The Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program: Loon Conservation in the Adirondack Park

The Adirondack Cooperative Loon Pro­gram (ACLP) is dedicated to improving the overall health of the environment, particularly the protection of air and water quality. Collaborative research and education efforts focus on the natural history of the common loon (Gavia immer) and conservation issues affecting loon populations and their aquatic habitats. Using the common loon as an indicator species, the ACLP works to increase knowledge and improve awareness in the scientific community, policy makers, and the general public about environmental conservation

Lipase-catalysed acylation of starch and determination of the degree of substitution by methanolysis and GC

Background: Natural polysaccharides such as starch are becoming increasingly interesting as renewable starting materials for the synthesis of biodegradable polymers using chemical or enzymatic methods. Given the complexity of polysaccharides, the analysis of reaction products is challenging. Results: Esterification of starch with fatty acids has traditionally been monitored by saponification and back-titration, but in our experience this method is unreliable. Here we report a novel GC-based method for the fast and reliable quantitative determination of esterification. The method was used to monitor the enzymatic esterification of different starches with decanoic acid, using lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus. The reaction showed a pronounced optimal water content of 1.25 mL per g starch, where a degree of substitution (DS) of 0.018 was obtained. Incomplete gelatinization probably accounts for lower conversion with less water. Conclusions: Lipase-catalysed esterification of starch is feasible in aqueous gel systems, but attention to analytical methods is important to obtain correct DS values

Spatial patterns of mercury in biota of Adirondack, New York lakes

We studied the spatial distribution patterns of mercury (Hg) in lake water, littoral sediments, zooplankton, crayfish, fish, and common loons in 44 lakes of the Adirondacks of New York State, USA, a region that has been characterized as a “biological Hg hotspot”. Our study confirmed this pattern, finding that a substantial fraction of the lakes studied had fish and loon samples exceeding established criteria for human and wildlife health. Factors accounting for the spatial variability of Hg in lake water and biota were lake chemistry (pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), percent carbon in sediments), biology (taxa presence, trophic status) and landscape characteristics (land cover class, lake elevation). Hg concentrations in zooplankton, fish and common loons were negatively associated with the lake water acid-base status (pH, ANC). Bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for methyl Hg (MeHg) increased from crayfish (mean log10 BAF = 5.7), to zooplankton (5.9), to prey fish (6.2), to larger fish (6.3), to common loons (7.2). MeHg BAF values in zooplankton, crayfish, and fish (yellow perch equivalent) all increased with increasing lake elevation. Our findings support the hypothesis that bioaccumulation of MeHg at the base of the food chain is an important controller of Hg concentrations in taxa at higher trophic levels. The characteristics of Adirondack lake-watersheds (sensitivity to acidic deposition; significant forest and wetland land cover; and low nutrient inputs) contribute to elevated Hg concentrations in aquatic biota

Compressive behaviour of additively manufactured AlSi10Mg

The advantages of free form fabrication methods regarding the geometrical flexibility are well known. With the full melting approach of the raw material, as utilized in selective laser melting, this freedom in design is coupled with remarkable mechanical strength. Most studies focused on the tensile characteristics; this study investigates the direction dependent compressive behaviour of selective laser melted AlSi10Mg. The obtained compressive Young's moduli exceeded both the equivalent Young's moduli for the tensile loading and the Young's modulus of the isotropic, conventionally fabricated, bulk base material, ranging as high as 82 GPa. The compressive yield strength was found to be similar to the yield point in tensile loading, with the ultimate compressive stress and strain being far superior to their tensile counterpart.No Full Tex

PLASMA BIOCHEMISTRY AND PROTEIN ELECTROPHORESIS REFERENCE INTERVALS OF THE COMMON LOON ( GAVIA IMMER )

There are no published plasma biochemistry reference intervals for any species within the order Gaviiformes, which includes the common loon ( ). Because of their unique classification and lack of close taxonomic relatives, species-specific values for clinical data in loons are needed. This study determined reference intervals for plasma biochemical values in adult common loons, and reference intervals for protein electrophoresis values in both adult and juvenile common loons. Healthy, wild adult ( = 148, age >3 yr) and juvenile ( = 31, age 4-12 wk) common loons were sampled on freshwater summer breeding territories at study sites across North America. Plasma biochemical analytes included glucose (Glu), total calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chloride, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid, cholesterol, triglycerides, creatine kinase, γ-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, amylase, and bile acids. Protein electrophoresis data included albumin to globulin ratio (A: G), prealbumin, albumin, α1-globulin, α2-globulin, β-globulin, and γ-globulin. Adult females had significantly higher Glu, ALP, and BUN than adult males. Juvenile loons had higher β-globulins than adults, whereas adults had higher α1-globulins. Establishment of complete reference intervals will improve clinical assessment of captive loons, and allow researchers to better understand the health of wild loons in response to the multiple environmental stressors faced by these species

Einleitung: Politiken des Eingreifens – Zwischen Staat und Familie

In der Einleitung werden zunächst die Gesamtstruktur des Buches und die einzelnen Beiträge kurz vorgestellt. In den weiteren Ausführungen diskutieren die HerausgeberInnen einige Aspekte des vorliegenden Sammelbandes übergreifend und vertiefend. Dieses ist erstens der Versuch einer vergleichenden Perspektive auf Entwicklungslinien von Fremdplatzierungspolitiken in Deutschland und der Schweiz. In einem zweiten Punkt werden begriffliche und konzeptionelle Legitimationen (z.B. „Kindeswohlgefährdung“ und „Verwahrlosung“) von Eingriffen in Familien kritisch betrachtet. Drittens werden Paradoxien und Spannungsfelder von Privatheit und Öffentlichkeit herausgearbeitet sowie viertens eine Kinderperspektive in der Sozialpädagogik (im Anschluss an das Konzept des ’capablity approach‘) entwickelt. Abschließend verweisen die AutorInnen darauf, dass Sozialpädagogik im Kontext von Staat und Familie zwar aktuell wirkmächtigen neoliberalen Strukturen ausgesetzt ist, dennoch aber ihre Positionen und Handlungsmöglichkeiten stärker dazu nutzen sollte, um das Verhältnis von Hilfe und Kontrolle im Sinne der AdressatInnen zu verschieben. Dazu bedarf es auch intensiver Forschungsarbeit in Kontexten neuer Gouvernementalitäten

Genome Sequencing and Analysis of the Biomass-Degrading Fungus \u3ci\u3eTrichoderma reesei\u3c/i\u3e (syn. \u3ci\u3eHypocrea jecorina\u3c/i\u3e)

Trichoderma reesei is the main industrial source of cellulases and hemicellulases used to depolymerize biomass to simple sugars that are converted to chemical intermediates and biofuels, such as ethanol. We assembled 89 scaffolds (sets of ordered and oriented contigs) to generate 34 Mbp of nearly contiguous T. reesei genome sequence comprising 9,129 predicted gene models. Unexpectedly, considering the industrial utility and effectiveness of the carbohydrate-active enzymes of T. reesei, its genome encodes fewer cellulases and hemicellulases than any other sequenced fungus able to hydrolyze plant cell wall polysaccharides. Many T. reesei genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes are distributed nonrandomly in clusters that lie between regions of synteny with other Sordariomycetes. Numerous genes encoding biosynthetic pathways for secondary metabolites may promote survival of T. reesei in its competitive soil habitat, but genome analysis provided little mechanistic insight into its extraordinary capacity for protein secretion. Our analysis, coupled with the genome sequence data, provides a roadmap for constructing enhanced T. reesei strains for industrial applications such as biofuel production