, and to evaluate the ecological health of specific coastal habitats both before and after project completion (Galatowitsch et al. 1998). The following habitats have been selected for discussion in this manual: water column, rock bottom, coral reefs, oyster reefs, soft bottom, kelp and other macroalgae, rocky shoreline, soft shoreline, submerged aquatic vegetation, marshes, mangrove swamps, deepwater swamps, and riverine forests. The classification of habitats used in this document is generally based on that of Cowardin et al. (1979) in their Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States, as called for in the ERA Estuary Habitat Restoration Strategy. This manual is not intended to be a restoration monitoring “cookbook” that provides templates of monitoring plans for specific habitats. The interdependence of a large number of site-specific factors causes habitat types to vary in physical and biological structure within and between regions and geographic locations (Kusler and Kentula 1990). Monitoring approaches used should be tailored to these differences. However, even with the diversity of habitats that may need to be restored and the extreme geographic range across which these habitats occur, there are consistent principles and approaches that form a common basis for effective monitoring. Volume One, titled A Framework for Monitoring Plans under the Estuaries and Clean Waters Act of 2000, begins with definitions and background information. Topics such as restoration, restoration monitoring, estuaries, and the role of socioeconomics in restoration are discussed. In addition, the habitats selected for discussion in this manual are briefly described. (PDF contains 116 pages

Reducing Disparities in Tobacco Retailer Density by Banning Tobacco Product Sales Near Schools

This study examined whether a policy of banning tobacco product retailers from operating within 1000 feet of schools could reduce existing socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in tobacco retailer density

Differences between murine arylamine N-acetyltransferase type 1 and human arylamine N-acetyltransferase type 2 defined by substrate specificity and inhibitor binding

Background: The mouse has three arylamine N-acetyltransferase genes, (MOUSE)Nat1, (MOUSE)Nat2 and (MOUSE)Nat3. These are believed to correspond to (HUMAN)NAT1, (HUMAN)NAT2 and NATP in humans. (MOUSE)Nat3 encodes an enzyme with poor activity and human NATP is a pseudogene. (MOUSE)Nat2 is orthologous to (HUMAN)NAT1 and their corresponding proteins are functionally similar, but the relationship between (MOUSE)Nat1 and (HUMAN)NAT2 is less clear-cut. Methods: To determine whether the (MOUSE)NAT1 and (HUMAN)NAT2 enzymes are functionally equivalent, we expressed and purified (MOUSE)NAT1*1 and analysed its substrate specificity using a panel of arylamines and hydrazines. To understand how specific residues contribute to substrate selectivity, three site-directed mutants of (MOUSE)NAT2*1 were prepared: these were (MOUSE)NAT2_F125S, (MOUSE)NAT2_R127G and (MOUSE)NAT2_R127L. All three exhibited diminished activity towards “(MOUSE)NAT2-specific” arylamines but were more active against hydrazines than (MOUSE)NAT1*1. The inhibitory and colorimetric properties of a selective naphthoquinone inhibitor of (HUMAN)NAT1 and (MOUSE)NAT2 were investigated. Results: Comparing (MOUSE)NAT1*1 with other mammalian NAT enzymes demonstrated that the substrate profiles of (MOUSE)NAT1 and (HUMAN)NAT2 are less similar than previously believed. Three key residues (F125, R127 and Y129) in (HUMAN)NAT1*4 and (MOUSE)NAT2*1 were required for enzyme inhibition and the associated colour change on naphthoquinone binding. In silico modelling of selective ligands into the appropriate NAT active sites further implicated these residues in substrate and inhibitor specificity in mouse and human NAT isoenzymes. Conclusions: Three non-catalytic residues within (HUMAN)NAT1*4 (F125, R127 and Y129) contribute both to substrate recognition and inhibitor binding by participating in distinctive intermolecular interactions and maintaining the steric conformation of the catalytic pocket. These active site residues contribute to the definition of substrate and inhibitor selectivity, an understanding of which is essential for facilitating the design of second generation (HUMAN)NAT1-selective inhibitors for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes. In particular, since the expression of (HUMAN)NAT1 is related to the development and progression of oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, these structure-based tools will facilitate the ongoing design of candidate compounds for use in (HUMAN)NAT1-positive breast tumours. </p

Tobacco retail policy landscape: a longitudinal survey of US states

There are ∼380 000 tobacco retailers in the USA, where the largest tobacco companies spend almost $9 billion a year to promote their products. No systematic survey has been conducted of state-level activities to regulate the retail environment, thus little is known about what policies are being planned, proposed or implemented

Drought supersedes warming in determining volatile and tissue defenses of piñon pine (Pinus edulis)

Trees are suffering mortality across the globe as a result of drought, warming, and biotic attacks. The combined effects of warming and drought on in situ tree chemical defenses against herbivory have not been studied to date. To address this, we transplanted mature pinon pine trees-a well-studied species that has undergone extensive drought and herbivore-related mortality-within their native woodland habitat and also to a hotter-drier habitat and measured monoterpene emissions and concentrations across the growing season. We hypothesized that greater needle temperatures in the hotter-drier site would increase monoterpene emission rates and consequently lower needle monoterpene concentrations, and that this temperature effect would dominate the seasonal pattern of monoterpene concentrations regardless of drought. In support of our hypothesis, needle monoterpene concentrations were lower across all seasons in trees transplanted to the hotter-drier site. Contrary to our hypothesis, basal emission rates (emission rates normalized to 30 degrees C and a radiative flux of 1000 mu mol m(-2) s(-1)) did not differ between sites. This is because an increase in emissions at the hotter-drier site from a 1.5 degrees C average temperature increase was offset by decreased emissions from greater plant water stress. High emission rates were frequently observed during June, which were not related to plant physiological or environmental factors but did not occur below pre-dawn leaf water potentials of -2 MPa, the approximate zero carbon assimilation point in pinon pine. Emission rates were also not under environmental or plant physiological control when pre-dawn leaf water potential was less than -2 MPa. Our results suggest that drought may override the effects of temperature on monoterpene emissions and tissue concentrations, and that the influence of drought may occur through metabolic processes sensitive to the overall needle carbon balance.National Science Foundation, Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences [0919189]; USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch project [MONB00389, 228396]; National Science Foundation, Division of Integrative Organismal Systems [1755346]; National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology [1552976]; Department of the Energy National Institute for Climate Change Research (Western Region) [DE-FCO2-O6ER64159]; National Science Foundation Macrosystems Biology [EF-1340624, EF-1550756]; Critical Zone Observatories [EAR-1331408]; DIRENet [DEB-0443526]; Biosphere 2 through the Philecology Foundation (Fort Worth, TX); US Environmental Protection Agency (STAR Fellowship Assistance Agreement) [FP-91717801-0]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]