Cascading Effects and Escalations in Wide Area Power Failures: A Summary for Emergency Planners

This special report is the result of a collaboration between academics and practitioners. It aims to provide a synthetic overview of the cascading effects caused by wide-area power failures, and to define the recurrent impacts and sources of escalation. It provides a reference for the training and the situational awareness of decision makers and emergency operators. The format uses bullet points and examples to facilitate reading in conditions of limited availability of time. The following topics have been developed:- ⚫ A definition of cascading effects. ⚫ An introduction for of wide area power failures (PF) policies and practices. ⚫ Illustrative examples. ⚫ A table listing cascading effects and escalations caused by wide area PF. ⚫ Resources for training and essential references for further reading

Gitksan medicinal plants-cultural choice and efficacy

BACKGROUND: The use of plants for healing by any cultural group is integrally related to local concepts of the nature of disease, the nature of plants, and the world view of the culture. The physical and chemical properties of the plants themselves also bear on their selection by people for medicines, as does the array of plants available for people to choose from. I examine use of medicinal plants from a "biobehavioral" perspective to illuminate cultural selection of plants used for medicine by the Gitksan of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. METHODS: Consultant consensus, "intercultural consensus", independent use of the same plants by other cultural groups, and phytochemistry and bioassay results from the literature, were employed in analysis of probable empirical efficacy of plant uses. RESULTS: 70% of 37 Gitksan medicinal plants were used similarly by other cultures where direct diffusion is not known to have occurred; eleven plants, including the eight most frequently mentioned medicinal plants, also show active phytochemicals or bioassays indicating probable physiologically based therapeutic effects. CONCLUSION: Analysis of intercultural consensus revealed that the majority of cultures in the British Columbia region within the plant ranges use the same plants, or closely related species, in similar ways. The rigor of this analysis is effected by the lack of consistent data on all taxa of interest for all cultures within the region

Denitrification and nitrous oxide emissions from riparian forests soils exposed to prolonged nitrogen runoff

Compared to upland forests, riparian forest soils have greater potential to remove nitrate (NO3) from agricultural run-off through denitrification. It is unclear, however, whether prolonged exposure of riparian soils to nitrogen (N) loading will affect the rate of denitrification and its end products. This research assesses the rate of denitrification and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from riparian forest soils exposed to prolonged nutrient run-off from plant nurseries and compares these to similar forest soils not exposed to nutrient run-off. Nursery run-off also contains high levels of phosphate (PO4). Since there are conflicting reports on the impact of PO4 on the activity of denitrifying microbes, the impact of PO4 on such activity was also investigated. Bulk and intact soil cores were collected from N-exposed and non-exposed forests to determine denitrification and N2O emission rates, whereas denitrification potential was determined using soil slurries. Compared to the non-amended treatment, denitrification rate increased 2.7- and 3.4-fold when soil cores collected from both N-exposed and non-exposed sites were amended with 30 and 60 μg NO3-N g-1 soil, respectively. Net N2O emissions were 1.5 and 1.7 times higher from the N-exposed sites compared to the non-exposed sites at 30 and 60 μg NO3-N g-1 soil amendment rates, respectively. Similarly, denitrification potential increased 17 times in response to addition of 15 μg NO3-N g-1 in soil slurries. The addition of PO4 (5 μg PO4–P g-1) to soil slurries and intact cores did not affect denitrification rates. These observations suggest that prolonged N loading did not affect the denitrification potential of the riparian forest soils; however, it did result in higher N2O emissions compared to emission rates from non-exposed forests

Differences in parental attitudes and tolerance of child exposure to and participation in gambling, alcohol and nicotine use

This study investigated parental attitudes toward child exposure to alcohol, nicotine (smoking tobacco) and gambling, via a questionnaire that examined parental tolerance with regard to hypothetical scenarios of exposure and participation, alongside perceptions of the importance of associated health promotion for each activity. It was hypothesised that parents would indicate significantly less tolerance of, and rate health promotion activity of greater importance for, nicotine and alcohol in comparison to gambling. Results from a sample of 500 UK based parents, showed significantly less tolerance for nicotine versus alcohol and gambling in all hypothetical scenarios of exposure and direct participation. Parents also reported significantly less tolerance surrounding child consumption of alcohol than gambling. Health promotion activity surrounding nicotine was rated significantly more important than that of alcohol and gambling. It is argued that greater parental concern surrounding nicotine was attributable to increased availability of knowledge surrounding associated risks of smoking behaviour within existing regulation and health promotion activity. Arguments are made for increased public awareness of the potential harms that may be associated with gambling behaviour, which may assist parents in making informed decisions regarding their children’s exposure to and participation in gambling-related activities

Engaging Undergraduates in Science Research: Not Just About Faculty Willingness.

