Lithostratigraphy of the Grant Lake Limestone and Grant Lake Formation (Upper Ordovician) in Southwestern Ohio

Author Institution: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological SurveyThe Grant Lake Limestone, including, in ascending order, the Bellevue, the Corryville, and the Straight Creek Members, and the Grant Lake Formation, including, in ascending order, the Bellevue, the Corryville, and the Mount Auburn Members, are herein defined as lithostratigraphic units in southwestern Ohio. Regional bedrock mapping, shale-percentage and geophysical logs, and mean shale percentage of lithostratigraphic units demonstrate a progressive change from a limestone-dominant stratigraphic section in the Maysville, KY, region to a shale-dominant stratigraphic section in the Cincinnati, OH, region. The Grant Lake Limestone is redefined to account for the progressive decrease in limestone content observed northwestward away from Maysville, KY. The Grant Lake Formation is introduced to describe the shaledominant lateral equivalent of the Grant Lake Limestone in the Cincinnati, OH, region. The Bellevue Limestone, the Corryville Formation, and the Mount Auburn Formation are reduced to members because, in some cases, they are not mappable at 1:62,500 or smaller scales. The Straight Creek Member is introduced to describe the limestone-dominant lateral equivalent of the shale-dominant Mount Auburn Member. The limestone-dominant and shale-dominant lithologies of the Grant Lake Limestone and the Grant Lake Formation can be recognized in shale-percentage and geophysical logs. Correlation between logs led to recognition of these stratigraphic units in the subsurface of southwestern Ohio

Cyclodextrin-based liquid chromatographic enantiomeric separation of chiral dihydrofurocoumarins and dihydrofuroflavones, emerging classes of medicinal compounds

A set of 28 racemic dihydrofurocoumarins and 13 dihydrofuroflavones in which the stereogenic center is located in the furan ring have been synthesized. Currently no effective asymmetric synthesis for these classes of compounds exists, although they are produced naturally by many plant species. Their diverse medicinal properties are being investigated in several laboratories. The enantioselective separation of these compounds by three native and six derivatized cyclodextrins has been evaluated in the reversed phase mode, the polar organic mode, and normal phase mode. Overall, 20 of the 28 dihydrofurocoumarin and 9 of the 13 dihydrofuroflavone analytes were baseline resolved (Rs \u3e 1.5) on at least one of the cyclodextrin-based chiral stationary phases. The hydroxpropyl-β-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond I RSP) is the most effective chiral stationary phase (CSP) for the enantioseparations of these compounds; baseline resolving 16 and 7 of the dihydrofurocoumarin and dihydrofuroflavone analytes respectively. The 2,3-dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond I DM) also performed well, separating 18 dihydrofurocoumarin and 5 dihydrofuroflavone samples respectively. The acetyl-β-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond I AC) baseline resolved 18 of the dihydrofurocoumarin samples, however, no dihydrofuroflavones were separated on this CSP. The aromatic derivatized β-cyclodextrins are only marginally effective at separating the enantiomers of these compounds in the reversed phase mode. The native cyclodextrins showed no enantioselectivity for either class of compound in the reversed phase mode. The polar organic mode and the normal phase mode have also been evaluated with these CSPs, but no enantioseparations were observed

Chromosome 8q24 markers: Risk of early-onset and familial prostate cancer

Recent admixture mapping and linkage/association studies have implicated an ∼1 Mb region on chromosome 8q24 in prostate cancer susceptibility. In a subsequent follow-up investigation, Haiman et al. (Nat Genet 2007;39:638-44) observed significant, independent associations between 7 markers within this region and sporadic prostate cancer risk in a multi-ethnic sample. To clarify the risk associated with hereditary prostate cancer, we tested for prostate cancer association with 6 of these 7 markers in a sample of 1,015 non-Hispanic white men with and without prostate cancer from 403 familial and early-onset prostate cancer families. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs6983561 and rs6983267 showed the strongest evidence of prostate cancer association. Using a family-based association test, the minor (“C”) allele of rs6983561 and the major (“G”) allele of rs6983267 were preferentially transmitted to affected men ( p < 0.05), with estimated odds ratios (ORs) of 2.26 (95% confidence interval of 1.06–4.83) and 1.30 (95% confidence interval of 0.99–1.71), respectively, for an additive model. Notably, rs6983561 was significantly associated with prostate cancer among men diagnosed at an early (<50 years) but not later age ( p = 0.03 versus p = 0.21). Similarly, the association with rs6983267 was (not) statistically significant among men with(out) clinically aggressive disease ( p = 0.007 versus p = 0.34). Our results confirm the association of prostate cancer with several of the SNPs on chromosome 8q24 initially reported by Haiman et al. In addition, our results suggest that the increased risk associated with these SNPs is approximately doubled in individuals predisposed to develop early onset or clinically aggressive disease. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58546/1/23471_ftp.pd

