Plant Community Changes Over 54 Years Within the Great Basin Experimental Range, Manti-La Sal National Forest

Plant community changes and natural succession over time impact forage values, watershed quality, wildlife habitat, and ecosystem dynamics. Comparisons were made between a vegetation map of community types completed in 1937 by the U.S. Forest Service, and vegetation maps compiled in 1990 of the same areas by satellite imagery, and through 1991 areal photo interpretation combined with ground truthing. The study area includes nearly all of the drainage in Ephraim Canyon located in central Utah which consists of 6,027 acres (2,439 ha). Elevation ranges from 6,600 to 10,400 feet (2,040 to 3,210 m). Vegetation types ranged from pinyon-juniper woodland through oakbrush, mountain shrub, aspen, conifer and subalpine herbland. The comparison showed significant plant community changes and successional trends over the 54 year period

Managing Multiple Vital Rates To Maximize Greater Sage Grouse Population Growth

Despite decades of greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) field research, the resulting range-wide demographic data has yet to be synthesized into sensitivity analyses to guide management actions. We summarized range-wide demographic rates from 71 studies from 1938-2008 to better understand greater sage-grouse population dynamics. We used data from 38 of these studies with suitable data to parameterize a two-stage, female-based population matrix model. We conducted analytical sensitivity, elasticity, and variancestabilized sensitivity analyses to identify the contribution of each vital rate to population growth rate (?) and life-stage simulation analysis (LSA) to determine the proportion of variation in ? accounted for by each vital rate. Greater sage grouse showed marked annual and geographic variation in multiple vital rates. Sensitivity analyses suggest that, in contrast to most other North American galliforms, female survival is as important for population growth as chick survival and more important than nest success. In lieu of quantitative data on factors driving local populations, we recommend that management efforts for sage grouse focus on increasing juvenile, yearling, and adult female survival by restoring intact sagebrush landscapes, reducing persistent sources of mortality, and eliminating anthropogenic habitat features that subsidize predators. Our analysis also supports efforts to increase chick survival and nest success by managing shrub, forb, and grass cover and height to meet published brood-rearing and nesting habitat guidelines, but not at the expense of reducing shrub cover and height below that required for survival in fall and winter

A Complete Spectroscopic Survey of the Milky Way satellite Segue 1: Dark matter content, stellar membership and binary properties from a Bayesian analysis

We introduce a comprehensive analysis of multi-epoch stellar line-of-sight velocities to determine the intrinsic velocity dispersion of the ultrafaint satellites of the Milky Way. Our method includes a simultaneous Bayesian analysis of both membership probabilities and the contribution of binary orbital motion to the observed velocity dispersion within a 14-parameter likelihood. We apply our method to the Segue 1 dwarf galaxy and conclude that Segue 1 is a dark-matter-dominated galaxy at high probability with an intrinsic velocity dispersion of 3.7^{+1.4}_{-1.1} km/sec. The dark matter halo required to produce this dispersion must have an average density of 2.5^{+4.1}_{-1.9} solar mass/pc^3 within a sphere that encloses half the galaxy's stellar luminosity. This is the highest measured density of dark matter in the Local Group. Our results show that a significant fraction of the stars in Segue 1 may be binaries with the most probable mean period close to 10 years, but also consistent with the 180 year mean period seen in the solar vicinity at about 1 sigma. Despite this binary population, the possibility that Segue 1 is a bound star cluster with the observed velocity dispersion arising from the orbital motion of binary stars is disfavored by the multi-epoch stellar velocity data at greater than 99% C.L. Finally, our treatment yields a projected (two-dimensional) half-light radius for the stellar profile of Segue 1 of 28^{+5}_{-4} pc, in excellent agreement with photometric measurements.Comment: 15 pages, 19 figure

Measurement of C1-Inhibitor function alone is sufficient for diagnosis of hereditary angioedema

The World Allergy Organisiation/European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (WAO/EAACI) 2017/2018 guidelines recommend measuring complement4 levels, followed by C1-inhibitor level and function for diagnosis of hereditary angioedema (HAE). We analysed 6 months’ worth of data generated in our laboratory which is a specialist regional immunology service and also provides laboratory service for the Barts Health immunology department, which is a GA2LEN/HAEi-Angioedema Centre of Excellence and Reference (ACARE) and hence, investigates a large number of patients for HAE. We found that an efficient and sensitive approach for laboratory diagnosis of HAE is to only test the C1-inhibitor function. This approach had a sensitivity of 100% and reduced the cost of laboratory investigations for HAE diagnosis by 45%

Elucidation of the Structure and Reaction Mechanism of Sorghum Hydroxycinnamoyltransferase and Its Structural Relationship to Other Coenzyme A-Dependent Transferases and Synthases

Hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT) from sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) participates in an early step of the phenylpropanoid pathway, exchanging coenzyme A (CoA) esterified to p-coumaric acid with shikimic or quinic acid as intermediates in the biosynthesis of the monolignols coniferyl alcohol and sinapyl alcohol. In order to elucidate the mode of action of this enzyme, we have determined the crystal structures of SbHCT in its apo-form and ternary complex with shikimate and p-coumaroyl-CoA, which was converted to its product during crystal soaking. The structure revealed the roles of threonine-36, serine-38, tyrosine- 40, histidine-162, arginine-371, and threonine-384 in catalysis and specificity. Based on the exact chemistry of p-coumaroyl-CoA and shikimic acid in the active site and an analysis of kinetic and thermodynamic data of the wild type and mutants, we propose a role for histidine-162 and threonine-36 in the catalytic mechanism of HCT. Considering the calorimetric data, substrate binding of SbHCT should occur sequentially, with p-coumaroyl-CoA binding prior to the acyl acceptor molecule. While some HCTs can use both shikimate and quinate as an acyl acceptor, SbHCT displays low activity toward quinate. Comparison of the structure of sorghum HCT with the HCT involved in chlorogenic acid synthesis in coffee (Coffea canephora) revealed many shared features. Taken together, these observations explain how CoA-dependent transferases with similar structural features can participate in different biochemical pathways across species

5α-TETRAHYDROCORTICOSTERONE: A TOPICAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY GLUCOCORTICOID WITH AN IMPROVED THERAPEUTIC INDEX IN A MURINE MODEL OF DERMATITIS

Background and PurposeGlucocorticoids are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs, but are associated with many side-effects. Topical application in atopic dermatitis leads to skin thinning, metabolic changes, and adrenal suppression. 5α-Tetrahydrocorticosterone (5αTHB) is a potential selective anti-inflammatory with reduced metabolic effects. Here, the efficacy and side-effect profile of 5αTHB were compared with hydrocortisone in preclinical models of irritant dermatitis.Experimental ApproachAcute irritant dermatitis was invoked in ear skin of male C57BL/6 mice with a single topical application of croton oil. Inflammation was assessed as oedema via ear weight following treatment with 5αTHB and hydrocortisone. Side-effects of 5αTHB and hydrocortisone were assessed following chronic topical steroid treatment (28 days) to non-irritated skin. Skin thinning was quantified longitudinally by caliper measurements and summarily by qPCR for transcripts for genes involved in extracellular matrix homeostasis; systemic effects of topical steroid administration also were assessed. Clearance of 5αTHB and hydrocortisone were measured following intravenous and oral administration.Key Results5αTHB suppressed ear swelling in mice, with ED50 similar to hydrocortisone (23 μg vs. 13 μg). Chronic application of 5αTHB did not cause skin thinning, adrenal atrophy, weight loss, thymic involution, or raised insulin levels, all of which were observed with topical hydrocortisone. Transcripts for genes involved in collagen synthesis and stability were adversely affected by all doses of hydrocortisone, but only by the highest dose of 5αTHB (8× ED50). 5αTHB was rapidly cleared from the systemic circulation.Conclusions and ImplicationsTopical 5αTHB has potential to treat inflammatory skin conditions, particularly in areas of delicate skin

Numerical Simulation of a Complete Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Circuit

A numerical simulation of the complete circuit of the NASA Langley 14 x 22-ft low-speed wind tunnel is described. Inside the circuit, all turning vanes are modeled as well as the five flow control vanes downstream of the 1st corner. The fan drive system is modeled using an actuator disk for the fan blades coupled with the fan nacelle. All the surfaces are modeled as viscous walls except the turning vanes, which were modeled as inviscid surfaces. NASA Langley's TetrUSS unstructured grid software was used for grid generation and flow simulation. Two turbulence models were employed in the present study, namely, the one-equation Spalart-Allmaras model and the shear stress transport (SST) model of Menter. The paper shows the flow characteristics in the circuit and compares the results with experimental data where available

The ORthopaedic Trauma Hospital Outcomes - Patient Operative Delays (ORTHOPOD) study

Aims: This is a multicentre, prospective assessment of a proportion of the overall orthopaedic trauma caseload of the UK. It investigates theatre capacity, cancellations, and time to surgery in a group of hospitals that is representative of the wider population. It identifies barriers to effective practice and will inform system improvements. Methods: Data capture was by collaborative approach. Patients undergoing procedures from 22 August 2022 and operated on before 31 October 2022 were included. Arm one captured weekly caseload and theatre capacity. Arm two concerned patient and injury demographics, and time to surgery for specific injury groups. Results: Data was available from 90 hospitals across 86 data access groups (70 in England, two in Wales, ten in Scotland, and four in Northern Ireland). After exclusions, 709 weeks' of data on theatre capacity and 23,138 operations were analyzed. The average number of cases per operating session was 1.73. Only 5.8% of all theatre sessions were dedicated day surgery sessions, despite 29% of general trauma patients being eligible for such pathways. In addition, 12.3% of patients experienced at least one cancellation. Delays to surgery were longest in Northern Ireland and shortest in England and Scotland. There was marked variance across all fracture types. Open fractures and fragility hip fractures, influenced by guidelines and performance renumeration, had short waits, and varied least. In all, nine hospitals had 40 or more patients waiting for surgery every week, while seven had less than five. Conclusion: There is great variability in operative demand and list provision seen in this study of 90 UK hospitals. There is marked variation in nearly all injuries apart from those associated with performance monitoring. There is no evidence of local network level coordination of care for orthopaedic trauma patients. Day case operating and pathways of care are underused and are an important area for service improvement