COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE: FILLING A NICHE MARKET

In less than a decade, the number of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) projects has grown to more than 400. Our research suggests that CSA shareholders' social objectives dominate their decision to join. Standard economic objectives and "club-related" objectives contribute to the decision, but are clearly secondary. Our research also suggests the CSA movement will continue to grow. Its emphasis on social objectives, its inability to supply food year around, and the ongoing development of size-neutral organic technologies, however, will probably keep it from becoming a major market channel in the next century.Agribusiness,

Three Emission-Line Galaxies at z ~ 2.4

We present Keck near-infrared and WIYN (Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale NOAO) optical photometry of a sample of galaxies detected by near-infrared narrowband imaging in the fields of quasar metal absorption line systems at z ~ 2.4. Wide separations (0.6-1.6 h-1 Mpc) from the quasars indicate that they are not directly responsible for the absorption systems. From the color excess of the galaxies we derived line fluxes, star formation rates, and equivalent widths. The data are consistent with one source having an active nucleus and two sources containing regions of star formation. The blue (R-K) colors for the sources suggest relatively lower dust content. We discuss possible projects using current wide-field infrared instruments, which can cover an order of magnitude greater area with modest allocations of telescope time

Estrogen and Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity

During the past several years, there has been increasing interest in the effects of estrogen on neural function. This enthusiasm is driven, in part, by the results of early clinical studies suggesting that estrogen therapy given after menopause may prevent, or at least delay, the onset of Alzheimer\u27s disease in older women. However, later clinical trials of women with probable Alzheimer\u27s disease had contrary results. Much of the current research related to estrogen and brain function is focused in two directions. One involves clinical studies that examine the potential of estrogen in protecting against cognitive decline during normal aging and against Alzheimer\u27s disease (neuroprotection). The other direction, which is the primary focus of this review, involves laboratory studies that examine the mechanisms by which estrogen can modify the structure of nerve cells and alter the way neurons communicate with other cells in the brain (neuroplasticity). In this review, we examine recent evidence from experimental and clinical research on the rapid effects of estrogen on several mechanisms that involve synaptic plasticity in the nervous system, including hippocampal excitability, long-term potentiation and depression related to sex and aging differences, cellular neuroprotection and probable molecular mechanisms of the action of estrogen in brain tissue

Transcriptional profiling of colicin-induced cell death of Escherichia coli MG1655 identifies potential mechanisms by which bacteriocins promote bacterial diversity

We report the transcriptional response of Escherichia coli MG1655 to damage induced by colicins E3 and E9, bacteriocins that kill cells through inactivation of the ribosome and degradation of chromosomal DNA, respectively. Colicin E9 strongly induced the LexA-regulated SOS response, while colicin E3 elicited a broad response that included the induction of cold shock genes, symptomatic of translational arrest. Colicin E3 also increased the transcription of cryptic prophage genes and other laterally acquired mobile elements. The transcriptional responses to both these toxins suggest mechanisms that may promote genetic diversity in E. coli populations, pointing to a more general role for colicins in adaptive bacterial physiology than has hitherto been realized

Representations of Time Coordinates in FITS

In a series of three previous papers, formulation and specifics of the representation of World Coordinate Transformations in FITS data have been presented. This fourth paper deals with encoding time. Time on all scales and precisions known in astronomical datasets is to be described in an unambiguous, complete, and self-consistent manner. Employing the well--established World Coordinate System (WCS) framework, and maintaining compatibility with the FITS conventions that are currently in use to specify time, the standard is extended to describe rigorously the time coordinate. World coordinate functions are defined for temporal axes sampled linearly and as specified by a lookup table. The resulting standard is consistent with the existing FITS WCS standards and specifies a metadata set that achieves the aims enunciated above.Comment: FITS WCS Paper IV: Time. 27 pages, 11 table

Fast two-dimensional model

A two dimensional (altitude and latitude) model of the atmosphere is used to investigate problems relating to the variability of the dynamics and temperature of the atmosphere on the ozone distribution, solar cycle variations of atmospheric constituents, the sensitivity of model results to tropospheric trace gas sources, and assessment computations of changes in ozone related to manmade influences. In a comparison between two dimensional model results in which the odd nitrogen family was transported together and model results in which the odd nitrogen species was transported separately, it was found that the family approximations are adequate for perturbation scenario calculations

Septo-optic dysplasia presenting with nystagmus, pseudo-disc edema, and fovea hypoplasia

Background: Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) is a condition that affects the early development of the brain and eyes. It presents with a combination of optic nerve hypoplasia, brain midline structure abnormalities, and pituitary gland hypoplasia. Methods: This is a case report of a 4-year-old male who presented with low amplitude horizontal nystagmus and decreased visual acuity 20/60 OU. Further imaging and electrophysiology were conducted to classify the ocular presentation. Results: No iris transillumination was noted, but foveal hypoplasia and disc edema were evident on fundus examination. This prompted neurology consultation and MRI imaging. The MRI was consistent with the diagnosis of SOD showing hypoplasia of the optic nerves, chiasm, and tracts and an absent septum pellucidum, but with normal pituitary development and function. Lumbar puncture and intracranial pressure were normal. Genetic testing identified one pathogenic variant in the SLC45A2, indicating carrier status for oculocutaneous albinism type 4 (OCA4). Flash Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs) were consistent with chiasm dysfunction or hypoplasia rather than the chiasmal misrouting of OCA. Conclusion: This case report further elaborates the phenotypic variation of SOD, with the finding of blurred disc margins, in the absence of the typical optic nerve double ring sign and with normal intracranial pressure. The findings of fovea hypoplasia and blond fundi lead to the suspicion of OCA either as a separate diagnosis with a second pathogenic variant in SCL45A2 not yet identified or in association with SOD. This case highlights the importance of electrophysiology to help distinguish chiasmal hypoplasia or dysfunction from OCA misrouting

33.8 GHz CCS Survey of Molecular Cores in Dark Clouds

We have conducted a survey of the CCS $J_N = 3_2-2_1$ line toward 11 dark clouds and star-forming regions at 30 arcsec spatial resolution and 0.054 km/s velocity resolution. CCS was only detected in quiescent clouds, not in active star-forming regions. The CCS distribution shows remarkable clumpy structure, and 25 clumps are identified in 7 clouds. Seven clumps with extremely narrow nonthermal linewidths < 0.1 km/s are among the most quiescent clumps ever found. The CCS clumps tend to exist around the higher density regions traced by NH_3 emission or submillimeter continuum sources, and the distribution is not spherically symmetric. Variation of the CCS abundance was suggested as an indicator of the evolutionary status of star formation. However, we can only find a weak correlation between N(CCS) and $n_{H_2,vir}$. The velocity distributions of CCS clouds reveal that a systematic velocity pattern generally exists. The most striking feature in our data is a ring structure in the position-velocity diagram of L1544 with an well-resolved inner hole of 0.04 pc x 0.13 km/s and an outer boundary of 0.16 pc x 0.55 km/s. This position-velocity structure clearly indicates an edge-on disk or ring geometry, and it can be interpreted as a collapsing disk with an infall velocity $\gtrsim$ 0.1 km/s and a rotational velocity less than our velocity resolution. Nonthermal linewidth distribution is generally coherent in CCS clouds, which could be evidence for the termination of Larson's Law at small scales, $\sim$ 0.1 pc.Comment: 21 pages, 25 ostscript figures, accepted for publication in the Supplement Series of the Astrophysical Journal (May 2000

Why do drivers become safer over the first three months of driving? A longitudinal qualitative study

Drivers are at high crash risk when they begin independent driving, with liability decreasing steeply over the first three months. Their behavioural development, and other changes underlying improved safety are not well understood. We adopted an innovative longitudinal qualitative design, with thirteen newly qualified drivers completing a total of 36 semi-structured interviews, one, two and three months after acquiring a full UK driving license. The interviews probed high-risk factors for new drivers, as well as allowing space for generating novel road safety issues. Analysis adopted a dual deductive and inductive interpretative thematic approach, identifying three super-ordinate themes: (1) Improvements in car control skills and situation awareness; (2) A reduction in the thrill of taking risks when driving against a background of generally increasing driving speed; (3) Early concerns about their social status in the eyes of other road users during the early stages of driving, which may put pressure on them to drive faster than they felt comfortable with. The study provides important new leads towards understanding how novice driving becomes safer over the first few months of driving, including how well-studied concepts of driving skill and style may change during development of independent driving, and a focus on the less rigorously studied concept of social status