Despite the many benefits of involving undergraduates in research and the growing number of undergraduate research programs, few scholars have investigated the factors that affect faculty members' decisions to involve undergraduates in their research projects. We investigated the individual factors and institutional contexts that predict faculty members' likelihood of engaging undergraduates in their research project(s). Using data from the Higher Education Research Institute's 2007-2008 Faculty Survey, we employ hierarchical generalized linear modeling to analyze data from 4,832 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty across 194 institutions to examine how organizational citizenship behavior theory and social exchange theory relate to mentoring students in research. Key findings show that faculty who work in the life sciences and those who receive government funding for their research are more likely to involve undergraduates in their research project(s). In addition, faculty at liberal arts or historically Black colleges are significantly more likely to involve undergraduate students in research. Implications for advancing undergraduate research opportunities are discussed

Steady-state modulation of voltage-gated K+ channels in rat arterial smooth muscle by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and protein phosphatase 2B

Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) are important regulators of membrane potential in vascular smooth muscle cells, which is integral to controlling intracellular Ca2+ concentration and regulating vascular tone. Previous work indicates that Kv channels can be modulated by receptor-driven alterations of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity. Here, we demonstrate that Kv channel activity is maintained by tonic activity of PKA. Whole-cell recording was used to assess the effect of manipulating PKA signalling on Kv and ATP-dependent K+ channels of rat mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells. Application of PKA inhibitors, KT5720 or H89, caused a significant inhibition of Kv currents. Tonic PKA-mediated activation of Kv appears maximal as application of isoprenaline (a β-adrenoceptor agonist) or dibutyryl-cAMP failed to enhance Kv currents. We also show that this modulation of Kv by PKA can be reversed by protein phosphatase 2B/calcineurin (PP2B). PKA-dependent inhibition of Kv by KT5720 can be abrogated by pre-treatment with the PP2B inhibitor cyclosporin A, or inclusion of a PP2B auto-inhibitory peptide in the pipette solution. Finally, we demonstrate that tonic PKA-mediated modulation of Kv requires intact caveolae. Pre-treatment of the cells with methyl-β-cyclodextrin to deplete cellular cholesterol, or adding caveolin-scaffolding domain peptide to the pipette solution to disrupt caveolae-dependent signalling each attenuated PKA-mediated modulation of the Kv current. These findings highlight a novel, caveolae-dependent, tonic modulatory role of PKA on Kv channels providing new insight into mechanisms and the potential for pharmacological manipulation of vascular tone

Regulation of thymocyte positive selection and motility by GIT2

Thymocytes are highly motile cells that migrate under the influence of chemokines in distinct thymic compartments as they mature. The motility of thymocytes is tightly regulated; however, the molecular mechanisms that control thymocyte motility are not well understood. Here we report that G protein–coupled receptor kinase-interactor 2 (GIT2) was required for efficient positive selection. Notably, Git2−/− double-positive thymocytes showed greater activation of the small GTPase Rac, actin polymerization and migration toward the chemokines CXCL12 (SDF-1) and CCL25 in vitro. By two-photon laser-scanning microscopy, we found that the scanning activity of Git2−/− thymocytes was compromised in the thymic cortex, which suggests GIT2 has a key role in regulating the chemokine-mediated motility of double-positive thymocytes.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (R01AI064227)Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Americ

Correlative tomography of an exceptionally preserved Jurassic ammonite implies hyponome-propelled swimming

The extreme rarity of soft-tissue preservation in ammonoids has meant there are open questions regarding fundamental aspects of their biology. We report an exceptionally preserved Middle Jurassic ammonite with unrivaled information on soft-body organization interpreted through correlative neutron and X-ray tomography. Three-dimensional imaging of muscles and organs of the body mass for the first time in this iconic fossil group provides key insights into functional morphology. We show that paired dorsal muscles withdrew the body into the shell, rather than acting with the funnel controlling propulsion as in Nautilus. This suggests a mobile, retractable body as a defense strategy and necessitates a distinct swimming mechanism of hyponome propulsion, a trait that we infer evolved early in the ammonoid-coleoid lineage.Copyright © 2021, The Authors. This document is the author’s final accepted version of the journal article. You are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it

High genetic diversity in a potentially vulnerable tropical tree species despite extreme habitat loss

10.1371/journal.pone.0082632PLoS ONE812-POLN