Is This What We Came To Florida For? : Florida Women and the Fight Against Air Pollution in the 1960s

Environmentalism sometimes has been characterized, and criticized, as primarily a men’s movement. Most of the early conservationists were indeed men preoccupied with outdoor recreation and wilderness experiences.2 Yet beginning in the late nineteenth century, women throughout the United States took a leading role in what would become by 1970 one of the most important branches of the environmental movement— the fight against air pollution. Although women reformers were never the only group combating air pollution, they frequently were among the most numerous and radical of such early environmental activists

Mitigating Citation Errors in the Interlibrary Loan System

Journal articles from most academic disciplines have long shown high rates of citation errors. American law reviews, with their careful cite-checking, are a rare exception to the overall rule. Incorrect citations are especially costly and problematic for interlibrary loan librarians. This article offers practical suggestions to address the problem

Clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and outcome of dogs with presumptive spinal-only meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin

Objectives: To summarise clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and long-term outcome for dogs clinically diagnosed with meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin affecting the spinal cord alone. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for dogs diagnosed with presumptive spinal-only meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin between 2006 and 2015. Results: 21 dogs were included; the majority presented with an acute (43%) or chronic (52%) onset of neurological signs. Ambulatory paresis was the most common neurological presentation (67%). Neurological examination most commonly revealed a T3-L3 myelopathy, and spinal hyperaesthesia was a common finding (71%). A spinal cord lesion was visible in 90% of cases on magnetic resonance imaging. Eighteen lesions (86%) showed parenchymal contrast enhancement and 17 lesions (81%) showed contrast enhancement of overlying meninges. All dogs were treated with immunosuppressive doses of glucocorticosteroids, sometimes combined with cytosine arabinoside. At time of data capture, 10/21 dogs (48%) had died or been euthanased because of the condition. Overall median survival time was 669 days. Clinical Significance: Meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin should be considered in the differential diagnosis of dogs presenting with a progressive myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging features can possibly help to distinguish presumptive meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin from other more common spinal diseases. Overall, long-term survival is guarded, approximately 50% of dogs will die or be euthanased despite appropriate therapy

Public perceptions of drinking water: A postal survey of residents with private water supplies

Background: In Canada, the legal responsibility for the condition of private water supplies, including private wells and cisterns, rests with their owners. However, there are reports that Canadians test these water supplies intermittently and that treatment of such water is uncommon. An estimated 45% of all waterborne outbreaks in Canada involve non-municipal systems. An understanding of the perceptions and needs of Canadians served by private water supplies is essential, as it would enable public health professionals to better target public education and drinking water policy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the public perceptions of private water supplies in the City of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), with the intent of informing public education and outreach strategies within the population. Methods: A cross-sectional postal survey of 246 residences with private water supplies was conducted in May 2004. Questions pertained to the perceptions of water quality and alternative water sources, water testing behaviours and the self-identified need for further information. Results: Private wells, cisterns or both, were the source of household water for 71%, 16% and 13% of respondents, respectively. Although respondents rated their water quality highly, 80% also had concerns with its safety. The most common concerns pertained to bacterial and chemical contamination of their water supply and its potential negative effect on health. Approximately 56% and 61% of respondents used in-home treatment devices and bottled water within their homes, respectively, mainly due to perceived improvements in the safety and aesthetic qualities compared to regular tap water. Testing of private water supplies was performed infrequently: 8% of respondents tested at a frequency that meets current provincial guidelines. Two-thirds of respondents wanted more information on various topics related to private water supplies. Flyers and newspapers were the two media reported most likely to be used. Conclusion: Although respondents rated their water quality highly, the majority had concerns regarding the water from their private supply, and the use of bottled water and water treatment devices was extensive. The results of this study suggest important lines of inquiry and provide support and input for public education programs, particularly those related to private water testing, in this population

Herbicide-Resistant Weed Seeds Contaminate Grain Sown in the Western Australian Grainbelt

Preventing the introduction of weeds into the farming system through sowing of clean seeds is an essential component of weed management. The weed seed contamination of cleaned grain and herbicide resistance levels of the recovered weed seeds were examined in a study conducted across 74 farms in the Western Australian grainbelt. Most farmers grew and conserved their own crop seed. The majority of cleaned samples had some level of seed contamination from 11 foreign weed and volunteer crop species, with an average of 62 seeds 10 kg−1 grain, substantially higher than the 28 seeds 10 kg−1 grain expected by farmers. The most common weed contaminants across all samples were rigid ryegrass, wild radish, brome, and wild oat.When categorized by crop type, rigid ryegrass was the most frequent contaminant of cereal crops (barley and wheat), however wild radish was the most frequent contaminant of lupin crops. Uncleaned crop seed samples had almost 25 times more contamination than cleaned crop seed. Herbicide resistance was highly prevalent within rigid ryegrass populations recovered from cleaned grain except for glyphosate, which controlled all populations tested. Some resistance was also found in wild radish and wild oat populations; however, brome was susceptible to fluazifop. This study has shown that farmers are unknowingly introducing weed seeds into their farming systems during crop seeding, many of which have herbicide resistance

Genetic Inactivation of ANGPTL4 Improves Glucose Homeostasis and Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is an endogenous inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase that modulates lipid levels, coronary atherosclerosis risk, and nutrient partitioning. We hypothesize that loss of ANGPTL4 function might improve glucose homeostasis and decrease risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We investigate protein-altering variants in ANGPTL4 among 58,124 participants in the DiscovEHR human genetics study, with follow-up studies in 82,766 T2D cases and 498,761 controls. Carriers of p.E40K, a variant that abolishes ANGPTL4’s ability to inhibit lipoprotein lipase, have lower odds of T2D (odds ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.85-0.92, p=6.3x10-10), lower fasting glucose, and greater insulin sensitivity. Predicted loss-of-function variants are associated with lower odds of T2D among 32,015 cases and 84,006 controls (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.49-0.99, p=0.041). Functional studies in Angptl4-deficient mice confirm improved insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. In conclusion, genetic inactivation of ANGPTL4 is associated with improved glucose homeostasis and reduced risk of T2D

Reported antimicrobial use and Salmonella resistance on 90 Alberta swine farms

The study objectives were to describe antimicrobial use (AMU) and Salmonella resistance on 90 Alberta swine farms. The vast majority of antimicrobials were used in-feed. In weaners, in-feed use did not vary among farms, suggesting heavy reliance on in-feed antimicrobials. For grow-to-finish production phases, most farms reported heavy reliance on in-feed antimicrobials, but 6 and 14 farms did not report any in-feed AMU in growers and finishers, respectively

Measurement of the Neutron Lifetime by Counting Trapped Protons

This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Grant NSF PHY-931478