Differential Effects of Biochar on Soils Within an Eroded Field

Future uses of biochar will in part be dependent not only on the effects of biochar on soil processes but also on the availability and economics of biochar production. If pyrolysis for production of bio-oil and syngas becomes wide-spread, biochar as a by-product of bio-oil production will be widely available and relatively inexpensive compared to the production of biochar as primary product. Biochar produced as a by-product of optimized bio-oil production using regionally available feedstocks was examined for properties and for use as an amendment targeted to contrasting soils within an eroded field in an on-farm study initiated in 2013 at Brookings, South Dakota, USA. Three plant based biochar materials produced from carbon optimized gasification of corn stover (Zea mays L.), Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson and C. Lawson) wood residue, and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) were applied at a 1% (w/w) rate to a Maddock soil (Sandy, Mixed, Frigid Entic Hapludolls) located in an eroded upper landscape position and a Brookings soil (Fine-Silty, Mixed, Superactive, Frigid Pachic Hapludolls) located in a depositional landscape position. The cropping system within this agricultural landscape was a corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation. Biochar physical and chemical properties for each of the feedstocks were determined including pH, surface area, surface charge potential, C-distribution, ash content, macro and micro nutrient composition. Yields, nutrient content, and carbon isotope ratio measurements were made on the harvested seed. Soil physical properties measured included water retention, bulk density, and water infiltration from a ponded double ring infiltrometer. Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effects of biochar on partitioning of nitrate and phosphorus at soil surface exchange complex and the extracellular enzymes activity of C and N cycles. Crop yields were increased only in the Maddock soil. Biochar interacted with each soil type to alter physical and chemical properties. However the pattern of interaction depended on soil and biochar typ

Corn Grain, Stover Yield and Nutrient Removal Validations at Regional Partnership Sites

Corn (Zea mays L.) stover has been identified as a major feedstock for cellulosic bioenergy. This report summarizes grain and stover yield as well as N, P, and K removal at several Sun Grant Regional Partnership (SGRP) sites. National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) grain yields were used to assess the relevancy of plot-scale yields with county averages. Seasonal variation in weather patterns caused yields to differ substantially among sites and years. Nutrient removal estimates were significantly influenced by the sampling method (i.e. analysis of hand samples between physiologic maturity and grain harvest versus stover collected during the harvest operation). Based on ancillary studies that indicate corn stover should not be harvested if average grain yields are less than 175 bu ac-1 (11 Mg ha-1 ), these studies show that non-irrigated SGRP sites with the highest potential for sustainable corn stover harvest were located between -91º and -93º west longitude. The more eastern (-78º w longitude) and western (-96º w longitude) sites did not have sufficient yield for sustainable routine stover harvest, although with good management, corn could still be part of an overall landscape approach for sustainable feedstock production in those areas. For producers with consistently high yields (i.e. \u3e 200 bu ac-1 ) and where residue management may actually be a major problem (e.g. in irrigated areas), moderate stover harvest may actually decrease fuel use and save additional energy by reducing the amount of tillage needed to prepare subsequent seedbeds. Less intensive tillage could also preserve rhizosphere carbon and/or soil structure benefits often attributed to no-till systems

Potential Sand and Gravel Resources of the Mansfield 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Geological Survey has completed a reconnaissance map showing areas of mineable sand and gravel resources in the Mansfield, Ohio, 30 x 60 minute (scale 1:100,000) quadrangle. The main purpose of this map was to create a reconnaissance-level map that would show the potential for mining sand and gravel in this quadrangle. The map shows areas of surficial materials in increments of 10 feet and then differentiates sand, sand and gravel, and ice-contact deposits from finer grained materials, such as glacial till, lacustrine clay and silt, and alluvial materials. The sand and sand-and-gravel units include both surficial and buried outwash and valley train deposits and ice-contact deposits, such as kames, kame terraces, and eskers. To determine if a sand-and-gravel deposit was economically viable, this map shows the total thickness or accumulation of sand and gravel in the Mansfield 30 x 60-minute quadrangle.United States Geological Survey: National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalitio

Scoping studies to establish the capability and utility of a real-time bioaerosol sensor to characterise emissions from environmental sources

A novel dual excitation wavelength based bioaerosol sensor with multiple fluorescence bands called Spectral Intensity Bioaerosol Sensor (SIBS) has been assessed across five contrasting outdoor environments. The mean concentrations of total and fluorescent particles across the sites were highly variable being the highest at the agricultural farm (2.6 cm−3 and 0.48 cm−3, respectively) and the composting site (2.32 cm−3 and 0.46 cm−3, respectively) and the lowest at the dairy farm (1.03 cm−3 and 0.24 cm−3, respectively) and the sewage treatment works (1.03 cm−3 and 0.25 cm−3, respectively). In contrast, the number-weighted fluorescent fraction was lowest at the agricultural site (0.18) in comparison to the other sites indicating high variability in nature and magnitude of emissions from environmental sources. The fluorescence emissions data demonstrated that the spectra at different sites were multimodal with intensity differences largely at wavelengths located in secondary emission peaks for λex 280 and λex 370. This finding suggests differences in the molecular composition of emissions at these sites which can help to identify distinct fluorescence signature of different environmental sources. Overall this study demonstrated that SIBS provides additional spectral information compared to existing instruments and capability to resolve spectrally integrated signals from relevant biological fluorophores could improve selectivity and thus enhance discrimination and classification strategies for real-time characterisation of bioaerosols from environmental sources. However, detailed lab-based measurements in conjunction with real-world studies and improved numerical methods are required to optimise and validate these highly resolved spectral signatures with respect to the diverse atmospherically relevant biological fluorophores

Fine-mapping identifies multiple prostate cancer risk loci at 5p15, one of which associates with TERT expression

Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 5p15 and multiple cancer types have been reported. We have previously shown evidence for a strong association between prostate cancer (PrCa) risk and rs2242652 at 5p15, intronic in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene that encodes TERT. To comprehensively evaluate the association between genetic variation across this region and PrCa, we performed a fine-mapping analysis by genotyping 134 SNPs using a custom Illumina iSelect array or Sequenom MassArray iPlex, followed by imputation of 1094 SNPs in 22 301 PrCa cases and 22 320 controls in The PRACTICAL consortium. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis identified four signals in the promoter or intronic regions of TERT that independently associated with PrCa risk. Gene expression analysis of normal prostate tissue showed evidence that SNPs within one of these regions also associated with TERT expression, providing a potential mechanism for predisposition to disease