A Brief Review of Silicosis in the United States

Silicosis may be defined as the disease resulting from chronic occupational exposure to silica dust. Silica is primarily composed of quartz dust and has been classified since 2000 as a known human carcinogen by the U.S. government. Silicosis may lead to impairment of lung function resulting from fibrosis of the lungs. This may in turn lead to an increased susceptibility to the development of tuberculosis. Respirable particles are in the size range of less than one micrometer to as large as 30 micrometers. Silicosis is an untreatable, but preventable disease. This review explores the history of silicosis in the U.S. mining industry, including case studies of occupational silicosis

Sequencing and analysis of the gastrula transcriptome of the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii

Background The gastrula stage represents the point in development at which the three primary germ layers diverge. At this point the gene regulatory networks that specify the germ layers are established and the genes that define the differentiated states of the tissues have begun to be activated. These networks have been well-characterized in sea urchins, but not in other echinoderms. Embryos of the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii share a number of developmental features with sea urchin embryos, including the ingression of mesenchyme cells that give rise to an embryonic skeleton. Notable differences are that no micromeres are formed during cleavage divisions and no pigment cells are formed during development to the pluteus larval stage. More subtle changes in timing of developmental events also occur. To explore the molecular basis for the similarities and differences between these two echinoderms, we have sequenced and characterized the gastrula transcriptome of O. wendtii. Methods Development of Ophiocoma wendtii embryos was characterized and RNA was isolated from the gastrula stage. A transcriptome data base was generated from this RNA and was analyzed using a variety of methods to identify transcripts expressed and to compare those transcripts to those expressed at the gastrula stage in other organisms. Results Using existing databases, we identified brittle star transcripts that correspond to 3,385 genes, including 1,863 genes shared with the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus gastrula transcriptome. We characterized the functional classes of genes present in the transcriptome and compared them to those found in this sea urchin. We then examined those members of the germ-layer specific gene regulatory networks (GRNs) of S. purpuratus that are expressed in the O. wendtii gastrula. Our results indicate that there is a shared ‘genetic toolkit’ central to the echinoderm gastrula, a key stage in embryonic development, though there are also differences that reflect changes in developmental processes. Conclusions The brittle star expresses genes representing all functional classes at the gastrula stage. Brittle stars and sea urchins have comparable numbers of each class of genes and share many of the genes expressed at gastrulation. Examination of the brittle star genes in which sea urchin orthologs are utilized in germ layer specification reveals a relatively higher level of conservation of key regulatory components compared to the overall transcriptome. We also identify genes that were either lost or whose temporal expression has diverged from that of sea urchins

American Woodcock Conservation Plan: A Summary of and Recommendations for Woodcock Conservation in North America

Table of Contents Introduction ....................1 Bird Conservation Region Action Plans 11 Prairie Potholes ....................17James Kelley 12 Boreal Hardwood Transition ....................25Dan Dessecker 13 Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain ....................32 Tim Post 14 Atlantic Northern Forest.................... 45 Dan McAuley 21 Oaks and Prairies ....................59David Haukos, James Kelley 22 Eastern Tallgrass Prairie ....................67 James Kelley 23 Prairie Hardwood Transition ....................75 James Kelley 24 Central Hardwoods ....................83 David Krementz, Nick Myatt 25 West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachita ....................92 David Krementz, Nick Myatt 26 Mississippi Alluvial Valley ....................99 David Krementz, Nick Myatt 27 Southeastern Coastal Plain ....................108 Scot Williamson 28 Appalachian Mountains.................... 116 Mark Banker 29 Piedmont ....................128 William Palmer 30 New England/Mid-Atlantic Coast ....................138 Scot Williamson 31 Peninsular Florida ....................148 Scot Williamson 37 Gulf Coastal Prairie ....................151 James Kelley Appendix I 155 Appendix II 157 Bibliography 15

American Woodcock Conservation Plan: A Summary of and Recommendations for Woodcock Conservation in North America

Table of Contents Introduction ....................1 Bird Conservation Region Action Plans 11 Prairie Potholes ....................17James Kelley 12 Boreal Hardwood Transition ....................25Dan Dessecker 13 Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain ....................32 Tim Post 14 Atlantic Northern Forest.................... 45 Dan McAuley 21 Oaks and Prairies ....................59David Haukos, James Kelley 22 Eastern Tallgrass Prairie ....................67 James Kelley 23 Prairie Hardwood Transition ....................75 James Kelley 24 Central Hardwoods ....................83 David Krementz, Nick Myatt 25 West Gulf Coastal Plain/Ouachita ....................92 David Krementz, Nick Myatt 26 Mississippi Alluvial Valley ....................99 David Krementz, Nick Myatt 27 Southeastern Coastal Plain ....................108 Scot Williamson 28 Appalachian Mountains.................... 116 Mark Banker 29 Piedmont ....................128 William Palmer 30 New England/Mid-Atlantic Coast ....................138 Scot Williamson 31 Peninsular Florida ....................148 Scot Williamson 37 Gulf Coastal Prairie ....................151 James Kelley Appendix I 155 Appendix II 157 Bibliography 15

