Research poster: Downscaling the IPCC SRES emissions scenarios into future local land use scenarios

Research poste

New Crayfish Species Records from the Sipsey Fork Drainage, Including Lewis Smith Reservoir (Alabama, USA): Native or Introduced Species?

As part of a study of aquatic faunal community changes along riverine-lacustrine transition zones upstream of Lewis Smith Reservoir in northwest Alabama, USA, we collected crayfish from 60 sites in the Sipsey Fork, Brushy Creek, and selected tributaries (Black Warrior River system). After finding two unexpected and possibly-introduced crayfish species, we expanded our investigation of crayfish distributions to include crayfish obtained from stomachs of black bass ( Micropterus spp.) caught at seven sites in the reservoir. To explore what crayfish species were in the drainage historically, we examined museum databases as well as stomach and intestinal contents of a variety of preserved fishes that were caught in the Sipsey Fork and Brushy Creek drainages upstream of the reservoir in the early 1990’s. Of the seven crayfish species collected, one, Orconectes ( Procericambarus ) sp. nr ronaldi , was not previously reported from Alabama, and another, O. lancifer , was not reported from the Black Warrior River system prior to the study. Three are known or possibly introduced species. Upstream of the reservoir, the native species Cambarus obstipus, C. striatus , and O. validus were common. The same three species were found in fish collected in the 1990’s. Orconectes perfectus was found only in the reservoir but may be native to the drainage. Orconectes lancifer was in the reservoir and in stream reaches influenced by the reservoir. Evidence points to O. lancifer being introduced in the drainage, but this is uncertain. Orconectes sp. nr ronaldi was found in a relatively small portion of Brushy Creek and its tributaries, in both flowing and impounded habitats, and may be introduced. Orconectes virilis is introduced in Alabama and was found only in stomachs of fish collected in the reservoir

Interpreting Global Emissions Scenarios into a Local Scale Urban Growth Model: Truckee Meadows Metropolitan Region, NV, USA

Scenario-based studies are used in a number of disciplines to better understand future uncertainties and help governments, organizations, and industries make plans that can withstand a wider range of potential future states. This research presents four distinct urban growth scenarios and modeled impacts for the Truckee Meadows metropolitan region in Nevada, USA. The urban growth scenarios are interpreted from the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Interpreting the SRES emissions scenarios into urban growth or land use change scenarios has been done in many regions of the world and at various sub-global scales, but this process has seen limited application at the local scale or in North America. The methodology for interpreting these scenarios to the local scale is discussed, along with how the scenarios are used to drive a cellular automata urban growth model. The urban growth impacts are assessed on the region's urban land use, housing, water use, and wastewater at 2029 and 2049. This impact analysis indicates the region could face significant resource challenges, and their timing and extent will likely be partially influenced by the driving forces explored in these scenarios. The SRES interpretation methodology presented in this research also provides a framework for future work to join SRES-linked urban growth and environmental models in order to conduct integrated climate change impact assessments at the local scale. Local scale analyses combining interrelated socio-economic and environmental issues will enable communities to make resilient plans which can adapt to and help mitigate a changing climate

Syrbactin proteasome inhibitor TIR-199 overcomes bortezomib chemoresistance and inhibits multiple myeloma tumor growth in vivo

Multiple myeloma (MM) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) are blood cancers that respond to proteasome inhibitors. Three FDA-approved drugs that block the proteasome are currently on the market, bortezomib, carfilzomib, and ixazomib. While these proteasome inhibitors have demonstrated clinical efficacy against refractory and relapsed MM and MCL, they are also associated with considerable adverse effects including peripheral neuropathy and cardiotoxicity, and tumor cells often acquire drug resistance. TIR-199 belongs to the syrbactin class, which constitutes a novel family of irreversible proteasome inhibitors. In this study, we compare TIR-199 head-to-head with three FDA-approved proteasome inhibitors. We demonstrate that TIR-199 selectively inhibits to varying degrees the sub-catalytic proteasomal activities (C-L/β1, T-L/β2, and CT-L/β5) in three actively dividing MM cell lines, with Ki50 (CT-L/β5) values of 14.61 ± 2.68 nM (ARD), 54.59 ± 10.4 nM (U266), and 26.8 ± 5.2 nM (MM.1R). In most instances, this range was comparable with the activity of ixazomib. However, TIR-199 was more effective than bortezomib, carfilzomib, and ixazomib in killing bortezomib-resistant MM and MCL cell lines, as judged by a low resistance index (RI) between 1.7 and 2.2, which implies that TIR-199 indiscriminately inhibits both bortezomib-sensitive and bortezomib-resistant MM and MCL cells at similar concentrations. Importantly, TIR-199 reduced the tumor burden in a MM mouse model (p < 0.01) confirming its potency in vivo. Given the fact that there is still no cure for MM, the further development of TIR-199 or similar molecules that belong to the syrbactin class of proteasome inhibitors is warranted