Draft Genome Sequence of Frankia sp. Strain CcI6, a Salt-Tolerant Nitrogen-Fixing Actinobacterium Isolated from the Root Nodule of Casuarina cunninghamiana

Members of the actinomycete genus Frankia form a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with 8 different families of actinorhizal plants. We report a 5.57-Mbp draft genome sequence for Frankia sp. strain CcI6, a salt-tolerant nitrogen-fixing actinobacterium isolated from root nodules of Casurina cunninghamiana grown in Egyptian soils

The Impact of a GenCyber Camp on In-service Teachers’ TPACK

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a GenCyber camp curriculum on teachers’ technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK). The camp was designed to engage participants in developing the knowledge and skills to incorporate GenCyber Cybersecurity First Principles and GenCyber Cybersecurity Concepts (GenCyber, 2019) into their curriculums. Participants (37 middle and high school teachers from a variety of disciplines) attended one of two weeklong camps held at a Midwestern liberal arts university. Using the TPACK Self-Reflection and TPACK Self-Assessment Surveys, pre- and post-camp data were collected from participants. Findings indicate that participants demonstrated an increase in all domains of the TPACK framework from pre- to post-survey. The greatest increase was in Technological Pedagogy Knowledge (TPK) (0.57), followed by Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) (0.51), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) (0.46). GenCyber participants also demonstrated an average increase in pre- and post-test scores in all areas on the TPACK Self-Assessment Survey Results; however, individual results were mixed. The majority of participants (n=21), sixty percent, saw an increase in composite score from pre- to post, whereas 12 participants\u27 (34%) scores decreased from pre- to post, and two (6%) stayed the same. Findings indicate the GenCyber Camp provided in-service teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to incorporate GenCyber Principles and Cybersecurity Concepts into their curriculum. Recommendations for teacher professional development on cybersecurity are made

Permanent Draft Genome sequence for Frankia sp. strain CcI49, a Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterium Isolated from Casuarina cunninghamiana that Infects Elaeagnaceae

Frankia sp. strain CcI49 was isolated from Casuarina cunninghamiana nodules. However the strain was unable to re-infect Casuarina, but was able to infect other actinorhizal plants including Elaeagnaceae. Here, we report the 9.8-Mbp draft genome sequence of Frankia sp. strain CcI49 with a G+C content of 70.5 % and 7,441 candidate protein-encoding genes. Analysis of the genome revealed the presence of a bph operon involved in the degradation of biphenyls and polychlorinated biphenyls

Who\u27s accessing emergency food services?

Introduction: Last year, Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf provided 1,260,517 pounds of food to over 11,000 people each month via groceries, hot meals and home delivery, supplying an average of almost 40% of food for families. CEFS seeks to improve their services and offerings by better understanding the demographics, food preference, and needs of the clients they serve. Our goal was to collect demographic and utilization data to identify areas where CEFS could enhance services and improve client access to healthful food.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1208/thumbnail.jp

Metagenetic analysis of patterns of distribution and diversity of marine meiobenthic eukaryotes

AimMeiofaunal communities that inhabit the marine benthos offer unique opportunities to simultaneously study the macroecology of numerous phyla that exhibit different life-history strategies. Here, we ask: (1) if the macroecology of meiobenthic communities is explained mainly by dispersal constraints or by environmental conditions; and (2) if levels of meiofaunal diversity surpass existing estimates based on morphological taxonomy. LocationUK and mainland European coast. MethodsNext-generation sequencing techniques (NGS; Roche 454 FLX platform) using 18S nuclear small subunit ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene. Pyrosequences were analysed using AmpliconNoise followed by chimera removal using Perseus. ResultsRarefaction curves revealed that sampling saturation was only reached at 15% of sites, highlighting that the bulk of meiofaunal diversity is yet to be discovered. Overall, 1353 OTUs were recovered and assigned to 23 different phyla. The majority of sampled sites had c. 60-70 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) per site, indicating high levels of beta diversity. The environmental parameters that best explained community structure were seawater temperature, geographical distance and sediment size, but most of the variability (R-2=70%-80%) remains unexplained. Main conclusionsHigh percentages of endemic OTUs suggest that meiobenthic community composition is partly niche-driven, as observed in larger organisms, but also shares macroecological features of microorganisms by showing high levels of cosmopolitanism (albeit on a much smaller scale). Meiobenthic communities exhibited patterns of isolation by distance as well as associations between niche, latitude and temperature, indicating that meiobenthic communities result from a combination of niche assembly and dispersal processes. Conversely, isolation-by-distance patterns were not identified in the featured protists, suggesting that animals and protists adhere to radically different macroecological processes, linked to life-history strategies.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) [NE/E001505/1, NE/F001266/1, MGF-167]; Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [SFRH/BD/27413/2006, SFRH/BPD/80447/2014]; EPSRC [EP/H003851/1]; BBSRC CASE studentship; Unilever; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [987347]; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EP/H003851/1]; Natural Environment Research Council [NE/F001290/1, NE/F001266/1, NE/E001505/1, NBAF010002]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio