Water resources of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, west-central North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cates, Steven W.; Macek-Rowland, Kathleen M.

1998-01-01

Water resources of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in west-central North Dakota occur as ground water in bedrock and buried-valley aquifers and as surface water in streams and Lake Sakakawea. The bedrock aquifers-the Fox Hills-Hell Creek, Tongue River, and Sentinel Butte store about 93 million acre-feet of water under the Reservation. The Fox Hills-Hell Creek aquifer is composed mainly of very fine to medium-grained sandstone and stores about 51 million acrefeet of water. Water levels in the aquifer declined from 1976 through 1992. The Tongue River aquifer is composed mainly of claystones and siltstones and has widely distributed pockets of sandstone or lignite layers. The aquifer stores about 24 million acre-feet of water. The Sentinel Butte aquifer is composed mainly of interbedded claystones, siltstones, shale, lignite, and sandstone and stores about 18 million acre-feet of water. Yields from the lignite beds are highly variable. Water in the aquifers was predominantly a sodium bicarbonate type. Mean dissolved solids concentrations were 1,530 milligrams per liter in water from the Fox Hills-Hell Creek aquifer, 2,110 milligrams per liter in water from the Tongue River aquifer, and 1,300 milligrams per liter in water from the Sentinel Butte aquifer. The East Fork Shell Creek, Shell Creek, White Shield, New Town, and Sanish aquifers occur within buried valleys and store about 1,414,000 acre-feet of water. The East Fork Shell Creek and Shell Creek aquifers are composed of sand and gravel lenses that are surrounded by less permeable till. Water in the East Fork Shell Creek aquifer is a sodium sulfate bicarbonate type, and water in the Shell Creek aquifer is a sodium bicarbonate sulfate type. Mean dissolved-solids concentrations were 3,220 milligrams per liter in water from the East Fork Shell Creek aquifer and 1,470 milligrams per liter in water from the Shell Creek aquifer.The White Shield aquifer is composed of very fine to coarse sand and fine to coarse gravel. Water in the aquifer varies from a sodium bicarbonate sulfate type to a mixed calcium magnesium sodium bicarbonate sulfate type. Mean dissolved-solids concentrations were 1,080 milligrams per liter in water from the eastern part of the aquifer and 1,430 milligrams per liter in water from the western part of the aquifer. Water levels in the western part of the aquifer rose during 1970-92. The New Town aquifer is composed of lenticular deposits of sand and gravel. Water in the aquifer is a calcium sodium bicarbonate sulfate type and had a mean dissolved-solids concentration of 1,390 milligrams per liter. Data indicate a close correspondence between ground-water levels and lake stage of Lake Sakakawea, implying a hydraulic connection between the aquifer and the lake.The Sanish aquifer is composed of sand, clayey sand, and thin gravels that are poorly cemented and highly permeable. Water in the aquifer is a mixed calcium magnesium bicarbonate sulfate type and had a mean dissolved-solids concentration of 1,350 milligrams per liter.Major streams on the Reservation are Bear Den Creek, Shell Creek, East Fork Shell Creek, Deepwater Creek, Moccasin Creek, and Squaw Creek. Mean streamflow for Bear Den Creek for June 1966 through September 1992 was 6.72 cubic feet per second. Mean streamflow for Shell Creek for September 1965 through September 1981 was 12.9 cubic feet per second. Streamflow measurements for East Fork Shell Creek for April 1990 through June 1991 ranged from zero to 3.65 cubic feet per second, measurements for Deepwater Creek for April 1990 through May 1991 ranged from zero to 4.28 cubic feet per second, measurements for Moccasin Creek for April 1990 through September 1992 ranged from zero to 7.07 cubic feet per second, and measurements for Squaw Creek for April 1990 through September 1992 ranged from zero to 4.22 cubic feet per second. Lake Sakakawea has a maximum surface area of 390,000 acres. The surface area is variable in relation to lake stage, which was unusually low during this study. The mean lake elevation for Lake Sakakawea for 1970-92 was 1,837.08 feet, and the mean lake elevation for 1990-92 was 1,821.14 feet.

Prospects for developing stock - Water supplies from wells in northeastern Garfield County, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Lewen, M. C.; King, Norman Julius

1971-01-01

Ground-water resources in northeastern Garfield County, Mont., afford a practical and reliable source of stock water on the intermingled public and private grazing lands that together comprise an area of about 1,200 square miles. The oldest formation exposed in the area is the relatively thick and impermeable Bearpaw Shale of Cretaceous .age. Overlying the Bearpaw Shale in succession are the Fox Hills Sandstone and Hell Creek Formation of Cretaceous age, the Fort Union Formation of Tertiary age, and thin glacial deposits .and alluvium of Quaternary age. All but the Bearpaw Shale and the glacial deposits are potential aquifers. Published geologic maps were found to be satisfactory after fitting contacts to the topographic base. Mapping, therefore, was limited mainly to outlining on aerial photographs the alluvial deposits in the stream valleys. The major structural feature is the Blood Creek syncline, the axis of which plunges eastward 10-15 feet per mile across the southern part of the area. Beds generally dip 15-25 feet per mile toward the synclinal axis. Water in bedrock aquifers is under artesian pressure, .and most wells in Big and Little Dry Creek valleys flow at the land surface. The only bedrock aquifer having appreciable areal extent is a sandstone 30-70 feet thick that has been mapped by previous investigators as the upper part of the Fox Hills Sandstone. This aquifer crops out in the northern and northwestern parts of the area and dips about 20 feet per mile southeastward beneath younger beds. Most wells in the northern half of the area obtain water from this sandstone at drilling depths of less than 200 feet. The depth to the Fox Hills Sandstone increases progressively southward, and most wells south of Woody Creek obtain water from irregularly distributed sandstone beds and lenses in the overlying Hell Creek and Fort Union Formations. The depth at which water may be obtained from these beds is not accurately predictable, but the depth seldom exceeds 300 feet. The results of the investigation indicate that the prospects for obtaining ample water for livestock from wells drilled into the bedrock formations are very favorable in most of the area. The average depth of bedrock wells in the area is 195 feet. Underflow in the alluvial deposits along all the larger stream valleys also affords a practical source of stock water. Chemical analyses of samples collected at 43 wells and three springs show the water quality to be generally poor. Water from bedrock aquifer contains 530-5,340 milligrams per liter total dissolved solids, whereas water from alluvium contains less than 1,500 milligrams per liter total dissolved solids. The predominant constituents are sodium, bicarbonate, and sulfate. So far as could be determined, all water supplies in the area are suitable for livestock.

Evaluation of the hydrologic system and potential effects of mining in the Dickinson lignite area, eastern slope and western Stark and Hettinger counties, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Armstrong, C.A.

1984-01-01

The investigation of the water resources of the Dickinson lignite area, an area of about 500 square miles, was undertaken to define the hydrologic system of the area and to project probable effects of coal mining on the system.Aquifers occur in sandstone beds in: the Fox Hills Sandstone and the lower Hell Creek Formation of Cretaceous age, the upper Hell Creek Formation of Cretaceous age and the lower Ludlow Member of the Fort Union Formation of Tertiary age, and the upper Ludlow and lower Tongue River Members of the Fort Union Formation of Tertiary age. Aquifers also occur in the sandstone and lignite lenses in the upper Tongue River Member and the Sentinel Butte Member of the Fort Union Formation. Depths to the Fox Hills-lower Hell Creek aquifer system range from about 1,300 to 1,710 feet. Well yields range from 18 to 100 gallons per minute. The water is soft and is a sodium bicarbonate type. Dissolvedsolids concentrations in samples collected from the aquifer system ranged from 1,230 to 1,690 milligrams per liter.Depths to the upper Hell Creek-lower Ludlow aquifer system range from about 720 to 1,040 feet. Well yields generally are less than 30 gallons per minute but may be as much as 150 gallons per minute. The water is soft and a sodium bicarbonate type. Dissolved-solids concentrations in samples collected from the aquifer system ranged from 1,010 to 1,450 milligrams per liter.Depths to the upper Ludlow-lower Tongue River aquifer system range from about 440 to 713 feet. Well yields may range from about 1 to 100 gallons per minute. The water generally is soft and a sodium bicarbonate type but may be moderately hard and a sulfate type in the southwestern part of the area. Dissolved-solids concentrations in samples collected from the aquifer system ranged from 995 to 1,990 milligrams per liter. Depths to the upper Tongue River-Sentinel Butte aquifer system range from near land surface to about 530 feet below land surface. Well yields generally range from about 1 to 185 gallons per minute. Yields from the lignite parts of the system range from about 2 to 60 gallons per minute. The water generally is a sodium bicarbonate type, but locally sulfate is the dominant anion. Dissolved-solids concentrations in samples collected from the aquifer system generally ranged from 574 to 2,720 milligrams per liter.

Stratigraphy and depositional environments of Fox Hills Formation in Williston basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daly, D.J.

The Fox Hills Formation (Maestrichtian), representing part of a regressive wedge deposited during the withdrawal of the sea from the Western Interior at the close of the Cretaceous, consists of marginal marine strata transitional between the offshore deposits of the underlying Pierre Shale and the terrestrial deltaic and coastal deposits of the overlying Hell Creek Formation. An investigation of outcrops of the Fox Hills Formation along the western and southern flanks of the Williston basin and study of over 300 oil and gas well logs from the central part of the basin indicate that the formation can be divided bothmore » stratigraphically and areally. Stratigraphically, the Fox Hills can be divided into lower and upper sequences; the lower includes the Trail City and Timber Lake Members, and the upper sequence includes the Colgate Member in the west and the Iron Lightning and Linton Members in the east. Areally, the formation can be divided into a northeastern and western part, where the strata are 30-45 m thick and are dominated by the lower sequence, and into a southeastern area where both the lower and upper sequences are well developed in a section 80-130 m thick. Typically, the lower Fox Hills consists of upward-coarsening shoreface or delta-front sequences containing hummocky bedding and a limited suite of trace fossils, most notably Ophiomorpha. In the southeast, however, these strata are dominated by bar complexes, oriented northeast-southwest, composed of cross-bedded medium to very fine-grained sand with abundant trace and body fossils. The upper Fox Hills represents a variety of shoreface, deltaic, and channel environments. The strata of the Fox Hills Formation exhibit facies similar to those reported for Upper Cretaceous gas reservoirs in the northern Great Plains.« less

Potential of BLM lands in western Fresno and eastern San Benito and Monterey Counties, California, as critical habitats for the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, Vulpes macrotis mutica, and blunt-nosed leopard lizard, Crotaphytus silus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Farrell, T.P.; McCue, P.; Kato, T.

1981-11-01

The major objectives were to determine the presence and relative density of the San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard on BLM lands in western Fresno and eastern San Benito and Monterey counties, California, and to determine the potential of these lands as critical habitat for these endangered species. A total of 6220 acres in the Ciervo Hills and 4000 acres near Coalinga were surveyed for both San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizards; 810 acres in the Griswold Hills were surveyed for kit fox only; and 2000 acres in the Tumey Hills were surveyed for blunt-nosed leopardmore » lizards only. Eight line transects per mile were used to gather information on: (1) kit fox dens, scats, tracks, and remains of their prey; (2) presence of blunt-nosed leopard lizards; (3) vegetation associations; (4) density of rodent burrows on lands surveyed for leopard lizards; (5) topography; (6) evidence of human activities; (7) presence of other wildlife species; and (8) any additional scientific data related to endangered species. Night spotlight surveys were conducted in the Ciervo Hills, Griswold Hills, and on lands adjacent to Coalinga and San Ardo to document presence of kit fox, their potential prey, and other vertebrates. Of BLM land surveyed in 1981, the Coalinga Land Unit had the highest potential as critical habitat for the San Joaquin kit fox, the Ciervo Hills Land Unit was ranked second,and parcels in the Griswold Hills received the lowest score given since inventories were initiated in 1979. Public lands in the Salinas Valley were too steep to serve as habitat for kit fox. Over 70% of the parcels had only fair to no potential as critical habitat for the blunt-nosed leopard lizard. BLM lands near Coalinga and those in the central plateau of the Tumey Hills visually appeared to have some potential as habitat for the species.« less

Projected effects of intermittent changes in withdrawal of water from the Arikaree Aquifer near Wheatland, southeastern Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoxie, Dwight T.

1979-01-01

Effects on streamflows and ground-water levels attributable to a proposed intermittent change in use and sites of withdrawal of 3 ,146 acre-feet of water from the Arikaree aquifer in central Platte County, WY, are assessed with a previously developed ground-water flow model. This water has been permitted for agricultural use by the State of Wyoming, and under the proposal would supplement, when needed, existing industrial surface- and ground-water supplies for the Laramie River Station of the Missouri Basin Power Project. Under a scenario wherein the supplemental industrial usage occurs in every 10th year commencing in 1980, the model predicts a cumulative streamflow-depletion rate in the Laramie and North Laramie Rivers of 7.7 cubic feet per second in the year 2020 compared to a rate of 6.9 cubic feet per second that is predicted if the intermittent industrial usage does not occur. Areas in which drawdowns relative to the simulated 1973 head configuration exceed 5, 10, 25, and 50 feet are predicted to be 107, 78, 38, and 2 square miles, respectively, in 2020 under the intermittent-usage scenario compared to corresponding areas of 104, 76, 36, and 2 square miles that are predicted if the intermittent industrial usage does not occur. (USGS).

Bedrock aquifers in the Denver basin, Colorado; a quantitative water-resources appraisal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robson, S.G.

1984-01-01

The Denver metropolitan area is experiencing a rapid population growth that is requiring increasing supplies of potable water to be pumped from bedrock aquifers in order to meet demand. In an effort to determine the ability of the aquifers to continue to meet this demand, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, the Denver Board of Water Commissioners, and Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and El Paso Counties joined with the U.S. Geological Survey in undertaking a hydrologic evaluation of the ground-water resources of the basin. This involved mapping of aquifer extent, thickness, structure, hydraulic characteristics, and water-level and water-quality conditions. This enabled ground-water modeling techniques to be used to simulate aquifer response to various pumpage estimates and ground-water development plans.The Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer (the deepest aquifer) underlies the 6,700-square-mile study area and is overlain by the more permeable Arapahoe aquifer, the Denver aquifer, and the Dawson aquifer, which crops out in the southern part of the study area. It is estimated that 260x106 acre-feet of recoverable ground water are in storage in these four bedrock aquifers. However, less than 0.1 percent of this volume of water is stored under confined conditions. The larger volume of water stored under unconfined conditions will be available for use only when the water levels in the confined aquifers decline below the top of the individual aquifer, allowing water-table conditions to develop.Annual precipitation on the Denver basin supplies an average of 6,900 cubic feet per second of water to the area; about 55 cubic feet per second of this recharges the bedrock aquifers, principally through the Dawson Arkose. The direction of ground-water movement is generally from ground-water divides in the southern part of the area northward toward the margins of the aquifers. Pumpage has ranged from about 5 cubic feet per second in 1884 to about 41 cubic feet per second in 1978. Pumpage exceeds recharge in the metropolitan area and has caused water-level declines (1958-78) to exceed 200 feet in a 135-square-mile area of the Arapahoe aquifer southeast of Denver.A quasi-three-dimensional finite-difference model of the aquifer system was constructed and calibrated under steady-state and transient-state conditions. Steady-state calibration indicated that lateral hydraulic conductivity within the aquifers is about 100,000 times larger than the vertical hydraulic conductivity between the aquifers. Transient-state calibration indicated that between 1958 and 1978, 374,000 acre-feet of water was pumped from the aquifers, producing a 90,000-acre-foot net decrease in the volume of water in storage in the aquifers. During this time, pumpage also changed the rates of interaquifer flow, induced additional recharge, and caused capture of natural discharge.Three 1979-2050 pumpage estimates were made for use in simulating the effects of various ground-water development plans. Simulations using each of these pumpage estimates indicate that by the year 2050 large water-level declines could occur, particularly in the deeper aquifers. Maximum water-level declines of 410, 1,700, and 1,830 feet were produced using the small, medium, and large pumping rates.Four plans for supplementing the Denver water supply include pumping a satellite well field, pumping a municipal well field, pumping to irrigate parks, and injecting water during periods of low demand for later use during periods of peak demand. Model simulation of these plans indicates that the satellite well field will yield twice as much water as the municipal well field, but will produce larger and more widespread water-level declines in the four aquifers. The municipal well field would not significantly affect water levels in the Dawson aquifer. Pumping the Arapahoe aquifer to supply irrigation water to selected parks was shown to produce only small water-level declines in the aquifer. Results of simulating injection-pumpage well fields at two locations indicate that simulated injection rates could range from 1.7 to 10 cubic feet per second, depending on the choice of site. The volume of water that could be stored in the bedrock aquifer is, thus, sensitive to the hydrologic characteristics of the chosen site. More study is needed to evaluate water-chemistry compatibility of native and injected water.

Hydrogeology and simulation of water flow in strata above Bearpaw Shale and equivalents of eastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hotchkiss, W.R.; Levings, J.F.

1986-01-01

The Powder River, Bull Mountains, and Williston basins of Montana and Wyoming were investigated to understand the geohydrology and subsurface water flow. Rocks were separated into: Fox Hills-lower Hell Creek aquifer (layer 1), upper Hell Creek confining layer (layer 2), Tullock aquifer (layer 3), Lebo confining layer (layer 4), and Tongue River aquifer (layer 5). Aquifer transmissivities were estimated from ratios of sand and shale and adjusted for kinematic viscosity and compaction. Vertical hydraulic conductance per unit area between layers was estimated. Potentiometric surface maps were drawn from limited data. A three-dimensional finite-difference model was used for simulation. Five stages of simulation decreased and standard error of estimate for hydraulic head from 135 to 110 feet for 739 observation nodes. The resulting mean transmissivities for layers 1-5 were 443, 191, 374, 217, and 721 sq ft/d. The corresponding mean vertical hydraulic conductances per unit area between the layers were simulated; they ranged from 0.000140 to 0.0000150. Mean annual recharge across the study area was about 0.26 percent of average annual precipitation. Large volumes of interlayer flow indicate the vertical flow may be significant. (USGS)

Question Stems and Stories to Stimulate Science!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Suzanne

2010-01-01

Fox Hill Primary School is part of a family of schools in Sheffield that is piloting the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Primary Specialism for Science. In parallel to this work, Fox Hill participated in the Smarter Schools project from September 2008-2009. This project, funded by the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust, was set up by the…

Analysis of the Causes of a Decline in the San Joaquin Kit Fox Population on the Elk Hills, Naval Petroleum Reserve #1, California

EPA Science Inventory

EPA is announcing the availability of the final report, Analysis of the Causes of a Decline in the San Joaquin Kit Fox Population on the Elk Hills, Naval Petroleum Reserve #1, California. This report describes a causal assessment of the decline in the abundance of San Joaq...

Ground-water resources of McKenzie County, North Dakota. Part III

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Croft, M.G.

Ground water suitable for domestic and livestock supplies in McKenzie County is available from three aquifer systems in semiconsolidated rocks of Late Cretaceous and Tertiary age. Ground water from aquifers in unconsolidated sand and gravel of Quaternary age is suitable for domestic, livestock, municipal, industrial, and irrigation uses. Rocks older than Late Cretaceous age extend to 15,000 feet (4572 meters) and generally contain brackish water that is unsuitable for most purposes. The Fox Hills and basal Hell Creek aquifer system is used as a source for livestock and domestic supplies. It generally is 1100 to 1800 feet (335 to 549more » meters) in depth, and the transmissivity is 200 to 300 feet squared per day (19 to 28 meters squared per day). The water is lower in dissolved solids than water in overlying aquifers of Tertiary age and has a median dissolved-solids concentration of about 1325 milligrams per liter. Wells may yield 100 gallons per minute (6.3 liters per second). Six aquifers, each consisting of 50 to 176 feet (15 to 54 meters) of unconsolidated sand and gravel of Quaternary age, occur in McKensie County. The sand and gravel could yield 100 to more than 500 gallons per minute (6.3 to 32 liters per second). The water from four of the aquifers generally is a sodium bicarbonate type and has a median dissolved-solids concentration of 1100 to 2330 milligrams per liter. Water from the Charbonneau, Tobacco Garden, and Yellowstone-Missouri aquifers is suitable for irrigation. 26 figs., 9 tabs.« less

Biostratigraphic data from Upper Cretaceous formations-eastern Wyoming, central Colorado, and northeastern New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merewether, E.A.; Cobban, W.A.; Obradovich, J.D.

2011-01-01

Lithological and paleontological studies of outcrops of Upper Cretaceous formations were conducted at 12 localities in eastern Wyoming, central Colorado, and northeastern New Mexico. The sequence extends upward from the top of the Mowry Shale, or age-equivalent rocks, through the Graneros Shale, Greenhorn Limestone, Carlile Shale, Niobrara Formation, Pierre Shale, and Fox Hills Sandstone, or age-equivalent formations, to the top of the Laramie Formation, or laterally equivalent formations. The strata are mainly siliciclastic and calcareous, with thicknesses ranging from about 3,300 ft in northeastern New Mexico to as much as 13,500 ft in eastern Wyoming. Deposition was mainly in marine environments and molluscan fossils of Cenomanian through Maastrichtian ages are common. Radiometric ages were determined from beds of bentonite that are associated with fossil zones. The Upper Cretaceous formations at the 12 study localities are herein divided into three informal time-stratigraphic units based on fossil content and contact relations with adjacent strata. The basal unit in most places extends from the base of the Graneros to the top of the Niobrara, generally to the horizon of the fossil Scaphites hippocrepis, and spans a period of about 14 million years. The middle unit generally extends from the top of the Niobrara to the approximate middle of the Pierre, the horizon of the fossil Baculites gregoryensis, and represents a period of about 5 million years. The upper unit includes strata between the middle of the Pierre and the top of the Upper Cretaceous Series, which is the top of the Laramie Formation or of laterally equivalent formations; it represents a period of deposition of as much as 11 million years. Comparisons of the collections of fossils from each outcrop with the complete sequence of Upper Cretaceous index fossils can indicate disconformable contacts and lacunae. Widespread disconformities have been found within the Carlile Shale and between the Carlile Shale and the Niobrara Formation. Less extensive disconformities are within the Greenhorn Formation, the Niobrara Formation, and the Pierre Shale.

Borehole characterization of hydraulic properties and groundwater flow in a crystalline fractured aquifer of a headwater mountain watershed, Laramie Range, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Shuangpo; Gragg, Samuel; Zhang, Ye; Carr, Bradley J.; Yao, Guangqing

2018-06-01

Fractured crystalline aquifers of mountain watersheds may host a significant portion of the world's freshwater supply. To effectively utilize water resources in these environments, it is important to understand the hydraulic properties, groundwater storage, and flow processes in crystalline aquifers and field-derived insights are critically needed. Based on borehole hydraulic characterization and monitoring data, this study inferred hydraulic properties and groundwater flow of a crystalline fractured aquifer in Laramie Range, Wyoming. At three open holes completed in a fractured granite aquifer, both slug tests and FLUTe liner profiling were performed to obtain estimates of horizontal hydraulic conductivity (Kh). Televiewer (i.e., optical and acoustic) and flowmeter logs were then jointly interpreted to identify the number of flowing fractures and fracture zones. Based on these data, hydraulic apertures were obtained for each borehole. Average groundwater velocity was then computed using Kh, aperture, and water level monitoring data. Finally, based on all available data, including cores, borehole logs, LIDAR topography, and a seismic P-wave velocity model, a three dimensional geological model of the site was built. In this fractured aquifer, (1) borehole Kh varies over ∼4 orders of magnitude (10-8-10-5 m/s). Kh is consistently higher near the top of the bedrock that is interpreted as the weathering front. Using a cutoff Kh of 10-10 m/s, the hydraulically significant zone extends to ∼40-53 m depth. (2) FLUTe-estimated hydraulic apertures of fractures vary over 1 order of magnitude, and at each borehole, the average hydraulic aperture by FLUTe is very close to that obtained from slug tests. Thus, slug test can be used to provide a reliable estimate of the average fracture hydraulic aperture. (3) Estimated average effective fracture porosity is 4.0 × 10-4, therefore this fractured aquifer can host significant quantity of water. (4) Natural groundwater velocity is estimated to range from 0.4 to 81.0 m/day, implying rapid pathways of fracture flow. (5) The average ambient water table position follows the boundary between saprolite and fractured bedrock. Groundwater flow at the site appears topography driven.

Potentiometric surface of the Minnekahta Aquifer in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strobel, Michael L.; Galloway, Joel M.; Hamade, Ghaith R.; Jarrell, Gregory J.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and ground water in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and springs that originate from the confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the potentiometric surface of the Minnekahta aquifer within the study area. The map provides a tool for evaluating ground-water flow directions and hydraulic gradients in the Minnekahta aquifer.

Potentiometric surface of the Inyan Kara Aquifer in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strobel, Michael L.; Galloway, Joel M.; Hamade, Ghaith R.; Jarrell, Gregory J.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and ground water in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and springs that originate from the confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the potentiometric surface of the Inyan Kara aquifer within the study area. The map provides a tool for evaluating ground-water flow directions and hydraulic gradients in the Inyan Kara aquifer.

Potentiometric surface of the Deadwood Aquifer in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strobel, Michael L.; Galloway, Joel M.; Hamade, Ghaith R.; Jarrell, Gregory J.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and ground water in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and springs that originate from the confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the potentiometric surface of the Deadwood aquifer within the study area. The map provides a tool for evaluating ground-water flow directions and hydraulic gradients in the Deadwood aquifer.

Potentiometric surface of the Minnelusa Aquifer in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strobel, Michael L.; Galloway, Joel M.; Hamade, Ghaith R.; Jarrell, Gregory J.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and ground water in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and springs that originate from the confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the potentiometric surface of the Minnelusa aquifer within the study area. The map provides a tool for evaluating ground-water flow directions and hydraulic gradients in the Minnelusa aquifer.

Potentiometric surface of the Madison Aquifer in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strobel, Michael L.; Galloway, Joel M.; Hamade, Ghaith R.; Jarrell, Gregory L.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and ground water in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and springs that originate from the confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the potentiometric surface of the Madison aquifer within the study area. The map provides a tool for evaluating ground-water flow directions and hydraulic gradients in the Madison aquifer.

Geologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Ogallala Formation and White River Group, Belvoir Ranch near Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartos, Timothy T.; Diehl, Sharon F.; Hallberg, Laura L.; Webster, Daniel M.

2014-01-01

The geologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of Tertiary lithostratigraphic units (Ogallala Formation and White River Group) that typically compose or underlie the High Plains aquifer system in southeastern Wyoming were described physically and chemically, and evaluated at a location on the Belvoir Ranch in Laramie County, Wyoming. On the basis of this characterization and evaluation, three Tertiary lithostratigraphic units were identified using physical and chemical characteristics determined during this study and previous studies, and these three units were determined to be correlative with three identified hydrogeologic units composing the groundwater system at the study site—a high-yielding aquifer composed of the entire saturated thickness of the heterogeneous and coarse-grained fluvial sediments assigned to the Ogallala Formation (Ogallala aquifer); an underlying confining unit composed primarily of very fine-grained volcaniclastic sediments and mudrocks assigned to the Brule Formation of the White River Group and some additional underlying sediments that belong to either the Brule or Chadron Formation, or both (Brule confining unit); and an underlying low-yielding aquifer composed primarily of poorly sorted fluvial sediments assigned to the Chadron Formation of the White River Group (Chadron aquifer). Despite widely varying sediment heterogeneity and consolidation, some limited hydraulic connection throughout the full vertical extent of the Ogallala aquifer was indicated but not conclusively proven by interpretation of similar chemical and isotopic characteristics, modern apparent groundwater ages, and similar hydraulic-head responses measured continuously in two Ogallala aquifer monitoring wells installed for this study at two different widely separated (83 feet) depth intervals. Additional work beyond the scope of this study, such as aquifer tests, would be required to conclusively determine hydraulic connection within the Ogallala aquifer. Groundwater levels (hydraulic heads) measured continuously using water-level recorders in both monitoring wells completed in the Ogallala aquifer showed a consistent strong upward vertical gradient in the Ogallala aquifer, indicating the potential for water to move from deeper to shallower parts of the aquifer, regardless of the time of year and the presumed effects of pumping of public-supply and industrial wells in the area. Continuous measurement of groundwater levels in the shallowest monitoring well, installed near the water table, and examination of subsequently constructed water-level hydrographs indicated substantial groundwater recharge is likely during the spring of 2009 and 2010 from the ephemeral stream (Lone Tree Creek) located adjacent to the study site that flows primarily in response to spring snowmelt from the adjacent Laramie Mountains and surface runoff from precipitation events. Using the water-table fluctuation method, groundwater recharge was estimated to be about 13 inches for the period beginning in early October 2009 and ending in late June 2010, and about 4 inches for the period beginning in March 2011 and ending in early July 2011. Comparison of previously measured groundwater levels (hydraulic heads) and groundwater-quality characteristics in nearby monitoring wells completed in the Chadron aquifer with those measured in the two monitoring wells installed for this study in the Ogallala aquifer, combined with detailed lithologic characterization, strongly indicated the Brule confining unit hydraulically confines and isolates the Chadron aquifer from the overlying Ogallala aquifer, thus likely limiting hydraulic connection between the two units. Consequently, because of the impermeable nature of the Brule confining unit and resulting hydraulic separation of the Ogallala and Chadron aquifers, and compared with local and regional hydrostratigraphic definitions of the High Plains aquifer system, the groundwater system in Tertiary lithostratigraphic units overlying the Upper Cretaceous Lance Formation at the location studied on the Belvoir Ranch was defined as being composed of, from shallowest to deepest, the High Plains aquifer system (high-yielding Ogallala aquifer only, composed of the saturated Ogallala Formation); the Brule confining unit composed of the Brule Formation of the White River Group and an underlying fine-grained depth interval with sediments that belong to either the Brule or Chadron Formation, or both; and the low-yielding Chadron aquifer (composed of poorly sorted coarse-grained sediments with substantial fine-grained matrix material assigned to the Chadron Formation of the White River Group).

Amphibian, reptilian, and avian remains from the Fox Hills Formation (Maastrichtian): Shoreline and estuarine deposits of the Pierre Sea in south-central North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoganson, J.W.; Erickson, J.M.; Holland, F.D.

2007-01-01

Although vertebrate fossils, except for fish, are not common in the Maastrichtian Fox Hills Formation, amphibian, reptilian, and avian remains have been recovered at several localities in south-central North Dakota from shoreline facies of the retreating Pierre-Fox Hills seaway. This mixed fauna of aquatic, terrestrial, and marine taxa provides insight into the composition of coastal communities and habitats at the interface between the Hell Creek delta and the Western Interior Seaway. The delta-platform aquatic paleocommunity is represented by the efficient swimming salamanders Opistho- trition kayi and Lisserpeton bairdi, the carnivorous soft-shelled turtle "Aspideretes" sensu lato, the underwater piscivorous predator Champsosaurus laramiensis, and the large, predatory crocodile IBorealosuchus. Terrestrial areas were inhabited by the tortoise-like Basilemys and the predatory dinosaurs Tyrannosaurus and cf. Saurornit- holestes. Birds occupied niches in the warm-temperate to subtropical, forested delta platform and shoreline areas. These nonmarine taxa in the Fox Hills Formation indicate that the geographic range of these animals extended to shoreline areas of the Western Interior Seaway. The toxochelyid turtle Lophochelys and the ambush predators Mosasaurus dekayi and IPlioplatecarpus resided in the shallow marine and estuarine habitats. These taxa and marine fish taxa reported earlier indicate that normal marine conditions in south- central North Dakota persisted into the latest Late Cretaceous in comparison with coeval Hell Creek Formation sites more distal from the Western Interior Seaway. ?? 2007 The Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Pumpage data from irrigation wells in eastern Laramie County, Wyoming, and Kimball County, Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Avery, Charles

1983-01-01

Quantitative information concerning pumpage by irrigation wells is an integral component of the U.S. Geological Survey High Plains Regional Aquifer System Analysis. Thus, operation time, discharge rate, and irrigated acreage were measured at approximately 450 randomly selected irrigation wells within 10 areas of the High Plains during the 1980 irrigation season. The data were used to estimate the seasonal mean application of water to crops and to project total pumpage by irrigation wells in 1980 throughout the High Plains area. As part of the sampling effort, 50 irrigation wells were randomly chosen from the area of eastern Laramie County, Wyoming, and Kimball County, Nebraska. Required information was collected on only 40 of the wells. For these wells, the seasonal mean application of water on the irrigated land was 15.2 inches. For the major crop types, the seasonal mean application, in inches, were as follows: alfalfa, 19.8; corn, 15.4; potatoes, 13.8; beans, 12.8; and small grains 10.2. (USGS)

Altitude of the Top of the Madison Limestone in the Black Hills area, South Dakota, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, Janet M.; Redden, Jack A.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and groundwater in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study arca arc Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and artesian springs that originate from confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the altitude of the top (structure contours) of the Madison Limestone within the area of the Black Hills Hydrology Study. The depth to the top of the Madison Limestone can be estimated at a specific site by subtracting the altitude of the top of the formation from the topographic elevation. However, caution is urged in determining the depth to the top of the formation in areas on the map where the contours are approximately located.

Altitude of the Top of the Deadwood Formation in the Black Hills area, South Dakota, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, Janet M.; Redden, Jack A.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and ground water in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and artesian springs that originate from confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the altitude of the top (structure contours) of the Deadwood Formation within the area of the Black Hills Hydrology Study. The depth to the top of the Deadwood Formation can be estimated at a specific site by subtracting the altitude of the top of the formation from the topographic elevation, However, caution is urged in determining the depth to the top of the formation in areas on the map where the contours are approximately located.

Altitude of the Top of the Minnelusa Formation in the Black Hills area, South Dakota, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, Janet M.; Redden, Jack A.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and ground water in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and artesian springs that originate from confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the altitude of the top (structure contours) of the Minnelusa Formation within the area of the Black Hills Hydrology Study. The depth to the top of the Minnelusa Formation can be estimated at a specific site by subtracting the altitude of the top of the formation from the topographic elevation. However, caution is urged in determining the depth to the top of the formation in areas on the map where the contours are approximately located.

Altitude of the Top of the Minnekahta Limestone in the Black Hills area, South Dakota, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, Janet M.; Redden, Jack A.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and groundwater in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoli, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara. Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and artesian springs that originate from confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the altitude of the top(structure contours) of the Minnekahta limestone within the area of the Black Hills Hydrology Study. The depth to the top of the Minnekahta Limestone can be estimated at a specific site by subtracting the altitude of the top of the formation from the topographic elevation. However, caution is urged in determining the depth to the top of the formation in areas on the map where the contours are approximately located.

ENHANCED REMEDIATION DEMONSTRATIONS AT HILL AFB: INTRODUCTION

EPA Science Inventory

Nine enhanced aquifer remediation technologies were demonstrated side-by-side at a Hill Air Force Base Chemical Disposal Pit/Fire Training Area site. The demonstrations were performed inside 3 x 5 m cells isolated from the surrounding shallow aquifer by steel piling. The site w...

Water-quality characteristics in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williamson, Joyce E.; Carter, Janet M.

2001-01-01

This report summarizes the water-quality characteristics of ground-water and surface-water in the Black Hills area. Differences in groundwater quality by aquifer and differences in surfacewater quality by water source are presented. Ground-water characteristics are discussed individually for each of the major aquifers in the Black Hills area, referred to herein as the Precambrian, Deadwood, Madison, Minnelusa, Minnekahta, and Inyan Kara aquifers. Characteristics for minor aquifers also are discussed briefly. Surface-water characteristics are discussed for hydrogeologic settings including headwater springs, crystalline core sites, artesian springs, and exterior sites. To characterize the water quality of aquifers and streams in the Black Hills area, data from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System water-quality database were examined. This included samples collected as part of the Black Hills Hydrology Study as well as for other studies within the time frame of October 1, 1930, to September 30, 1998. Tables of individual results are not presented in this report, only summaries. Constituents summarized and discussed include physical properties, common ions, nutrients, trace elements, and radionuclides. Comparisons of concentration levels are made to drinking-water standards as well as beneficial-use and aquatic-life criteria. Ground water within the Black Hills and surrounding area generally is fresh and hard to very hard. Concentrations exceeding various Secondary and Maximum Contaminant Levels may affect the use of the water in some areas for many aquifers within the study area. Concentrations that exceed Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCL's) generally affect the water only aesthetically. Radionuclide concentrations may be especially high in some of the major aquifers used within the study area and preclude the use of water in some areas. The sodiumadsorption ratio and specific conductance may affect irrigation use for some wells. High concentrations of iron and manganese are the only concentrations that may hamper the use of water from Precambrian aquifers. The principal deterrents to use of water from the Deadwood aquifer are the high concentrations of radionuclides as well as iron and manganese. Iron, manganese, and hardness may deter use of water from the Madison aquifer as well as dissolved solids and sulfate in downgradient wells (generally deeper than 2,000 feet). Iron, manganese, and hardness may also deter use of the Minnelusa aquifer. Water from the Minnekahta aquifer generally is suitable for all water uses although it is hard to very hard. High concentrations of dissolved solids, iron, sulfate, and manganese may hamper the use of water from the Inyan Kara aquifer. In the southern Black Hills, radium-226 and uranium concentrations also may preclude use of water from the Inyan Kara aquifer. Suitability for irrigation may be affected by high specific conductance and sodium-adsorption ratio for the Inyan Kara. Surface-water quality within the Black Hills and surrounding area generally is very good but the water is hard to very hard. Concentrations of some constituents in the study area tend to be higher exterior to the Black Hills, primarily due to influences from the Cretaceous-age marine shales, including dissolved solids, sodium, sulfate, selenium, and uranium. Headwater springs have relatively constant discharge, specific conductance, dissolved solids, and concentrations of most other constituents. Concentrations at crystalline core sites are very similar to those found in samples from Precambrian aquifers. Some high nitrate concentrations greater than the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 mg/L (milligrams per liter) have occurred at Annie Creek near Lead, which have been attributed to mining impacts. Trace elements generally are low with the exception of arsenic, for which 60 percent of samples exceed the proposed MCL of 10 ug/L (micrograms per liter) and one sample

Altitude of the top of the Inyan Kara Group in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, Janet M.; Redden, Jack A.

2000-01-01

This map is a product of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, which was initiated in 1990 to assess the quantity, quality, and distribution of surface water and ground water in the Black Hills area of South Dakota (Driscoll, 1992). This long-term study is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District, which represents various local and county cooperators. This map is part of a series of 1:100,000-scale maps for the study. The maps include a hydrogeologic map, structure-contour maps (altitudes of the tops of formations) for five formations that contain major aquifers in the study area, and potentiometric maps for these five major aquifers (the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers).The study area consists of the topographically defined Black Hills and adjacent areas located in western South Dakota. The Black Hills area is an elongated, dome-shaped feature, about 125 miles long and 60 miles wide, which was uplifted during the Laramide orogeny (Feldman and Heimlich, 1980). The oldest geologic units in the study area are Precambrian metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are exposed in the central core of the Black Hills. Surrounding the Precambrian core is a layered series of sedimentary rocks including limestones, sandstones, and shales that are exposed in roughly concentric rings around the uplifted flanks of the Black Hills. The bedrock sedimentary units typically dip away from the uplifted Black Hills at angles that approach or exceed 10 degrees near the outcrops, and decrease with distance from the uplift. Many of the sedimentary units contain aquifers, both within and beyond the study area. Recharge to these aquifers occurs from infiltration of precipitation upon the outcrops and, in some cases, from infiltration of streamflow (Hortness and Driscoll, 1998). Artesian conditions generally exist within these aquifers where an upper confining layer is present. Flowing wells and artesian springs that originate from confined aquifers are common around the periphery of the Black Hills.The purpose of this map is to show the altitude of the top (structure contours) of the Inyan Kara Group within the area of the Black Hills Hydrology Study. The depth to the top of the Inyan Kara Group can be estimated at a specific site by subtracting the altitude of the top of the formation from the topographic elevation. However, caution is urged in determining the depth to the top of the formation in areas on the map where the contours are approximately located.

Serologic survey for disease in endangered San Joaquin kit fox, Vulpes macrotis mutica, inhabiting the Elk Hills Naval Petroleum Reserve, Kern County, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCue, P.M.; O'Farrell, T.P.

1986-07-01

Serum from endangered San Joaquin kit foxes, Vulpes macrotis mutica, and sympatric wildlife inhabiting the Elk Hills Petroleum Reserve, Kern County, and Elkhorn Plain, San Luis Obispo County, California, was collected in 1981 to 1982 and 1984, and tested for antibodies against 10 infectious disease pathogens. Proportions of kit fox sera containing antibodies against diseases were: canine parvovirus, 100% in 1981 to 1982 and 67% in 1984; infectious canine hepatitis, 6% in 1981 to 1982 and 21% in 1984; canine distemper, 0 in 1981 to 1982 and 14% in 1984; tularemia, 8% in 1981 to 1982 and 31% in 1984;more » Brucella abortus, 8% in 1981 to 1982 and 3% in 1984; Brucella canis, 14% in 1981 to 1982 and 0 in 1984; toxoplasmosis, 6% in 1981 to 1982; coccidioidomycosis, 3% in 1981 to 1982; and plague and leptospirosis, 0 in 1981 to 1982. High population density, overlapping home ranges, ability to disperse great distances, and infestation by ectoparasites were cited as possible factors in the transmission and maintenance of these diseases in kit fox populations.« less

Hydrogeology and results of aquifer tests in the vicinity of a hazardous-waste disposal site near Byron, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kay, Robert T.; Olson, David N.; Ryan, Barbara J.

1989-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, conducted an investigation of a Superfund Site near Byron, Illinois. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the hydrogeologic properties of the Galena-Platteville and St. Peter aquifers, the primary water-supply aquifers for domestic supply in the area. The Galena and Platteville Groups and older St. Peter Sandstone are separated by the Harmony Hill Shale Member of the Glenwood Formation. The Harmony Hill Shale Member is a semiconfining unit. Groundwater flow in the study area is from the site northwestward to the Rock River. Movement of groundwater in the dolomites is mainly through joints, fractures, and solution openings. Analysis of the Galena-Platteville aquifer-test data indicates that the calculated aquifer transmissivity ranges from 490 to 670 sq ft/day, and the calculated specific yield ranges from 0.017 to 0.140. Aquifer test data also indicate that the Galena-Platteville aquifer is heterogeneous and anisotropic. Analysis of the St. Peter aquifer-test data indicates that the calculated transmissivity of the aquifer ranges from 1,200 to 1 ,305 sq ft/day, storativity ranges from 0.000528 to 0.00128, horizontal hydraulic conductivity ranges from 2.9 to 3.1 ft/day, and leakage through the Harmony Hill Shale Member ranges from .000123 to .000217 ft/day/ft. (USGS)

Landsat Application of Remote Sensing to Shoreline-form Analysis. [Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and Assateague Island, Virginia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolan, R. (Principal Investigator); Heywood, J. E.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Areas of the coast were selected which have historically shown vulnerability to storm damage. On Assateague Island, there are six such areas: the western tip of Fishing Point; the southern National Park Service parking lot; Smith Hammocks; Fox Hill Level; Little Fox Hill Level; and the northern five kilometers of the island. Comparative analysis of these areas with other data and with large and small scale aerial photographs shows them to be associated with large overwash fans and shoreline cusping. Initial analysis of Landsat imagery and high altitude photography indicates that the areas of high vulnerability are also associated with the angular orientation of the shoreline.

Subdivision of the Cambrian-Ordovician Upper Sandstone Aquifer'' in the Fox Cities area, east-central Wisconsin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erikson, K.A.; Smith, G.L.

The informally-named Upper Sandstone Aquifer,'' a lithologically heterogeneous unit, has been subdivided into three thinner hydrostratigraphic units, the Upper Cambrian Jordan Formation (sandstone), the Lower Ordovician Prairie du Chien Group (dolomite), and the Middle Ordovician St. Peter Formation (mostly sandstone). Reevaluation of the Upper Sandstone Aquifer'' in the Fox Cities area (Appleton, Neenah, Menasha) was based on detailed analysis of 125 geologic well logs and 200 well-construction reports. Isopach maps and geologic cross-sections of these units in the Fox Cities area show extreme variations in thickness over short lateral distances. Although the Jordan Formation has a uniform thickness of 13more » m (40 ft), the Prairie du Chien Group varies from 0--88 m (0--275 ft). The St. Peter Formation varies in thickness from 0--108 m (0--335 ft). The Prairie du Chien Group is relatively thin or absent in the Fox Cities area in locations where the overlying St. Peter Formation is relatively thick. St Peter can be further subdivided into Readstown, Tonti, and Glenwood Members. The Readstown Member is a lithologically heterogeneous unit of variable thickness and distribution. The Tonti Member is a poorly cemented, fine-medium quartz arenite with which is lumped the Glenwood Member, a conglomeratic, silty medium-coarse sandstone. Maximum St. Peter thicknesses represent filled paleokarst depressions developed on top of the Prairie du Chien Group, with profound implications for estimates of hydraulic conductivity.« less

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the Circle West coal tracts, McCone County, eastern Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cannon, M.R.

1984-01-01

The Circle West coal tracts in McCone County, Montana, contain about 460 million tons of recoverable coal reserves. Estimates of coal reserves for the tract are based predominantly on the S coal bed, which averages about 16 ft in thickness. About 175 million tons, or 38%, of the recoverable coal is Federally owned and has been identified for potential lease sale. A hydrologic study has been conducted in the potential lease area to describe existing hydrologic systems and to assess potential effects of surface coal mining on local water resources. Geohydrologic data collected from wells and drill holes indicate that shallow aquifers exist in sandstone and coal beds of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age). These shallow aquifers generally have small values of hydraulic conductivity (0.1 to 380 ft/day) and typically yield from 2 to 20 gal/min to stock and domestic wells. Where coal is extremely fractured or the thickness of saturated sandstone is large, some wells can yield in excess of 70 gal/min. Chemical analyses indicate that most shallow aquifers contain a sodium sulfate bicarbonate type water. Surface water resources of the area consist of intermittent streamflow in parts of the Nelson and Timber Creek basins plus a large network of reservoirs. The reservoirs provide a large part of the water supply for area livestock and irrigation. Water quality data for Nelson and Timber Creeks indicate that the water generally is a sodium sulfate type and has a large concentration (181 to 6,960 mg/L) of dissolved solids. Mining of the S coal bed in the Circle West coal tracts would permanently remove shallow coal and sandstone aquifers, resulting in the loss of shallow stock wells. Mining would destroy livestock reservoirs, alter runoff characteristics of Nelson Creek, and temporarily lower water levels in shallow aquifers near the mine. Leaching of soluble constituents from mine spoils may cause a long-term degradation of the quality of water in shallow aquifers in and near the coal tracts. Some of the effects on local water supplies could be mitigated by development of alternative water resources in deeper aquifers such as the Tullock aquifer of Paleocene age and the Fox Hills-lower Hell Creek aquifer of Late Cretaceous age. (Author 's abstract)

Geohydrology and water quality of the Inyan Kara, Minnelusa, and Madison aquifers of the northern Black Hills, South Dakota and Wyoming, and Bear Lodge Mountains, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kyllonen, D.P.; Peter, K.D.

1987-01-01

The Inyan Kara, Minnelusa, and Madison aquifers are the principal sources of ground water in the northern Black Hills, South Dakota and Wyoming, and Bear Lodge Mountains, Wyoming. The aquifers are exposed in the Bear Lodge Mountains and the Black Hills and are about 3,000 to 5,000 ft below the land surface in the northeast corner of the study area. The direction of groundwater movement is from the outcrop area toward central South Dakota. Recharge is by infiltration of precipitation and streamflow is by springs and well withdrawals. All three aquifers yield water to flowing wells in some part of the area. Measured and reported well yields in each of the three aquifers exceed 100 gal/min (gpm). A well open to the Minnelusa Formation and the upper part of the Madison Limestone yielded more than 2 ,000 gpm. Water from the Inyan Kara aquifer may require treatment for gross alpha radiation, iron, manganese, sulfate, and hardness before use in public water systems. Water from the Minnelusa aquifer in the northern one-half of the study area may require treatment for sulfate and hardness before use in public water systems. Water from the Madison aquifer in the northern one-half of the study area may require treatment of fluoride, gross alpha radiation, sulfate, and hardness before use in public water systems. Water from the Minnelusa and Madison aquifers in the southern one-half of the study area, though very hard (more than 180 mg/L hardness as calcium carbonate), is suitable for public water systems and irrigation. Flow between the Minnelusa and the Inyan Kara aquifers appears to be insignificant, based on the results of a digital model results. The model indicated there may be significant recharge to the Minnelusa and Madison aquifers by leakage between these two aquifers and perhaps deeper aquifers. (Author 's abstract)

Surface-Water and Ground-Water Resources of Kendall County, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kay, Robert T.; Mills, Patrick C.; Hogan, Jennifer L.; Arnold, Terri L.

2005-01-01

Water-supply needs in Kendall County, in northern Illinois, are met exclusively from ground water derived from glacial drift aquifers and bedrock aquifers open to Silurian, Ordovician, and Cambrian System units. As a result of population growth in Kendall County and the surrounding area, water use has increased from about 1.2 million gallons per day in 1957 to more than 5 million gallons per day in 2000. The purpose of this report is to characterize the surface-water and ground-water resources of Kendall County. The report presents a compilation of available information on geology, surface-water and ground-water hydrology, water quality, and water use. The Fox River is the primary surface-water body in Kendall County and is used for both wastewater disposal and as a drinking-water supply upstream of the county. Water from the Fox River requires pretreatment for use as drinking water, but the river is a potentially viable additional source of water for the county. Glacial drift aquifers capable of yielding sufficient water for municipal supply are expected to be present in northern Kendall County, along the Fox River, and in the Newark Valley and its tributaries. Glacial drift aquifers capable of yielding sufficient water for residential supply are present in most of the county, with the exception of the southeastern portion. Volatile organic compounds and select trace metals and pesticides have been detected at low concentrations in glacial drift aquifers near waste-disposal sites. Agricultural-related constituents have been detected infrequently in glacial drift aquifers near agricultural areas. However, on the basis of the available data, widespread, consistent problems with water quality are not apparent in these aquifers. These aquifers are a viable source for additional water supply, but would require further characterization prior to full development. The shallow bedrock aquifer is composed of the sandstone units of the Ancell Group, the Prairie du Chien Group, the Galena-Platteville dolomite, the Maquoketa Group, and the Silurian dolomite where these units are at the bedrock surface. The availability of water from the shallow bedrock aquifer depends primarily on the geologic unit utilized. The Silurian dolomite, Galena-Platteville dolomite, and Ancell Group can yield sufficient water for residential and municipal supply in at least some parts of the county. The Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system is composed of the most widespread, productive aquifers in northern Illinois and is used for water supply by a number of municipalities and industrial facilities. Water levels in the aquifer system have declined by as much as 600 feet in Kendall County and the aquifer frequently contains concentrations of radium above established health guidelines.

Comparing the Preferences of Black, Asian, Hispanic, and White Fishermen at Moraine Hills State Park, Illinois

Treesearch

Dale J. Blahna

1992-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a study conducted at Moraine Hills State Park outside of Chicago, which is one of the few Illinois state parks that gets a high level of use by ethnic minorities. Personal interviews were conducted with 310 fishermen at two sites within the park: the McHenry Dam, a highly developed recreation area on the Fox River, and Wilderness Lake...

Geohydrologic reconnaissance of the Avoca lignite deposit area near Williston, northwestern North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horak, W.F.; Crosby, O.A.

1985-01-01

The Avoca lignite deposit in the Sentinel Butte Member of the Fort Union Formation consists of four potentially strippable lignite beds. Average bed thicknesses, in descending order, are 5, 5, 9, and 8 .feet. In the area between Stony Creek and Crazy Man Coulee, the lignite beds are unsaturated, and between Stony Creek and Little Muddy River, only the two lowest beds are saturated. Natural discharge to outcrops in the stream valleys results in low potentiometric levels in the lignite beds.Aquifers in sandstone beds in the Fox Hills Sandstone and the Hell Creek Formation probably would yield as much as 50 gallons per minute of sodium bicarbonate type water. Dissolved-solids concentrations range from 800 to 2,000 milligrams per liter. The aquifers are from 1,100 to 1,800 feet below land surface. Sandstone beds in the Ludlow and Cannonball Members of the Fort Union Formation probably could yield several gallons per minute of sodium bicarbonate water with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 800 to 2,000 milligrams per liter. Aquifers in the Ludlow and Cannonball Members lie between 700 and 1,300 feet below land surface. Individual sand beds in the Tongue River and Sentinel Butte Members of the Fort Union Formation are the shallowest aquifers encountered below the minable lignite beds. Properly constructed wells completed in these sand beds could yield as much as 40 gallons per minute. The water generally is a sodium bicarbonate type with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from about 500 to 4,200 milligrams per liter. Alluvium and glacial-drift deposits constitute the Little Muddy aquifer bordering the lignite deposit on the west and south. The aquifer could yield as much as 1,200 gallons per minute of sodium bicarbonate type water with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 975 to 1, 730 milligrams per liter.Little Muddy Creek and Stony Creek have significant base flow. The flow is contributed partly by discharge from the lignite. Quality of water is least mineralized at high stream flows. Mining would not severely affect ground-water levels because potentiometric levels already are low. Chemically enriched leachate water from the spoils could percolate to the saturated zone and eventually reach the streams as base flow or recharge the glaciofluvial aquifers.

76 FR 27041 - Combined Notice of Filings #1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-10

...., AES Ironwood, L.L.C., AES Laurel Mountain, LLC, AES Red Oak, L.L.C., AES Redondo Beach, L.L.C., Condo... Venture, L.P., Fox Energy Company, LLC, Birchwood Power Partners, L.P., Shady Hills Power Company, LLC...

Hydrogeology of Two Areas of the Tug Hill Glacial-Drift Aquifer, Oswego County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Todd S.; Bugliosi, Edward F.; Hetcher-Aguila, Kari K.; Eckhardt, David A.

2007-01-01

Two water-production systems, one for the Village of Pulaski and the other for the Villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona in Oswego County, New York, withdraw water from the Tug Hill glacial-drift aquifer, a regional sand and gravel aquifer along the western flank of the Tug Hill Plateau, and provide the sole source of water for these villages. As a result of concerns about contamination of the aquifer, two studies were conducted during 2001 to 2004, one for each water-production system, to refine the understanding of ground-water flow surrounding these water-production systems. Also, these studies were conducted to determine the cause of the discrepancy between ground-water ages estimated from previously constructed numerical ground-water-flow models for the Pulaski and Sandy Creek/Lacona well fields and the apparent ground-water ages determined using concentrations of tritium and chlorofluorocarbons. The Village of Pulaski withdrew 650,000 gallons per day in 2000 from four shallow, large-diameter, dug wells finished in glaciolacustrine deposits consisting of sand with some gravelly lenses 3 miles east of the village. Four 2-inch diameter test wells were installed upgradient from each production well, hydraulic heads were measured, and water samples collected and analyzed for physical properties, inorganic constituents, nutrients, bacteria, tritium, dissolved gases, and chlorofluorocarbons. Recharge to the Tug Hill glacial-drift aquifer is from precipitation directly over the aquifer and from upland sources in the eastern part of the recharge area, including (1) unchannelized runoff from till and bedrock hills east of the aquifer, (2) seepage to the aquifer from streams that drain the Tug Hill Plateau, (3) ground-water inflow from the till and bedrock on the adjoining Tug Hill Plateau. Water-quality data collected from four piezometers near the production wells in November 2003 indicated that the water is a calcium-bicarbonate type with iron concentrations that slightly exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level in three of the four samples. The relatively small concentrations of major ions and nutrients in the samples indicate that there is no contamination from septic-tank effluent and dissolved road salt in the ground water at the Village of Pulaski well field. Three of the four samples were analyzed for total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (E. coli), and only total coliform bacteria were detected in all three samples. E. coli was not detected in any samples. The Villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona use about 270,000 gallons of water per day for public consumption?alternating withdrawals from northern and southern well fields located in glaciolacustrine beach, glaciofluvial outwash, and alluvial inwash deposits consisting mostly of silty sand and gravel. Four test wells were drilled, hydraulic heads were measured, and water samples collected between 2001 and 2003 and analyzed for physical properties, inorganic constituents, nutrients, bacteria, tritium, dissolved gases, and chlorofluorocarbons. The aquifer in the Sandy Creek/Lacona area is highly susceptible to contamination because the aquifer (1) is unconfined, (2) is highly transmissive, (3) is thin (10 to 25 feet) and narrow (about 0.5 miles wide), and (4) has relatively short ground-water flowpaths from recharge to discharge areas (including wells). Additionally, drainage ditches east of the southern well field intercept westward-flowing ground water, which then is routed to an area just upgradient from the production wells where some of the water seeps back into the aquifer and is captured by these wells, effectively shortcircuiting the ground-water-flow system. Water-quality samples collected from three wells in the Sandy Creek/Lacona southern well field indicate that the ground water is a sodium-bicarbonate/sulfate type and of good quality; however, in one water sample, the sodium concentration of 6

Digital data sets that describe aquifer characteristics of the Enid isolated terrace aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becker, C.J.; Runkle, D.L.; Rea, Alan

1997-01-01

ARC/INFO export and nonproprietary format files The data sets in this report include digitized aquifer boundaries and maps of hydraulic conductivity, recharge, and ground-water level elevation contours for the Enid isolated terrace aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma. The Enid isolated terrace aquifer covers approximately 82 square miles and supplies water for irrigation, domestic, municipal, and industrial use for the City of Enid and western Garfield County. The Quaternary-age Enid isolated terrace aquifer is composed of terrace deposits that consist of discontinuous layers of clay, sandy clay, sand, and gravel. The aquifer is unconfined and is bounded by the underlying Permian-age Hennessey Group on the east and the Cedar Hills Sandstone Formation of the Permian-age El Reno Group on the west. The Cedar Hills Sandstone Formation fills a channel beneath the thickest section of the Enid isolated terrace aquifer in the midwestern part of the aquifer. All of the data sets were digitized and created from information and maps in a ground-water modeling thesis and report of the Enid isolated terrace aquifer. The maps digitized were published at a scale of 1:62,500. Ground-water flow models are numerical representations that simplify and aggregate natural systems. Models are not unique; different combinations of aquifer characteristics may produce similar results. Therefore, values of hydraulic conductivity and recharge used in the model and presented in this data set are not precise, but are within a reasonable range when compared to independently collected data.

Delineation of Areas Contributing Water to the Dry Brook Public-Supply Well, South Hadley, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garabedian, Stephen P.; Stone, Janet Radway

2004-01-01

Areas contributing water to the Dry Brook public-supply well in South Hadley, Massachusetts, were delineated with a numerical ground-water-flow model that is based on geologic and hydrologic information for the confined sand and gravel aquifer pumped by the supply well. The study area is along the Connecticut River in central Massachusetts, about 12 miles north of Springfield, Massachusetts. Geologic units in the study area consist of Mesozoic-aged sedimentary and igneous bedrock, late-Pleistocene glaciolacustrine sediments, and recent alluvial deposits of the Connecticut River flood plain. Dry Brook Hill, immediately south of the supply well, is a large subaqueous lacustrine fan and delta formed during the last glacial retreat by sediment deposition into glacial Lake Hitchcock from a meltwater tunnel that was likely near where the Connecticut River cuts through the Holyoke Range. The sediments that compose the aquifer grade from very coarse sand and gravel along the northern flank of the hill, to medium sands in the body of the hill, and to finer-grained sediments along the southern flank of the hill. The interbedded and overlapping fine-grained lacustrine sediments associated with Dry Brook Hill include varved silt and clay deposits. These fine-grained sediments form a confining bed above the coarse-grained aquifer at the supply well and partially extend under the Connecticut River adjacent to the supply well. Ground-water flow in the aquifer supplying water to Dry Brook well was simulated with the U.S. Geological Survey ground-water-flow modeling code MODFLOW. The Dry Brook aquifer model was calibrated to drawdown data collected from 8 observation wells during an aquifer test conducted by pumping the supply well for 10 days at a rate of 122.2 cubic feet per minute (ft3/min; 914 gallons per minute) and to water levels collected from observation wells across the study area. Generally, the largest hydraulic conductivity values used in the model were in the sand and gravel aquifer near the Dry Brook well, which is consistent with the geologic information. Results of aquifer-test simulation indicated that spatially variable aquifer hydraulic properties and boundary conditions affected heads and ground-water flow near the well. A comparison and analysis of water-level fluctuations in study area wells to fluctuations in the Connecticut River indicated a hydraulic connection of the aquifer with the river, which is also consistent with geologic information. Simulated ground-water levels indicated that most ground water in the study area flowed toward and discharged to the Connecticut River and the Dry Brook well. Small amounts of ground water also discharged to smaller streams (Dry Brook and Bachelor Brook) in the study area. Areas contributing water to the well were delineated with the MODPATH particle-tracking routine. Results of the contributing-area analysis indicated that the greatest sources of water to the well were recharge in the Dry Brook Hill area and infiltration of Connecticut River water in an area beyond the extent of the confining bed where the aquifer is in hydraulic connection with the river. The amount of water entering the Dry Brook well from recharge dominated at a lower pumping rate (40.0 ft3/min); about 90 percent of the pumped water originated from recharge and boundary flow, and infiltration from the Connecticut River supplied the remaining 10 percent. At a high pumping rate (122.2 ft3/min), however, about half of the water pumped from the Dry Brook well originated from recharge and boundary flow (49 percent), and half originated from infiltration of water from the Connecticut River (51 percent). Results of a sensitivity analysis of the extent of areas contributing water to the Dry Brook well when pumped at 122.2 ft3/min indicated that the size of these areas did not substantially change when aquifer properties were varied. In contrast, however, the size of these areas changed most when the recharge

Three-dimensional geologic model of the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer, south-central Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faith, Jason R.; Blome, Charles D.; Pantea, Michael P.; Puckette, James O.; Halihan, Todd; Osborn, Noel; Christenson, Scott; Pack, Skip

2010-01-01

The Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer of south-central Oklahoma encompasses more than 850 square kilometers and is the principal water resource for south-central Oklahoma. Rock units comprising the aquifer are characterized by limestone, dolomite, and sandstones assigned to two lower Paleozoic units: the Arbuckle and Simpson Groups. Also considered to be part of the aquifer is the underlying Cambrian-age Timbered Hills Group that contains limestone and sandstone. The highly faulted and fractured nature of the Arbuckle-Simpson units and the variable thickness (600 to 2,750 meters) increases the complexity in determining the subsurface geologic framework of this aquifer. A three-dimensional EarthVision (Trademark) geologic framework model was constructed to quantify the geometric relationships of the rock units of the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer in the Hunton anticline area. This 3-D EarthVision (Trademark) geologic framework model incorporates 54 faults and four modeled units: basement, Arbuckle-Timbered Hills Group, Simpson Group, and post-Simpson. Primary data used to define the model's 54 faults and four modeled surfaces were obtained from geophysical logs, cores, and cuttings from 126 water and petroleum wells. The 3-D framework model both depicts the volumetric extent of the aquifer and provides the stratigraphic layer thickness and elevation data used to construct a MODFLOW version 2000 regional groundwater-flow model.

Hydrogeology, water quality, and water-supply potential of the Lower Floridan Aquifer, coastal Georgia, 1999-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Falls, W. Fred; Harrelson, Larry G.; Conlon, Kevin J.; Petkewich, Matthew D.

2005-01-01

The hydrogeology and water quality of the upper permeable and Fernandina permeable zones of the Lower Floridan aquifer were studied at seven sites in the 24-county study area encompassed by the Georgia Coastal Sound Science Initiative. Although substantially less than the Upper Floridan aquifer in coastal Georgia, transmissivities for the Lower Floridan aquifer are in the same range as other water-supply aquifers in Georgia and South Carolina and could meet the needs of public drinking-water supply. Water of the upper permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer exceeds the Federal secondary drinking-water standards for sulfate and total dissolved solids at most coastal Georgia sites and the Federal secondary drinking-water standard for chloride at the Shellman Bluff site. The top of the Lower Floridan aquifer correlates within 50 feet of the previously reported top, except at the St Simons Island site where the top is more than 80 feet higher. Based on the hydrogeologic characteristics, the seven sites are divided into the northern sites at Shellman Bluff, Richmond Hill, Pembroke, and Pineora; and southern sites at St Marys, Brunswick, and St Simons Island. At the northern sites, the Lower Floridan aquifer does not include the Fernandina permeable zone, is thinner than the overlying Upper Floridan aquifer, and consists of only strata of the middle Eocene Avon Park Formation. Transmissivities in the Lower Floridan aquifer are 8,300 feet squared per day at Richmond Hill and 6,000 feet squared per day at Shellman Bluff, generally one tenth the transmissivity of the Upper Floridan aquifer at these sites. At the southern sites, the upper permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer is thicker than the Upper Floridan aquifer and consists of porous limestone and dolomite interbedded with nonporous strata of the middle Eocene Avon Park and early Eocene Oldsmar Formations. Transmissivities for the upper permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer are 500 feet squared per day at the St Simons Island site and 13,000 feet squared per day at the St Marys site. The Lower Floridan aquifer at the Brunswick and St Marys sites includes the Fernandina permeable zone, which consists of saltwater-bearing dolomite. Hydrographs of Coastal Sound Science Initiative wells and other nearby wells open to the Upper Floridan aquifer, and the upper permeable and Fernandina permeable zones of the Lower Floridan aquifer have similar trends. Water levels in wells open to the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers are below land surface at the northern sites and the St Simons Island site, and above land surface at the Brunswick and St Marys sites, as of January 1, 2004. Freshwater is present in the Lower Floridan aquifer at Pineora, Pembroke, and St Marys, and from 1,259 to 1,648 feet below land surface at Brunswick. Slightly saline water is present in the Lower Floridan aquifer at Richmond Hill, Shellman Bluff, St Simons Island, and from 1,679 to 1,970 feet below land surface in well 34H495 at Brunswick. The upper permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer contains bicarbonate water at the Pembroke site, sulfate-bicarbonate water at the Brunswick site, and sulfate water at the St Simons Island, Shellman Bluff, St Marys, and Richmond Hill sites. The bicarbonate, sulfate-bicarbonate, and sulfate waters are saturated relative to calcite and dolomite, and undersaturated with gypsum and anhydrite. The Fernandina permeable zone in well 34H495 includes moderately saline water, very saline water, and brine. The Fernandina permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer beneath downtown Brunswick contains chloride water that is slightly undersaturated to saturated with gypsum and anhydrite. Concentrations of total dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride exceeded the Federal secondary drinking-water standards. The chloride-contaminated plumes beneath downtown Brunswick would require at least a 12- to 20-percent contribution of very saline water from the Fernandi

77 FR 58986 - Combined Notice of Filings #2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-25

... Technologies Linden Venture, L.P., East Coast Power Linden Holding, L.L.C., Fox Energy Company LLC, Birchwood Power Partners, L.P., Shady Hills Power Company, L.L.C.,EFS Parlin Holdings, L.L.C., Inland Empire.... Docket Numbers: ER12-2637-000. Applicants: Commonwealth Edison Company. Description: Commonwealth Edison...

A Black Hills-Madison Aquifer origin for Dakota Aquifer groundwater in northeastern Nebraska.

PubMed

Stotler, Randy; Harvey, F Edwin; Gosselin, David C

2010-01-01

Previous studies of the Dakota Aquifer in South Dakota attributed elevated groundwater sulfate concentrations to Madison Aquifer recharge in the Black Hills with subsequent chemical evolution prior to upward migration into the Dakota Aquifer. This study examines the plausibility of a Madison Aquifer origin for groundwater in northeastern Nebraska. Dakota Aquifer water samples were collected for major ion chemistry and isotopic analysis ((18)O, (2)H, (3)H, (14)C, (13)C, (34)S, (18)O-SO(4), (87)Sr, (37)Cl). Results show that groundwater beneath the eastern, unconfined portion of the study area is distinctly different from groundwater sampled beneath the western, confined portion. In the east, groundwater is calcium-bicarbonate type, with delta(18)O values (-9.6 per thousand to -12.4 per thousand) similar to local, modern precipitation (-7.4 per thousand to -10 per thousand), and tritium values reflecting modern recharge. In the west, groundwater is calcium-sulfate type, having depleted delta(18)O values (-16 per thousand to -18 per thousand) relative to local, modern precipitation, and (14)C ages 32,000 to more than 47,000 years before present. Sulfate, delta(18)O, delta(2)H, delta(34)S, and delta(18)O-SO(4) concentrations are similar to those found in Madison Aquifer groundwater in South Dakota. Thus, it is proposed that Madison Aquifer source water is also present within the Dakota Aquifer beneath northeastern Nebraska. A simple Darcy equation estimate of groundwater velocities and travel times using reported physical parameters from the Madison and Dakota Aquifers suggests such a migration is plausible. However, discrepancies between (14)C and Darcy age estimates indicate that (14)C ages may not accurately reflect aquifer residence time, due to mixtures of varying aged water.

FIELD-SCALE EVALUATION OF IN SITU COSOLVENT FLUSHING FOR ENCHANCED AQUIFER REMEDIATION

EPA Science Inventory

A comprehensive, field-scale evaluation of in situ cosolvent flushing for enhanced remediation of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL)-contaminated aquifers was performed in a hydraulically isolated test cell (about 4.3 m x 3.6 m) constructed at a field site at Hill Air Force Base, Uta...

Geologic structure and altitude of the top of the Minnelusa Formation, northern Black Hills, South Dakota and Wyoming, and Bear Lodge Mountains, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peter, Kathy D.; Kyllonen, David P.; Mills, K.R.

1987-01-01

Beginning in 1981, a 3-yr project was conducted to determine the availability and quality of groundwater in the sedimentary bedrock aquifers in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. The project was limited to three bedrock units in order of increasing age: the Cretaceous Inyan kara Group, Permian and Pennsylvanian Minnelusa Formation, and Mississippian Madison (or Pahasapa) Limestone. This map shows the altitude of the top of the Minnelusa Formation in the northern Black Hills, and shows the configuration of the structural features in the northern part of the Black Hills and the eastern part of the Bear Lodge Mountains. In general, the Minnelusa Formation dips away from the Black Hills uplift, either to the northeast and the Williston Basin or, south of the Bear Lodge Mountains, to the southwest and the Powder River basin, which is outside the map area. In the map area, the upper beds of the Minnelusa Formation are an aquifer and the lower beds are a confining or semi-confining unit. The upper part of the Minnelusa Formation has a greater percentage of coarse-grained sandstone beds than the lower part. Furthermore, solution and removal of anhydrite, brecciation, and solution of cement binding the sandstone grains may have increased the permeability of the upper part of the Minnelusa Formation in the Black Hills. Wells completed in the upper part of the Minnelusa have yields that exceed 100 gal/min in some areas and at least one large diameter well is reported to flow 1,000 gal/min in some areas and at least one large diameter well is reported to flow 1,000 gal/min. Flowing wells have been completed in the Minnelusa aquifer in most of the study area in South Dakota and in about the northern one-half of Crook County, Wyoming. (Lantz-PTT)

A new species of Ischyodus (Chondrichthyes: Holocephali: Callorhynchidae) from Upper Maastrichtian Shallow marine facies of the Fox Hills and Hell Creek Formations, Williston basin, North Dakota, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoganson, J.W.; Erickson, J.M.

2005-01-01

A new species of chimaeroid, Ischyodus rayhaasi sp. nov., is described based primarily upon the number and configuration of tritors on palatine and mandibular tooth plates. This new species is named in honour of Mr Raymond Haas. Fossils of I. rayhaasi have been recovered from the Upper Maastrichtian Fox Hills Formation and the Breien Member and an unnamed member of the Hell Creek Formation at sites in south-central North Dakota and north-central South Dakota, USA. Ischyodus rayhaasi inhabited shallow marine waters in the central part of the Western Interior Seaway during the latest Cretaceous. Apparently it was also present in similar habitats at that time in the Volga region of Russia. Ischyodus rayhaasi is the youngest Cretaceous species Ischyodus known to exist before the Cretaceous/Tertiary extinction, and the species apparently did not survive that event. It was replaced by Ischyodus dolloi, which is found in the Paleocene Cannonball Formation of the Williston Basin region of North Dakota and is widely distributed elsewhere. ?? The Palaeontological Association.

Analysis of photo linear elements, Laramie Mountains, Wyoming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blackstone, D. L., Jr.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Photo linear features in the Precambrian rocks of the Laramie Mountains are delineated, and the azimuths plotted on rose diagrams. Three strike directions are dominant, two of which are in the northeast quadrant. Laramide folds in the Laramie basin to the west of the mountains appear to have the same trend, and apparently have been controlled by response of the basement along fractures such as have been measured from the imagery.

A Water Balance Model for Hill reservoir - Aquifer Exchange Water Flux Quantification and Uncertainty Analysis - Application to the Kamech catchment, Tunisia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouteffeha, Maroua; Dagès, Cécile; Bouhlila, Rachida; Raclot, Damien; Molénat, Jérôme

2013-04-01

In Mediterranean regions, food and water demand increase with population growth leading to considerable changes of the land use and agricultural practices. In North Africa, particularly in the Mediterranean zones, hill reservoirs are water harvesting infrastructures that have been increasingly adopted to mobilize runoff and create alternative water resource that can be used to develop agriculture. Hill reservoirs are also used to prevent from silting of downstream dams. Management of water resources collected in these infrastructures requires a good knowledge of their hydrological functioning. In particular, the rate of water exchanges between the reservoir and the underlying aquifer, called surface-subsurface exchange hereafter, is still an open question. The main purpose of the study is to better know the hydrological functioning of hill reservoirs in quantifying at the annual and intra-annual time scales the flux of surface-subsurface exchange and the uncertainty associated to the flux. The approach is based on the hydrological water balance of the hill reservoir. It was applied to the hill reservoir of the 2.6 km² Kamech catchment (Tunisia), which belongs to the long term Mediterranean hydrological observatory OMERE (Voltz and Albergel, 2002). The dense monitoring of the observation catchment allowed quantifying the fluxes of all hydrological processes governing the reservoir hydrology, and their associated uncertainties. The water balance was established by considering water inputs (direct rainfall, waddy and hillslope runoff, surface-subsurface exchange), water outputs (evaporation, spillway discharge) and hill reservoir water volume changes. The surface-subsurface exchange component was deduced as the default closure term in the water balance. The results first demonstrate the ability of the proposed approach to estimate the net surface-subsurface exchange flux and its uncertainty at various time scales. Its application on the Kamech catchment for two hydrological years (09/2009-08/2010 and 09/2010-08/2011) shows that the net surface-subsurface exchange flux is positive, i.e. the infiltration from the hill reservoir to the aquifer predominates the discharge from the aquifer to the reservoir. Moreover the surface-subsurface exchange constitutes the main output component in the water balance. The annual surface-subsurface exchange flux appeared almost constant from one year to the other one whatever the hydrological conditions variability over the catchment. Moreover, the analysis of the intra-annual variability shows that the flux was nearly constant within every year. Reference: Voltz , M. and Albergel , J., 2002. OMERE : Observatoire Méditerranéen de l'Environnement Rural et de l'Eau - Impact des actions anthropiques sur les transferts de masse dans les hydrosystèmes méditerranéens ruraux. Proposition d'Observatoire de Recherche en Environnement, Ministère de la Recherche.

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF IN-WELL AERATION FOR THE REMEDIATION OF AN AQUIFER CONTAMINATED BY MULTICOMPONENT IMMISCIBLE LIQUID

EPA Science Inventory

A pilot-scale test to evaluate the performance of a vertical recirculation well equipped with an in-well air stripper was conducted at Hill AFB, Utah, in an aquifer contaminated with petroleum and chlorinated solvents. During the two months of operation, the air stripping system ...

Effects of projected climate (2011–50) on karst hydrology and species vulnerability—Edwards aquifer, south-central Texas, and Madison aquifer, western South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, Barbara J.; Stamm, John F.; Poteet, Mary F.; Symstad, Amy J.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Long, Andrew J.; Norton, Parker A.

2015-12-22

Karst aquifers—formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone—are critical groundwater resources in North America, and karst springs, caves, and streams provide habitat for unique flora and fauna. Springflow and groundwater levels in karst terrane can change greatly over short time scales, and therefore are likely to respond rapidly to climate change. How might the biological communities and ecosystems associated with karst respond to climate change and accompanying changes in groundwater levels and springflow? Sites in two central U.S. regions—the Balcones Escarpment of south-central Texas and the Black Hills of western South Dakota (fig. 1)—were selected to study climate change and its potential effects on the local karst hydrology and ecosystem. The ecosystems associated with the Edwards aquifer (Balcones Escarpment region) and Madison aquifer (Black Hills region) support federally listed endangered and threatened species and numerous State-listed species of concern, including amphibians, birds, insects, and plants. Full results are provided in Stamm and others (2014), and are summarized in this fact sheet.

Water resources of the Southern Hills regional aquifer system, southeastern Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, Vincent E.

2017-03-01

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of groundwater in the 10 parishes overlying the Southern Hills regional aquifer system of Louisiana (fig. 1) is critical for water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, and water quality from groundwater sources in these parishes is presented. Previously published reports (see References Cited section) and data stored in the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (U.S. Geological Survey, 2017) are the primary sources of the information presented here.

The Southern Hills regional aquifer system of southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buono, A.

1983-01-01

The Southern Hills regional aquifer system, named in a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency for designation as a sole or principal source of drinking water, is the primary source of public and domestic supplies in the northern 10 parishes of southeastern Louisiana. The gulfward dipping and thickening, complexly interbedded aquifer system extends from the northern limit of the recharge area near Vicksburg, Mississippi, as far as the Baton Rouge area in southeastern Louisiana. As many as 13 interdependent aquifer units compose the system in the southern part of the area and are known to coalesce or pinch out northward (updip) into fewer units. Aquifer water is almost exclusively a soft, sodium bicarbonate type with an average dissolved-solids concentration of about 220 milligrams per liter in southeastern Louisiana. Although several streams are available as alternatives for supply, they have not been accepted by local officials because of the additional water treatment that would be necessary and the extensive distribution system needed to deliver water to areas not near a source stream. Groundwater use in 1980 for public and domestic supply averaged 121 Mgal/d (million gallons per day), serving 744,000 people in southeastern Louisiana. In southwestern Mississippi, where the aquifer system is also the primary source for public and domestic supply, water use for these categories in 1980 totaled 25 Mgal/d, serving about 273,000 people. (USGS)

Hydrologic conditions near Glendo, Platte County, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welder, G.E.; Weeks, Edwin P.

1965-01-01

The Glendo area of Platte and Carbon Counties, Wyo., about 250 square miles in extent, is in the Great Plains physiographic province. It is bordered on the west by the Laramie Range and on the east by the Hartville uplift. The North Platte River and Horseshoe and Middle Bear Creeks are the principal streams that drain the area. Gentle to steep hills, which lie between 4,450 and 6,360 feet above sea level, characterize the topography. Approximately 7,600 acres of land is cultivated in the Horseshoe Creek valley and 1,000 or more acres in the Cassa Flats of the North Platte River and Middle Bear Creek valleys. The average annual precipitation of 13.15 inches and the streamflow diverted for irrigation from Horseshoe Creek and the North Platte River are usually inadequate to sustain crops during the entire growing season. Sedimentary rocks, which underlie about 99 percent of the Glendo area, range in age from Cambrian(?) to Recent and in thickness from about 3,000 to 4,700 feet. Beds of Paleozoic and Mesozoic age dip steeply away from the Laramie Range and the Hartville uplift to form a large syncline, which is interrupted by the Elkhorn anticline in the central part of the area. Beds of Tertiary and Quaternary age that were deposited over the older structural features and later were partly removed by erosion have dips of less than 6 ? . The 'Converse sand' of local usage at the top of the Hartville Formation of Mississippian(7), Pennsylvanian, and Permian age, the White River Formation of Oligocene age, and the flood-plain deposits of Recent .age are the most important aquifers in the Glendo area. The Hartville Formation consists predominantly of hard limestone and dolomite and of lesser amounts of sandstone and shale ; its thickness ranges from 850 to 1,050 feet throughout most of the area. The 'Converse sand' is an artesian aquifer consisting of fine- to medium-grained porous sandstone having an average thickness of about 80 feet. Recharge to the Hartville Formation is mainly from seepage of surface water from Glendo Reservoir and Spring Creek; ground water is discharged from the formation to the overlying White River Formation and the alluvium in the North Platte River valley near Cassa and to four wells in the Horseshoe Creek valley. Flowing wells yielding from a few gallons per minute to 175 gpm (gallons per minute) or more from the 'Converse sand' can probably be located in an area from ? mile to 1? miles wide and about 4? miles long in the lower Horseshoe Creek valley. The depth to the 'Converse sand' in this area depends upon the topographic relief and distance from the outcrop and ranges from 250 to about 1,000 feet. The discharge induced by pumping a well in the aquifer in the 'Converse sand' would probably amount to about 2 gpm per foot of drawdown. Values of 2,000, 2,100, and 10,300 gpd (gallons per day) per ft for the coefficient of transmissibility of the 'Converse sand' were obtained from aquifer tests at three wells. The chemical analyses of samples from the Hartville Formation ('Converse. sand' included) indicate that the water in the formation is of fairly good quality and adequate for domestic, stock, and irrigation uses, although the fluoride content is low and the water is hard. The White River Formation is composed of as much as 575 feet of fractured siltstone and claystone, and the flood-plain deposits include up to 65 feet of silt, sand, and gravel. Precipitation is the main type of recharge to the rocks of Tertiary age. Recharge to the alluvium in the valleys of Horseshoe Creek and the North Platte River occurs mainly by seepage of ground water from. underlying beds, by infiltration of irrigation water, and by infiltration of streamflow as bank storage. Ground water is discharged naturally from the area by seepage to streams, by underflow, and by evapotranspiration and artificially by wells. In 1961, the total discharge from 38 wells in the White River and Arikaree Formations and 2

Water resources of Lincoln and Union counties, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Niehus, C.A.

1994-01-01

Water resources of Lincoln and Union Counties occur as surface water in streams and lakes and ground water in ten major glacial and one major bedrock aquifers. The major surface-water sources are the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers. Glacial aquifers contain about 4 million acre-feet of water in storage; 1.5 million acre-feet are contained in the Missouri aquifer. The Wall Lake, Shindler, and Upper Vemillion-Missouri aquifers are deeply buried, confined aquifers with average thicknesses ranging from 31 to 41 feet. The Harrisburg and Big Sioux aquifers are shallow, water-table aquifers with average thicknesses of 26 and 28 feet, respectively. The Parker-Centerville, Newton Hills, and Brule Creek aquifers are buried, confined aquifers with average thicknesses ranging from 33 to 36 feet. The Lower Vermillion-Missouri aquifer is a buried, confined aquifer with an average thickness of 99 feet. The Missouri aquifer is confined in the northeastern portion of the aquifer and is a shallow, water-table aquifer elsewhere with average cumulative thickness of 84 feet.

Increasing the utility of regional water table maps: a new method for estimating groundwater recharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilmore, T. E.; Zlotnik, V. A.; Johnson, M.

2017-12-01

Groundwater table elevations are one of the most fundamental measurements used to characterize unconfined aquifers, groundwater flow patterns, and aquifer sustainability over time. In this study, we developed an analytical model that relies on analysis of groundwater elevation contour (equipotential) shape, aquifer transmissivity, and streambed gradient between two parallel, perennial streams. Using two existing regional water table maps, created at different times using different methods, our analysis of groundwater elevation contours, transmissivity and streambed gradient produced groundwater recharge rates (42-218 mm yr-1) that were consistent with previous independent recharge estimates from different methods. The three regions we investigated overly the High Plains Aquifer in Nebraska and included some areas where groundwater is used for irrigation. The three regions ranged from 1,500 to 3,300 km2, with either Sand Hills surficial geology, or Sand Hills transitioning to loess. Based on our results, the approach may be used to increase the value of existing water table maps, and may be useful as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the quality of groundwater table maps, identify areas in need of detailed aquifer characterization and expansion of groundwater monitoring networks, and/or as a first approximation before investing in more complex approaches to groundwater recharge estimation.

Comparison of the effectiveness of two protocols of antirabies bait distribution for foxes (Vulpes vulpes).

PubMed

Vuillaume, P; Bruyere, V; Aubert, M

1998-01-01

In a plateau and hill region of France (the Doubs), two protocols of rabies vaccine bait distribution targeted at foxes were compared: helicopter distribution of vaccine baits alone (control zone) and a combined aerial distribution by helicopter with an additional deposit of vaccine baits at fox den entrances by foot (test zone). In the test zone covering an area of 436 km2, baits were distributed by helicopter at a rate of 13.4 baits/km2. Additionally, an average of 11.4 vaccine baits at the entrances of 871 fox dens were terrestrially distributed by 110 persons (9,964 baits). In this test zone, 90% of the young foxes were marked with tetracycline which permitted estimation of the bait consumption; however, only 38% had significant titre of rabies antibodies and less than one fox cub per 2.4 of those having consumed at least one bait were immunized. In the control zone, these percentages were significantly lower: respectively, 35 and 17% and one fox cub per 4.2. The relative lack of benefit between bait uptake and rate of immunological response may be due to maternal immunity which could have interfered with fox cub active immunization. A booster effect following a second distribution of baits by foot may be suggested in both adult foxes and their offspring. That these baits needed to be terrestrially distributed in order to obtain a booster effect is uncertain. Terrestrial distribution at fox den entrances is difficult to do and entails additional expenses not incurred in aerial distribution. The cost of terrestrial vaccination is 3.5 times higher than classical aerial vaccination and takes 63.5 times longer. A cost effective analysis of this type of supplementary terrestrial intervention determined that bait deposit at den entrances can be recommended for restricted areas, where residual focii exist, as a complement to the aerial distribution of baits.

Vertical gradients in water chemistry and age in the Northern High Plains Aquifer, Nebraska, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, P.B.; Böhlke, J.K.; Carney, C.P.

2007-01-01

The northern High Plains aquifer is the primary source of water used for domestic, industrial, and irrigation purposes in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Despite the aquifer’s importance to the regional economy, fundamental ground-water characteristics, such as vertical gradients in water chemistry and age, remain poorly defined. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment Program, water samples from nested, short-screen monitoring wells installed in the northern High Plains aquifer were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, dissolved organic carbon, pesticides, stable and radioactive isotopes, dissolved gases, and other parameters to evaluate vertical gradients in water chemistry and age in the aquifer. Chemical data and tritium and radiocarbon ages show that water in the aquifer was chemically and temporally stratified in the study area, with a relatively thin zone of recently recharged water (less than 50 years) near the water table overlying a thicker zone of older water (1,800 to 15,600 radiocarbon years). In areas where irrigated agriculture was an important land use, the recently recharged ground water was characterized by elevated concentrations of major ions and nitrate and the detection of pesticide compounds. Below the zone of agricultural influence, major-ion concentrations exhibited small increases with depth and distance along flow paths because of rock/water interactions. The concentration increases were accounted for primarily by dissolved calcium, sodium, bicarbonate, sulfate, and silica. In general, the chemistry of ground water throughout the aquifer was of high quality. None of the approximately 90 chemical constituents analyzed in each sample exceeded primary drinking-water standards.Mass-balance models indicate that changes in groundwater chemistry along flow paths in the aquifer can be accounted for by small amounts of feldspar and calcite dissolution; goethite and clay-mineral precipitation; organic-carbon and pyrite oxidation; oxygen reduction and denitrification; and cation exchange. Mixing with surface water affected the chemistry of ground water in alluvial sediments of the Platte River Valley. Radiocarbon ages in the aquifer, adjusted for carbon mass transfers, ranged from 1,800 to 15,600 14C years before present. These results have important implications with respect to development of ground-water resources in the Sand Hills. Most of the water in the aquifer predates modern anthropogenic activity so excessive removal of water by pumping is not likely to be replenished by natural recharge in a meaningful timeframe. Vertical gradients in ground-water age were used to estimate long-term average recharge rates in the aquifer. In most areas, the recharge rates ranged from 0.02 to 0.05 foot per year. The recharge rate was 0.2 foot per year in one part of the aquifer characterized by large downward hydraulic gradients.Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations at the water table were 0.13 to 3.13 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, and concentrations substantially decreased with depth in the aquifer. Dissolved-gas and nitrogen-isotope data indicate that denitrification in the aquifer removed 0 to 97 percent (average = 50 percent) of the nitrate originally present in recharge. The average amount of nitrate removed by denitrification in the aquifer north of the Platte River (Sand Hills) was substantially greater than the amount removed south of the river (66 as opposed to 0 percent), and the extent of nitrate removal appears to be related to the presence of thick deposits of sediment on top of the Ogallala Group in the Sand Hills that contained electron donors, such as organic carbon and pyrite, to support denitrification.Apparent rates of dissolved-oxygen reduction and denitrification were estimated on the basis of decreases in dissolved-oxygen concentrations and increases in concentrations of excess nitrogen gas and ground-water ages along flow paths from the water table to deeper wells. Median rates of dissolved-oxygen reduction and denitrification south of the Platte River were at least 10 times smaller than the median rates north of the river in the Sand Hills. The relatively large denitrification rates in the Sand Hills indicate that the aquifer in that area may have a greater capacity to attenuate nitrate contamination than the aquifer south of the river, depending on rates of ground-water movement in the two areas. Small denitrification rates south of the river indicate that nitrate contamination in that part of the aquifer would likely persist for a longer period of time.

Hydraulic Conductivity Calibration of Logging NMR in a Granite Aquifer, Laramie Range, Wyoming.

PubMed

Ren, Shuangpo; Parsekian, Andrew D; Zhang, Ye; Carr, Bradley J

2018-05-15

In granite aquifers, fractures can provide both storage volume and conduits for groundwater. Characterization of fracture hydraulic conductivity (K) in such aquifers is important for predicting flow rate and calibrating models. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) well logging is a method to quickly obtain near-borehole hydraulic conductivity (i.e., K NMR ) at high-vertical resolution. On the other hand, FLUTe flexible liner technology can produce a K profile at comparable resolution but requires a fluid driving force between borehole and formation. For three boreholes completed in a fractured granite, we jointly interpreted logging NMR data and FLUTe K estimates to calibrate an empirical equation for translating borehole NMR data to K estimates. For over 90% of the depth intervals investigated from these boreholes, the estimated K NMR are within one order of magnitude of K FLUTe . The empirical parameters obtained from calibrating the NMR data suggest that "intermediate diffusion" and/or "slow diffusion" during the NMR relaxation time may occur in the flowing fractures when hydraulic aperture are sufficiently large. For each borehole, "intermediate diffusion" dominates the relaxation time, therefore assuming "fast diffusion" in the interpretation of NMR data from fractured rock may lead to inaccurate K NMR estimates. We also compare calibrations using inexpensive slug tests that suggest reliable K NMR estimates for fractured rock may be achieved using limited calibration against borehole hydraulic measurements. © 2018, National Ground Water Association.

Proterozoic metamorphism and uplift history of the north-central Laramie Mountains, Wyoming, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patel, S.C.; Frost, B.R.; Chamberlain, K.R.; Snyder, G.L.

1999-01-01

The Laramie Mountains of south-eastern Wyoming contain two metamorphic domains that are separated by the 1.76 Ga. Laramie Peak shear zone (LPSZ). South of the LPSZ lies the Palmer Canyon block, where apatite U-Pb ages are c. 1745 Ma and the rocks have undergone Proterozoic kyanite-grade Barrovian metamorphism. In contrast, in the Laramie Peak block, north of the shear zone, the U-Pb apatite ages are 2.4-2.1 Ga, the granitic rocks are unmetamorphosed and supracrustal rocks record only low-T amphibolite facies metamorphism that is Archean in age. Peak mineral assemblages in the Palmer Canyon block include (a) quartz-biotite-plagioclase-garnet-staurolite-kyanite in the pelitic schists; (b) quartz-biotite-plagioclase-low-Ca amphiboles-kyanite in Mg-Al-rich schists, and locally (c) hornblende-plagioclase-garnet in amphibolites. All rock types show abundant textural evidence of decompression and retrograde re-equilibration. Notable among the texturally late minerals are cordierite and sapphirine, which occur in coronas around kyanite in Mg-Al-rich schists. Thermobarometry from texturally early and late assemblages for samples from different areas within the Palmer Canyon block define decompression from > 7 kbar to < 3 kbar. The high-pressure regional metamorphism is interpreted to be a response to thrusting associated with the Medicine Bow orogeny at c. 1.78-1.76 Ga. At this time, the north-central Laramie Range was tectonically thickened by as much as 12 km. This crustal thickening extended for more than 60 km north of the Cheyenne belt in southern Wyoming. Late in the orogenic cycle, rocks of the Palmer Canyon block were uplifted and unroofed as the result of transpression along the Laramie Peak shear zone to produce the widespread decompression textures. The Proterozoic tectonic history of the central Laramie Range is similar to exhumation that accompanied late-orogenic oblique convergence in many Phanerozoic orogenic belts.

Development and application of a groundwater/surface-water flow model using MODFLOW-NWT for the Upper Fox River Basin, southeastern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feinstein, D.T.; Fienen, M.N.; Kennedy, J.L.; Buchwald, C.A.; Greenwood, M.M.

2012-01-01

The Fox River is a 199-mile-long tributary to the Illinois River within the Mississippi River Basin in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois. For the purposes of this study the Upper Fox River Basin is defined as the topographic basin that extends from the upstream boundary of the Fox River Basin to a large wetland complex in south-central Waukesha County called the Vernon Marsh. The objectives for the study are to (1) develop a baseline study of groundwater conditions and groundwater/surface-water interactions in the shallow aquifer system of the Upper Fox River Basin, (2) develop a tool for evaluating possible alternative water-supply options for communities in Waukesha County, and (3) contribute to the methodology of groundwater-flow modeling by applying the recently published U.S. Geological Survey MODFLOW-NWT computer code, (a Newton formulation of MODFLOW-2005 intended for solving difficulties involving drying and rewetting nonlinearities of the unconfined groundwater-flow equation) to overcome computational problems connected with fine-scaled simulation of shallow aquifer systems by means of thin model layers. To simulate groundwater conditions, a MODFLOW grid is constructed with thin layers and small cell dimensions (125 feet per side). This nonlinear unconfined problem incorporates the streamflow/lake (SFR/LAK) packages to represent groundwater/surface-water interactions, which yields an unstable solution sensitive to initial conditions when solved using the Picard-based preconditioned-gradient (PCG2) solver. A particular problem is the presence of many isolated wet water-table cells over dry cells, causing the simulated water table to assume unrealistically high values. Attempts to work around the problem by converting to confined conditions or converting active to inactive cells introduce unacceptable bias. Application of MODFLOW-NWT overcomes numerical problem by smoothing the transition from wet to dry cells and keeps all cells active. The simulation is insensitive to initial conditions and the water-table trend is smooth across layers. The MODFLOW-NWT code permits rigorous calibration and also robust application of the model to transient scenarios. Runtimes on a 64-bit computer are kept reasonably short by use of updated initial conditions and informed choices of solver parameters. The shallow aquifer system consists of unconsolidated material of varying thickness over Silurian dolomite. The unconsolidated material, largely of glacial origin, contains fine-textured and coarse-textured deposits that vary in permeability over short distances. This study at least partly encompasses the inevitable uncertainty in the hydraulic conductivity zones by developing two models—one favors the continuity of fine-grained deposits and a second favors the continuity of coarse-grained deposits. The separate calibration processes for the fine-favored and coarse-favored models using MODFLOW-NWT and the nonlinear regression algorithms in the parameter estimation (PEST) code produce distinct parameter values for hydraulic conductivity zones, storage parameters, and streambed conductance zones. Both models are applied to a hypothetical scenario involving 27 "riparian" wells completed adjacent to the river channel and open to the shallow aquifer systems along a 10-mile stretch of the Fox River. The results suggest that a riparian well system withdrawing about 9 million gallons per day would induce about one-third to one-half its total discharge from the river, and that this riverbank inducement would appreciably limit drawdown around the hypothetical wells.

DEMONSTRATION OF PILOT-SCALE PREVAPORATION SYSTEMS FOR VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND REMOVAL FROM A SURFACTANT ENHANCED AQUIFER REMEDIATION FLUID. I. SPIRAL WOUND MEMBRANE MODULES

EPA Science Inventory

During the summer of 1996, a pilot-scale demonstration of a surfactant enhanced aquifer remediation (SEAR) process for removal of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) from soils was conducted at Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah. Five thousand gallons of the extracted DNAP...

Water resources of the Rattlesnake Butte area, a site of potential lignite mining in west-central North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horak, W.F.

1983-01-01

In much of western North Dakota, minable lignite beds and associated sand beds are valuable local aquifers. Strip mining disrupts the aquifers and could significantly impact the local hydrology, imposing hardships on local residents. This comprehensive water-resources study of a 147-square-mile coal area in west-central North Dakota was done to facilitate sound management decisions regarding the suitability of the site for mining. Two strippable lignite beds, identified as the D and E beds, in the lower 250 to 300 feet of the Sentinel Butte Member of the Fort Union Formation underlie much of two small stream basins. The lignites and two closely associated sand deposits are the only consistently occurring aquifers within several hundred feet of the land surface. The D lignite bed underlies nearly the entire study area, but is not water bearing where it is structurally uplifted beneath upland areas. It is, for the most part, marginally confined. The E lignite bed overlies the D bed and is extensively eroded along North Creek in the southern part of the study area. The E bed is either unsaturated or unconfined in most of its area of occurrence. Direction of ground-water flow in both lignite aquifers is largely controlled by topography. Interconnected sand beds deposited as channel fill in braided streams form aquifers between the E and D beds (E-D aquifer) and below the D bed (D-HT aquifer). Both aquifers underlie the central part of the study area and each consists of as much as 100 feet of predominantly fine to medium silty unconsolidated sand. Maximum depth to the top of the aquifers was 200 feet for the E-D aquifer and 320 feet for the D-HT aquifer. The E-D aquifer, where near land surface, is unconfined, whereas the D-HT aquifer is entirely confined. Direction of ground-water flow in the D-HT aquifer is not influenced by the local topography as in the three overlying aquifers.Aquifers also occur at much greater depth beneath the study area in strata of Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary age. The Fox Hills and Tongue River aquifers are most commonly utilized and lie at depths of about 1,700 and 750 feet, respectively. Water in all aquifers beneath the study area is a sodium bicarbonate or sodium sulfate type. Mean dissolved solids in the four aquifers in the Sentinel Butte Member ranged from 1,290 to 1,970 milligrams per liter- Most of the samples were soft water, had low dissolved iron concentration, and were slightly to moderately colored (tan to brown) by dissolved organics. Several samples from the four aquifers had a perceptible hydrogen sulfide odor.North Creek and an unnamed tributary of the Green River drain most of the study area. North Creek flows intermittently during most years, while the Green River tributary flows perennially and has base flow of about 0.2 cubic foot per second. North Creek has predominately a sodium sulfate type water and the Green River tributary has a sodium bicarbonate-sulfate type water. At high flows, the dissolved solids generally are less than 1,000 milligrams per liter, and the water contains greater percentages of calcium and magnesium than at low flow.The impacts of strip mining on the shallow ground-water flow system would be very localized due to the already low water levels and the segmented nature of the flow system. Similarly, water-quality impacts on the ground-water system would be localized. Natural geochemical processes are effective in limiting the severity and lateral spread of chemically enriched waters. Streamflow magnitudes should not be significantly affected by mining activities. Stream quality impacts should be readily manageable by ordinary routing, impoundment, and treatment techniques.

Digital data sets for map products produced as part of the Black Hills Hydrology Study, western South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williamson, Joyce E.; Jarrell, Gregory J.; Clawges, Rick M.; Galloway, Joel M.; Carter, Janet M.

2000-01-01

This compact disk contains digital data produced as part of the 1:100,000-scale map products for the Black Hills Hydrology Study conducted in western South Dakota. The digital data include 28 individual Geographic Information System (GIS) data sets: data sets for the hydrogeologic unit map including all mapped hydrogeologic units within the study area (1 data set) and major geologic structure including anticlines and synclines (1 data set); data sets for potentiometric maps including the potentiometric contours for the Inyan Kara, Minnekahta, Minnelusa, Madison, and Deadwood aquifers (5 data sets), wells used as control points for each aquifer (5 data sets), and springs used as control points for the potentiometric contours (1 data set); and data sets for the structure-contour maps including the structure contours for the top of each formation that contains major aquifers (5 data sets), wells and tests holes used as control points for each formation (5 data sets), and surficial deposits (alluvium and terrace deposits) that directly overlie each of the major aquifer outcrops (5 data sets). These data sets were used to produce the maps published by the U.S. Geological Survey.

A Multi-Methodology for improving Adelaide's Groundwater Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batelaan, Okke; Banks, Eddie; Batlle-Aguilar, Jordi; Breciani, Etienne; Cook, Peter; Cranswick, Roger; Smith, Stan; Turnadge, Chris; Partington, Daniel; Post, Vincent; Pool Ramirez, Maria; Werner, Adrian; Xie, Yueqing; Yang, Yuting

2015-04-01

Groundwater is a strategic and vital resource in South Australia playing a crucial role in sustaining a healthy environment, as well as supporting industries and economic development. In the Adelaide metropolitan region ten different aquifer units have been identified, extending to more than 500 m below sea level. Although salinity within most of these aquifers is variable, water suitable for commercial, irrigation and/or potable use is predominantly found in the deeper Tertiary aquifers. Groundwater currently contributes only 9000 ML/yr of Adelaide's total water consumption of 216,000 ML, while in the Northern Adelaide Plains 17000 ML/yr is used. However, major industries, market gardeners, golf courses, and local councils are highly dependent on this resource. Despite recent rapid expansion in managed aquifer recharge, and the potential for increased extraction of groundwater, particularly for the commercial and irrigation supplies, little is known about the sources and ages of Adelaide's groundwater. The aim of this study is therefore to provide a robust conceptualisation of Adelaide's groundwater system. The study focuses on three important knowledge gaps: 1. Does groundwater flow from the Adelaide Hills into the sedimentary aquifers on the plains? 2. What is the potential for encroachment of seawater if groundwater extraction increases? 3. How isolated are the different aquifers, or does water leak from one to the other? A multi-tool approach has been used to improve the conceptual understanding of groundwater flow processes; including the installation of new groundwater monitoring wells from the hills to the coast, an extensive groundwater sampling campaign of new and existing groundwater wells for chemistry and environmental tracers analysis, and development of a regional scale numerical model rigorously tested under different scenario conditions. The model allows quantification of otherwise hardly quantifiable quantities such as flow across fault zones and through aquitard. Risk assessment of water resources status by 2050 is achieved via uncertainty quantification of potential future scenarios. This includes several development scenarios (current or increased extraction rate) as well as different outputs from climate change predictions. It is shown that groundwater in the fractured aquifer bedrock in the hills is significantly younger than groundwater in the Adelaide plains area, indicating that the Adelaide groundwater system is, at least, partially recharged by lateral flow from water infiltrated in the hills. However, increasing ages with depth, are indicative of vertical infiltration from rainfall and possible inter-aquifer leakage. A better understanding of processes controlling these two sources of fresh groundwater, as well as evaluating their relative importance to Adelaide's groundwater budget is being thoroughly investigated using the regional numerical groundwater model. The salinity distribution along the coastline is shown not to be simply an equilibrium situation with an intruded seawater wedge extending inland. Tertiary aquifers can still contain old freshwater near the coast, and in deeper layers a hypersaline brine has been identified, which could constitute a previously-overlooked source of salinity. This study is the first comprehensive investigation of the groundwater resources within the Adelaide environment and supports strongly integrated water management of the resource.

Geologic map and profiles of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Pasadena Valley and Ticeska quadrangles, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covington, H.R.; Weaver, Jean N.

1990-01-01

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig. 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer north of the Snaked River underlies the most of the eastern plain. The aquifer is composed of basaltic ricks that are interbedded with fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The top of the aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface, but is deeper than 1,000 ft in few areas. The Snake River had excavated a canyon into the nearly flat-lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the eastern Snake River Plain between Milner Dam and King Hill (fig. 2), a distance of almost 90 mi. For much of its length the canyon intersects the Snake River Plain aquifer, which discharges from the north canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing, and altitude. Geologic controls on springs are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along this reach of the canyon. This report is one of several that describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon from Milner Dam to King Hill. To understand the local geologic controls on springs, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a geologic mapping project as part of their Snake River Plain Regional Aquifer System-Analysis Program. Objectives of the project were (1) to prepare a geologic map of a strip of land immediately north of the Snake River canyon, (2) to map the geology of the north canyon wall in profile, (3) to locate spring occurrences along the north side of the Snake River between Milner Dam and King Hill, and (4) to estimate spring discharge from the north wall of the canyon.

Water level and strain changes preceding and following the August 4, 1985 Kettleman Hills, California, earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roeloffs, E.; Quilty, E.

1997-01-01

Two of the four wells monitored near Parkfield, California, during 1985 showed water level rises beginning three days before the M4 6.1 Kettleman Hills earthquake. In one of these wells, the 3.0 cm rise was nearly unique in five years of water level data. However, in the other well, which showed a 3.8 cm rise, many other changes of comparable size have been observed. Both wells that did not display pre-earthquake rises tap partially confined aquifers that cannot sustain pressure changes due to tectonic strain having periods longer than several days. We evaluate the effect of partial aquifer confinement on the ability of these four wells to display water level changes in response to aquifer strain. Although the vertical hydraulic diffusivities cannot be determined uniquely, we can find a value of diffusivity for each site that is consistent with the site's tidal and barometric responses as well as with the rate of partial recovery of the coseismic water level drops. Furthermore, the diffusivity for one well is high enough to explain why the preseismic rise could not have been detected there. For the fourth well, the diffusivity is high enough to have reduced the size of the preseismic signal as much as 50%, although it should still have been detectable. Imperfect confinement cannot explain the persistent water level changes in the two partially confined aquifers, but it does show that they were not due to volume strain. The pre-earthquake water level rises may have been precursors to the Kettleman Hills earthquake. If so, they probably were not caused by accelerating slip over the part of the fault plane that ruptured in that earthquake because they are of opposite sign to the observed coseismic water level drops.

77 FR 59955 - Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-01

...). Borough of West Housing, and Code Chester 401 East Enforcement Gay Street West Department, 401 Chester, PA 19380. East Gay Street, West Chester, PA 19380. Chester Township of The Honorable Highland Township http.... Laramie Unincorporated The Honorable Gay Laramie County http:// September 27, 2012... 560029 areas of...

76 FR 14057 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-15

...: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, Laramie, WY AGENCY: National Park... Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, Laramie, WY. The human remains and associated funerary... the human remains was made by University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository...

77 FR 7601 - Notification of Minor Boundary Revision at Fort Laramie National Historic Site

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-13

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Notification of Minor Boundary Revision at Fort Laramie National Historic Site AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notification of Park Boundary Revision. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Park Service, Glenna F. Vigil, Chief, Land...

Geochemistry of the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naus, Cheryl A.; Driscoll, Daniel G.; Carter, Janet M.

2001-01-01

The Madison and Minnelusa aquifers are two of the most important aquifers in the Black Hills area because of utilization for water supplies and important influences on surface-water resources resulting from large springs and streamflow- loss zones. Examination of geochemical information provides a better understanding of the complex flow systems within these aquifers and interactions between the aquifers. Major-ion chemistry in both aquifers is dominated by calcium and bicarbonate near outcrop areas, with basinward evolution towards various other water types. The most notable differences in major-ion chemistry between the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers are in concentrations of sulfate within the Minnelusa aquifer. Sulfate concentrations increase dramatically near a transition zone where dissolution of anhydrite is actively occurring. Water chemistry for the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers is controlled by reactions among calcite, dolomite, and anhydrite. Saturation indices for gypsum, calcite, and dolomite for most samples in both the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers are indicative of the occurrence of dedolomitization. Because water in the Madison aquifer remains undersaturated with respect to gypsum, even at the highest sulfate concentrations, upward leakage into the overlying Minnelusa aquifer has potential to drive increased dissolution of anhydrite in the Minnelusa Formation. Isotopic information is used to evaluate ground-water flowpaths, ages, and mixing conditions for the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers. Distinctive patterns exist in the distribution of stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in precipitation for the Black Hills area, with isotopically lighter precipitation generally occurring at higher elevations and latitudes. Distributions of 18O in ground water are consistent with spatial patterns in recharge areas, with isotopically lighter 18O values in the Madison aquifer resulting from generally higher elevation recharge sources, relative to the Minnelusa aquifer. Three conceptual models, which are simplifications of lumped-parameter models, are considered for evaluation of mixing conditions and general ground-water ages. For a simple slug-flow model, which assumes no mixing, measured tritium concentrations in ground water can be related through a first-order decay equation to estimated concentrations at the time of recharge. Two simplified mixing models that assume equal proportions of annual recharge over a range of years also are considered. An ?immediate-arrival? model is used to conceptually represent conditions in outcrop areas and a ?time-delay? model is used for locations removed from outcrops, where delay times for earliest arrival of ground water generally would be expected. Because of limitations associated with estimating tritium input and gross simplifying assumptions of equal annual recharge and thorough mixing conditions, the conceptual models are used only for general evaluation of mixing conditions and approximation of age ranges. Headwater springs, which are located in or near outcrop areas, have the highest tritium concentrations, which is consistent with the immediate-arrival mixing model. Tritium concentrations for many wells are very low, or nondetectable, indicating general applicability of the timedelay conceptual model for locations beyond outcrop areas, where artesian conditions generally occur. Concentrations for artesian springs generally are higher than for wells, which indicates generally shorter delay times resulting from preferential flowpaths that typically are associated with artesian springs. In the Rapid City area, a distinct division of isotopic values for the Madison aquifer corresponds with distinguishing 18O signatures for nearby streams, where large streamflow recharge occurs. Previous dye testing in this area documented rapid ground-water flow (timeframe of weeks) from a streamflow loss zone to sites located several miles away. These results are used to ill

76 FR 14058 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-15

...: University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, Laramie, WY AGENCY: National Park... Repository, Laramie, WY. The human remains were removed from the east side of the Big Horn Mountains in the... made by University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, professional staff in...

Geohydrologic Framework of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, South-Central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blome, Charles D.; Faith, Jason R.; Ozuna, George B.

2007-01-01

This five-year USGS project, funded by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, is using multidisciplinary approaches to reveal the surface and subsurface geologic architecture of two important Texas aquifers: (1) the Edwards aquifer that extends from south of Austin to west of San Antonio and (2) the southern part of the Trinity aquifer in the Texas Hill Country west and south of Austin. The project's principal areas of research include: Geologic Mapping, Geophysical Surveys, Geochronology, Three-dimensional Modeling, and Noble Gas Geochemistry. The Edwards aquifer is one of the most productive carbonate aquifers in the United States. It also has been designated a sole source aquifer by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is the primary source of water for San Antonio, America's eighth largest city. The Trinity aquifer forms the catchment area for the Edwards aquifer and it intercepts some surface flow above the Edwards recharge zone. The Trinity may also contribute to the Edwards water budget by subsurface flow across formation boundaries at considerable depths. Dissolution, karst development, and faulting and fracturing in both aquifers directly control aquifer geometry by compartmentalizing the aquifer and creating unique ground-water flow paths.

Hematologic values of the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, Vulpes macrotis mutica

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCue, P.M.; O'Farrell, T.P.

1986-01-01

Between 1981 and 1982 a total of 102 blood samples was collected from 91 San Joaquin kit foxes, Vulpes macrotis mutica, won the US Department of Energy's Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1 (Elk Hills), in western Kern County, California. The goal of the study was to establish normal blood parameters for this endangered species and to determine whether changes in them could be used to assess the possible effects of petroleum developments on foxes. Adult foxes had the following average hematological characteristics: RBC, 8.4 x 10/sup 6/ cells/..mu..l; Hb, 14.9 g/dl; PCV, 46.9%; MCV, 56.4 fl; MCH, 18.2 pg; MCHC,more » 32.0 g/dl; and WBC, 6900/..mu..l. None of the parameters differed significantly between the sexes. RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, and MCHC varied as a function of age for puppies between three and six months of age. The highest values of MCV and MCH were obtained in summer, 1982, and the highest value of MCHC was obtained in winter, 1981-1982. These were the only parameters that appeared to change with season. None of the blood parameters appeared to be affected by petroleum developments. Hematological data for kit foxes, coyotes, and wolves confirmed a previously published observation that within mammalian families RBC is inversely correlated with body weight, and that MCV is directly correlated with body weight. It was speculated that it was an adaptive advantage for kit foxes having a high weight-specific metabolic rate to have evolved a high RBC and low MCV, allowing increased oxygen transport and exchange, while PCV was maintained relatively constant, avoiding hemoconcentration and increased viscosity of blood. 33 refs., 1 fig., 6 tabs.« less

Microgravity methods for characterization of groundwater-storage changes and aquifer properties in the karstic Madison aquifer in the Black Hills of South Dakota, 2009-12

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koth, Karl R.; Long, Andrew J.

2012-01-01

A study of groundwater storage in the karstic Madison aquifer in the Black Hills of South Dakota using microgravity methods was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with West Dakota Water Development District, South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Lawrence County. Microgravity measurements from 2009 to 2012 were used to investigate groundwater-storage changes and effective porosity in unconfined areas of the Madison aquifer. Time-lapse microgravity surveys that use portable high-sensitivity absolute and relative gravimeters indicated temporal-gravity changes as a result of changing groundwater mass. These extremely precise measurements of gravity required characterization and removal of internal instrumental and external environmental effects on gravity from the raw data. The corrected data allowed groundwater-storage volume to be quantified with an accuracy of about plus or minus 0.5 foot of water per unit area of aquifer. Quantification of groundwater-storage change, coupled with water-level data from observation wells located near the focus areas, also was used to calculate the effective porosity at specific altitudes directly beneath gravity stations. Gravity stations were established on bedrock outcrops in three separate focus areas for this study. The first area, the Spring Canyon focus area, is located to the south of Rapid City with one gravity station on the rim of Spring Canyon near the area where Spring Creek sinks into the Madison aquifer. The second area, the Doty focus area, is located on outcrops of the Madison Limestone and Minnelusa Formation to the northwest of Rapid City, and consists of nine gravity stations. The third area, the Limestone Plateau focus area, consists of a single gravity station in the northwestern Black Hills located on an outcrop of the Madison Limestone. An absolute-gravity station, used to tie relative-gravity survey data together, was established on a relatively impermeable bedrock outcrop to minimize groundwater-storage change at the reference location. Data from the three focus areas allow for interpretation of groundwater-storage characteristics using microgravity measurements. Gravity measurements, together with water-level data from an observation well located 2 miles from the Spring Canyon focus area and measured streamflow in Spring Creek, provided evidence that rapid groundwater-storage change, responding to changes in sinking streamflow over the recharge area of the aquifer, occurred in the Madison aquifer directly beneath the gravity station at Spring Canyon. This phenomenon likely was a result of groundwater movement through caverns, conduits, and fractures, which are common in karst aquifers. Spatially and temporally separated microgravity data for the Doty focus area indicated horizontal and vertical heterogeneity of effective porosity for the Madison aquifer. One such example of this was indicated by water-level measurements at an observation well and gravity measurements at four gravity stations in the southeastern part of the Doty area, which were used to estimate effective porosity values ranging from greater than 0 to 0.18. A decrease in groundwater storage determined by microgravity measurements during the spring recharge period for five upgradient stations in the Doty focus area indicated the possibility of rapid release and downgradient cascading of perched groundwater. Evidence for similar phenomena was documented for Wind Cave and Brooks Cave in the Black Hills. Absolute-gravity measurements at the Limestone Plateau focus area confirmed the relation between water levels in an observation well and changes in groundwater storage. Comparison of these gravity measurements with water levels in a nearby observation well resulted in an effective porosity estimate of 0.02 for the Madison aquifer beneath the gravity station.

Geologic map and profiles of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Bliss, Hagerman, and Tuttle quadrangles, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covington, H.R.; Weaver, Jean N.

1990-01-01

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig. 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer north of the Snake River underlies most of the eastern plain. The aquifer is composed of basaltic rocks that are interbedded with fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The top of the aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface, but is deeper than 1,000 ft in a few areas. The Snake River has excavated a canyon into the nearly flat-lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the eastern Snake River Plain between Milner Dam and King Hill (fig. 2), a distance of almost 90 mi. For much of its length the canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing, and altitude. Geologic controls on springs are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along this reach of the canyon. This report is one of several that describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon from Milner Dam to King Hill (fig. 1). To understand the local geologic controls on springs, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a geologic mapping project as part of their Snake River Plain Regional Aquifer System-Analysis Program. Objectives of the project were (1) to prepare a geologic map of a strip of land immediately north of the Snake River canyon, (2) to map the geology of the north canyon wall in profile, (3) to locate spring occurrences along the north side of the Snake River between Milner Dam and King Hill, and (4) to estimate spring discharge from the north wall of the canyon.

Construction, Geology, and Aquifer Testing of the Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank Monitor Wells, Kauai, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izuka, Scot K.

2005-01-01

The Maalo Road, Aahoaka Hill, and Upper Eleele Tank monitor wells were constructed using rotary drilling methods between July 1998 and August 2002 as part of a program of exploratory drilling, aquifer testing, and hydrologic analysis on Kauai. Aquifer tests were conducted in the uncased boreholes of the wells. The Maalo Road monitor well in the Lihue Basin penetrated 915 feet, mostly through mafic lava flows. Most of the rock samples from this well had chemical compositions similar to the Koloa Volcanics, but the deepest sample analyzed had a composition similar to the Waimea Canyon Basalt. Water temperature ranged from 25.6 to 27.4 degrees Celsius and specific conductance ranged from 303 to 627 microsiemens per centimeter during aquifer testing. Discharge rate ranged from 174 to 220 gallons per minute and maximum drawdown was 138.25 ft during a 7-day sustained-discharge test, but the test was affected by pump and generator problems. The Aahoaka Hill monitor well in the Lihue Basin penetrated 804 feet, mostly through mafic lava flows and possibly dikes. The well penetrated rocks having chemical compositions similar to the Waimea Canyon Basalt. During the first three hours of a sustained-discharge aquifer test in which the discharge rate varied between 92 and 117 gallons per minute, water temperature was 24.6 to 25.6 degrees Celsius, and specific conductance was 212 to 238 microsiemens per centimeter; this test was halted after a short period because drawdown was high. In a subsequent 7-day test, discharge was 8 to 23 gallons per minute, and maximum drawdown was 37.71 feet after 1,515 minutes of testing. The Upper Eleele Tank monitor well is near the Hanapepe River Valley. The well penetrated 740 feet through soil, sediment, mafic lava flows, volcanic ash, and scoria. Rocks above a depth of 345 feet had compositions similar to the Koloa Volcanics, but a sample from 720 to 725 feet had a composition similar to rocks of the Waimea Canyon Basalt. During a 7-day aquifer test with a sustained discharge between 278 and 290 gallons per minute, most of the drawdown of 1.10 feet occurred in the first 455 minutes of the test. Water levels measured thereafter may have been influenced by pumping from a nearby well. Water temperature ranged from 20.2 to 21.4 degrees Celsius and specific conductance from 8,380 to 18,940 microsiemens per centimeter during the aquifer tests.

Hydrology of area 54, Northern Great Plains, and Rocky Mountain coal provinces, Colorado and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuhn, Gerhard; Daddow, P.D.; Craig, G.S.; ,

1983-01-01

A nationwide need for information characterizing hydrologic conditions in mined and potential mine areas has become paramount with the enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. This report, one in a series covering the coal provinces nationwide, presents information thematically by describing single hydrologic topics through the use of brief texts and accompanying maps, graphs, or other illustrations. The summation of the topical discussions provides a description of the hydrology of the area. Area 54, in north-central Colorado and south-central Wyoming, is 1 of 20 hydrologic reporting areas of the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain coal provinces. Part of the Southern Rocky Mountains and Wyoming Basin physiographic provinces, the 8,380-square-mile area is one of contrasting geology, topography, and climate. This results in contrasting hydrologic characteristics. The major streams, the North Platte, Laramie, and Medicine Bow Rivers, and their principal tributaries, all head in granitic mountains and flow into and through sedimentary basins between the mountain ranges. Relief averages 2,000 to 3,000 feet. Precipitation in the mountains may exceed 40 inches annually, much of it during the winter, which produces deep snowpacks. Snowmelt in spring and summer provides most streamflow. Precipitation in the basins averages 10 to 16 inches annually, insufficient for sustained streamflow; thus, streams originating in the basins are ephemeral. Streamflow quality is best in the mountains where dissolved-solids concentrations generally are least. These concentrations increase as streams flow through sedimentary basins. The increases are mainly natural, but some may be due to irrigation in and adjacent to the flood plains. In the North Platte River, dissolved-solids concentrations are usually less than 300 milligrams per liter; in the Laramie and the Medicine Bow Rivers, the concentrations may average 500 to 850 milligrams per liter. However, water-quality stations on the Laramie and the Medicine Bow Rivers are farther removed from the mountain sources than the stations in the North Platte drainage. Because of the semiarid climate of the basins, soils are not adequately leached. Consequently, flow in ephemeral streams usually has a larger concentration of dissolved solids than that in perennial streams, averaging 1,000 to 1,600 milligrams per liter. Aquifers containing usable ground water are combined into three groups: (1) consolidated and unconsolidated non-coal-bearing Quaternary and Upper Tertiary deposits, (2) Mesozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, and (3) Lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks containing coal. These aquifers are used for municipal, domestic, irrigation, and stock supplies. Well yields range from about 5 to 1,000 gallons per minute, and depend on type of aquifer, saturated thickness, and degree of fracturing. The best quality ground water usually comes from the non-coal-bearing Quaternary and Upper Tertiary rocks or the Mesozoic and Paleozoic rocks; often it is dominated by calcium and bicarbonate ions. The coal-bearing formations have a large variability in water chemistry; dominant ions may be bicarbonate or sulfate and sodium, calcium, or magnesium. Dissolved-solids concentrations are generally larger than in the former two groups. The U.S. Geological Survey operates a network of hydrologic stations to observe the streamflow and groundwater conditions. This network currently includes 31 surface-water stations and 35 observation wells; information is available for many other sites observed in the past. Data available include rate of flow, water levels, and water quality; much of the data are available in published reports or from computer storage through the National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX) or the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE). Five formations of Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary age contain coal. W

Library of the Year 2008: Laramie County Library System, Wyoming--The Impact Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, John N., III

2008-01-01

This article features Laramie County Library System (LCLS) of Cheyenne, Wyoming, which is named as Gale/"Library Journal" 2008 Library of the Year. It is not just strong, effective publicity or the fine new building or even a staff built around its ability to connect with the people, although all of those things add to the impact of…

Hydrogeologic framework of LaSalle County, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kay, Robert T.; Bailey, Clinton R.

2016-10-28

Water-supply needs in LaSalle County in northern Illinois are met by surface water and groundwater. Water-supply needs are expected to increase to serve future residential and mining uses. Available information on water use, geology, surface-water and groundwater hydrology, and water quality provides a hydrogeologic framework for LaSalle County that can be used to help plan the future use of the water resources.The Illinois, Fox, and Vermilion Rivers are the primary surface-water bodies in LaSalle County. These and other surface-water bodies are used for wastewater disposal in the county. The Vermilion River is used as a drinking-water supply in the southern part of the county. Water from the Illinois and Fox Rivers also is used for the generation of electric power.Glacial drift aquifers capable of yielding sufficient water for public supply are expected to be present in the Illinois River Valley in the western part of the county, the Troy Bedrock Valley in the northwestern part of the county, and in the Ticona Bedrock Valley in the south-central part of the county. Glacial drift aquifers capable of yielding sufficient water for residential supply are present in most of the county, although well yield often needs to be improved by using large-diameter wells. Arsenic concentrations above health-based standards have been detected in some wells in this aquifer. These aquifers are a viable source for additional water supply in some areas, but would require further characterization prior to full development.Shallow bedrock deposits comprising the sandstone units of the Ancell Group, the Prairie du Chien Group, dolomite of the Galena and Platteville Groups, and Silurian-aged dolomite are utilized for water supply where these units are at or near the bedrock surface or where overlain by Pennsylvanian-aged deposits. The availability of water from the shallow bedrock deposits depends primarily on the geologic unit analyzed. All these deposits can yield sufficient water for residential supply in at least some parts of the county, and sandstone deposits in the Ancell and Prairie du Chien Groups can yield sufficient water for residential or public supply in much of the county.The Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system comprises the most widespread, productive aquifers in northern Illinois and is used for water supply by a number of municipalities in the county. Water levels in the aquifer system have declined by as much as 300 feet in parts of LaSalle County. The aquifer contains naturally occurring concentrations of radium that are higher than established health guidelines in much of the county.

Historical and projected climate (1901–2050) and hydrologic response of karst aquifers, and species vulnerability in south-central Texas and western South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stamm, John F.; Poteet, Mary F.; Symstad, Amy J.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Long, Andrew J.; Mahler, Barbara J.; Norton, Parker A.

2015-12-18

Flora and fauna that rely on springflow from Edwards and Madison aquifer sites were assessed for vulnerability to projected climate change on the basis of the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI). The CCVI is determined by the exposure of a species to climate, the sensitivity of the species, and the ability of the species to cope with climate change. Sixteen species associated with springs and groundwater were assessed in the Balcones Escarpment region. The Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) was scored as highly vulnerable with moderate confidence. Nine species—three salamanders, a fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola), three insects, and two amphipods—were scored as moderately vulnerable. The remaining six species—four vascular plants, the Barton cavesnail (Stygopyrgus bartonensis), and a cave shrimp—were scored as not vulnerable/presumed stable (not vulnerable and evidence does not support change in abundance or range of the species). Vulnerability of eight species associated with streams that receive springflow from the Madison aquifer in the Black Hills was assessed. Of these, the American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) and the lesser yellow lady’s slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) were scored as moderately vulernable with high confidence. The dwarf scouringrush (Equisetum scirpoides) and autumn willow (Salix serissima) were also scored as moderately vulnerable with moderate to low confidence, respectively. Other species were assessed as not vulnerable/presumed stable or not vulnerable/increase likely (not vulnerable and evidence supporting an increase in abundance or range of the species). Lower vulnerability scores for the Black Hills species in comparison to the Balcones Escarpment species reflect lower endemicity, higher projected springflow than in the historical period, and high thermal tolerance of many of the species for the Black Hills. Importantly, climate change vulnerability scores differed substantially for Edwards aquifer species when RRAWFLOW model projections were included, resulting in increased vulnerability scores for 12 of the 16 species.

Vegetation analysis in the Laramie Basin, Wyoming from ERTS-1 imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, M. A.; Redfern, F. R.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The application of ERTS-1 imagery to vegetation mapping and identification was tested and confirmed by field checking. ERTS-1 imagery interpretation and density contour mapping allows definition of minute vegetation features and estimation of vegetative biomass and species composition. Large- and small-scale vegetation maps were constructed for test areas in the Laramie Basin and Laramie mountains of Wyoming. Vegetative features reflecting grazing intensity, moisture availability, changes within the growing season, cutting of hay crops, and plant community constituents in forest and grassland are discussed and illustrated. Theoretical considerations of scattering, sun angle, slope, and instrument aperture upon image and map resolution were investigated. Future suggestions for applications of ERTS-1 data to vegetative analysis are included.

Final Environmental Planning Technical Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

from natural. For cold waters, the maximum limit is 68°F (20’C) with an allowable change of 5’F (3°C) from natural. For warm waters the maximum limit...upper Cretaceous Fox Hills and Lance formations, Oligocene White River Group, Miocene Arikaree Formation, Miocene-Pliocene Ogallala Formation, and...day) and 1 to 15 feet per day (ft/day), respectively, averaging roughly 200 sq ft/day and 3 ft/day (Rapp et al. 1957). The Oligocene White River

Cultural Resources Survey for the Lake Darling-Souris River Project, North Dakota (1982).

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-13

order, of the Sentinel Butte, Tongue River, and Cannonball Formations of the Fort Union Group of the Tertiary System, and the Hell Creek and Fox Hills...epoch domi- nated by a general cultural pattern. Unfortunately, American archaeologists have chosen to mix and match their terms for cultural periods...period as defined by Antevs (1955), the Middle Plains Archaic which matched the early Middle Prehistoric Period of Mulloy, the Late Plains Archaic which

Ground-water resources and potential hydrologic effects of surface coal mining in the northern Powder River basin, southeastern Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slagle, Steven E.; Lewis, Barney D.; Lee, Roger W.

1985-01-01

The shallow ground-water system in the northern Powder River Basin consists of Upper Cretaceous to Holocene aquifers overlying the Bearpaw Shale--namely, the Fox Hills Sandstone; Hell Creek, Fort Union, and Wasatch Formations; terrace deposits; and alluvium. Ground-water flow above the Bearpaw Shale can be divided into two general flow patterns. An upper flow pattern occurs in aquifers at depths of less than about 200 feet and occurs primarily as localized flow controlled by the surface topography. A lower flow pattern occurs in aquifers at depths from about 200 to 1,200 feet and exhibits a more regional flow, which is generally northward toward the Yellowstone River with significant flow toward the Powder and Tongue Rivers. The chemical quality of water in the shallow ground-water system in the study area varies widely, and most of the ground water does not meet standards for dissolved constituents in public drinking water established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Water from depths less than 200 feet generally is a sodium sulfate type having an average dissolved-solids concentration of 2,100 milligrams per liter. Sodium bicarbonate water having an average dissolved-solids concentration of 1,400 milligrams per liter is typical from aquifers in the shallow ground-water system at depths between 200 and 1,200 feet. Effects of surface coal mining on the water resources in the northern Powder River Basin are dependent on the stratigraphic location of the mine cut. Where the cut lies above the water-yielding zone, the effects will be minimal. Where the mine cut intersects a water-ielding zone, effects on water levels and flow patterns can be significant locally, but water levels and flow patterns will return to approximate premining conditions after mining ceases. Ground water in and near active and former mines may become more mineralized, owing to the placement of spoil material from the reducing zone in the unsaturated zone where the minerals are subject to oxidation. Regional effects probably will be small because of the limited areal extent of ground-water flow systems where mining is feasible. Results of digital models are presented to illustrate the effects of varying hydraulic properties on water-level changes resulting from mine dewatering. The model simulations were designed to depict maximum-drawdown situations. One simulation indicates that after 20 years of continuous dewatering of an infinite, homogeneous, isotropic aquifer that is 10 feet thick and has an initial potentiometric surface 10 feet above the top of the aquifer, water-level declines greater than 1 foot would generally be limited to within 7.5 miles of the center of the mine excavation; declines greater than 2 feet to within about 6 miles; declines greater than 5 feet to within about 3.7 miles; declines greater than 10 feet to within about 1.7 miles; and declines greater than 15 feet to within 1.2 miles.

Selected data for wells and test holes used in structure-contour maps of the Inyan Kara Group, Minnekahta Limestone, Minnelusa Formation, Madison Limestone, and Deadwood Formation in the Black Hills area, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, J.M.

1999-01-01

This report presents selected data on wells and test holes that were used in the construction of structure-contour maps of selected formations that contain major aquifers in the Black Hills area of western South Dakota. Altitudes of the top of the Inyan Kara Group, Minnekahta Limestone, Minnelusa Formation, Madison Limestone, and Deadwood Formation are presented for the wells and test holes presented in this report.

Geologic map of the Sand Creek Pass quadrangle, Larimer County, Colorado, and Albany County, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Workman, Jeremiah B.; Braddock, William A.

2010-01-01

New geologic mapping within the Sand Creek Pass 7.5 minute quadrangle defines geologic relationships within the northern Front Range of Colorado along the Wyoming border approximately 35 km south of Laramie, Wyo. Previous mapping within the quadrangle was limited to regional reconnaissance mapping; Eaton Reservoir 7.5 minute quadrangle to the east (2008), granite of the Rawah batholith to the south (1983), Laramie River valley to the west (1979), and the Laramie 30' x 60' quadrangle to the north (2007). Fieldwork was completed during 1981 and 1982 and during 2007 and 2008. Mapping was compiled at 1:24,000-scale. Minimal petrographic work was done and no isotope work was done in the quadrangle area, but detailed petrographic and isotope studies were performed on correlative map units in surrounding areas as part of a related regional study of the northern Front Range. Stratigraphy of Proterozoic rocks is primarily based upon field observation of bulk mineral composition, macroscopic textural features, and field relationships that allow for correlation with rocks studied in greater detail outside of the map area. Stratigraphy of Phanerozoic rocks is primarily based upon correlation with similar rocks to the north in the Laramie Basin of Wyoming and to the east in the Front Range of Colorado.

Subsurface temperature distribution in a tropical alluvial fan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wenfu; Chang, Minhsiang; Chen, Juier; Lu, Wanchung; Huang, Chihc; Wang, Yunshuen

2017-04-01

As a groundwater intensive use country, Taiwan's 1/3 water supplies are derived from groundwater. The major aquifers consist of sand and gravel formed in alluvial fans which border the fronts of central mountains. Thanks to high density of monitoring wells which provide a window to see the details of the subsurface temperature distribution and the thermal regime in an alluvial fan system. Our study area, the Choshui Alluvial Fan, is the largest groundwater basin in Taiwan and, located within an area of 2,000 km2, has a population of over 1.5 million. For this work, we investigated temperature-depth profiles using 70 groundwater monitoring wells during 2000 to 2015. Our results show that the distribution of subsurface temperature is influenced by various factors such as groundwater recharge, groundwater flow field, air temperature and land use. The groundwater recharge zone, hills to the upper fan, contains disturbed and smaller geothermal gradients. The lack of clay layers within the upper fan aquifers and fractures that developed in the hills should cause the convection and mixing of cooler recharge water to groundwater, resulting in smaller geothermal gradients. The groundwater temperatures at a depth to 300 m within the upper fan and hill were approximately only 23-24 °C while the current mean ground surface temperature is approximately 26 °C.

Construction and calibration of a groundwater-flow model to assess groundwater availability in the uppermost principal aquifer systems of the Williston Basin, United States and Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, Kyle W.; Long, Andrew J.

2018-05-31

The U.S. Geological Survey developed a groundwater-flow model for the uppermost principal aquifer systems in the Williston Basin in parts of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota in the United States and parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada as part of a detailed assessment of the groundwater availability in the area. The assessment was done because of the potential for increased demands and stresses on groundwater associated with large-scale energy development in the area. As part of this assessment, a three-dimensional groundwater-flow model was developed as a tool that can be used to simulate how the groundwater-flow system responds to changes in hydrologic stresses at a regional scale.The three-dimensional groundwater-flow model was developed using the U.S. Geological Survey’s numerical finite-difference groundwater model with the Newton-Rhapson solver, MODFLOW–NWT, to represent the glacial, lower Tertiary, and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems for steady-state (mean) hydrological conditions for 1981‒2005 and for transient (temporally varying) conditions using a combination of a steady-state period for pre-1960 and transient periods for 1961‒2005. The numerical model framework was constructed based on existing and interpreted hydrogeologic and geospatial data and consisted of eight layers. Two layers were used to represent the glacial aquifer system in the model; layer 1 represented the upper one-half and layer 2 represented the lower one-half of the glacial aquifer system. Three layers were used to represent the lower Tertiary aquifer system in the model; layer 3 represented the upper Fort Union aquifer, layer 4 represented the middle Fort Union hydrogeologic unit, and layer 5 represented the lower Fort Union aquifer. Three layers were used to represent the Upper Cretaceous aquifer system in the model; layer 6 represented the upper Hell Creek hydrogeologic unit, layer 7 represented the lower Hell Creek aquifer, and layer 8 represented the Fox Hills aquifer. The numerical model was constructed using a uniform grid with square cells that are about 1 mile (1,600 meters) on each side with a total of about 657,000 active cells.Model calibration was completed by linking Parameter ESTimation (PEST) software with MODFLOW–NWT. The PEST software uses statistical parameter estimation techniques to identify an optimum set of input parameters by adjusting individual model input parameters and assessing the differences, or residuals, between observed (measured or estimated) data and simulated values. Steady-state model calibration consisted of attempting to match mean simulated values to measured or estimated values of (1) hydraulic head, (2) hydraulic head differences between model layers, (3) stream infiltration, and (4) discharge to streams. Calibration of the transient model consisted of attempting to match simulated and measured temporally distributed values of hydraulic head changes, stream base flow, and groundwater discharge to artesian flowing wells. Hydraulic properties estimated through model calibration included hydraulic conductivity, vertical hydraulic conductivity, aquifer storage, and riverbed hydraulic conductivity in addition to groundwater recharge and well skin.The ability of the numerical model to accurately simulate groundwater flow in the Williston Basin was assessed primarily by its ability to match calibration targets for hydraulic head, stream base flow, and flowing well discharge. The steady-state model also was used to assess the simulated potentiometric surfaces in the upper Fort Union aquifer, the lower Fort Union aquifer, and the Fox Hills aquifer. Additionally, a previously estimated regional groundwater-flow budget was compared with the simulated steady-state groundwater-flow budget for the Williston Basin. The simulated potentiometric surfaces typically compared well with the estimated potentiometric surfaces based on measured hydraulic head data and indicated localized groundwater-flow gradients that were topographically controlled in outcrop areas and more generalized regional gradients where the aquifers were confined. The differences between the measured and simulated (residuals) hydraulic head values for 11,109 wells were assessed, which indicated that the steady-state model generally underestimated hydraulic head in the model area. This underestimation is indicated by a positive mean residual of 11.2 feet for all model layers. Layer 7, which represents the lower Hell Creek aquifer, is the only layer for which the steady-state model overestimated hydraulic head. Simulated groundwater-level changes for the transient model matched within plus or minus 2.5 feet of the measured values for more than 60 percent of all measurements and to within plus or minus 17.5 feet for 95 percent of all measurements; however, the transient model underestimated groundwater-level changes for all model layers. A comparison between simulated and estimated base flows for the steady-state and transient models indicated that both models overestimated base flow in streams and underestimated annual fluctuations in base flow.The estimated and simulated groundwater budgets indicate the model area received a substantial amount of recharge from precipitation and stream infiltration. The steady-state model indicated that reservoir seepage was a larger component of recharge in the Williston Basin than was previously estimated. Irrigation recharge and groundwater inflow from outside the Williston Basin accounted for a relatively small part of total groundwater recharge when compared with recharge from precipitation, stream infiltration, and reservoir seepage. Most of the estimated and simulated groundwater discharge in the Williston Basin was to streams and reservoirs. Simulated groundwater withdrawal, discharge to reservoirs, and groundwater outflow in the Williston Basin accounted for a smaller part of total groundwater discharge.The transient model was used to simulate discharge to 571 flowing artesian wells within the model area. Of the 571 established flowing artesian wells simulated by the model, 271 wells did not flow at any time during the simulation because hydraulic head was always below the land-surface altitude. As hydraulic head declined throughout the simulation, 68 of these wells responded by ceasing to flow by the end of 2005. Total mean simulated discharge for the 571 flowing artesian wells was 55.1 cubic feet per second (ft3/s), and the mean simulated flowing well discharge for individual wells was 0.118 ft3/s. Simulated discharge to individual flowing artesian wells increased from 0.039 to 0.177 ft3/s between 1961 and 1975 and decreased to 0.102 ft3/s by 2005. The mean residual for 34 flowing wells with measured discharge was 0.014 ft3/s, which indicates the transient model overestimated discharge to flowing artesian wells in the model area.Model limitations arise from aspects of the conceptual model and from simplifications inherent in the construction and calibration of a regional-scale numerical groundwater-flow model. Simplifying assumptions in defining hydraulic parameters in space and hydrologic stresses and time-varying observational data in time can limit the capabilities of this tool to simulate how the groundwater-flow system responds to changes in hydrologic stresses, particularly at the local scale; nevertheless, the steady-state model adequately simulated flow in the uppermost principal aquifer systems in the Williston Basin based on the comparison between the simulated and estimated groundwater-flow budget, the comparison between simulated and estimated potentiometric surfaces, and the results of the calibration process.

Combined use of frequency‐domain electromagnetic and electrical resistivity surveys to delineate the freshwater/saltwater interface near saline lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills, Nebraska, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ong, John T.; White, Eric A.; Lane, John W.; Halihan, Todd; Zlotnik, Vitaly A; Butler, Dwain K.

2009-01-01

We investigate the use of frequency‐domain electromagnetic (FDEM) and electrical resistivity (ER) surveys for rapid and detailed characterization of the direction of lake‐aquifer fluxes and the configuration of salt plumes generated from saline lakes. This methodology was developed and applied at several lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills, Nebraska, in an area with both freshwater and saline lakes hydraulically connected to the freshwater surficial aquifer. The FDEM survey was conducted by mounting the instrument on a fiberglass cart towed by an all‐terrain vehicle. The towed FDEM surveys covered about 25 km per day and served as a reconnaissance method for choosing locations for the more quantitative and detailed ER surveys. Around the saline lakes, areas with high electrical conductivity are consistent with the regional direction of ground‐water flow. Lower electrical conductivity was measured around the freshwater lakes with anomalies correlating to a paleovalley axis inferred from previous studies. The efficacy of this geophysical approach is attributed to: (1) significant contrast in electrical conductivity between freshwater and saltwater, (2) near‐surface location of the freshwater/saltwater interface, (3) minimal cultural interference, and (4) relative homogeneity of the aquifer materials.

EFFECT OF CHLORAMINATION AND SEASONAL WATER CHANGES ON NANOFILTRATION FOULING

EPA Science Inventory

Nanofiltraton membrane studies conducted with Little Miami Aquifer water from the Indian Hill Water Works (OH) showed tht flux loss was highly seasonal in nature with the greatest fouling occurring during the highest water temperatures during drought conditions. The reason for th...

A Survey of Melting Layer Research.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-04

melting layer done over the past 40 years, or since Findeisen (1940) 14 first looked at isothermal layers in the atmosphere at temperatures close to 0°C...Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 204 pp. 14. Findeisen , W. (1940) The formation of the 00C-isothermal layer and fracto...Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 204 pp. 14. Findeisen , W. (1940) The formation of the 0°C-isothermal layer and fracto- cumulus under nimbostratus, Met. Zeit 57

Evaluating the Impacts of Grassland Conversions to Experimental Forest on Groundwater Recharge in the Nebraska Sand Hills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adane, Zablon A.

The Nebraska Sand Hills grasslands provide the greatest groundwater recharge rates in the High Plains Aquifer. However, the grasslands and their ecological services have become vulnerable to land use change and degradation. This study used a series of field data to investigate the effects of grassland conversions to forest on recharge rates in a century-old experimental forest in the Sand Hills. The results show that the impact of grassland conversion on recharge was dependent on the species and plantation density. Estimated recharge rates beneath the dense plantations represent reductions of 86-94% relative to the native grassland. Results of 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectral analysis suggested that the surface soil organic carbon beneath pine plantations also contain up to 3 times the ratio of hydrophobic components than the native grasslands and may alter the soil hydraulic properties. This investigation further uncovered a previously overlooked feedback between the effect of soil organic carbon chemical shift generated by the ponderosa pine needle litter decomposition; namely that the alteration may have a link to reduced groundwater recharge rates. Thus, a global optimizer algorithm was used to estimate the effective soil hydraulic parameters from monthly soil moisture contents and recharge rates were then estimated through HYDRUS 1-D numerical modeling for grassland and pine forest soils. The impact of grassland conversion to pine was an overall reduction of groundwater recharge by nearly 100%. These outcomes highlight the significance of the grasslands for recharge, in the Sand Hills and the sustainability of the High Plains Aquifer.

A two-dimensional, finite-difference model of the high plains aquifer in southern South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolm, K.E.; Case, H. L.

1983-01-01

The High Plains aquifer is the principal source of water for irrigation, industry, municipalities, and domestic use in south-central South Dakota. The aquifer, composed of upper sandstone units of the Arikaree Formation, and the overlying Ogallala and Sand Hills Formations, was simulated using a two-dimensional, finite-difference computer model. The maximum difference between simulated and measured potentiometric heads was less than 60 feet (1- to 4-percent error). Two-thirds of the simulated potentiometric heads were within 26 feet of the measured values (3-percent error). The estimated saturated thickness, computed from simulated potentiometric heads, was within 25-percent error of the known saturated thickness for 95 percent of the study area. (USGS)

Hydrologic budgets for the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers, Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming, water years 1987-96

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, Janet M.; Driscoll, Daniel G.; Hamade, Ghaith R.; Jarrell, Gregory J.

2001-01-01

The Madison and Minnelusa aquifers are two of the most important aquifers in the Black Hills area of South Dakota and Wyoming. Quantification and evaluation of various hydrologic budget components are important for managing and understanding these aquifers. Hydrologic budgets are developed for two scenarios, including an overall budget for the entire study area and more detailed budgets for subareas. Budgets generally are combined for the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers because most budget components cannot be quantified individually for the aquifers. An average hydrologic budget for the entire study area is computed for water years 1987-96, for which change in storage is approximately equal to zero. Annual estimates of budget components are included in detailed budgets for nine subareas, which consider periods of decreasing storage (1987-92) and increasing storage (1993-96). Inflow components include recharge, leakage from adjacent aquifers, and ground-water inflows across the study area boundary. Outflows include springflow (headwater and artesian), well withdrawals, leakage to adjacent aquifers, and ground-water outflow across the study area boundary. Leakage, ground-water inflows, and ground-water outflows are difficult to quantify and cannot be distinguished from one another. Thus, net ground-water flow, which includes these components, is calculated as a residual, using estimates for the other budget components. For the overall budget for water years 1987-96, net ground-water outflow from the study area is computed as 100 ft3/s (cubic feet per second). Estimates of average combined budget components for the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers are: 395 ft3/s for recharge, 78 ft3/s for headwater springflow, 189 ft3/s for artesian springflow, and 28 ft3/s for well withdrawals. Hydrologic budgets also are quantified for nine subareas for periods of decreasing storage (1987-92) and increasing storage (1993-96), with changes in storage assumed equal but opposite. Common subareas are identified for the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers, and previous components from the overall budget generally are distributed over the subareas. Estimates of net ground-water flow for the two aquifers are computed, with net ground-water outflow exceeding inflow for most subareas. Outflows range from 5.9 ft3/s in the area east of Rapid City to 48.6 ft3/s along the southwestern flanks of the Black Hills. Net groundwater inflow exceeds outflow for two subareas where the discharge of large artesian springs exceeds estimated recharge within the subareas. More detailed subarea budgets also are developed, which include estimates of flow components for the individual aquifers at specific flow zones. The net outflows and inflows from the preliminary subarea budgets are used to estimate transmissivity of flow across specific flow zones based on Darcy?s Law. For estimation purposes, it is assumed that transmissivities of the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers are equal in any particular flow zone. The resulting transmissivity estimates range from 90 ft2/d to about 7,400 ft2/d, which is similar to values reported by previous investigators. The highest transmissivity estimates are for areas in the northern and southwestern parts of the study area, and the lowest transmissivity estimates are along the eastern study area boundary. Evaluation of subarea budgets provides confidence in budget components developed for the overall budget, especially regarding precipitation recharge, which is particularly difficult to estimate. Recharge estimates are consistently compatible with other budget components, including artesian springflow, which is a dominant component in many subareas. Calculated storage changes for subareas also are consistent with other budget components, specifically artesian springflow and net ground-water flow, and also are consistent with water-level fluctuations for observation wells. Ground-water budgets and flowpaths are especially complex i

Arsenic-related water quality with depth and water quality of well-head samples from production wells, Oklahoma, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becker, Carol J.; Smith, S. Jerrod; Greer, James R.; Smith, Kevin A.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey well profiler was used to describe arsenic-related water quality with well depth and identify zones yielding water with high arsenic concentrations in two production wells in central and western Oklahoma that yield water from the Permian-aged Garber-Wellington and Rush Springs aquifers, respectively. In addition, well-head samples were collected from 12 production wells yielding water with historically large concentrations of arsenic (greater than 10 micrograms per liter) from the Garber-Wellington aquifer, Rush Springs aquifer, and two minor aquifers: the Arbuckle-Timbered Hills aquifer in southern Oklahoma and a Permian-aged undefined aquifer in north-central Oklahoma. Three depth-dependent samples from a production well in the Rush Springs aquifer had similar water-quality characteristics to the well-head sample and did not show any substantial changes with depth. However, slightly larger arsenic concentrations in the two deepest depth-dependent samples indicate the zones yielding noncompliant arsenic concentrations are below the shallowest sampled depth. Five depth-dependent samples from a production well in the Garber-Wellington aquifer showed increases in arsenic concentrations with depth. Well-bore travel-time information and water-quality data from depth-dependent and well-head samples showed that most arsenic contaminated water (about 63 percent) was entering the borehole from perforations adjacent to or below the shroud that overlaid the pump. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 10.4 to 124 micrograms per liter in 11 of the 12 production wells sampled at the well head, exceeding the maximum contaminant level of 10 micrograms per liter for drinking water. pH values of the 12 well-head samples ranged from 6.9 to 9. Seven production wells in the Garber-Wellington aquifer had the largest arsenic concentrations ranging from 18.5 to 124 micrograms per liter. Large arsenic concentrations (10.4-18.5) and near neutral to slightly alkaline pH values (6.9-7.4) were detected in samples from one well in the Garber-Wellington aquifer, three production wells in the Rush Springs aquifer, and one well in an undefined Permian-aged aquifer. All well-head samples were oxic and arsenate was the only species of arsenic in water from 10 of the 12 production wells sampled. Arsenite was measured above the laboratory reporting level in water from a production well in the Garber-Wellington aquifer and was the only arsenic species measured in water from the Arbuckle-Timbered Hills aquifer. Fluoride and uranium were the only trace elements, other than arsenic, that exceeded the maximum contaminant level for drinking water in well-head samples collected for the study. Uranium concentrations in four production wells in the Garber-Wellington aquifer ranged from 30.2 to 99 micrograms per liter exceeding the maximum contaminant level of 30 micrograms per liter for drinking water. Water from these four wells also had the largest arsenic concentrations measured in the study ranging from 30 to 124 micrograms

Stochastic modeling of a lava-flow aquifer system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronkite-Ratcliff, Collin; Phelps, Geoffrey A.

2014-01-01

This report describes preliminary three-dimensional geostatistical modeling of a lava-flow aquifer system using a multiple-point geostatistical model. The purpose of this study is to provide a proof-of-concept for this modeling approach. An example of the method is demonstrated using a subset of borehole geologic data and aquifer test data from a portion of the Calico Hills Formation, a lava-flow aquifer system that partially underlies Pahute Mesa, Nevada. Groundwater movement in this aquifer system is assumed to be controlled by the spatial distribution of two geologic units—rhyolite lava flows and zeolitized tuffs. The configuration of subsurface lava flows and tuffs is largely unknown because of limited data. The spatial configuration of the lava flows and tuffs is modeled by using a multiple-point geostatistical simulation algorithm that generates a large number of alternative realizations, each honoring the available geologic data and drawn from a geologic conceptual model of the lava-flow aquifer system as represented by a training image. In order to demonstrate how results from the geostatistical model could be analyzed in terms of available hydrologic data, a numerical simulation of part of an aquifer test was applied to the realizations of the geostatistical model.

Geohydrology of the Souris River Valley in the vicinity of Minot, North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pettyjohn, Wayne A.

1967-01-01

The Minot area is in the north-central part of North Dakota and includes part of the Souris River valley. The region is covered by glacial drift of late Wisconsin age except in small areas where the Fort Union Formation of Tertiary age crops out. Thickness of the drift is controlled by the topography of the bedrock. In places the drift is more than 450 feet thick, but it averages about 100 feet thick.Water from the Fort Union Formation is soft and is of sodium bicarbonate type that is undesirable for many uses. Wells in the formation produce only a few gallons per minute.Six glacial aquifers were studied in the report area, but detailed work was limited to the Minot aquifer. The Sundre buried-channel and the lower Souris aquifers contain large quantities of bard water of good chemical quality, but little is known of their hydraulic characteristics owing to lack of development. The North Hill and South Hill aquifers generally provide small quantities of hard water that may be high in iron and sodium. The northwest buried-channel aquifer has a high content of iron and chloride. Locally as much as 1,000 gallons per minute may be pumped from it.The Minot aquifer is a thick deposit of sand and gravel confined to the Souris River valley. The water level has declined more than 70 feet since the first municipal well began pumping in 1916. In .some places the water level in the aquifer declined more than 20 feet during 1961-1963. The rapid decline in water level indicates that a serious water shortage may arise in the near future unless counter measures are taken to prevent it.The Minot aquifer is under both artesian and water-table conditions. In places the transmissibility exceeds 250,000 gallons per day per foot. In 1963, 13 municipal wells pump'ed an average of nearly 4 million gallons per day from the aquifer. Some wells produce as much as 1,000 gallons per minute. The Minot aquifer receives most of its recharge from the buried glaciofiuvial deposits and from the Souris River. Natural recharge probably average about 3 million gallons per day. About 56,000 acre-feet of water available to wells was in storage in 1963.Artificial recharge could be used to counteract the rapid decline in water levels. Several feasible artificial recharge sites are in the western part of Minot, where highly permeable sand and gravel crop out.

Temporal and Spatial Variability in Relative Sea Level from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island (USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halavik, B. T.; Engelhart, S. E.

2017-12-01

Geological reconstructions of past relative sea level (RSL) provide observations to compare to instrumental measurements of land-level changes (e.g., GPS) and to provide constraints on Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) models. Given the importance of the east coast of the United States to our understanding of GIA (due to its proximity and orientation to the collapsing forebulge of the Laurentide ice sheet), we set out to reconstruct the first compaction-free late Holocene RSL record for Rhode Island, USA. We sought to quantify and compare RSL changes at multiple sites within Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. Previous work suggests Narragansett Bay may span a gradient in GIA. The small tidal range (0.9-1.4m) in Narragansett Bay permits the development of high-resolution sea-level index points that have the potential to identify small differences in RSL between sites. To address our research goals we collected a south to north transect of salt marsh basal peats from four Rhode Island salt marshes at Fox Hill, Nag Creek, Touisset, and Osamequin. We reconstructed paleomarsh elevations utilizing a multi-proxy approach using salt-marsh foraminifera and bulk sediment δ13C. Sample age was determined using accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon of identifiable in-situ plant macrofossils. Basal peats in Rhode Island typically form within the tidal frame as indicated by foraminifera within close proximity (<5cm) to the underlying glacial deposits. Our current database of RSL consists of 30 new sea-level index points that document changes in RSL since 3200 cal yrs BP. At our southerly Fox Hill site, 12 sea-level index points demonstrate that RSL rose from -3.87 ± 0.24 m at 3,140 ± 69 cal yrs BP. Conversely, at the northerly Touisset site, six sea-level index points demonstrate that salt marshes developed later in this region with RSL rising from -1.65 ± 0.22 m at 1,246 ± 56 cal yrs BP. An additional 12 sea-level index points have been reconstructed from Osamequin and Nag Pond. A preliminary comparison of RSL records from Fox Hill, Nag Cove and Touisset demonstrates that, within error, they record similar RSL histories with late Holocene rates of rise of 1 mm/yr; significantly less than the 2.73 ± 0.16 mm/yr recorded by the Newport tide gauge (1930-2016). We compare our RSL reconstructions with a suite of GIA models for the region.

Stable isotopes and volatile organic compounds along seven ground-water flow paths in divergent and convergent flow systems, southern California, 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milby Dawson, Barbara J.; Belitz, Kenneth; Land, Michael; Danskin, Wesley R.

2003-01-01

Ground water is a major source of drinking water in southern California. In an effort to understand factors influencing the susceptibility of ground water tapped by public supply wells, the U.S. Geological Survey has undertaken studies in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board. The vertical and lateral distribution of stable isotopes (deuterium and oxygen-18) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) were examined along seven ground-water flow paths in three urban ground-water basins in southern California: Central Basin in Los Angeles County, Main Basin in Orange County, and Bunker Hill Basin in San Bernardino County. Forty-seven monitoring wells and 100 public supply wells were sampled. The results of this study suggest that the direction of flow and perhaps the degree of confinement in an aquifer system are important controls on the distribution of VOCs. Ground-water flow in the Central and Main Basins in the southern California coastal plain is characterized as radially divergent, with ground-water flow directions moving outward from focused areas of recharge in the unconfined part of the aquifer system toward dispersed areas of discharge in the more confined part. In these basins, there is a volume of water containing VOCs that extends out into a volume of water containing no VOCs. This pattern suggests that radially divergent flow systems disperse VOCs in distal areas. The overall pattern also suggests that ground water in the pressure area is generally insulated from compounds introduced at land surface. These two factors?dispersion of VOCs due to divergence of flow and insulation from land-surface inputs?suggest that the susceptibility of public supply wells to surface contamination decreases with distance in radially divergent, well confined ground-water flow system. In the inland Bunker Hill Basin, ground-water flow is characterized as radially convergent; ground-water flow directions move inward from dispersed recharge areas in the unconfined part of the aquifer system, toward an area of focused discharge in the more confined part. The number of VOCs increased and the concentrations of individual VOCs increased, or remained the same, with increasing travel distance. Methyl tert-butyl ether was detected only in wells in the confined part of the aquifer system, suggesting that the confining units present in the distal part of the Bunker Hill Basin do not prevent VOCs from reaching ground water. These results suggest that VOCs in the Bunker Hill Basin are collected and concentrated as ground water moves downgradient because of radial convergenence of flow. They also suggest that ground water in the Bunker Hill Basin has an increasing opportunity to pick up VOCs introduced at land surface as it moves along a flow path. Some of the downgradient increase in VOC occurrence and concentration may be due to pumping that selectively removes cleaner ground water, thus leaving ground water containing more VOCs in the aquifer. These two factors?collection of VOCs due to convergence of flow and increasing opportunity to collect surficial contaminants perhaps due to a relative absence of confinement?suggest that the susceptibility of public supply wells to surface contamination increases with distance in radially convergent ground-water flow systems, particularly those that are unconfined.

Interfacial liquid water on Mars and its potential role in formation of hill and dune gullies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kossacki, Konrad J.; Markiewicz, Wojciech J.

2010-11-01

Gullies are among the most intriguing structures identified on the surface of Mars. Most common are gullies located on the slopes of craters which are probably formed by liquid water transported by shallow aquifers (Heldmann, J.L., Carlsson, E., Johansson, H., Mellon, M.T., Toon, O.B. [2007]. Icarus 188, 324-344). Two particular types of gullies are found on slopes of isolated hills and dunes. The hill-slope gullies are located mostly at 50°S, which is at the high end of latitudes of bulk of the gullies found so far. The dune gullies are found in several locations up to 65°S (Reiss, D., Jaumann, R., Kereszturi, A., Sik, A., Neukum, G. [2007]. Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXVIII. Abstract 1993), but the best known are those in Russel crater at 54°S. The hill and dune gullies are longer than others making the aquifers explanation for their formation unlikely (Balme, M., Mangold, N., Baratoux, D., Costard, F., Gosselin, M., Masson, P., Pnet, P., Neukum, G. [2006]. J. Geophys. Res. 111. doi:10.1029/2005JE002607). Recently it has been noted that thin liquid films of interfacial water can play a role in rheological processes on the surface of Mars (Moehlmann, D. [2008]. Icarus 195, 131-139. Kereszturi, A., Moehlmann, D., Berczi, Sz., Ganti, T., Kuti, A., Sik, A., Horvath, A. [2009]. Icarus 201, 492-503.). Here we try to answer the question whether interfacial liquid water may occur on Mars in quantities large enough to play a role in formation of gullies. To verify this hypothesis we have calculated thermal models for hills and dunes of various steepness, orientation and physical properties. We find that within a range of average expected values of parameters it is not possible to have more than a few monolayers of liquid water at depths greater than a centimeter. To create subsurface interfacial water film significantly thicker and hence to produce conditions for the slope instability, parameters have to be chosen to have their extreme realistic values or an additional source of surface heating is needed. One possibility for additional heating is a change of atmospheric conditions due to a local dust storm. We conclude that if interfacial water is responsible for the formation of the hill-slope gullies, our results may explain why the hill gullies are rare.

Geologic map and profile of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Eden, Murtaugh, Milner Butte, and Milner quadrangles, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covington, H.R.; Weaver, Jean N.

1990-01-01

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface, but us deeper than 1,000 ft in a few areas. The Snake River has excavated a canyon into the nearly flat lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the  eastern Snake River Plain between Milner Dam and King Hill (fig. 2), a distance of almost 90 mi. For much of its length the canyon intersects the Snake River Plain aquifer, which discharges form the northern canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing and altitude. Geologic controls on wprings are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along this reach of the canyon. This report is one of the several that describes the geologic occurrence of the springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyone from Milner Dam to King Hill. 

EXTRACTING A RADAR REFLECTION FROM A CLUTTERED ENVIRONMENT USING 3-D INTERPRETATION

EPA Science Inventory

A 3-D Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey at 50 MHz center frequency was conducted at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to define the topography of the base of a shallow aquifer. The site for the survey was Chemical Disposal Pit #2 where there are many man-made features that generate ...

Potentiometric surfaces, altitudes of the tops, and hydrogeology of the Minnelusa and Madison aquifers, Black Hills area, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartos, T.T.; Hallberg, L.L.; Ogle, Kathy Muller

2002-01-01

This project was conducted by the USGS in cooperation with the Wyoming State Engineer's Office (WSEO). The study area was almost entirely within Crook and Weston Counties in Wyoming and was bordered on the east by the Wyoming-South Dakota State line.

Geologic map and profiles of the north wall of the Snake River Canyon, Thousand Springs and Niagara quadrangles, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covington, H.R.; Weaver, Jean N.

1991-01-01

The Snake River Plain is a broad, arcuate region of low relief that extends more than 300 mi across southern Idaho. The Snake River enters the plain near Idaho Falls and flows westward along the southern margin of the eastern Snake River Plain (fig. 1), a position mainly determined by the basaltic lava flows that erupted near the axis of the plain. The highly productive Snake River Plain aquifer north of the Snake River underlies most of the eastern plain. The aquifer is composed of basaltic rocks that are interbedded with fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary rocks. The top of the aquifer (water table) is typically less than 500 ft below the land surface but is deeper than 1,000 ft in a few areas. The Snake River has excavated a canyon into the nearly flat lying basaltic and sedimentary rocks of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, which discharges from the northern canyon wall as springs of variable size, spacing, and altitude. Geologic controls on springs are of importance because nearly 60 percent of the aquifer's discharge occurs as spring flow along the describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon. This report is one of several that describes the geologic occurrence of springs along the northern wall of the Snake River canyon from Milner Dam to King Hill. To understand the local geologic controls on springs, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a geologic mapping project as part of their Snake River Plain Regional Aquifer System-Analysis Program. Objectives of the project were (1) to prepare a geologic map of a strip of land immediately north of the Snake River canyon, (2) to map the geology of the north canyon wall in profile, (3) to locate spring occurrences along the north side of the Snake River between Milner Sam and King Hill, and (4) to estimate spring discharge from the north wall of the canyon.

Map Showing Geology and Hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards Aquifer Catchment Area, Northern Bexar County, South-Central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Amy R.; Blome, Charles D.; Faith, Jason R.

2009-01-01

Rock units forming the Edwards and Trinity aquifers in northern Bexar County, Texas, are exposed within all or parts of seven 7.5-minute quadrangles: Bulverde, Camp Bullis, Castle Hills, Helotes, Jack Mountain, San Geronimo, and Van Raub. The Edwards aquifer is the most prolific ground-water source in Bexar County, whereas the Trinity aquifer supplies water for residential, commercial, and industrial uses for areas north of the San Antonio. The geologic map of northern Bexar County shows the distribution of informal hydrostratigraphic members of the Edwards Group and the underlying upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone. Exposures of the Glen Rose Limestone, which forms the Trinity aquifer alone, cover approximately 467 km2 in the county. This study also describes and names five informal hydrostratigraphic members that constitute the upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone; these include, in descending order, the Caverness, Camp Bullis, Upper evaporite, Fossiliferous, and Lower evaporite members. This study improves our understanding of the hydrogeologic connection between the two aquifers as it describes the geology that controls the infiltration of surface water and subsurface flow of ground water from the catchment area (outcropping Trinity aquifer rocks) to the Edwards water-bearing exposures.

Evaluation of SAGE II and Balloon-Borne Stratospheric Aerosol Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Under funding from this proposal we evaluated measurements of stratospheric sulfate aerosols from three platforms. Two were satellite platforms providing solar extinction measurements, the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II using wavelengths from 0.386 - 1.02 microns, and the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) using wavelengths from 2.45 to 5.26 microns. The third set of measurements was from in situ sampling by balloonborne optical particle counters (OPCs). The goal was to determine the consistency among these data sets. This was accomplished through analysis of the existing measurement records, and through additional balloonborne OPC flights coinciding with new SAGE II observations over Laramie, Wyoming. All analyses used the SAGE II v 6.0 data. This project supported two balloon flights per year over Laramie dedicated to SAGE II coincidence. Because logistical factors, such as poor surface weather or unfavorable payload impact location, can make it difficult to routinely obtain close coincidences with SAGE II, we attempt to conduct nearly every Laramie flight (roughly one per month) in conjunction with a SAGE II overpass. The Laramie flight frequency has varied over the years depending on field commitments and funding sources. Current support for the Laramie measurements is from the National Science Foundation in addition to support from this NASA grant. We have also completed a variety of comparisons using aerosol measurements from SAGE II, OPCs, and HALOE. The instruments were compared for their various estimates of aerosol extinction at the SAGE II wavelengths and for aerosol surface area. Additional results, such as illustrated here, can be found in a recently accepted manuscript describing comparisons between SAGE II, HALOE, and OPCs for the period 1982 - 2000. While overall, the impression from these results is encouraging, the agreement of the measurements changes with latitude, altitude, time, and parameter. In the broadest sense, these comparisons fall into two categories: high aerosol loading (volcanic periods) and low aerosol loading (background periods and altitudes above 25 km). When the aerosol amount is low SAGE II and HALOE extinctions are higher than the OPC estimates, while the SAGE II surface areas are lower than HALOE and the OPCS. Under high loading conditions, all three instruments mutually agree to within 50%.

Food Gardeners’ Productivity in Laramie, Wyoming: More Than a Hobby

PubMed Central

Conk, Shannon J.

2016-01-01

Objectives. We quantified the productivity of food gardens in Laramie, Wyoming, over 3 growing seasons. Methods. From 2012 to 2014, 33 participating gardening households weighed and recorded each harvest. Academic partners measured plot sizes and converted reported harvest weights to volume in cups. Results. The yield of the average 253-square-foot plot was enough to supply an adult with the daily US Department of Agriculture–recommended amount of vegetables for 9 months. Conclusions. Gardeners produced nutritionally meaningful quantities of food; thus, food gardening offers promise as an effective public health intervention for improving food security and nutritional health. PMID:26985621

A Trans-disciplinary Hydrogeological Systems Analysis Approach for Identifying and Assessing Managed Aquifer Recharge Options: Example from the Darling River Floodplain, N.S.W., Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrie, K.; Brodie, R. S.; Tan, K. P.; Halas, L.; Magee, J.; Gow, L.; Christensen, N. B.

2013-12-01

Surface water availability and quality generally limits managed aquifer recharge (MAR) opportunities in inland Australia's highly salinized landscapes and groundwater systems. Economic factors also commonly limit MAR investigations to shallow freshwater groundwater systems near existing infrastructure. Aquifer opportunities lie mainly in zones of fresh groundwater in relatively thin fluvial sedimentary aquifer systems with highly variable hydraulic properties. As part of a broader strategy to identify water savings in the Murray-Darling Basin, the Broken Hill Managed Aquifer Recharge (BHMAR) project was tasked with identifying and assessing MAR and/or groundwater extraction options to reduce evaporative losses from existing surface water storages, secure Broken Hill's water supply, protect the local environment and heritage, and return water to the river system. A trans-disciplinary research approach was used to identify and assess MAR options across a broad area of the Darling River floodplain. This methodology enabled the team to recognise fundamental problems in discipline approaches, helped identify critical data gaps, led to significant innovation across discipline boundaries, was critical in the development of a new hydrogeological conceptual model, facilitated development of new models of landscape, geological and tectonic evolution of the study area, and enabled completion of pre-commissioning maximal and residual MAR risk assessments. An airborne electromagnetics (AEM) survey, acquired over a large (>7,500 sq km) area of the Darling Floodplain, enabled rapid identification of a multi-layer sequence of aquifers and aquitards, while a phased assessment methodology was developed to rapidly identify and assess over 30 potential MAR targets (largely in fresh groundwater zones within palaeochannels and at palaeochannel confluences). Hydraulic properties were confirmed by a 7.5 km drilling program (100 sonic and rotary mud holes), and complementary field (including limited pump tests) and laboratory measurements. Recognition of significant Neogene-to-Present faulting, warping and tilting of the unconsolidated sediments (using AEM, airborne magnetics, regional gravity, LiDAR and drilling data) was critical to understanding recharge, inter-aquifer leakage and potential environmental impacts of MAR options. A program of borehole Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) logging provided a record of near-continuous variations in K through the saturated sedimentary sequence, with the NMR data integrated with other borehole and AEM data to produce 3D maps of aquifer transmissivity. A priority site was identified where aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) options were assessed. Maximal and residual risk assessments of 12 hazard types included hydrogeological modelling, laboratory column clogging studies and geochemical assessment to identify source water treatment requirements. The study found that the residual scientific/technical risks for ASR at the priority site are low if the supplementary water treatment trains are included.

Controls on ground-water chemistry in the Horse Heaven Hills, south-central Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steinkampf, W.C.; Bortleson, Gilbert C.; Packard, F.A.

1985-01-01

Miocene basaltic aquifers are the source of domestic and municipal water, and about 20,000 acre-feet of irrigation water annually, in the Horse Heaven Hills in south-central Washington State. Groundwater chemical variations derive from the hydraulic characteristics is of the geohydrologic system, from groundwater basalt reactions, and from irrigation. Some dissolved species concentrations increase with residence time; others decrease. Recharge area groundwaters are calcium magnesium sodium bicarbonate waters with sodium-adsorption ratios (SAR's) less than 1.0. They evolve to sodium potassium bicarbonate waters with SAR 's as high as 17. Glassy and cryptocrystalline phases of the basalt are the main sources of dissolved sodium. They dissolve by silicate hydrolysis in carbon dioxide charged waters that recharge the aquifer system. Dissolved silicon, iron, and aluminum concentrations are controlled by the solubilities of amorphous secondary alteration products, which order to silica phases, oxyhydroxides, and smectite. Carbonate mineral precipitation is induced by increasing pH from the hydrolysis reaction. Sodium and potassium concentrations increase until clinoptilolite saturation is reached and precipitation begins. Deviations from the general variation patterns are due to localized geologic structures which distort the groundwater flow system, and to the irrigation use of Columbia River water. (USGS)

Preliminary evaluation of the hydrogeologic system in Owens Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Danskin, W.R.

1988-01-01

A preliminary, two-layer, steady-state, groundwater flow model was used to evaluate present data and hydrologic concepts of Owens Valley, California. Simulations of the groundwater system indicate that areas where water levels are most affected by changes in recharge and discharge are near toes of alluvial fans and along the edge of permeable volcanic deposits. Sensitivity analysis for each model parameter shows that steady state simulations are most sensitive to uncertainties in evapotranspiration rates. Tungsten Hills, Poverty Hills, and Alabama Hills were found to act as virtually impermeable barriers to groundwater flow. Accurate simulation of the groundwater system between Bishop and Lone Pine appears to be possible without simulating the groundwater system in Round Valley, near Owens Lake, or in aquifer materials more than 1,000 ft below land surface. Although vast amounts of geologic and hydrologic data have been collected for Owens Valley, many parts of the hydrogeologic system have not been defined with sufficient detail to answer present water management questions. Location and extent of geologic materials that impede the vertical movement of water are poorly documented. The likely range of aquifer characteristics, except vertical hydraulic conductivity, is well known, but spatial distribution of these characteristics is not well documented. A set of consistent water budgets is needed, including one for surface water, groundwater, and the entire valley. The largest component of previous water budgets (evapotranspiration) is largely unverified. More definitive estimates of local gains and losses for Owens River are needed. Although groundwater pumpage from each well is measured, the quantity of withdrawal from different zones of permeable material has not been defined. (USGS)

Stable isotope hydrology in fractured and detritic aquifers at both sides of the South Atlantic Ocean: Mar del Plata (Argentina) and the Rawsonville and Sandspruit river catchment areas (South Africa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glok Galli, Melisa; Damons, Matthew E.; Siwawa, Sitembiso; Bocanegra, Emilia M.; Nel, Jacobus M.; Mazvimavi, Dominic; Martínez, Daniel E.

2017-01-01

The aim of this work is to characterize the isotope composition of water (2H and 18O) in order to establish the relationship between fractured and detritic aquifers in similar hydrological environments located at both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The Mar del Plata zone, placed in the Argentine Buenos Aires province in South America, and the Rawsonville and Sandspruit river catchment areas, situated in the Western Cape province in South Africa were compared. Rainwater and groundwater samples from fractured and detritic aquifers were analyzed through laser spectroscopy. In both Argentina and South African study sites, stable isotopes data demonstrate an aquifers recharge source from rainfall. For the Mar del Plata region, two different groups of detritic aquifer's samples with distinct recharge processes can be identified due to the close relationship existing between the present hydrogeological environments, the aquifer's grain size sediments and the isotopes contents: one representing rapid infiltration in aquifer sediments of the creeks' palaeobeds and hills zones (sandy or silt sandy sediments) and the other with slow infiltration of evaporated water in plain zones with an aquitard behavior. In the last group, the evaporation process occurs previous infiltration or in the aquifer's non-saturated zone, because of the existence of very low topographic gradients and fine-grained sediments. The evaporation phenomenon is not evident in the Sandspruit river catchment site's detritic aquifer, because its sandy composition allows a faster infiltration rate than in the loess that compounds the Pampeano aquifer in the interfluves zones of the Argentinian study area.

Distribution of uranium and radium isotopes in an aquifer of a semi-arid region (Manouba-Essijoumi, Northern Tunisia).

PubMed

Added, A; Ben Mammou, A; Fernex, F; Rezzoug, S; Bernat, M

2005-01-01

Groundwaters from the Sebkhet Essijoumi drainage basin, situated in northern Tunisia, West of the city of Tunis, were sampled and analyzed for uranium and radium isotopes. Low (234)U/(238)U activity ratios coupled with relatively high (228)Ra and (238)U concentrations were found in the Manouba plain phreatic aquifer, at the northern part of the basin, where remote sensing has indicated that this plain corresponds to the main humid zone of the area. Low (234)U/(238)U ratios probably reflected short residence time for waters in the Manouba plain, and high ratios longer residence time in the south, where water reaching the phreatic aquifer seems to have previously circulated in rocks constituting the southern hills. Assuming that, in the Manouba plain aquifer, the groundwater flows downstream from the Oued Lill pass area to the South-West of the Sebkha, the difference in the (228)Ra/(226)Ra activity ratio suggests that the residence time of water has been 2.8 years longer near the Sebkha than upstream.

Numerical modelling of groundwater flow to understand the impacts of pumping on arsenic migration in the aquifer of North Bengal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikdar, P. K.; Chakraborty, Surajit

2017-03-01

In this paper, numerical simulations of regional-scale groundwater flow of North Bengal Plain have been carried out with special emphasis on the arsenic (As)-rich alluvium filled gap between the Rajmahal hills on the west and the Garo hills on the east. The proposed concern of this modelling arose from development that has led to large water table declines in the urban area of English Bazar block, Malda district, West Bengal and possible transport of As in the near future from the adjacent As-polluted aquifer. Groundwater occurs under unconfined condition in a thick zone of saturation within the Quaternary alluvial sediments. Modelling indicates that current pumping has significantly changed the groundwater flowpaths from pre-development condition. At the present pumping rate, the pumping wells of the urban area may remain uncontaminated till the next 25 yrs, considering only pure advection of water but some water from the As-polluted zone may enter wells by 50 yrs. But geochemical and other processes such as adsorption, precipitation, redox reaction and microbial activity may significantly retard the predicted rate by advective transport. In the rural areas, majority of the water pumped from the aquifer is for irrigation, which is continuously re-applied on the surface. The near-vertical nature of the flowpaths indicates that, where As is present or released at shallow depths, it will continue to occur in pumping wells. Modelling also indicates that placing all the pumping wells at depths below 100 m may not provide As-free water permanently.

Final Technical Report Laramie County Community College: Utility-Scale Wind Energy Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Douglas P. Cook

The Utility-Scale Wind Energy Technology U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant EE0000538, provided a way ahead for Laramie County Community College (LCCC) to increase educational and training opportunities for students seeking an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) or Associate of Science (AS) degree in Wind Energy Technology. The DOE grant enabled LCCC to program, schedule, and successfully operate multiple wind energy technology cohorts of up to 20-14 students per cohort simultaneously. As of this report, LCCC currently runs four cohorts. In addition, the DOE grant allowed LCCC to procure specialized LABVOLT electronic equipment that directly supports is wind energy technologymore » curriculum.« less

Vertical Profiles of Cloud Condensation Nuclei, Condensation Nuclei, Optical Aerosol, Aerosol Optical Properties, and Aerosol Volatility Measured from Balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshler, T.; Snider, J. R.; Vali, G.

1998-01-01

Under the support of this grant a balloon-borne gondola containing a variety of aerosol instruments was developed and flown from Laramie, Wyoming, (41 deg N, 105 deg W) and from Lauder, New Zealand (45 deg S, 170 deg E). The gondola includes instruments to measure the concentrations of condensation nuclei (CN), cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), optically detectable aerosol (OA.) (r greater than or equal to 0.15 - 2.0 microns), and optical scattering properties using a nephelometer (lambda = 530 microns). All instruments sampled from a common inlet which was heated to 40 C on ascent and to 160 C on descent. Flights with the CN counter, OA counter, and nephelometer began in July 1994. The CCN counter was added in November 1994, and the engineering problems were solved by June 1995. Since then the flights have included all four instruments, and were completed in January 1998. Altogether there were 20 flights from Laramie, approximately 5 per year, and 2 from Lauder. Of these there were one or more engineering problems on 6 of the flights from Laramie, hence the data are somewhat limited on those 6 flights, while a complete data set was obtained from the other 14 flights. Good CCN data are available from 12 of the Laramie flights. The two flights from Lauder in January 1998 were successful for all measurements. The results from these flights, and the development of the balloon-bome CCN counter have formed the basis for five conference presentations. The heated and unheated CN and OA measurements have been used to estimate the mass fraction of the aerosol volatile, while comparisons of the nephelometer measurements were used to estimate the light scattering, associated with the volatile aerosol. These estimates were calculated for 0.5 km averages of the ascent and descent data between 2.5 km and the tropopause, near 11.5 km.

A contrast between nocturnal flow regimes: Observations and modeling simulations of katabatic intrusions in the Laramie Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juliano, Timothy W.

Katabatic winds commonly occur in mountainous regions under statically stable conditions when a sufficient deficit exists in the net radiation budget. Observations of these stable boundary layer (SBL) downslope flows have extended back to the 1930s. Their interactions with other SBL processes, including cold air pools (CAPs) and mountain waves, are quite complex, however, and have only more recently been deeply investigated. The University of Wyoming (UW) wind tower (WT) and flux tower (WT), situated in the Laramie Valley, were utilized in examining a dataset spanning from 14 December 2011 to 12 September 2013. A set of criteria were developed to determine katabatic intrusion events, and establish a climatology of these events, at the WT. The 21-22 December 2012 nighttime period was then studied in detail using data from the aforementioned towers in addition to weather stations throughout the Laramie Valley and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Both observations and modeling results indicated a competition between two strongly contrasting flow regimes: synoptic and katabatic. The synoptic regime was characterized by strong, southwesterly winds, warm temperatures, and turbulent flow, while the katabatic regime featured weaker, southeasterly winds, cooler temperatures, and intermittently turbulent flow. Sonic and propeller anemometers on the WT elucidated the chaotic transition between the regimes. At the WT, it was found that between regimes the wind speed decreased by up to 60%, wind direction often shifted over 120°, and potential temperature usually decreased more than 2°C. The katabatic wind depth was postulated to be variable in time and space, with its head sloping towards the trailing CAP. Topographically generated mountain waves and local terrain forcing are suspected to play an integral role in the development and evolution of the katabatic wind in the Laramie Valley. Results from this research yield promising insight into the intricate relationships between various SBL processes in complex terrain.

Hydrogeologic framework and estimates of ground-water volumes in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinaman, Kurt

2005-01-01

The Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana is an important source of energy resources for the United States. Coalbed methane gas is contained in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin. This gas is released when water pressure in coalbeds is lowered, usually by pumping ground water. Issues related to disposal and uses of by-product water from coalbed methane production have developed, in part, due to uncertainties in hydrologic properties. One hydrologic property of primary interest is the amount of water contained in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, conducted a study to describe the hydrogeologic framework and to estimate ground-water volumes in different facies of Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. A geographic information system was used to compile and utilize hydrogeologic maps, to describe the hydrogeologic framework, and to estimate the volume of ground water in Tertiary and upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River structural basin in Wyoming. Maps of the altitudes of potentiometric surfaces, altitudes of the tops and bottoms of hydrogeologic units, thicknesses of hydrogeologic units, percent sand of hydrogeologic units, and outcrop boundaries for the following hydrogeologic units were used: Tongue River-Wasatch aquifer, Lebo confining unit, Tullock aquifer, Upper Hell Creek confining unit, and the Fox Hills-Lower Hell Creek aquifer. Literature porosity values of 30 percent for sand and 35 percent for non-sand facies were used to calculate the volume of total ground water in each hydrogeologic unit. Literature specific yield values of 26 percent for sand and 10 percent for non-sand facies, and literature specific storage values of 0.0001 ft-1 (1/foot) for sand facies and 0.00001 ft-1 for non-sand facies, were used to calculate a second volume of ground water for each hydrogeologic unit. Significant figure considerations limited estimates of ground-water volumes to two significant digits. A total ground-water volume of 2.0x1014 ft3 (cubic feet) was calculated using porosity values, and a total ground-water volume of 3.6x1013 ft3 was calculated using specific yield and specific storage values. These results are consistent with retention properties, which would have some of the total water being retained in the sediments. Sensitivity analysis shows that the estimates of ground-water volume are most sensitive to porosity. The estimates also are sensitive to confined thickness and saturated thickness. Better spatial information for hydrogeologic units could help refine the ground-water volume estimates.

Simulation and optimization study of a solar seasonal storage district heating system: the Fox River Valley case study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michaels, A.I.; Sillman, S.; Baylin, F.

1983-05-01

A central solar-heating plant with seasonal heat storage in a deep underground aquifer is designed by means of a solar-seasonal-storage-system simulation code based on the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) code for Solar Annual Storage Simulation (SASS). This Solar Seasonal Storage Plant is designed to supply close to 100% of the annual heating and domestic-hot-water (DHW) load of a hypothetical new community, the Fox River Valley Project, for a location in Madison, Wisconsin. Some analyses are also carried out for Boston, Massachusetts and Copenhagen, Denmark, as an indication of weather and insolation effects. Analyses are conducted for five different typesmore » of solar collectors, and for an alternate system utilizing seasonal storage in a large water tank. Predicted seasonal performance and system and storage costs are calculated. To provide some validation of the SASS results, a simulation of the solar system with seasonal storage in a large water tank is also carried out with a modified version of the Swedish Solar Seasonal Storage Code MINSUN.« less

Geology and water resources of Winnebago County, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olcott, Perry C.

1966-01-01

Sources or water in Winnebago County include surface water from the Fox and Wolf Rivers and their associated lakes, and ground water from sandstone, dolomite, and sand and gravel deposits. Surface water is hard and generally requires treatment, but is then suitable for municipal and most industrial uses. Pollution is only a local problem in the lakes and rivers, but algae are present in most of the lakes. Ground water in Winnebago County is hard to very hard, and dissolved iron is a problem in a large area of the county. A saline-water zone borders the eastern edge of the county and underlies the areas of concentrated pumpage at Neenah-Menasha and Oshkosh. A thick, southeastward-dipping sandstone aquifer, yielding as much as 1,000 gallons per minute to municipal and industrial wells, underlies Winnebago County. A dolomite aquifer in the eastern and southern part of the county yields as much as 50 gallons per minute to wells. Sand and gravel layers and lenses in preglacial bedrock channels, in northwestern Winnebago County and in the upper Fox River valley, yield as much as 50 gallons per minute to wells. Present water problems in the county include algae and local pollution in the Lake Winnebago Pool, iron in water from the sandstone aquifer, and saline ground Water in the eastern part of the county. Potential problems include rapid decline of water levels because of interference between closely spaced wells, migration of saline ground water toward areas of pumping, surface-water pollution from inadequate sewage and industrial-waste process plants, and ground-water pollution in dolomite formations. Development of the water resources of the county should follow a comprehensive plan which takes into consideration all aspects of water use. Dispersal of wells, especially extending toward the west from the heavily pumped Neenah-Menasha and Oshkosh areas, is recommended to reduce water-level declines and to avoid saline water. Supplemental use of ground water is recmmended for municipal expansion of water facilities and to reduce the algae treatment problem of water from the Lake Winnebago Pool.

A ground-based magnetic survey of Frenchman Flat, Nevada National Security Site and Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada: data release and preliminary interpretation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, Jeffrey D.; Burton, Bethany L.; Curry-Elrod, Erika; Drellack, Sigmund

2014-01-01

Question 2—Does basin and range normal faulting observed in the hills north of Frenchman Flat continue southward under alluvium and possibly disrupt the Topopah Spring Tuff of the Paintbrush Group (the Topopah Spring welded tuff aquifer or TSA) east of the Pin Stripe underground nuclear test, which was conducted in Emplacement hole U11b?

Evaluating the risk of water distribution system failure: A shared frailty model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Robert M.; Thurnau, Robert C.

2011-12-01

Condition assessment (CA) Modeling is drawing increasing interest as a technique that can assist in managing drinking water infrastructure. This paper develops a model based on the application of a Cox proportional hazard (PH)/shared frailty model and applies it to evaluating the risk of failure in drinking water networks using data from the Laramie Water Utility (located in Laramie, Wyoming, USA). Using the risk model a cost/ benefit analysis incorporating the inspection value method (IVM), is used to assist in making improved repair, replacement and rehabilitation decisions for selected drinking water distribution system pipes. A separate model is developed to predict failures in prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP). Various currently available inspection technologies are presented and discussed.

Selected hydrologic data, through water year 1994, Black Hills Hydrology Study, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driscoll, D.G.; Bradford, W.L.; Neitzert, K.M.

1996-01-01

This report presents water-level, water-quality, and spring data that have been collected or compiled, through water year 1994, for the Black Hills Hydrology Study. This study is a long-term cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District (which represents various local and county cooperators). This report is the second in a series of biennial project data reports produced for the study. Daily water-level data are presented for 39 observation wells and 2 cave sites in the Black Hills area of western South Dakota. The wells are part of a network of observation wells maintained by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and are completed in various bedrock formations that are utilized as aquifers in the Black Hills area. Both cave sites are located within outcrops of the Madison Limestone. Data presented include site descriptions, hydrographs, and tables of daily water levels. Annual measurements of water levels collected during water years 1993-94 from a network of 20 additional, miscellaneous wells are presented. These wells are part of a Statewide network of wells completed in bedrock aquifers that was operated from 1959 through 1989 in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Site descriptions and hydrographs for the entire period of record for each site also are presented. Drawdown and recovery data are presented for five wells that were pumped (or flowed) for collection of water-quality samples. These wells are part of the network of observation wells for which daily water-level records are compiled. Water-quality data are presented for 20 surface-water sites and 22 ground-water sites. Data presented include field parameters, bacteria counts, and concentrations of common ions, solids, nutrients, trace elements, radiometrics and isotopes, cyanide, phenols, and suspended sediment. Spring data are presented for 94 springs and 21 stream reaches with significant springflow components. Data presented include site information, discharge, and field water-quality parameters including temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH.

Geology, hydrology, and results of tracer testing in the Galena-Platteville aquifer at a waste-disposal site near Byron, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kay, Robert T.; Yeskis, Douglas J.; Prinos, Scott T.; Morrow, William S.; Vendl, Mark

1999-01-01

A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of the geohydrology of the dolomite bedrock at a waste-disposal site near Byron, Illinois. The study was designed to identify and characterize the flow pathways through the bedrock aquifer beneath the site. The geologic units of concern at the site are the Glenwood Formation of the Ancell Group, and the Platteville and Galena Groups. These deposits compose the Galena-Platteville aquifer and the underlying Harmony Hill Shale semiconfining unit. The Galena-Platteville aquifer is an unconfined aquifer. Geophysical logging, water levels, and aquifer-test data indicate the presence of interconnected, hydraulically active fractures in the middle of the Galena-Platteville aquifer (the upper flow pathway), and a second set of hydraulically active fractures (the lower flow pathway). The lower flow pathway may be present through much of the site. Few hydraulically active fractures are present in the upper part of the aquifer near the center of the site, but appear to be more numerous in the upper part of the aquifer in the western and northeastern parts of the site. Water-level data obtained during the tracer test indicate that pumping effects were present near the pumped wells. Pumping effects may have been present at several wells located along directions of identified fracture orientation from the pumped well. The upper part of the aquifer did not appear to be hydraulically well connected to the flow pathways supplying water to the pumped well. Large background changes in water levels obscured the effects of pumping and prevented calculation of aquifer properties. The velocity of the bromide tracer through the lower flow pathway under the hydraulic gradient resulting from the pumping was about 152 feet per day. Solution of the Darcy velocity equation results in a calculated effective porosity for this interval of 3.5 percent, indicating hydraulic interconnection between the fractures and the aquifer matrix. Ground-water velocity through the lower flow pathway was calculated to be 15.4 feet per day under hydrostatic conditions.

Combined use of frequency-domain electromagnetic and electrical resistivity surveys to delineate near-lake groundwater flow in the semi-arid Nebraska Sand Hills, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ong, John B.; Lane, John W.; Zlotnik, Vitaly A.; Halihan, Todd; White, Eric A.

2010-01-01

A frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) survey can be used to select locations for the more quantitative and labor-intensive electrical resistivity surveys. The FDEM survey rapidly characterized the groundwater-flow directions and configured the saline plumes caused by evaporation from several groundwater-dominated lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills, USA. The FDEM instrument was mounted on a fiberglass cart and towed by an all-terrain vehicle, covering about 25 km/day. Around the saline lakes, areas with high electrical conductivity are consistent with the regional and local groundwater flow directions. The efficacy of this geophysical approach is attributed to: the high contrast in electrical conductivity between various groundwater zones; the shallow location of the saline zones; minimal cultural interference; and relative homogeneity of the aquifer materials.

Stratton Sagebrush Hydrology Study Area: An annotated bibliography of research conducted 1968-1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burgess, Leah M.; Schoenecker, Kathryn A.

2004-01-01

This annotated bibliography provides an overview of research projects conducted on the Stratton Sagebrush Hydrology Study Area (Stratton) since its designation as such in 1967. Sources include the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station records storage room, Laramie, Wyoming, the USGS and USFS online reference libraries, and scientific journal databases at the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University. This annotated bibliography summarizes publications from research conducted at Stratton during the prime of its tenure as a research lab from 1968 to 1990. In addition, an appendix is included that catalogues all data on file at the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station in Laramie, Wyoming. Each file folder was searched and its contents recorded here for the researcher seeking original data sets, charts, photographs and records.

Sidescan Sonar Imagery of the Escanaba Trough, Southern Gorda Ridge, Offshore Northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ross, Stephanie L.; Zierenberg, Robert A.

2009-01-01

This map features sidescan imagery of the northern Escanaba (NESCA) site at the Escanaba Trough, southern Gorda Ridge, offshore northern California. The Escanaba Trough, a largely sediment-covered seafloor spreading center, contains at least six large massive sulfide deposits. It is a slow spreading center (2.5 cm/yr) with axial depths locally exceeding 3,300 m. Discrete igneous centers occur at 5- to 10-km intervals along this slow-spreading ridge. Basaltic magma intrudes the sediment fill of the axial valley, creating uplifted sediment hills, and, in some areas, erupts onto the sea floor. Large massive sulfide deposits occur along the margins of the uplifted sediment hills. The only active hydrothermal system is located on Central Hill where 220 deg C fluids construct anhydrite chimneys on pyrrhotite-rich massive sulfide mounds (Campbell and others, 1994). Central Hill is bounded by both ridge-parallel basement faults and a concentric set of faults that rim the top of the hill and may be associated with sill intrusion. Central Hill was one of the primary drill sites for Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 169. The sidescan sonar data (mosaics A, B, C, D) were collected aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessel Discoverer in the summer of 1996 with a 60-kHz system towed 100 to 200 m above the sea floor. Major faults and contacts are interpreted from the sidescan mosaics and 4.5-kHz seismic profiles collected simultaneously, as well as from previously conducted camera transects and submersible dives. The seismic profiles (lines 9, 11, 13) provide high-resolution subbottom structure and stratigraphy to a depth of about 50 m. In the sidescan images (mosaics A, B, C, D), bright areas denote high-energy returns from hard reflectors such as volcanic flows, sulfide deposits, or seafloor scarps. Dark areas denote low-energy returns and generally signify relatively undisturbed surface sediment. The grid lines mark one-minute intervals of latitude and longitude. The large sidescan sonar image (mosaic A) is centered on the NESCA igneous center. The spreading axis is flanked on either side by uplifted, sediment-covered terraces that show relatively continuous and undisturbed turbiditic sediment. These terraces bound the 4- to 5-km-wide neotectonic zone that is characterized by more closely spaced, small offset (<20 m) faults, volcanic flows (brightest area of backscatter), and areas where the seismic layering of the turbidites has been partially to completely disrupted by the intrusion of basaltic sills. The most prominent bathymetric features are the three uplifted sediment hills: Central Hill, Southwest Hill, and an unnamed uplifted hill to the north. These features are interpreted to be uplifted above large-volume basaltic intrusions emplaced near the basalt/sediment interface. Southwest Hill is adjacent to the zone of most recent faulting. This hill no longer retains the circular shape of the other hills due to slumps (lines 9, 11), which may have failed along faults related to the most recent spreading. Central Hill is interpreted to be the most recently uplifted sediment hill based on the morphology of the hill and the presence of an active hydrothermal system. The generally continuous area of volcanic basalt flow east of Central Hill appears as a distinct, bright sonar reflector stretching for approximately 6 km along axis (red contact on mosaic A). This flow may be related to the intrusion that is presumed to have uplifted Central Hill. Submersible observations indicate that lava flowed around the sediment hills and ponded against the eastern up-faulted turbidite-covered sediment terrace. Previously collected, deep-penetration seismic data indicate that the lavas overlie about 450 m of sediment (Morton and Fox, 1994). Late-stage emplacement of magma in the shallow subsurface beneath the exposed lava flow is interpreted to have domed the lava flow, forming the east-west-

Ground-Water Quality of the Northern High Plains Aquifer, 1997, 2002-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Jennifer S.; Qi, Sharon L.

2007-01-01

An assessment of ground-water quality in the northern High Plains aquifer was completed during 1997 and 2002-04. Ground-water samples were collected at 192 low-capacity, primarily domestic wells in four major hydrogeologic units of the northern High Plains aquifer-Ogallala Formation, Eastern Nebraska, Sand Hills, and Platte River Valley. Each well was sampled once, and water samples were analyzed for physical properties and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, pesticides and pesticide degradates, dissolved solids, major ions, trace elements, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), radon, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Tritium and microbiology were analyzed at selected sites. The results of this assessment were used to determine the current water-quality conditions in this subregion of the High Plains aquifer and to relate ground-water quality to natural and human factors affecting water quality. Water-quality analyses indicated that water samples rarely exceeded established U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public drinking-water standards for those constituents sampled; 13 of the constituents measured or analyzed exceeded their respective standards in at least one sample. The constituents that most often failed to meet drinking-water standards were dissolved solids (13 percent of samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Secondary Drinking-Water Regulation) and arsenic (8 percent of samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level). Nitrate, uranium, iron, and manganese concentrations were larger than drinking-water standards in 6 percent of the samples. Ground-water chemistry varied among hydrogeologic units. Wells sampled in the Platte River Valley and Eastern Nebraska units exceeded water-quality standards more often than the Ogallala Formation and Sand Hills units. Thirty-one percent of the samples collected in the Platte River Valley unit had nitrate concentrations greater than the standard, 22 percent exceeded the manganese standard, 19 percent exceeded the sulfate standard, 26 percent exceeded the uranium standard, and 38 percent exceeded the dissolved-solids standard. In addition, 78 percent of samples had at least one detectable pesticide and 22 percent of samples had at least one detectable VOC. In the Eastern Nebraska unit, 30 percent of the samples collected had dissolved-solids concentrations larger than the standard, 23 percent exceeded the iron standard, 13 percent exceeded the manganese standard, 10 percent exceeded the arsenic standard, 7 percent exceeded the sulfate standard, 7 percent exceeded the uranium standard, and 7 percent exceeded the selenium standard. No samples exceeded the nitrate standard. Thirty percent of samples had at least one detectable pesticide compound and 10 percent of samples had at least one detectable VOC. In contrast, the Sand Hills and Ogallala Formation units had fewer detections of anthropogenic compounds and drinking-water exceedances. In the Sand Hills unit, 15 percent of the samples exceeded the arsenic standard, 4 percent exceeded the nitrate standard, 4 percent exceeded the uranium standard, 4 percent exceeded the iron standard, and 4 percent exceeded the dissolved-solids standard. Fifteen percent of samples had at least one pesticide compound detected and 4 percent had at least one VOC detected. In the Ogallala Formation unit, 6 percent of water samples exceeded the arsenic standard, 4 percent exceeded the dissolved-solids standard, 3 percent exceeded the nitrate standard, 2 percent exceeded the manganese standard, 1 percent exceeded the iron standard, 1 percent exceeded the sulfate standard, and 1 percent exceeded the uranium standard. Eight percent of samples collected in the Ogallala Formation unit had at least one pesticide detected and 6 percent had at least one VOC detected. Differences in ground-water chemistry among the hydrogeologic units were attributed to variable depth to water, depth of the well screen below the water table, reduction-oxidation conditions, ground-water residence time, interactions with surface water, composition of aquifer sediments, extent of cropland, extent of irrigated land, and fertilizer application rates.

Geology, hydrology, and ground-water quality at the Byron Superfund site near Byron, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kay, Robert T.; Yeskis, Douglas J.; Bolen, William J.; Rauman, James R.; Prinos, Scott T.

1997-01-01

A study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to define the geohydrology and contaminant distribution at a Superfund site near Byron, Illinois. Geologic units of interest beneath the site are the St. Peter Sandstone; the shale, dolomite and sandstone of the Glenwood Formation; the dolomite of the Platteville and Galena Groups; and sands, gravels, tills and loess of Quaternary age. The hydrologic units of interest are the unconsolidated aquifer, Galena-Platteville aquifer, Harmony Hill Shale semiconfining unit, and the St. Peter aquifer. Ground-water flow generally is from the upland areas northwest and southwest toward the Rock River. Water levels indicate the potential for downward ground-water flow in most of the area except near the Rock River. The Galena-Platteville aquifer can be subdivided into four zones characterized by differing water-table altitudes, hydraulic gradients, and vertical and horizontal permeabilities. Geophysical, hydraulic, and aquifer-test data indicate that lithology, stratigraphy, and tectonic structures affect the distribution of primary and secondary porosity of dolomite in the Galena and Platteville Groups, which affects the permeability distribution in the Galena-Platteville aquifer. The distribution of cyanide, chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons, and aromatic hydrocarbons in ground water indicates that these contaminants are derived from multiple sources in the study area. Contaminants in the northern part of this area migrate northwest to the Rock River. Contaminants in the central and southern parts of this area appear to migrate to the southwest in the general direction of the Rock River.

Late Quaternary stream piracy and strath terrace formation along the Belle Fourche and lower Cheyenne Rivers, South Dakota and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stamm, John F.; Hendricks, Robert R.; Sawyer, J. Foster; Mahan, Shannon; Zaprowski, Brent J.; Geibel, Nicholas M.; Azzolini, David C.

2013-01-01

Stream piracy substantially affected the geomorphic evolution of the Missouri River watershed and drainages within, including the Little Missouri, Cheyenne, Belle Fourche, Bad, and White Rivers. The ancestral Cheyenne River eroded headward in an annular pattern around the eastern and southern Black Hills and pirated the headwaters of the ancestral Bad and White Rivers after ~ 660 ka. The headwaters of the ancestral Little Missouri River were pirated by the ancestral Belle Fourche River, a tributary to the Cheyenne River that currently drains much of the northern Black Hills. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating techniques were used to estimate the timing of this piracy event at ~ 22–21 ka. The geomorphic evolution of the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche Rivers is also expressed by regionally recognized strath terraces that include (from oldest to youngest) the Sturgis, Bear Butte, and Farmingdale terraces. Radiocarbon and OSL dates from fluvial deposits on these terraces indicate incision to the level of the Bear Butte terrace by ~ 63 ka, incision to the level of the Farmingdale terrace at ~ 40 ka, and incision to the level of the modern channel after ~ 12–9 ka. Similar dates of terrace incision have been reported for the Laramie and Wind River Ranges. Hypothesized causes of incision are the onset of colder climate during the middle Wisconsinan and the transition to the full-glacial climate of the late-Wisconsinan/Pinedale glaciation. Incision during the Holocene of the lower Cheyenne River is as much as ~ 80 m and is 3 to 4 times the magnitude of incision at ~ 63 ka and ~ 40 ka. The magnitude of incision during the Holocene might be due to a combined effect of three geomorphic processes acting in concert: glacial isostatic rebound in lower reaches (~ 40 m), a change from glacial to interglacial climate, and adjustments to increased watershed area resulting from piracy of the ancestral headwaters of the Little Missouri River.

Late Quaternary stream piracy and strath terrace formation along the Belle Fourche and lower Cheyenne Rivers, South Dakota and Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stamm, John F.; Hendricks, Robert R.; Sawyer, J. Foster; Mahan, Shannon A.; Zaprowski, Brent J.; Geibel, Nicholas M.; Azzolini, David C.

2013-09-01

Stream piracy substantially affected the geomorphic evolution of the Missouri River watershed and drainages within, including the Little Missouri, Cheyenne, Belle Fourche, Bad, and White Rivers. The ancestral Cheyenne River eroded headward in an annular pattern around the eastern and southern Black Hills and pirated the headwaters of the ancestral Bad and White Rivers after ~ 660 ka. The headwaters of the ancestral Little Missouri River were pirated by the ancestral Belle Fourche River, a tributary to the Cheyenne River that currently drains much of the northern Black Hills. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating techniques were used to estimate the timing of this piracy event at ~ 22-21 ka. The geomorphic evolution of the Cheyenne and Belle Fourche Rivers is also expressed by regionally recognized strath terraces that include (from oldest to youngest) the Sturgis, Bear Butte, and Farmingdale terraces. Radiocarbon and OSL dates from fluvial deposits on these terraces indicate incision to the level of the Bear Butte terrace by ~ 63 ka, incision to the level of the Farmingdale terrace at ~ 40 ka, and incision to the level of the modern channel after ~ 12-9 ka. Similar dates of terrace incision have been reported for the Laramie and Wind River Ranges. Hypothesized causes of incision are the onset of colder climate during the middle Wisconsinan and the transition to the full-glacial climate of the late-Wisconsinan/Pinedale glaciation. Incision during the Holocene of the lower Cheyenne River is as much as ~ 80 m and is 3 to 4 times the magnitude of incision at ~ 63 ka and ~ 40 ka. The magnitude of incision during the Holocene might be due to a combined effect of three geomorphic processes acting in concert: glacial isostatic rebound in lower reaches (~ 40 m), a change from glacial to interglacial climate, and adjustments to increased watershed area resulting from piracy of the ancestral headwaters of the Little Missouri River.

Water resources of Racine and Kenosha Counties, southeastern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchinson, R.D.

1970-01-01

Urbanization and changes in regional development in Racine and Kenosha Counties are increasing the need for water-resources information useful for planning and management. The area is fortunate in having abundant supplies of generally good quality water available for present and projected future needs. Lake Michigan and ground-water reservoirs have great potential for increased development. Lake Michigan assures the urbanized area in the eastern part of the two counties of a nearly inexhaustible water supply. In 1967 the cities of Racine and Kenosha pumped an average of 32.6 mgd (million gallons per day) from the lake. Water from Lake Michigan is of the calcium magnesium bicarbonate type, but it is less hard than water from other sources. Discharge from Racine and Kenosha Counties into Lake Michigan is low and has little effect on the lake. The Root and Pike Rivers and a number of smaller streams contribute a mean flow of about 125 cfs (cubic feet per second) to the lake. Ground water, approximately 5 cfs, enters the lake as discharge from springs or as seeps. The Des Plaines, Root, and Pike Rivers drain areas of relatively impermeable silty clay that promotes rapid surface runoff and provides little sustained base flow. Sewage sometimes accounts for most of the base flow of the Root River. In contrast, the Fox River, which drains the western half of the area, has steady and dependable flow derived from the sand and gravel and the Niagara aquifers. Sewage-plant effluent released to the Fox River in 1964 was about 5 percent of the total flow. A 5-mile reach of the Root River loses about 30,000 gpd (gallons per day) per mile to the local ground-water reservoir and is a possible source of ground-water contamination. Thirty-five of the 43 lakes in the area are the visible parts of the groundwater table, and their stages fluctuate with changes in ground-water levels. The rest of the lakes are perched above the ground-water table. Flooding is a recurring but generally minor problem along occupied reaches of flood plains of all the streams. However, in 1960 a flood on the Fox River, which had a recurrence interval of 60 years, caused considerable damage near the village of Silver Lake. At the same time, a flood on the Root River, which had a recurrence interval of 100 years, caused damage in Racine. The sandstone aquifer, a major artesian reservoir underlying all of Racine and Kenosha Counties, is used as a water supply for industries, institutions, and three communities. Pumpage for these uses was about 3.3 mgd in 1967. The greatest decline of water levels, attributed to both local and regional pumping, was 7 feet per year at Burlington. The specific capacities of wells developed in the Mount Simon Sandstone are about 5 gpm (gallons per minute) per foot of drawdown; in the Galesville and Franconia Sandstones, about 4 gpm per foot of drawdown; and in the St. Peter Sandstone, about 1 gpm per foot of drawdown. Yields of more than 1,000 gpm are obtained from wells tapping the Galesville and Franconia Sandstones and penetrating large crevices in the Trempealeau Formation near Burlington and Union Grove. About 2.5 mgd of ground water in the sandstone aquifer was diverted from the two-county area toward the Milwaukee and Chicago pumping centers in 1963--about 1.7 mgd moving from Racine County toward Milwaukee and 0.8 mgd moving from Kenosha County toward Chicago. Recent regional waterlevel declines in the sandstone aquifer have ranged from about 3 to 5 feet per year. This decline in water levels represents a ground-water depletion of about 0.5 mgd; however, the aquifer is not being dewatered, nor are water levels declining in the recharge area. The sandstone aquifer receives about 80 percent of its recharge from its outcrop area west of the two counties. In 1963 about 3.5 mgd moved eastward laterally from the recharge zone in western Walworth County, and about 1 mgd leaked downward through the overly

Compilation of selected hydrologic data, through water year 1992, Black Hills Hydrology Study, western South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driscoll, Daniel G.; Bradford, Wendell

1994-01-01

This report presents water-level, water-quailty, and springflow data that have been collected or compiled, through water year 1992, for the Black Hills Hydrology Study. This study is a long-term cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the South Dakota Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District (which represents various local and county cooperators). Water-level data are presented for 32 observation wells and 2 cave sites in the Black Hills area of western South Dakota. The wells are part of a network of observation wells maintained by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources and are completed in various bedrock formations that are utilized as aquifers in the Black Hills area. Both cave sites are located within outcrops of the Madison Limestone. Data presented include site descriptions, hydrographs, and tabular data. Water- quality data are presented for 12 surface-water sites and 5 ground-water sites. Data presented include field parameters, bacteria counts, and concentrations of common ions, solids, nutrients, trace elements, radiometrics, cyanide, phenols, dissolved organic carbon, and suspended sediment. Spring data are presented for 83 springs and 21 stream reaches with significant springflow components. Data presented include site information, discharge, and field water-quality parameters including temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH.

Quality of water in the Trinity and Edwards aquifers, south-central Texas, 1996-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fahlquist, Lynne; Ardis, Ann F.

2004-01-01

During 1996–98, the U.S. Geological Survey studied surface- and ground-water quality in south-central Texas. The ground-water components included the upper and middle zones (undifferentiated) of the Trinity aquifer in the Hill Country and the unconfined part (recharge zone) and confined part (artesian zone) of the Edwards aquifer in the Balcones fault zone of the San Antonio region. The study was supplemented by information compiled from four ground-water-quality studies done during 1996–98.Trinity aquifer waters are more mineralized and contain larger dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride concentrations compared to Edwards aquifer waters. Greater variability in water chemistry in the Trinity aquifer likely reflects the more variable lithology of the host rock. Trace elements were widely detected, mostly at small concentrations. Median total nitrogen was larger in the Edwards aquifer than in the Trinity aquifer. Ammonia nitrogen was detected more frequently and at larger concentrations in the Trinity aquifer than in the Edwards aquifer. Although some nitrate nitrogen concentrations in the Edwards aquifer exceeded a U.S. Geological Survey national background threshold concentration, no concentrations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public drinking-water standard.Synthetic organic compounds, such as pesticides and volatile organic compounds, were detected in the Edwards aquifer and less frequently in the Trinity aquifer, mostly at very small concentrations (less than 1 microgram per liter). These compounds were detected most frequently in urban unconfined Edwards aquifer samples. Atrazine and its breakdown product deethylatrazine were the most frequently detected pesticides, and trihalomethanes were the most frequently detected volatile organic compounds. Widespread detections of these compounds, although at small concentrations, indicate that anthropogenic activities affect ground-water quality.Radon gas was detected throughout the Trinity aquifer but not throughout the Edwards aquifer. Fourteen samples from the Trinity aquifer and 10 samples from the Edwards aquifer exceeded a proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public drinking-water standard. Sources of radon in the study area might be granitic sediments underlying the Trinity aquifer and igneous intrusions in and below the Edwards aquifer.The presence of tritium in nearly all Edwards aquifer samples indicates that some component of sampled water is young (less than about 50 years), even for long flow paths in the confined zone. About one-half of the Trinity aquifer samples contained tritium, indicating that only part of the aquifer contains young water.Hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of water provide indicators of recharge sources to the Trinity and Edwards aquifers. Most ground-water samples have a meteorological isotopic signature indicating recharge as direct infiltration of water with little residence time on the land surface. Isotopic data from some samples collected from the unconfined Edwards aquifer indicate the water has undergone evaporation. At the time that ground-water samples were collected (during a drought), nearby streams were the likely sources of recharge to these wells.

5. PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF ORIGINAL DRAWINGS, ELECTRIC AIR AND HEATING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

5. PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF ORIGINAL DRAWINGS, ELECTRIC AIR AND HEATING UNIT, PLAN AND ELEVATION - Wyoming Air National Guard Base, Electric, Air & Heating Plant, Cheyenne Airport, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Summary of the Snake River plain Regional Aquifer-System Analysis in Idaho and eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindholm, G.F.

1993-01-01

The 15,600 sq mi Snake River Plain in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon was studied as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Regional Aquifer-System Analysis program. Quaternary basalt of the Snake River Group underlies most of the 10,800 square mile eastern plain and constitutes the most productive aquifers. Transmissivity of the upper 200 feet of the basalt aquifer commonly ranges from 100,000 to 1,000,000 square feet per day. Vertical hydraulic conductivity is several orders of magnitude lower than horizontal hydraulic conductivity and is related to the degree of jointing. Alluvial sand and gravel in the Boise River valley constitutes the most productive aquifers in the 4,800 square mile western plain. Along much of its length, the Snake River gains groundwater. Between Milner and King Hill, the river gained 4.7 million acre-ft in 1980, most as spring flow from the north side. The chemical composition of groundwater in the plain is essentially the same as that in streams and ground- water from tributary drainage basins. The use of surface water for irrigation for 100 years has caused major changes in the hydrologic system on the plain. During that time, recharge on the main part of the eastern plain increased about 70 percent, discharge about 80 percent. In 1980, about 8.9 million acre-ft of Snake River water was diverted and 2.3 million acre-ft of groundwater was pumped from 5,300 wells for irrigation.

11. INTERIOR, SHOWING LECTURE ROOM IN CENTER SECTION. VIEW TO ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. INTERIOR, SHOWING LECTURE ROOM IN CENTER SECTION. VIEW TO NORTHEAST. - Fort David A. Russell, Red Cross Building, Third Street between Randall Avenue & Tenth Cavalry Avenue, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 5): New Brighton/Arden Hills, Minnesota (Fourth remedial action), (Amendment), August 1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The New Brighton/Arden Hills site is an area of organic solvent contamination in ground water northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The site includes the cities of New Brighton, Arden Hills, and St. Anthony as well as the Twin Cities Army Ammunition plant. The Record of Decision (ROD) amends a June 1986 ROD calling for the installation of a new well to provide part of the drinking water supply to New Brighton. EPA has concluded that a new well is no longer necessary to protect human health in New Brighton. Originally it was anticipated that low contamination levels in Well No. 7more » (one of nine municipal wells) could not be assured and that a replacement well in a deeper aquifer was needed to provide an alternate supply of water. However, further data from Well No. 7 indicate contamination is not increasing. A large water supply will be provided by the U.S. Army to New Brighton as part of a litigation settlement, and a system has been installed by the U.S. Army to prevent further contamination from the suspected sources.« less

Thickness of unconsolidated deposits in the towns of Solon and Taylor, Cortland County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Todd S.

1999-01-01

IntroductionSiting of waste-disposal facilities in Cortland County poses a potential threat to local ground-water resources. An especially sensitive waste-disposal siting issue arose in 1988, when the New York State Low-Level Radioactive Waste Siting Commission (NYSLLWSC) identified 15 sites in six towns (Towns of Solon, Taylor, Freetown, Cincinnatus, Marathon, and Willet) in the eastern part of the county for possible disposal of low-level radioactive waste (New York State Low-Level Radioactive Waste Siting Commission, 1988). Eventually, two sites in the Town of Taylor became finalist sites; one was selected from the list of 15 potential sites, and the other was offered by a private landowner. Little information was available on geohydrologic conditions in eastern Cortland County, such as the extent of aquifers and the thickness of unconsolidated deposits of low permeability (such as clay and till), even though these two criteria were among those used by NYSLLWSC for selection of potential disposal sites. The source of information on thickness of drift over bedrock was the surficial geologic map of New York (Muller and Cadwell, 1986). The siting effort was terminated before a final selection was made, but the issue had made county managers aware that detailed information on the extent and thickness of unconsolidated deposits (particularly till, which typically has low permeability and can limit the migration of contaminants) is needed before sound decisions on waste-disposal siting can be made.Glaciers deposited till nearly everywhere over bedrock in the uplands of central New York, but the thickness of the till varies greatly from place to place. An analysis by Coates (1966) of 400 drillers' logs of wells in a 2,000-mi2 area in the uplands of south-central New York (south of the Cortland County) indicated that (1) till is thin or absent on hilltops and is thickest on the lower parts of hills, (2) overall till thickness averages 60 ft, and (3) till thickness on the south, east, west, and north slopes averages 92, 52, 62, and 22 ft, respectively. Hills that have thick till on their south slopes have been referred to as till-shadowed hills by Coates (1974), who attributes this characteristic to glaciers that deposited thick amounts of till on the downflow side of a hill (analogous to flowing streams or wind that deposit sediment on the lee side of an object). Because the till on the south slopes is relatively thick and typically has low permeability, these slopes have been considered as potential areas for waste-disposal sites.In 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Cortland County Department of Planning, began a 1-year study to map the thickness of unconsolidated deposits and the extent of valley-fill aquifers in the Towns of Solon and Taylor (an area of 60 mi2) in eastern Cortland County.This report (1) depicts the thickness of unconsolidated deposits and the extent of valley-fill aquifers in the Towns of Solon and taylor in eastern Cortland County, (2) examines whether the "till-shadowed hill" concept developed by Coates (1966) is applicable in this area, and (3) provides three schematic geologic sections showing the thickness of unconsolidated deposits in the uplands in the northwestern part of the study area.

Quality of water in domestic wells in the Chicot and Chicot equivalent aquifer systems, southern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi, 2000-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tollett, Roland W.; Fendick, Robert B.; Simmons, Lane B.

2003-01-01

In 2000-2001, water-quality data were collected from 60 randomly selected domestic wells in the Acadian-Pontchartrain Study Unit, as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The data were collected from wells screened in shallow sands (less than 350 feet below land surface) in two major aquifer systems--the Chicot aquifer system in southwestern Louisiana and the Chicot equivalent aquifer system in southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi. The Chicot equivalent aquifer system is part of the Southern Hills regional aquifer system, and both the Chicot aquifer system and the Southern Hills regional aquifer systems are designated as sole-source aquifers by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The well depths ranged from 40 to 340 feet below land surface with a median depth of 120 feet. The ground-water-quality data included 5 physiochemical properties, dissolved solids, 9 major inorganic ions, 24 trace elements, 6 nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, 109 pesticides and degradation products, and 85 volatile organic compounds (VOC's); and a subset of the wells were sampled for radon, chlorofluorocarbons, and stable isotopes. Water from 35 of the 60 domestic wells sampled had pH values less than the USEPA Seconday Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) range of 6.5 to 8.5 standard units. Specific conductance ranged from 17 to 1,420 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. Dissolved-solids concentrations in water from two wells exceeded the SMCL of 500 mg/L (milligrams per liter); the maximum concentration was 858 mg/L. Sodium and calcium were the dominant cations, and bicarbonate and chloride were the dominant anions. One chloride concentration (264 mg/L) exceeded the SMCL of 250 mg/L. One arsenic concentration (55.3 micrograms per liter) exceeded the USEPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 micrograms per liter. Iron concentrations in water from 22 wells exceeded the SMCL of 300 micrograms per liter; the maximum concentration was 8,670 micrograms per liter. Manganese concentrations in water from 26 wells exceeded the SMCL of 50 micrograms per liter; the maximum concentration was 481 micrograms per liter. Health Advisories have been established for six of the trace elements analyzed; no concentrations were greater than these nonenforceable standards. Radon concentrations in water from 9 of 50 wells sampled were greater thanthe proposed USEPA MCL of 300 picocuries per liter. Concentrations of ammonia, ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and nitrite plus nitrate in water from four wells were greater than 2 mg/L, a level that might indicate anthropogenic influences. The median dissolved organic carbon concentration was an estimated 0.30 mg/L, which indicated naturally occurring dissolved organic carbon conditions in the study area. Eight pesticides and two degradation products were detected in water from five wells. Twenty-four VOC's were detected in water from 44 wells. All concentrations of pesticides and VOC's were less than USEPA drinking-water standards. Quality-control samples, which included field-blank samples, replicates, and field and laboratory spikes, indicated no bias in ground-water data from collection procedures or analyses. VAriance between the environmental sampls and he corresponding replicate samples was typically less than 5 percent, indicating and acceptable degree of laboratory precision and data collection reproducibility. The Mann-Whitney rank-sum test was used to compare depth to top of screen and selected physicochemical properties and chemical constituents between six groups of wells. Values for selected physicochemical and chemical constituents were typically greater in wells located in the Chicot aquifer system than in the Chicot equivalent aquifer system. Values for specific conductance, pH, calcium, sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, dis

12. INTERIOR, SHOWING PART OF RECEPTION ROOM IN CENTER SECTION. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

12. INTERIOR, SHOWING PART OF RECEPTION ROOM IN CENTER SECTION. VIEW TO SOUTHEAST. - Fort David A. Russell, Red Cross Building, Third Street between Randall Avenue & Tenth Cavalry Avenue, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Digital-model analysis of the effects of water-use alternatives on spring discharges Gooding and Jerome Counties, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moreland, Joe A.

1976-01-01

Springs discharging from the Snake Plain aquifer contribute approximately 6,000 cubic feet per second (170 cubic metres per second) to flow in the Snake River between Milner and King Hill. Before irrigation began on the Snake River Plain north and east of the springs, total spring discharge was about 4,200 cubic feet per second (120 cubic meters per second). Increasing amounts of irrigated acreage from the early 1900's to the mid-1940's contributed more irrigation-return water to the aquifer resulting in increased discharge at the springs. Maximum discharge of about 6,800 cubic feet per second (190 cubic metres per second) occurred during the late 1940's and early 1950's. Increased use of pumped ground water for irrigation and changing irrigation practices have since resulted in a decline in spring discharge.

Episodic sediment-discharge events in Cascade Springs, southern Black Hills, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hayes, Timothy Scott

1999-01-01

Cascade Springs is a group of artesian springs in the southern Black Hills, South Dakota, with collective flow of about 19.6 cubic feet per second. Beginning on February 28, 1992, a large discharge of red suspended sediment was observed from two of the six known discharge points. Similar events during 1906-07 and 1969 were documented by local residents and newspaper accounts. Mineralogic and grain-size analyses were performed to identify probable subsurface sources of the sediment. Geochemical modeling was performed to evaluate the geochemical evolution of water discharged from Cascade Springs. Interpretations of results provide a perspective on the role of artesian springs in the regional geohydrologic framework. X-ray diffraction mineralogic analyses of the clay fraction of the suspended sediment were compared to analyses of clay-fraction samples taken from nine geologic units at and stratigraphically below the spring-discharge points. Ongoing development of a subsurface breccia pipe(s) in the upper Minnelusa Formation and/or Opeche Shale was identified as a likely source of the suspended sediment; thus, exposed breccia pipes in lower Hell Canyon were examined. Upper Minnelusa Formation breccia pipes in lower Hell Canyon occur in clusters similar to the discrete discharge points of Cascade Springs. Grain-size analyses showed that breccia masses lack clay fractions and have coarser distributions than the wall rocks, which indicates that the red, fine-grained fractions have been carried out as suspended sediment. These findings support the hypothesis that many breccia pipes were formed as throats of abandoned artesian springs. Geochemical modeling was used to test whether geochemical evolution of ground water is consistent with this hypothesis. The evolution of water at Cascade Springs could not be suitably simulated using only upgradient water from the Minnelusa aquifer. A suitable model involved dissolution of anhydrite accompanied by dedolomitization in the upper Minnelusa Formation, which is caused by upward leakage of relatively fresh water from the Madison aquifer. The anhydrite dissolution and dedolomitization account for the net removal of minerals that would lead to breccia pipe formation by gravitational collapse. Breccia pipes in the lower Minnelusa Formation are uncommon; however, networks of interconnected breccia layers and breccia dikes are common. These networks, along with vertical fractures and faults, are likely pathways for transmitting upward leakage from the Madison aquifer. It is concluded that suspended sediment discharged at Cascade Springs probably results from episodic collapse brecciation that is caused by subsurface dissolution of anhydrite beds and cements of the upper Minnelusa Formation, accompanied by replacement of dolomite by calcite. It is further concluded that many breccia pipes probably are the throats of artesian springs that have been abandoned and exposed by erosion. The locations of artesian spring-discharge points probably have been shifting outwards from the center of the Black Hills uplift, essentially keeping pace with regional erosion over geologic time. Thus, artesian springflow probably is a factor in controlling water levels in the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers, with hydraulic head declining over geologic time, in response to development of new discharge points. Development of breccia pipes as throats of artesian springs would greatly enhance vertical hydraulic conductivity in the immediate vicinity of spring-discharge points. Horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the Minnelusa Formation also may be enhanced by dissolution processes related to upward leakage from the Madison aquifer. Potential processes could include dissolution resulting from leakage in the vicinity of breccia pipes that are abandoned spring throats, active spring discharge, development of subsurface breccias with no visible surface expression or spring discharge, as well as general areal leakage

Hydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heisig, Paul M.

2012-01-01

The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system along a 32-mile reach of the Susquehanna River valley and adjacent areas was evaluated in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York. The surficial geology, inferred ice-marginal positions, and distribution of stratified-drift aquifers were mapped from existing data. Ice-marginal positions, which represent pauses in the retreat of glacial ice from the region, favored the accumulation of coarse-grained deposits whereas more steady or rapid ice retreat between these positions favored deposition of fine-grained lacustrine deposits with limited coarse-grained deposits at depth. Unconfined aquifers with thick saturated coarse-grained deposits are the most favorable settings for water-resource development, and three several-mile-long sections of valley were identified (mostly in Broome County) as potentially favorable: (1) the southernmost valley section, which extends from the New York–Pennsylvania border to about 1 mile north of South Windsor, (2) the valley section that rounds the west side of the umlaufberg (an isolated bedrock hill within a valley) north of Windsor, and (3) the east–west valley section at the Broome County–Chenango County border from Nineveh to East of Bettsburg (including the lower reach of the Cornell Brook valley). Fine-grained lacustrine deposits form extensive confining units between the unconfined areas, and the water-resource potential of confined aquifers is largely untested. Recharge, or replenishment, of these aquifers is dependent not only on infiltration of precipitation directly on unconfined aquifers, but perhaps more so from precipitation that falls in adjacent upland areas. Surface runoff and shallow groundwater from the valley walls flow downslope and recharge valley aquifers. Tributary streams that drain upland areas lose flow as they enter main valleys on permeable alluvial fans. This infiltrating water also recharges valley aquifers. Current (2012) use of water resources in the area is primarily through domestic wells, most of which are completed in fractured bedrock in upland areas. A few villages in the Susquehanna River valley have supply wells that draw water from beneath alluvial fans and near the Susquehanna River, which is a large potential source of water from induced infiltration.

10. INTERIOR, SHOWING RECEPTION ROOM IN CENTER SECTION, WITH MAIN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. INTERIOR, SHOWING RECEPTION ROOM IN CENTER SECTION, WITH MAIN ENTRANCE AT RIGHT. VIEW TO SOUTHWEST. - Fort David A. Russell, Red Cross Building, Third Street between Randall Avenue & Tenth Cavalry Avenue, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

View along Cavalry Avenue, with building 210 in left foreground ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

View along Cavalry Avenue, with building 210 in left foreground and left to right, buildings 212 through 222. View to east. - Fort David A. Russell, Randall Avenue west of First Street, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Second floor interior, showing northeast dormitory room in foreground and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Second floor interior, showing northeast dormitory room in foreground and southwest dormitory room in background. View to southeast - Fort David A. Russell, Artillery Barracks, Randall Avenue between Sixth & Fifth Streets, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Second floor interior, showing northwest dormitory room in foreground and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Second floor interior, showing northwest dormitory room in foreground and southwest dormitory room in background. View to southeast - Fort David A. Russell, Artillery Barracks, Randall Avenue between Sixth & Fifth Streets, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Defense.gov - Special Report - Wyoming National Guard

Science.gov Websites

the 148th Signal Company out of Laramie, Wyo., going through pre-deployment training at the Wyoming pre-deployment training at the Wyoming National Guard training site Camp Guernsey Jan. 10. DoD photo

National Assessment of Oil and Gas Project: Petroleum Systems and Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas, Hanna, Laramie, and Shirley Basins Province, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

U.S. Geological Survey Hanna, Laramie

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the U.S. Geological Survey?s (USGS) National Oil and Gas Assessment is to develop geologically based hypotheses regarding the potential for additions to oil and gas reserves in priority areas of the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an assessment of the undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Hanna, Laramie, and Shirley Basins Province in Wyoming and northeastern Colorado. The assessment is based on the geologic elements of each total petroleum system (TPS) defined in the province, including hydrocarbon source rocks (source-rock maturation, hydrocarbon generation, and migration), reservoir rocks (sequence stratigraphy and petrophysical properties), and hydrocarbon traps (trap formation and timing). Using this geologic framework, the USGS defined three TPSs and seven assessment units (AUs) within them; undiscovered resources for three of the seven AUs were quantitatively assessed.

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of the Laramie anorthosite complex, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fountain, J.C.; Hodge, D.S.; Allan, Hills F.

1981-01-01

A geochemical investigation of the Laramie anorthosite complex determined that monsonite associated with the complex are characterized by positive Eu anomalies and display a regular variation in composition with distance from the monzonite/county rock contact. Anorthositic rocks have major and trace element abundance typical of similar complexes. The internal variations in the monzonite were produced by in situ fractionation and contamination. The data indicate that anorthosite and monzonite cannot be comagmatic. It is proposed that the anorthosite and monzonite of the complex evolved from two distinct magmas, and that two stages of anatectic melting contributed to the evolution of the monzonite. An initial stage of partial melting was induced by intrusion of a gabbroic anorthosite magma into the lower crust; a second partial melting event occurred after emplacement where heat from the intrusions melted country rocks resulting in extensive contamination ofthe monzonite. ?? 1981.

Nonlinear-regression groundwater flow modeling of a deep regional aquifer system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooley, Richard L.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Naff, Richard L.

1986-01-01

A nonlinear regression groundwater flow model, based on a Galerkin finite-element discretization, was used to analyze steady state two-dimensional groundwater flow in the areally extensive Madison aquifer in a 75,000 mi2 area of the Northern Great Plains. Regression parameters estimated include intrinsic permeabilities of the main aquifer and separate lineament zones, discharges from eight major springs surrounding the Black Hills, and specified heads on the model boundaries. Aquifer thickness and temperature variations were included as specified functions. The regression model was applied using sequential F testing so that the fewest number and simplest zonation of intrinsic permeabilities, combined with the simplest overall model, were evaluated initially; additional complexities (such as subdivisions of zones and variations in temperature and thickness) were added in stages to evaluate the subsequent degree of improvement in the model results. It was found that only the eight major springs, a single main aquifer intrinsic permeability, two separate lineament intrinsic permeabilities of much smaller values, and temperature variations are warranted by the observed data (hydraulic heads and prior information on some parameters) for inclusion in a model that attempts to explain significant controls on groundwater flow. Addition of thickness variations did not significantly improve model results; however, thickness variations were included in the final model because they are fairly well defined. Effects on the observed head distribution from other features, such as vertical leakage and regional variations in intrinsic permeability, apparently were overshadowed by measurement errors in the observed heads. Estimates of the parameters correspond well to estimates obtained from other independent sources.

Aquifer Characterization using 2D Electrical Resistivity Imaging in Kidangpananjung, Cililin District, West Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsan, Dery; Azimmah, Azizatun; Patera Adli, Dida; Muthi'a, J. M.; Yuantoro, Ethis; Fatkhan

2017-04-01

Water shortage is a big problem for those who live in the region with unsustainable water resource like in Kidangpananjung - a village in Cililin district West Java. With elevation of 1070 m above mean sea level, Kidangpananjung stands on crest of a hill with the geographical coordinate of 113.5° BT, 6.97° LS. Based on geological survey, the outcrop which found in Kidangpananjung indicates that this region consists of pyroclastic rock such as fresh tuff and andesitic breccia. Four springs are found in the foothills with elevation of ± 1040 m above mean sea level which indicates the location of water table. To map the groundwater distribution more precisely and understand the aquifer rock more accurately, geo-electrical approach was conducted. This method is chosen based on the principle that the survey target, the water saturated rock, would give a relatively low resistivity contrast than its surrounding rocks. The target aquifer is considered as confined aquifer at 30m - 40m beneath Kidangpananjung. The data acquisition was designed with two lines of wenner-alpha arrays with 235 meters length each. Two lines of profiling were chosen in order to map the underground layer and its resistivity and thicknesses. The resistivity measurements were carefully interpreted by using least-square inversion technique by using RES2DINV program. The purpose of this research is to understand the characteristics and depth of Kidangpananjung aquifer. Therefore, it can be used to be a reference in groundwater drilling in order to improve the living of the inhabitants of Kidangpananjung

Nonlinear-Regression Groundwater Flow Modeling of a Deep Regional Aquifer System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooley, Richard L.; Konikow, Leonard F.; Naff, Richard L.

1986-12-01

A nonlinear regression groundwater flow model, based on a Galerkin finite-element discretization, was used to analyze steady state two-dimensional groundwater flow in the areally extensive Madison aquifer in a 75,000 mi2 area of the Northern Great Plains. Regression parameters estimated include intrinsic permeabilities of the main aquifer and separate lineament zones, discharges from eight major springs surrounding the Black Hills, and specified heads on the model boundaries. Aquifer thickness and temperature variations were included as specified functions. The regression model was applied using sequential F testing so that the fewest number and simplest zonation of intrinsic permeabilities, combined with the simplest overall model, were evaluated initially; additional complexities (such as subdivisions of zones and variations in temperature and thickness) were added in stages to evaluate the subsequent degree of improvement in the model results. It was found that only the eight major springs, a single main aquifer intrinsic permeability, two separate lineament intrinsic permeabilities of much smaller values, and temperature variations are warranted by the observed data (hydraulic heads and prior information on some parameters) for inclusion in a model that attempts to explain significant controls on groundwater flow. Addition of thickness variations did not significantly improve model results; however, thickness variations were included in the final model because they are fairly well defined. Effects on the observed head distribution from other features, such as vertical leakage and regional variations in intrinsic permeability, apparently were overshadowed by measurement errors in the observed heads. Estimates of the parameters correspond well to estimates obtained from other independent sources.

Shallow Carbon Sequestration Demonstration Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pendergrass, Gary; Fraley, David; Alter, William

The potential for carbon sequestration at relatively shallow depths was investigated at four power plant sites in Missouri. Exploratory boreholes were cored through the Davis Shale confining layer into the St. Francois aquifer (Lamotte Sandstone and Bonneterre Formation). Precambrian basement contact ranged from 654.4 meters at the John Twitty Energy Center in Southwest Missouri to over 1100 meters near the Sioux Power Plant in St. Charles County. Investigations at the John Twitty Energy Center included 3D seismic reflection surveys, downhole geophysical logging and pressure testing, and laboratory analysis of rock core and water samples. Plans to perform injectivity tests atmore » the John Twitty Energy Center, using food grade CO{sub 2}, had to be abandoned when the isolated aquifer was found to have very low dissolved solids content. Investigations at the Sioux Plant and Thomas Hill Energy Center in Randolph County found suitably saline conditions in the St. Francois. A fourth borehole in Platte County was discontinued before reaching the aquifer. Laboratory analyses of rock core and water samples indicate that the St. Charles and Randolph County sites could have storage potentials worthy of further study. The report suggests additional Missouri areas for further investigation as well.« less

Geologic framework of the Edwards Aquifer and upper confining unit, and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards Aquifer, south-central Uvalde County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Allan K.; Small, Ted A.

1997-01-01

The stratigraphic units of the Edwards aquifer in south-central Uvalde County generally are porous and permeable. The stratigraphic units that compose the Edwards aquifer in south-central Uvalde County are the Devils River Formation in the Devils River trend; and the West Nueces, McKnight, and Salmon Peak Formations in the Maverick Basin. The Balcones fault zone is the principal structural feature in Uvalde County; however, the displacement along the fault zone is less in Uvalde County than in adjacent Medina and Bexar Counties to the east. The Uvalde Salient is a structural high in south-central Uvalde County, and consists of several closely connected crustal uplifts that bring Edwards aquifer strata to the surface generally forming prominent hills. The crustal uplifts forming this structural high are the remnants of intrusive and extrusive magnatic activity. Six primary faults—Cooks, Black Mountain, Blue Mountain, Uvalde, Agape, and Connor—cross the length of the study area from the southwest to the northeast juxtaposing the Lower Cretaceous Salmon Peak Formation at the surface in the northwestern part of the study area against Upper Cretaceous formations in the central part of the study area. In the study area, the porosity of the rocks in the Edwards aquifer is related to depositional or diagenetic elements along specific stratigraphic horizons (fabric selective) and to dissolution and structural elements that can occur in any lithostratigraphic horizon (not fabric selective). Permeability depends on the physical properties of the rock such as size, shape, distribution of pores, and fissuring and dissolution. The middle 185 feet of the lower part of the Devils River Formation, the upper part of the Devils River Formation, and the upper unit of the Salmon Peak Formation probably are the most porous and permeable stratigraphic zones of the Edwards aquifer in south-central Uvalde County.

Bicarbonate Impact on U(VI) Bioreduction in a Shallow Alluvial Aquifer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Long, Philip E.; Williams, Kenneth H.; Davis, James A.

Field-scale biostimulation and desorption tracer experiments conducted in a uranium (U) contaminated, shallow alluvial aquifer have provided insight into the coupling of microbiology, biogeochemistry, and hydrogeology that control U mobility in the subsurface. Initial experiments successfully tested the concept that Fe-reducing bacteria such as Geobacter sp. could enzymatically reduce soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) during in situ electron donor amendment (Anderson et al. 2003, Williams et al. 2011). In parallel, in situ desorption tracer tests using bicarbonate amendment demonstrated rate-limited U(VI) desorption (Fox et al. 2012). These results and prior laboratory studies underscored the importance of enzymatic U(VI)-reduction and suggestedmore » the ability to combine desorption and bioreduction of U(VI). Here we report the results of a new field experiment in which bicarbonate-promoted uranium desorption and acetate amendment were combined and compared to an acetate amendment-only experiment in the same experimental plot. Results confirm that bicarbonate amendment to alluvial aquifer desorbs U(VI) and increases the abundance of Ca-uranyl-carbonato complexes. At the same time, that the rate of acetate-promoted enzymatic U(VI) reduction was greater in the presence of added bicarbonate in spite of the increased dominance of Ca-uranyl-carbonato aqueous complexes. A model-simulated peak rate of U(VI) reduction was ~3.8 times higher during acetate-bicarbonate treatment than under acetate-only conditions. Lack of consistent differences in microbial community structure between acetate-bicarbonate and acetate-only treatments suggest that a significantly higher rate of U(VI) reduction the bicarbonate-impacted sediment may be due to a higher intrinsic rate of microbial reduction induced by elevated concentrations of the bicarbonate oxyanion. The findings indicate that bicarbonate amendment may be useful in improving the engineered bioremediation of uranium in aquifers.« less

Bicarbonate impact on U(VI) bioreduction in a shallow alluvial aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Philip E.; Williams, Kenneth H.; Davis, James A.; Fox, Patricia M.; Wilkins, Michael J.; Yabusaki, Steven B.; Fang, Yilin; Waichler, Scott R.; Berman, Elena S. F.; Gupta, Manish; Chandler, Darrell P.; Murray, Chris; Peacock, Aaron D.; Giloteaux, Ludovic; Handley, Kim M.; Lovley, Derek R.; Banfield, Jillian F.

2015-02-01

Field-scale biostimulation and desorption tracer experiments conducted in a uranium (U) contaminated, shallow alluvial aquifer have provided insight into the coupling of microbiology, biogeochemistry, and hydrogeology that control U mobility in the subsurface. Initial experiments successfully tested the concept that Fe-reducing bacteria such as Geobacter sp. could enzymatically reduce soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) during in situ electron donor amendment (Anderson et al., 2003; Williams et al., 2011). In parallel, in situ desorption tracer tests using bicarbonate amendment demonstrated rate-limited U(VI) desorption (Fox et al., 2012). These results and prior laboratory studies underscored the importance of enzymatic U(VI)-reduction and suggested the ability to combine desorption and bioreduction of U(VI). Here we report the results of a new field experiment in which bicarbonate-promoted uranium desorption and acetate amendment were combined and compared to an acetate amendment-only experiment in the same experimental plot. Results confirm that bicarbonate amendment to alluvial aquifer sediments desorbs U(VI) and increases the abundance of Ca-uranyl-carbonato complexes. At the same time, the rate of acetate-promoted enzymatic U(VI) reduction was greater in the presence of added bicarbonate in spite of the increased dominance of Ca-uranyl-carbonato aqueous complexes. A model-simulated peak rate of U(VI) reduction was ∼3.8 times higher during acetate-bicarbonate treatment than under acetate-only conditions. Lack of consistent differences in microbial community structure between acetate-bicarbonate and acetate-only treatments suggest that a significantly higher rate of U(VI) reduction in the bicarbonate-impacted sediment may be due to a higher intrinsic rate of microbial reduction induced by elevated concentrations of the bicarbonate oxyanion. The findings indicate that bicarbonate amendment may be useful in improving the engineered bioremediation of uranium in aquifers.

76 FR 49834 - Notice of Receipt of Petition for Decision That Nonconforming 2009 Dodge RAM 1500 Laramie Crew...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-11

... that your comments were received, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard with the comments... Seat Belt Assemblies, 210 Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages, 212 Windshield Mounting, 214 Side Impact...

Trace elements in seep waters along Whitewood Creek, South Dakota, and their toxicity to fathead minnows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, S.J.; Buhl, K.J.

2000-01-01

Whitewood Creek, located in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota, has a long history of contamination from mining activity. Gold exploration began in the 1870s, and has continued since that time. Whitewood Creek received direct releases of tailings from 1870 to 1977 from Gold Run Creek in Lead, SD. It has been estimated that approximately 100 million to 1 billion tons of mining, milling, and ore processing wastes have been released by mining activity in the last century in to Whitewood Creek, the Belle Fourche river, and the Cheyenne River (Fox Consultants, Inc. 1984). Tailings deposition has altered the geomorphology of Whitewood Creek, and deposits up to 4.6 m. deep, have become stabilized by vegetation. Several other streams in the Black Hills also have been adversely affected by mining operations (Rahn 1996).As water leaches through rock strata that are disturbed by surface and subsurface mining, it dissolves inorganic elements and carries them to the groundwater.  Groundwater movement through the extensive tailings deposits in the Whitewood Creek valley enter the creek at various seeps along its downstream course to the Belle Fourche river, and the Belle Fourche River itself, which empties into the Cheyenne River and eventually into Lake Oahe.

Officers quarters along Fort Warren Avenue, with building 94 at ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Officers quarters along Fort Warren Avenue, with building 94 at left foreground and, left to right, buildings 96 through 110 in background. View to northeast. - Fort David A. Russell, Randall Avenue west of First Street, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Officers quarters around staff circle, with building 44 in right ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Officers quarters around staff circle, with building 44 in right foreground and right to left, buildings 42 through 38 in background. View to west. - Fort David A. Russell, Randall Avenue west of First Street, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Officers quarters around staff circle, with building 47 in left ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Officers quarters around staff circle, with building 47 in left foreground and left to right, buildings 48 through 52 in background. View to southeast. - Fort David A. Russell, Randall Avenue west of First Street, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Upper Neogene stratigraphy and tectonics of Death Valley - A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knott, J.R.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A. M.; Machette, M.N.; Klinger, R.E.

2005-01-01

New tephrochronologic, soil-stratigraphic and radiometric-dating studies over the last 10 years have generated a robust numerical stratigraphy for Upper Neogene sedimentary deposits throughout Death Valley. Critical to this improved stratigraphy are correlated or radiometrically-dated tephra beds and tuffs that range in age from > 3.58 Ma to < 1.1 ka. These tephra beds and tuffs establish relations among the Upper Pliocene to Middle Pleistocene sedimentary deposits at Furnace Creek basin, Nova basin, Ubehebe-Lake Rogers basin, Copper Canyon, Artists Drive, Kit Fox Hills, and Confidence Hills. New geologic formations have been described in the Confidence Hills and at Mormon Point. This new geochronology also establishes maximum and minimum ages for Quaternary alluvial fans and Lake Manly deposits. Facies associated with the tephra beds show that ???3.3 Ma the Furnace Creek basin was a northwest-southeast-trending lake flanked by alluvial fans. This paleolake extended from the Furnace Creek to Ubehebe. Based on the new stratigraphy, the Death Valley fault system can be divided into four main fault zones: the dextral, Quaternary-age Northern Death Valley fault zone; the dextral, pre-Quaternary Furnace Creek fault zone; the oblique-normal Black Mountains fault zone; and the dextral Southern Death Valley fault zone. Post -3.3 Ma geometric, structural, and kinematic changes in the Black Mountains and Towne Pass fault zones led to the break up of Furnace Creek basin and uplift of the Copper Canyon and Nova basins. Internal kinematics of northern Death Valley are interpreted as either rotation of blocks or normal slip along the northeast-southwest-trending Towne Pass and Tin Mountain fault zones within the Eastern California shear zone. ?? 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Defining a Road Safety Audits Program for Enhancing Safety and Reducing Tort Liability

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-07-01

Table of Contents: (1) Introduction; (2) Review of Safety Issues; (3) Review of Legal Liability Issues; (4) Summary of Safety and Legal Liability Issues. Prepared in cooperation with Wyoming Univ., Laramie. Dept. of Civil and Architectural Engineerin...

Field scale DNAPLs transport under nonequilibrium sorption conditions.

PubMed

Ahmed, Ashraf A; Chen, Daoyi

2006-01-01

The purpose of this work is to study the desorption of dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs), TCE in particular, from solid particles in field scale heterogeneous aquifers upon their remediation. A computer program, capable of simulating the fate and transport of NAPLs in porous media, has been developed to work under nonequilibrium sorption conditions. The model has been applied to a field scale site at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, which has been contaminated by DNAPLs. The simulated domain was 155 ft (47.25 m) long, 60 ft (18.29 m) wide, and 15.5 ft (4.72 m) thick. This thickness represents only the saturated zone of the aquifer. Changes in permeability, grain size distribution, and sorptive properties throughout the site have been incorporated into the model. Immediately after the aquifer cleanup, the DNAPL concentration in the aqueous phase was assumed to be zero, and this was considered the start-off time for the simulation. Results show that, with an increase in time, the TCE diffused out of the solid particles, forming a plume. The rate of contaminant diffusion was observed to be very fast at the start, followed by a very slow stage, with a number of years required for substantial desorption of the contaminant from the solid particles. There were local variations in contaminant concentration in the fluid phase across the site due to aquifer heterogeneity. A comparison between numerical results and water samples taken from the site after the end of the cleanup operation is also presented.

Biological assessment: possible impacts of exploratory drilling in sections 8B and 18H, Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 2, Kern County, California on the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, and other sensitive species

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Farrell, T.P.; Sauls, M.L.

1982-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy proposes to drill exploratory wells on two sections, 8B and 18H, within Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 2 in western Kern County, California. The proposed sites are thought to provide habitat for the endangered San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard, as well as two sensitive species: the giant kangaroo rat and San Joaquin antelope ground squirrel. The objective was to assess the possible impacts of the exploratory drilling on these species and their essential habitats. Although 23 potential San Joaquin kit fox den sites were found during surveys of a total of 512 hamore » (1280 acres) surrounding both well sites, no burrows were closer than 30 m from proposed disturbance, and most were over 200 m away. Two blunt-nosed leopard lizards were observed on private land within 8B, one was observed on private land in 18H, and two were seen on DOE portions of 18H. No evidence of blunt-nosed leopard lizards was gathered in the immediate vicinity of either proposed well site. Although 5 ha of habitat will be disturbed, there is no evidence to indicate any of the species has burrows on-site that will be lost during land clearing. Loss of habitat will be mitigated during the cleanup and restoration phases when disturbed areas will be revegetated. Increased traffic, human activities, noise and ground vibration levels, as well as illumination throughout the night, may disturb the fauna. However, these species have adapted to intensive human disturbances on Elk Hills without obvious negative effects. The short duration of the project should allow any displaced animals to return to the sites after drilling ceases.« less

Honoring all those participating in a production of "The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later" in remembrance of Matthew Shepard.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7

2009-09-24

House - 01/04/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Twenty years of balloon-borne tropospheric aerosol measurements at Laramie, Wyoming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofmann, David J.

1993-01-01

The paper examines the tropospheric aerosol record obtained over the period 1971 to 1990, during which high-altitude balloons with optical particle counters were launched at Laramie, Wyoming, in a long-term study of the stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer. All aerosol particle size ranges display pronounced seasonal variations, with the condensation nuclei concentration and the optically active component showing a summer maximum throughout the troposphere. Mass estimates, assuming spherical sulfate particles, indicate an average column mass between altitudes of 2.5 and 10 km of about 4 and 16 mg/sq m in winter and summer, respectively. Calculated optical depths vary between 0.01 and 0.04 from winter to summer; the estimated mass scattering cross section is about 3 sq m/g throughout the troposphere. There is evidence for a decreasing trend of 1.6-1.8 percent/yr in the optically active tropospheric aerosol over the past 20 yr, which may be related to a similar reduction in SO2 emission in the U.S. over this period.

Origin and evolution of groundwater in the semi-arid Kerdous Inlier in the Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heiß, Laura; Bouchaou, Lhoussaine; Reichert, Barbara

2018-03-01

In the Kerdous Inlier, groundwater is the only source of drinking and irrigation water and sustainable management requires an understanding of the hydrogeological setting. In the lower Ait Mansour study site, the main aquifer is represented by a karstified and fractured sequence of Infra and Lower Cambrian carbonates. In the Ameln study site, fractured Neoproterozoic quartzites of the Jebel Lkest build the main aquifer. Isotopic signatures of groundwater indicated direct groundwater recharge in both study sites. In the Ait Mansour study site, isotopic composition implied recharge at high altitudes and groundwater flow in the SE direction. Two major flow paths were identified in the Ameln study site: a shallow and rapid movement until spring discharge at the hill slopes and another deeper one into the Ameln Valley. Hydrochemical facies at both study sites were of Ca-Mg-HCO3 type and derived from dolomite and plagioclase weathering. Increased NO3-, SO4^{2-}, and Cl- concentrations in groundwater indicated an anthropogenic influence.

Coastal aquifer groundwater dynamics and salt intrusion: Monitoring system of river Neretva delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srzić, Veljko; Vranješ, Mijo; Deković, Jure; Romić, Davor; Zovko, Monika; Milin, Marin

2017-04-01

River Neretva delta is located in southern part of Croatia and creates a complex surface- groundwater system influenced by tidal forces characteristic for Adriatic Sea and river Neretva whose discharge varies from 70 - 2700 m3/s over the year. From agricultural point of view, area is used widely for fruit production which implies existence and functionality of complex drainage system consisted of a net of lateral channels and pumping station plants with the capacity of app. 25 m3/s. Area of interest covers app 3500 ha and is bounded by river Neretva from North and Adriatic sea from West. Southern and eastern boundaries are dominantly karstic hills. Lover aquifer is confined with app depth of 65 m, made of fine gravel. Aquitard is a 15 m height layer of clay. Upper aquifer in unconfined with depth of app 10-20 m. Inside the area of interest there are 8 wells installed (each aquifer 4) measuring piezometric head on hourly/daily temporal scale. Sea level measurements are also made capturing for long term tidal oscillations. Discharge measurements are made few km downstream from hydropower plant Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), while three meteorological stations for rainfall measurements are located at the area boundaries. Salt water concentration, pH and resistivity values have been measured locally, app 6 times per year for last 10 years. Results imply confined aquifer is dominantly influenced by the sea level while tidal effects are noticed 9 km upstream the river Neretva with delay of 9-12 minutes compared to sea level. Salt water cline inside the river is related to tidal effects and river discharge, with potential presence at distances of more than 15 km upstream from the sea. Salt water intrusion dominantly occurs through confined aquifer while vertical transport of salt is supposed to be enhanced by the effects of drainage system.

Drinking-water quality and variations in water levels in the fractured crystalline-rock aquifer, west-central Jefferson County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, Dennis C.; Johnson, Carl J.

1979-01-01

In parts of Jefferson County, CO, water for domestic use from the fractured crystalline-rock aquifer contained excessive concentrations of major ions, coliform bacteria, trace elements, or radiochemicals. Based on results of analyses from 26 wells, water from 21 of the wells contained excessive concentrations of one or more constituents. Drinking water standards were exceeded for fluoride in water from 2 wells, nitrate plus nitrite in 2 wells, dissolved solids in 1 well, iron in 6 wells, manganese in 8 wells, zinc in 2 wells, coliform bacteria in 4 wells, gross alpha radiation in 11 wells and possibly 4 more, and gross beta radiation possibly in 1 well. Local variations in concentrations of 15 chemical constituents, specific conductance, and water temperature were statistically significant. Specific conductance increased significantly during 1973-75 only in the vicinity of Indian Hills. Annual range in depths to water in 11 observation wells varied from 1 to 15 feet. The shallowest water levels were recorded in late winter, usually in February. The deepest water levels occurred during summer or fall, depending on the well and the year. Three-year trends in water level changes in 6 of the 11 wells indicated decreasing water storage in the aquifer. (USGS).

Adult Education Research Conference Proceedings (28th, Laramie, Wyoming, May 21-23, 1987).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inkster, Robert P., Comp.

Selected authors and titles include: "Radical Adult Education" (Armstrong); "Learning Liberation: A Comparative Analysis of Feminist Consciousness Raising and Freire's Conscientization Method" (Butterwick); "The Aging Worker's Potential and Training Practices" (Chene); "The Interaction of Teaching Style and Learning Style on Traditional and…

Molecular dynamic simulations for FOX-7 and FOX-7 based PBXs.

PubMed

Wang, Junying; Jin, Shaohua; Chen, Shusen; Li, Lijie; Wang, Dongxu; Lu, Zhiyan; Wang, Na; Wang, Junfeng

2018-06-01

Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were applied to investigate the binding energies and mechanical properties of 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) based polymer bonded explosives (PBXs) with ethylenevinylacetate copolymer (EVA), fluorine (F2641), hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), and styrene butadiene styrene block copolymer (SBS). The binding energies between FOX-7 and the four polymer binders are different, of which the descending order is FOX-7/HTPB ≈ FOX-7/SBS > FOX-7/EVA > FOX-7/F2641. Furthermore, the (002) surface of FOX-7 has the strongest interaction with the four polymers. The mechanical properties (elastic moduli and Poisson's ratio) of pure FOX-7 and FOX-7 based PBXs were obtained. The results show that the descending order of the ability of polymer binders to improve plasticity of PBXs is SBS > F2641 > EVA > HTPB. The formability of FOX-7 based PBXs is better than that of pure FOX-7, as the order of FOX-7/SBS > FOX-7/EVA > FOX-7/F2641 > FOX-7/HTPB > FOX-7 shows. Poisson's ratio of SBS is the highest. The calculated detonation performances for pure FOX-7 and FOX-7 based PBXs show that the detonation properties of explosives slightly decreases when the mass ratio of binder is about 5%. All the theoretical detonation velocities of FOX-7 based PBXs are higher than 8500 m/s.

Mg Isotope Evolution During Water-Rock Interaction in a Carbonate Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Z.; Jacobson, A. D.; Lundstrom, C. C.; Huang, F.

2008-12-01

To better understand how Mg isotopes behave during weathering and aqueous transport, we used a Nu Plasma MC-ICP-MS to measure δ26Mg values (relative to DSM-3) in water samples along a 236 km flow path in the Madison aquifer of South Dakota, a confined carbonate aquifer recharging in the igneous Black Hills. We also analyzed local granite and dolomite samples to characterize the Mg isotope composition of source rocks constituting the recharge zone and aquifer, respectively. Repeated analyses of Mg standard solutions yielded external precisions (2σ) better than 0.1 permil for δ26Mg(CAM-1, - 2.584±0.071, n=13; UIMg-1, -2.217±0.087, n=9.). The Madison aquifer provides a unique opportunity to quantify Mg isotope effects during water-rock interaction because (1) fluids and rock have chemically equilibrated over a much longer timescale (up to ~15 kyr) than can be simulated in laboratory experiments and (2) previous studies have determined the rates and mass-balances of de- dolomitization and other geochemical reactions controlling solute evolution along the flow path. Reactions important for changing the concentration and isotope composition of Mg include dolomite dissolution, Mg-for- Na ion exchange, calcite precipitation, and isotope exchange. δ26Mg values within the recharge region (0-17 km along flow path) vary between -1.08 and -1.63 permil, and then remain essentially constant at -1.408±0.010 permil(1σ, 5 samples) from 17 to 189 km. A final sample at 236 km shows an increase to -1.09 permil. Either mixing between different recharge waters or rapid isotope exchange between infiltrating waters and dolomite could control δ26Mg variability between 0 and 17 km. Likewise, reactive transport modeling suggests that preferential uptake of 24Mg during Mg-for-Na ion exchange might cause an increase in δ26Mg between 189 and 236 km. However, unchanging δ26Mg values observed throughout most of the aquifer clearly demonstrate that Mg isotopes are not fractionated during reactive transport. This suggests that Mg isotopes can conservatively trace weathering inputs and groundwater flow in dolomite-rich aquifers.

Potential for formation of disinfection by-products from storage of chlorinated surface water in the Basalt aquifer near Fallon, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fram, Miranda S.; Maurer, Douglas K.; Lico, Michael S.

2005-01-01

Increased pumpage from a basalt aquifer near Fallon, Nevada, has caused its water levels to decline and has induced changes in the quality of water pumped from the basalt. The aquifer is the sole source of water for municipal supply to the city of Fallon, the Naval Air Station Fallon, and the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe. These changes may be mitigated by storage of surface water in the basalt for subsequent use. Because chlorination of the surface water may be required for storage, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, made laboratory tests using laboratory carbon-organic-free water, surface-water, ground-water, and basaltic-rock samples to determine the potential for formation of disinfection by-products. Experiments with water samples only (no rock and no chlorine) indicated no change in dissolved-organic-carbon (DOC) concentrations over a 20-day reaction period; whereas, all experiments using rock, water, and no chlorine indicated an increase in DOC concentrations. The greatest increase in DOC concentrations for all three water samples occurred in experiments with the rock samples from outcrops on Rattlesnake Hill. Experiments with water only and chlorine yielded a total trihalomethane (THM) concentration of 97.4 ?g/L for the ground-water sample and 347 ?g/L for the surface-water sample. Experiments with mixtures of water, rocks, and chlorine indicated that reactions with the rock consumed chlorine and released significant amounts of organic carbon from the rock, increasing the DOC concentration in the water. The organic carbon in the rocks likely is associated with the secondary clay minerals that line vesicles and fractures in the rocks. THM concentrations were greatest, from 335 to 909 ?g/L, for surface water equilibrated with rock samples from Rattlesnake Hill. However, the concentration of chlorine required to produce these high THM concentrations ranged from 18 to 84 mg/L. The results of the experiments suggest that the amount of organic carbon released from the rocks during successive cycles of recharge, storage, and recovery of chlorinated surface water may be relatively small. The chlorine demand of the rocks is so large that all of the free chlorine in the entire volume of recharged water likely would be consumed by only a very small volume of the aquifer surrounding an injection well, or beneath an infiltration bed. The majority of the volume of the aquifer filled by the stored water likely would never come in contact with free chlorine, and the increases in concentration of DOC observed in these experiments likely would occur in a very small volume of the stored water. For this reason, increases in concentration of THMs for the entire volume of water stored also likely would be considerably less than those measured in these experiments. To test this hypothesis, additional laboratory experiments using varying levels of chlorination, varying lengths of reaction periods, and repeated cycles of chlorination would be useful. A field experiment made at a small scale in an isolated part of the basalt aquifer would aid in the design of an operational system.

Introduction to Pesticides. MP-18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gale, Alvin F.

This document is one in a series distributed by the Agricultural Extension Service of the University of Wyoming-Laramie. It provides an introduction to pesticides and is concerned with pesticide development, labeling and safety associated with the use, storage and disposal of these substances and their containers. Safety aspects of handling and…

76 FR 14062 - Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-15

... Department, Human Remains Repository, Laramie, WY AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice..., and in the possession of the University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository... University of Wyoming, Anthropology Department, Human Remains Repository, professional staff in consultation...

15. Photographic copy of construction drawing, Trowbridge & Livingston, Architects, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

15. Photographic copy of construction drawing, Trowbridge & Livingston, Architects, New York, 22 August 1941 (original print located at F.E. Warren Air Force Base Archives, Cheyenne, Wyoming). BUILDING ELEVATIONS AND SECTIONS. - Fort David A. Russell, Red Cross Building, Third Street between Randall Avenue & Tenth Cavalry Avenue, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

An Analysis of the Impact of Ecological Variables on Burglary Rates in Terre Haute, Indiana

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-01

personality type on student attitude and achievement. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Temple University. Wilbourne , J. H., Valentine, L. D., & Ree...eminent criminologists. In February 1978 she was married to Joseph Dirk Rogers. She graduated from Laramie County Community College with an Associate of

Comparative studies on testicular and epididymal morphology, and serum hormone concentrations in foxes and the hybrids during the breeding season.

PubMed

Yang, T A; Yang, Y H; Peng, Y H; Cong, B; Diao, Y F; Bao, K; Hu, P F; Song, X C; Liu, L L; Yang, Y F; Xing, X M; Yang, F H

2016-05-01

The silver fox and the blue fox belong to different genera, and the hybrid males are fully or partially sterile. In the present study, the objective was to evaluate the causes of hybrid male sterility, and therefore analyze the differences in testicular, and epididymal morphology and serum hormone concentrations among silver foxes, blue foxes, and the hybrids during the breeding season. Samples were collected from 20 male silver foxes, 20 male blue foxes, 15 male HSBs (silver fox female × blue fox male hybrids) and 14 male HBSs (blue fox male × silver fox female hybrids), respectively. Seminal evaluation showed large numbers of sperm present in the semen of blue foxes and silver foxes, but no sperm present in the hybrids. Mean testicular volume and the diameter of seminiferous tubules in silver foxes and blue foxes were greater than in the hybrids; and there were many Sertoli cells, spermatogenic cells, and sperm in silver foxes and blue foxes, while spermatogenic cells decreased with no sperm in the hybrids. Mean serum LH and prolactin concentrations in silver foxes and blue foxes were less and testosterone was greater than in the hybrids (P<0.05). The results indicate that germ cell meioses in the hybrids were arrested at the prophase stage of meiosis, and that lesser concentrations of testosterone and greater concentrations of LH and prolactin can inhibit the completion of spermatogenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of Fox genes in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

PubMed

Song, JiangBo; Li, ZhiQuan; Tong, XiaoLing; Chen, Cong; Chen, Min; Meng, Gang; Chen, Peng; Li, ChunLin; Xin, YaQun; Gai, TingTing; Dai, FangYin; Lu, Cheng

2015-09-01

The forkhead box (Fox) transcription factor family has a characteristic of forkhead domain, a winged DNA-binding domain. The Fox genes have been classified into 23 subfamilies, designated FoxA to FoxS, of which the FoxR and FoxS subfamilies are specific to vertebrates. In this review, using whole-genome scanning, we identified 17 distinct Fox genes distributed on 13 chromosomes of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. A phylogenetic tree showed that the silkworm Fox genes could be classified into 13 subfamilies. The FoxK subfamily is specifically absent from the silkworm, although it is present in other lepidopteran insects, including Danaus plexippus and Heliconius melpomene. Microarray data revealed that the Fox genes have distinct expression patterns in the tissues on day 3 of the 5th instar larva. A Gene Ontology analysis suggested that the Fox genes have roles in cellular components, molecular functions, and biological processes, except in pore complex biogenesis. An analysis of the selective pressure on the proteins indicated that most of the amino acid sites in the Fox proteins are undergoing strong purifying selection. Here, we summarize the general characteristics of the Fox genes in the silkworm, which should support further functional studies of the silkworm Fox proteins.

Behavioral interactions of penned red and arctic foxes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rudzinski, D.R.; Graves, H.B.; Sargeant, A.B.; Storm, G.L.

1982-01-01

Expansion of the geographical distribution of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) into the far north tundra region may lead to competition between arctic (Alopex lagopus) and red foxes for space and resources. Behavioral interactions between red and arctic foxes were evaluated during 9 trials conducted in a 4.05-ha enclosure near Woodworth, North Dakota. Each trial consisted of introducing a male-female pair of arctic foxes into the enclosure and allowing them to acclimate for approximately a week before releasing a female red fox into the enclosure, followed by her mate a few days later. In 8 of 9 trials, red foxes were dominant over arctic foxes during encounters. Activity of the arctic foxes decreased upon addition of red foxes. Arctic foxes tried unsuccessfully to defend preferred den, resting, and feeding areas. Even though the outcome of competition between red and arctic foxes in the Arctic is uncertain, the more aggressive red fox can dominate arctic foxes in direct competition for den sites and other limited resources.

Geology and hydrology of the Onondaga aquifer in eastern Erie County, New York; with emphasis on ground-water-level declines since 1982

USGS Publications Warehouse

Staubitz, W.W.; Miller, Todd S.

1987-01-01

The Onondaga aquifer is a nearly flat-lying, 25- to 110-foot-thick, cherty limestone with moderately developed karst features such as sinkholes, disappearing streams, and solution-widened joints. Most groundwater moves through solution-widened bedding planes, although some moves through vertical joints. The yield of water from 42 wells ranges from 3 to 100 gal/min, averaging 20 gal/min. Groundwater levels in the Onondaga aquifer declined during the fall of 1981 and summer and fall of 1982-85, near a 2.2-mile-long and 800-foot-wide land surface depression in the eastern part of Erie County. More than 60 wells and several wetlands went dry and at least three sinkholes developed. Groundwater levels were measured in 150 wells during a high water level period in April 1984 and a low water period in October 1984. Water levels fluctuated 20 to 50 ft near the depression and near the quarries but fluctuated only 5 to 10 ft elsewhere. The water level decline was caused by the combined effect of groundwater removal by pumpage from a quarry (the water is then discharged to Dorsch Creek) and by the swallets in the 2.2-mile-long depression area, which are recharge points for the aquifer. In 1982, sinkholes formed in a surface depression area in Harris Hill. The enlargement of these sinkholes seems to be unrelated to the water level decline in the eastern part of the county and is probably caused by local drainage alterations. (Author 's abstract)

Differential coexpression of FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 in the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) song system.

PubMed

Mendoza, Ezequiel; Tokarev, Kirill; Düring, Daniel N; Retamosa, Eva Camarillo; Weiss, Michael; Arpenik, Nshdejan; Scharff, Constance

2015-06-15

Heterozygous disruptions of the Forkhead transcription factor FoxP2 impair acquisition of speech and language. Experimental downregulation in brain region Area X of the avian ortholog FoxP2 disrupts song learning in juvenile male zebra finches. In vitro, transcriptional activity of FoxP2 requires dimerization with itself or with paralogs FoxP1 and FoxP4. Whether this is the case in vivo is unknown. To provide the means for future functional studies we cloned FoxP4 from zebra finches and compared regional and cellular coexpression of FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 mRNA and protein in brains of juvenile and adult male zebra finches. In the telencephalic song nuclei HVC, RA, and Area X, the three investigated FoxPs were either expressed alone or occurred in specific combinations with each other, as shown by double in situ hybridization and triple immunohistochemistry. FoxP1 and FoxP4 but not FoxP2 were expressed in RA and in the HVCRA and HVCX projection neurons. In Area X and the surrounding striatum the density of neurons expressing all three FoxPs together or FoxP1 and FoxP4 together was significantly higher than the density of neurons expressing other combinations. Interestingly, the proportions of Area X neurons expressing particular combinations of FoxPs remained constant at all ages. In addition, FoxP-expressing neurons in adult Area X express dopamine receptors 1A, 1B, and 2. Together, these data provide the first evidence that Area X neurons can coexpress all avian FoxP subfamily members, thus allowing for a variety of regulatory possibilities via heterodimerization that could impact song behavior in zebra finches. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rapid diversification of FoxP2 in teleosts through gene duplication in the teleost-specific whole genome duplication event.

PubMed

Song, Xiaowei; Wang, Yajun; Tang, Yezhong

2013-01-01

As one of the most conserved genes in vertebrates, FoxP2 is widely involved in a number of important physiological and developmental processes. We systematically studied the evolutionary history and functional adaptations of FoxP2 in teleosts. The duplicated FoxP2 genes (FoxP2a and FoxP2b), which were identified in teleosts using synteny and paralogon analysis on genome databases of eight organisms, were probably generated in the teleost-specific whole genome duplication event. A credible classification with FoxP2, FoxP2a and FoxP2b in phylogenetic reconstructions confirmed the teleost-specific FoxP2 duplication. The unavailability of FoxP2b in Danio rerio suggests that the gene was deleted through nonfunctionalization of the redundant copy after the Otocephala-Euteleostei split. Heterogeneity in evolutionary rates among clusters consisting of FoxP2 in Sarcopterygii (Cluster 1), FoxP2a in Teleostei (Cluster 2) and FoxP2b in Teleostei (Cluster 3), particularly between Clusters 2 and 3, reveals asymmetric functional divergence after the gene duplication. Hierarchical cluster analyses of hydrophobicity profiles demonstrated significant structural divergence among the three clusters with verification of subsequent stepwise discriminant analysis, in which FoxP2 of Leucoraja erinacea and Lepisosteus oculatus were classified into Cluster 1, whereas FoxP2b of Salmo salar was grouped into Cluster 2 rather than Cluster 3. The simulated thermodynamic stability variations of the forkhead box domain (monomer and homodimer) showed remarkable divergence in FoxP2, FoxP2a and FoxP2b clusters. Relaxed purifying selection and positive Darwinian selection probably were complementary driving forces for the accelerated evolution of FoxP2 in ray-finned fishes, especially for the adaptive evolution of FoxP2a and FoxP2b in teleosts subsequent to the teleost-specific gene duplication.

Rapid Diversification of FoxP2 in Teleosts through Gene Duplication in the Teleost-Specific Whole Genome Duplication Event

PubMed Central

Song, Xiaowei; Wang, Yajun; Tang, Yezhong

2013-01-01

As one of the most conserved genes in vertebrates, FoxP2 is widely involved in a number of important physiological and developmental processes. We systematically studied the evolutionary history and functional adaptations of FoxP2 in teleosts. The duplicated FoxP2 genes (FoxP2a and FoxP2b), which were identified in teleosts using synteny and paralogon analysis on genome databases of eight organisms, were probably generated in the teleost-specific whole genome duplication event. A credible classification with FoxP2, FoxP2a and FoxP2b in phylogenetic reconstructions confirmed the teleost-specific FoxP2 duplication. The unavailability of FoxP2b in Danio rerio suggests that the gene was deleted through nonfunctionalization of the redundant copy after the Otocephala-Euteleostei split. Heterogeneity in evolutionary rates among clusters consisting of FoxP2 in Sarcopterygii (Cluster 1), FoxP2a in Teleostei (Cluster 2) and FoxP2b in Teleostei (Cluster 3), particularly between Clusters 2 and 3, reveals asymmetric functional divergence after the gene duplication. Hierarchical cluster analyses of hydrophobicity profiles demonstrated significant structural divergence among the three clusters with verification of subsequent stepwise discriminant analysis, in which FoxP2 of Leucoraja erinacea and Lepisosteus oculatus were classified into Cluster 1, whereas FoxP2b of Salmo salar was grouped into Cluster 2 rather than Cluster 3. The simulated thermodynamic stability variations of the forkhead box domain (monomer and homodimer) showed remarkable divergence in FoxP2, FoxP2a and FoxP2b clusters. Relaxed purifying selection and positive Darwinian selection probably were complementary driving forces for the accelerated evolution of FoxP2 in ray-finned fishes, especially for the adaptive evolution of FoxP2a and FoxP2b in teleosts subsequent to the teleost-specific gene duplication. PMID:24349554

Exclusion by interference competition? The relationship between red and arctic foxes.

PubMed

Tannerfeldt, Magnus; Elmhagen, Bodil; Angerbjörn, Anders

2002-07-01

The distribution of many predators may be limited by interactions with larger predator species. The arctic fox in mainland Europe is endangered, while the red fox is increasing its range in the north. It has been suggested that the southern distribution limit of the arctic fox is determined by interspecific competition with the red fox. This has been criticised, on the basis that the species co-exist on a regional scale. However, if the larger red fox is superior and interspecific competition important, the arctic fox should avoid close contact, especially during the breeding season. Consequently, the distribution of breeding dens for the two species would be segregated on a much smaller spatial and temporal scale, in areas where they are sympatric. We tested this hypothesis by analysing den use of reproducing arctic and red foxes over 9 years in Sweden. High quality dens were inhabited by reproducing arctic foxes more often when no red foxes bred in the vicinity. Furthermore, in two out of three cases when arctic foxes did reproduce near red foxes, juveniles were killed by red foxes. We also found that breeding arctic foxes occupied dens at higher altitudes than red foxes did. In a large-scale field experiment, red foxes were removed, but the results were not conclusive. However, we conclude that on the scale of individual territories, arctic foxes avoid areas with red foxes. Through interspecific interference competition, the red fox might thus be excluding the arctic fox from breeding in low altitude habitat, which is most important in years when food abundance is limited and competition is most fierce. With high altitude refuges being less suitable, even small-scale behavioural effects could scale up to significant effects at the population level.

Results of test drilling in the Basalt aquifer near Fallon, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maurer, Douglas K.

2002-01-01

Drilling of two test holes into the Fallon basalt aquifer commenced August 14, 2001. The basalt aquifer is located beneath the Carson Desert, near Fallon, Nevada, and is the sole source of drinking water for the City of Fallon, the Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, and the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe. Basalt comprising the aquifer is exposed at Rattlesnake Hill, an eroded volcanic cone, about 1 mile northeast of Fallon, and the remainder is buried beneath sediments deposited by the Carson River and ancient Lake Lahontan to depths of 600 feet near its edges (fig. 1). The basalt-aquifer system is a mushroom-shaped body of highly permeable volcanic rock. Viewed from above, the lateral extent of the basalt body is oval-shaped, about 4-miles wide and 10-miles long (fig. 1). Drilling was part of a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Bureau of Reclamation, and NAS Fallon. The study was started because of concern about the continued viability of the basalt-aquifer system as a source of municipal water supply. Increased pumping from about 1,700 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr) in the 1970?s to over 3,000 acre-ft/yr in the late 1990?s has caused water levels in the basalt to decline as much as 12 feet (fig. 2). During this same time period, water pumped from the aquifer at NAS Fallon and the City of Fallon wells showed that concentrations of dissolved chloride increased, although chloride concentrations were well within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) drinking-water standards; at this rate of increase, it would take decades to exceed the present standard (Maurer and Welch, 2001, p. 46). Concentrations of arsenic in the aquifer are about 0.1 milligrams per liter (mg/L), exceeding the drinking-water standard of 0.01 mg/L, but show no apparent change over time (Maurer and Welch, 2001, p. 10 and 48; U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2001). Increasing concentrations of chloride may be caused by increased pumping, that induces inflow of more saline water from aquifers surrounding or underlying the basalt, or from greater depths within the basalt itself. Prior to the drilling on August 14, 2001, few wells penetrated the basalt more than 70 feet below its upper surface (Maurer and Welch, 2001, p. 34). This prevented monitoring changes in water quality deeper in the aquifer that might be moving upward with continued pumping. Purposes of drilling were to fully penetrate the basalt, determine its hydrogeological character, the distribution of water quality in the basalt and in the underlying sedimentary aquifer, install monitoring wells.

Downregulation of Forkhead box F1 gene expression in the pulmonary vasculature of nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

PubMed

Zimmer, J; Takahashi, T; Hofmann, A D; Puri, Prem

2016-12-01

High mortality and morbidity in infants born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) are attributed to pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension (PH). Forkhead box (Fox) transcription factors are known to be crucial for cell proliferation and homeostasis. FoxF1 is essential for lung morphogenesis, vascular development, and endothelial proliferation. Mutations in FoxF1 and also the Fox family member FoxC2 have been identified in neonates with PH. In human and experimental models of arterial PH, the Fox protein FoxO1 was found to be downregulated. We hypothesized that Fox expression is altered in the lungs of the nitrofen-induced CDH rat model and investigated the expression of FoxF1, FoxC2, and FoxO1. Following ethical approval (Rec 913b), time-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received nitrofen or vehicle on gestational day (D9). Fetuses were sacrificed on D21, inspected for CDH and divided into CDH (n = 11) and control group (n = 11). Gene expression of FoxF1, FoxC2, and FoxO1 was evaluated with qRT-PCR. Detected alterations of mRNA levels were subsequently assessed on the protein level by performing western blot analysis and laser scanning confocal microscopy. The relative mRNA level of FoxF1 was significantly downregulated in CDH lungs compared to controls (FoxF1 CDH 1.047 ± 0.108, FoxF1 Ctrl 1.419 ± 0.01, p = 0.014). Relative mRNA levels of FoxC2 and FoxO1 were not found to be altered between the experimental groups (FoxC2 CDH 30.74 ± 8.925, FoxC2 Ctrl 27.408 ± 7.487, p = 0.776; FoxO1 CDH 0.011 ± 0.002, FoxO1 Ctrl 0.011 ± 0.001, p = 0.809). On the protein level, western blotting demonstrated a reduced pulmonary protein expression of FoxF1 in CDH lungs. Confocal microscopy showed a markedly diminished expression of FoxF1 in the pulmonary vasculature of CDH lungs compared to controls. Our study demonstrates a strikingly reduced expression of FoxF1 in the pulmonary vasculature of nitrofen-induced CDH. Altered FoxF1 gene expression during embryogenesis may participate in vascular maldevelopment resulting in PH in this animal model.

Effects of roadside habitat and fox density on a snow track survey for foxes in Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanley, Thomas R.; Bart, Jonathan

1991-01-01

Many methods have been used to survey red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and gray fox (Urocyon dnereoargenteus) populations. However, none has proven entirely satisfactory, and wild foxes remain one of the most difficult economically important wildlife species to monitor. In this study we evaluated the reliability of a snow track survey method for foxes by investigating whether the average number of road crossings per fox is influenced by changes in roadside habitat or changes in fox density. Several snow track surveys were conducted in two Ohio counties during January and February, 1984. Data on roadside habitat, relative fox densities, and fox crossings were collected. Results suggested that changes in roadside habitat could influence the average number of crossings per fox and, therefore, changes in the index could occur independent of actual population changes. We found no evidence that crossings per fox varied with fox density, but further research is needed to substantiate this finding.

Stratigraphy of the Hanna Basin, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowen, C.F.

1918-01-01

Carbon County, Wyo., has attracted the attention of geologists since the days of the territorial surveys under King, Hayden, and Powell. During this earlier work all the rocks (except the North Park formation) over-lying the uppermost beds of marine origin were grouped in a single formation, for which the name Laramie was proposed.

Cheyenne-Laramie County Economic Development Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-01

Industry SIC 2879 4. Cosmetics and Toilet Preparations Industry SIC 2844 5. Electronic Connectors Industry SIC 3678 6. Mineral Wool Industry SIC 3296...five primary target-industries selected are: Soap and Other Detergents, Toilet Preparations, Agricultural Chemicals, Mineral Wool , and Electronic...Cheyenne include: -- soap and other detergents -- toilet preparation -- agricultural chemicals -- mineral wool -- electronic connectors * downtown

Weed Science and Technology. MP-17.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alley, Harold P.; Lee, Gary A.

This document is one in a series distributed by the Agricultural Extension Service of the University of Wyoming-Laramie. It presents the principles and methods of weed control especially as it relates to the use of herbicides. The factors influencing the effectiveness of both foliar-applied and soil-applied herbicides are discussed. A listing of…

14. Photographic copy of construction drawing, Trowbridge & Livingston, Architects, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. Photographic copy of construction drawing, Trowbridge & Livingston, Architects, New York, 22 August 1941 (original print located at F.E. Warren Air Force Base Archives, Cheyenne, Wyoming). FIRST FLOOR PLAN AND CELLAR PLAN. - Fort David A. Russell, Red Cross Building, Third Street between Randall Avenue & Tenth Cavalry Avenue, Cheyenne, Laramie County, WY

Laramie in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagan, Eve

2011-01-01

No matter how disturbing, it is common to hear "that's so gay" or "you're such a fag" echoing through the halls of a high school, but when the high school is an international school in Uganda, those words have a newfound potency. As an American teacher working abroad, the author often struggled over her responsibility for the…

Sequence comparison of prefrontal cortical brain transcriptome from a tame and an aggressive silver fox (Vulpes vulpes).

PubMed

Kukekova, Anna V; Johnson, Jennifer L; Teiling, Clotilde; Li, Lewyn; Oskina, Irina N; Kharlamova, Anastasiya V; Gulevich, Rimma G; Padte, Ravee; Dubreuil, Michael M; Vladimirova, Anastasiya V; Shepeleva, Darya V; Shikhevich, Svetlana G; Sun, Qi; Ponnala, Lalit; Temnykh, Svetlana V; Trut, Lyudmila N; Acland, Gregory M

2011-10-03

Two strains of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes), with markedly different behavioral phenotypes, have been developed by long-term selection for behavior. Foxes from the tame strain exhibit friendly behavior towards humans, paralleling the sociability of canine puppies, whereas foxes from the aggressive strain are defensive and exhibit aggression to humans. To understand the genetic differences underlying these behavioral phenotypes fox-specific genomic resources are needed. cDNA from mRNA from pre-frontal cortex of a tame and an aggressive fox was sequenced using the Roche 454 FLX Titanium platform (> 2.5 million reads & 0.9 Gbase of tame fox sequence; >3.3 million reads & 1.2 Gbase of aggressive fox sequence). Over 80% of the fox reads were assembled into contigs. Mapping fox reads against the fox transcriptome assembly and the dog genome identified over 30,000 high confidence fox-specific SNPs. Fox transcripts for approximately 14,000 genes were identified using SwissProt and the dog RefSeq databases. An at least 2-fold expression difference between the two samples (p < 0.05) was observed for 335 genes, fewer than 3% of the total number of genes identified in the fox transcriptome. Transcriptome sequencing significantly expanded genomic resources available for the fox, a species without a sequenced genome. In a very cost efficient manner this yielded a large number of fox-specific SNP markers for genetic studies and provided significant insights into the gene expression profile of the fox pre-frontal cortex; expression differences between the two fox samples; and a catalogue of potentially important gene-specific sequence variants. This result demonstrates the utility of this approach for developing genomic resources in species with limited genomic information.

Sequence comparison of prefrontal cortical brain transcriptome from a tame and an aggressive silver fox (Vulpes vulpes)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Two strains of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes), with markedly different behavioral phenotypes, have been developed by long-term selection for behavior. Foxes from the tame strain exhibit friendly behavior towards humans, paralleling the sociability of canine puppies, whereas foxes from the aggressive strain are defensive and exhibit aggression to humans. To understand the genetic differences underlying these behavioral phenotypes fox-specific genomic resources are needed. Results cDNA from mRNA from pre-frontal cortex of a tame and an aggressive fox was sequenced using the Roche 454 FLX Titanium platform (> 2.5 million reads & 0.9 Gbase of tame fox sequence; >3.3 million reads & 1.2 Gbase of aggressive fox sequence). Over 80% of the fox reads were assembled into contigs. Mapping fox reads against the fox transcriptome assembly and the dog genome identified over 30,000 high confidence fox-specific SNPs. Fox transcripts for approximately 14,000 genes were identified using SwissProt and the dog RefSeq databases. An at least 2-fold expression difference between the two samples (p < 0.05) was observed for 335 genes, fewer than 3% of the total number of genes identified in the fox transcriptome. Conclusions Transcriptome sequencing significantly expanded genomic resources available for the fox, a species without a sequenced genome. In a very cost efficient manner this yielded a large number of fox-specific SNP markers for genetic studies and provided significant insights into the gene expression profile of the fox pre-frontal cortex; expression differences between the two fox samples; and a catalogue of potentially important gene-specific sequence variants. This result demonstrates the utility of this approach for developing genomic resources in species with limited genomic information. PMID:21967120

78 FR 10631 - List of Allottees or Heirs Determined To Receive Monetary Compensation Under the White Earth...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-14

... Edsel None F534080891 A1F22 Estey, Denise Claire Bond None F534080891 A1F21 Fox, James None F534081226 A1A Fox, James None F534081226 A3 Fox, James None F534081226 A11A1 Fox, James None F534081226 A6A1 Fox, James None F534081226 A4A Fox, James None F534081226 A1B1 Fox, James None F534081226 A11A2A Fox, James...

Identification and analysis of evolutionary selection pressures acting at the molecular level in five forkhead subfamilies.

PubMed

Fetterman, Christina D; Rannala, Bruce; Walter, Michael A

2008-09-24

Members of the forkhead gene family act as transcription regulators in biological processes including development and metabolism. The evolution of forkhead genes has not been widely examined and selection pressures at the molecular level influencing subfamily evolution and differentiation have not been explored. Here, in silico methods were used to examine selection pressures acting on the coding sequence of five multi-species FOX protein subfamily clusters; FoxA, FoxD, FoxI, FoxO and FoxP. Application of site models, which estimate overall selection pressures on individual codons throughout the phylogeny, showed that the amino acid changes observed were either neutral or under negative selection. Branch-site models, which allow estimated selection pressures along specified lineages to vary as compared to the remaining phylogeny, identified positive selection along branches leading to the FoxA3 and Protostomia clades in the FoxA cluster and the branch leading to the FoxO3 clade in the FoxO cluster. Residues that may differentiate paralogs were identified in the FoxA and FoxO clusters and residues that differentiate orthologs were identified in the FoxA cluster. Neutral amino acid changes were identified in the forkhead domain of the FoxA, FoxD and FoxP clusters while positive selection was identified in the forkhead domain of the Protostomia lineage of the FoxA cluster. A series of residues under strong negative selection adjacent to the N- and C-termini of the forkhead domain were identified in all clusters analyzed suggesting a new method for refinement of domain boundaries. Extrapolation of domains among cluster members in conjunction with selection pressure information allowed prediction of residue function in the FoxA, FoxO and FoxP clusters and exclusion of known domain function in residues of the FoxA and FoxI clusters. Consideration of selection pressures observed in conjunction with known functional information allowed prediction of residue function and refinement of domain boundaries. Identification of residues that differentiate orthologs and paralogs provided insight into the development and functional consequences of paralogs and forkhead subfamily composition differences among species. Overall we found that after gene duplication of forkhead family members, rapid differentiation and subsequent fixation of amino acid changes through negative selection has occurred.

Cancer incidence and pattern of arsenic concentration in drinking water wells in Córdoba, Argentina.

PubMed

Aballay, Laura Rosana; Díaz, María del Pilar; Francisca, Franco Matías; Muñoz, Sonia Edith

2012-01-01

Cancer occurrence is associated with Arsenic (As) in drinking water. In Argentina, there are high As concentrations in groundwater but there is no published evidence yet of an association between geographic patterns of cancer incidence and the distribution of As in groundwater supplies. The purpose of this study is to assess the association between cancer incidence patterns and As in Córdoba province's aquifers. Age standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) were obtained from Córdoba Cancer Registry (CCR), and As data from official reports of monitoring wells. A multilevel model was applied. Total ASIRs by aquifers for males/females were 191.01/249.22 (Rioja plain); 215.03/225.37 (Pampa hills); and 239.42/188.93 (Chaco-Pampa plain). As was associated with increased risk of colon cancer in women, and lung and bladder cancers in both sexes. It had no association with breast cancer. ASIRs were related to As, controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. An overlapping pattern of higher As and higher risks was evident for lung, bladder and female colon cancers.

Mechanisms Controlling Variability of Lake Salinity in Dune Environments in a Semi-arid Climate: The Nebraska Sand Hills (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zlotnik, V. A.; Ong, J. T.; Swinehart, J. B.; Fritz, S. C.; Lenters, J. D.; Schmieder, J. U.; Lane, J. W.; Halihan, T.

2010-12-01

Shallow endorheic saline lakes are common in semi-arid environments in North America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. These lakes receive minimal surface runoff and are supported by groundwater seepage. A combination of hydrologic and geologic factors (regional groundwater flow, evaporation, precipitation, lake size, groundwater recharge, and geologic setting) may preclude seepage out of these lakes, even in the presence of ambient regional flow. Solutes from groundwater are captured by these lakes and become enriched over time by evaporation. The importance of understanding lake dynamics in these arid and semi-arid systems is increasing with societal concerns, including water availability and quality, the use of aquatic ecosystems by waterfowl and other biota, and dangers of dust emissions associated with lake desiccation. We consider the salinity of shallow lakes as a useful indicator of hydroclimatic factors operating at centennial and millennial scales. The Nebraska Sand Hills cover 58 000 km2 of the central Great Plains and are the largest dunefield in the Western Hemisphere. The grass-stabilized dunes attain heights up to 130 m and have been modified by soil development and erosion. In an area <7000 km2, there are ~400 lakes with surface areas >4 ha and depths <1 m. Annual lake evaporation exceeds precipitation by 600 mm, according to some estimates. The salinity of natural lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills ranges from fresh (~0.3 g L-1) to hypersaline (>100 g L-1), with pH values as high as ~10. We assess the mechanisms that control lake salinity in a group of lakes with different subsurface flow regimes. Our methods combine aquifer coring, electromagnetic and electrical resistivity tomography geophysics, hydraulic testing, lakebed dating using 14C and optically stimulated luminescence, energy and water balance analysis, and salt crust and dust collection. Our theory and results show that terrain and water-table topography, lithology, and climate control the lake-aquifer solute exchanges. This study also brings attention to an underappreciated mechanism in the area, namely eolian deflation, which has not been quantified previously. An interaction of hydraulic and eolian mechanisms controls lake salinity, which may strongly depend on the sequence of arid and pluvial episodes.

A phylogenetic analysis of basal metabolism, total evaporative water loss, and life-history among foxes from desert and mesic regions.

PubMed

Williams, J B; Muñoz-Garcia, A; Ostrowski, S; Tieleman, B I

2004-01-01

We measured basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total evaporative water loss (TEWL) of species of foxes that exist on the Arabian Peninsula, Blanford's fox (Vulpes cana) and two subspecies of Red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Combining these data with that on other canids from the literature, we searched for specialization of physiological traits among desert foxes using both conventional least squares regression and regressions based on phylogenetic independent contrasts. Further, we explored the consequences of reduced body size of foxes on life history parameters such as litter size and neonate mass. For Blanford's foxes, Red foxes from the central desert of Arabia, and Red foxes from the more mesic Asir mountains, body mass averaged 1,285 +/- 52 g, 1,967 +/- 289 g, and 3,060 +/- 482 g, respectively, whereas mean BMR, during summer, was 304.5 +/- 32.3 kJ/day, 418.0 +/- 32.4 kJ/day, and 724.1 +/- 120.2 kJ/day (+/- SD). An analysis of covariance with body mass as a covariate showed no statistical differences in BMR among foxes. Analysis of covariance indicated that Red fox from the Asir mountains had a higher TEWL than Red foxes from central Arabia or than Blanford's foxes also from the mountains. Comparisons of all species of desert and mesic foxes showed no significant differences in BMR, nor did desert foxes have a significantly lower BMR than other carnivores. TEWL of desert foxes was lower than other more mesic carnivores; deviations in TEWL ranged from -17.7% for the Fennec fox (Fennecus zerda) to -57.4% for the Kit fox (Vulpes velox). Although desert foxes have a BMR comparable to other more mesic species, it appears that desert foxes do have a smaller body mass, lowering overall energy requirements. We attribute this reduction in body size to the "resource limitation hypothesis" whereby natural selection favors smaller individuals in a resource-limited environment, especially during periods of severe food shortage. However, until common garden experiments are performed, developmental plasticity and acclimation cannot be ruled out as contributors to this pattern.

Origin, distribution and glaciological implications of Jurassic high heat production granites in the Weddell Sea rift, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leat, Phil T.; Jordan, Tom A. R. M.; Ferraccioli, Fausto; Flowerdew, Michael; R, Riley, Teal; Vaughan, Alan P. M.; Whitehouse, Martin

2013-04-01

The distribution of heat flow in Antarctic continental crust is critical to understanding ice sheet nucleation, growth and basal rheology and hydrology. We identify a group of High Heat Production granites intruded into Palaeozoic sedimentary sequences which may contribute to locally high heat flow beneath the central part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Four of the granite plutons are exposed above ice sheet level at Pagano Nunatak, Pirrit Hills, Nash Hills and Whitmore Mountains. A new U-Pb zircon age from Pirrit Hills of 177.9 ± 2.3 Ma confirms earlier Rb-Sr dating that suggested an Early-Middle Jurassic age for the granites, coincident with the Karoo-Ferrar large igneous province and the first stage of Gondwana break-up. Our recently-acquired aerogeophysical data indicate that the plutons are distributed unevenly over 1000 km2 and were intruded into the actively extending, locally transcurrent, Jurassic Weddell Sea Rift [1]. In the NW part of the rift, the Pirrit Hills, Nash Hills and Whitmore Mountains granites form small isolated intrusions within weakly deformed upper crust. In the SE part of the rift, where granite intrusion was strongly structurally controlled within transtensional structures, the Pagano Nunatak granite is the only outcrop of a probably multiphase, ca 180 km long granite intrusion. The granites are weakly peraluminous, S-type and have Th and U abundances up to 61 and 19 ppm respectively. Heat production of analysed granite samples is ca. 2.9-9.1 µWm-3, toward the upper limit of values for High Heat Production granites globally. The granites are thought to have been generated during mafic underplating of the Weddell Rift during eruption of the contemporaneous Karoo-Ferrar magmatism [2]. The high Th and U abundances may be related to fractionation of the high Th-U Ferrar basaltic magmas combined with assimilation of pelitic sedimentary rocks. The granites correspond to an area of West Antarctica that may have heat flow significantly above the Antarctic average, as predicted from satellite magnetic data [3]. [1] Jordan, T.A., et al., Inland extent of the Weddell Sea Rift imaged by new aerogeophysical data, Tectonophysics (2012), 10.1016/j.tecto.2012.09.010 [2] Storey, B.C., et al., Middle Jurassic within-plate granites in West Antarctica and their bearing on the break-up of Gondwanaland. J. Geol. Soc. Lond, (1988), 145, 999-1007. [3] Fox Maule, C., et al., Heat flux anomalies in Antarctica revealed by satellite magnetic data. Science (2005), 10.1126/science.1106888

Human-behavioral and paleoecological implications of terminal Pleistocene fox remains at the Marmes Site (45FR50), eastern Washington state, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyman, R. Lee

2012-05-01

Examination of terminal Pleistocene-age fox remains from the Marmes archaeological site in southeastern Washington State (USA) reveals that a previous identification of one specimen as arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) was incorrect. Of nearly four-dozen associated specimens, eleven, including the one originally identified as arctic fox, represent red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Cut-marked fox bones and associated stone artifacts and eyed bone needles suggest several foxes were butchered and perhaps hides sewn together. The modern environmental setting of the Marmes site is too warm for modern red fox; the prehistoric red fox remains suggest (summer) climate was cooler when those remains were deposited.

Analysis of lamprey clustered Fox genes: insight into Fox gene evolution and expression in vertebrates.

PubMed

Wotton, Karl R; Shimeld, Sebastian M

2011-12-01

In the human genome, members of the FoxC, FoxF, FoxL1, and FoxQ1 gene families are found in two paralagous clusters. One cluster contains the genes FOXQ1, FOXF2, FOXC1 and the second consists of FOXF1, FOXC2, and FOXL1. In jawed vertebrates these genes are known to be expressed in different pharyngeal tissues and all, except FoxQ1, are involved in patterning the early embryonic mesoderm. We have previously traced the evolution of this cluster in the bony vertebrates, and the gene content is identical in the dogfish, a member of the most basally branching lineage of the jawed vertebrates. Here we extend these analyses to jawless vertebrates. Using genomic searches and molecular approaches we have identified homologues of these genes from lampreys. We identify two FoxC genes, two FoxF genes, two FoxQ1 genes and single FoxL1 gene. We examine the embryonic expression of one predominantly mesodermally expressed gene family, FoxC, and the endodermally expressed member of the cluster, FoxQ1. We identified FoxQ1 transcripts in the pharyngeal endoderm, while the two FoxC genes are differentially expressed in the pharyngeal mesenchyme and ectoderm. Furthermore we identify conserved expression of lamprey FoxC genes in the paraxial and intermediate mesoderms. We interpret our results through a chordate-wide comparison of expression patterns and discuss gene content in the context of theories on the evolution of the vertebrate genome. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural Control and Groundwater Flow in the Nubian Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathy, K.; Sultan, M.; Ahmed, M.; Save, H.; Emil, M. K.; Elkaliouby, B.

2017-12-01

An integrated research approach (remote sensing, field, geophysics) was conducted to investigate the structural control on groundwater flow in large aquifers using the less studied Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) of NE Africa as a test site. The aquifer extends over 2.2 x 106 km2 in Egypt, Libya, Chad, and Sudan and consists of thick (> 3 kms), water-bearing, Paleozoic and Mesozoic sandstone with intercalations of Tertiary shale and clay. It is subdivided into three sub-basins (Northern Sudan Platform [NSP], Dakhla [DAS], and Kufra) that are separated by basement uplifts (e.g., E-W trending Uweinat-Aswan uplift that separates DAS from the NSP). Aquifer recharge occurs in the south (NSP and southern Kufra) where the aquifer is unconfined and precipitation is high (Average Annual Precipitation [AAP]: 117 mm/yr.) and discharge is concentrated in the north (DAS and northern Kufra). Our approach is a three-fold exercise. Firstly, we compared GOCE-based Global Geopotential Models (GGMs) to terrestrial gravity anomalies for 21262 sites to select the optimum model for deriving Bouguer gravity anomalies. Secondly, structures and uplifts were mapped using hill shade images and their extension in the subsurface were mapped using the Eigen_6C4 model-derived Bouguer anomalies and their Tilt Derivative products (TDR). Thirdly, hydrological analysis was conducted using GRACE CSR 1° x 1° mascon solutions to investigate the mass variations in relation to the mapped structures. Our findings include: (1) The Eigen-6C4 is the optimum model having the lowest deviation (9.122 mGal) from the terrestrial gravity anomalies; (2) the surface expressions of structures matched fairly well with their postulated extensions in the subsurface; (3) identified fault systems include: Red Sea rift-related N-S to NW-SE trending grabens formed by reactivating basement structures during Red Sea opening and Syrian arc-related NE-SW trending dextral shear systems; (4) TWS patterns are uniform throughout the length (hundreds of kilometers) of the identified shear systems but are dissimilar from those extracted in areas proximal to, but outside of, the shear zones; and (5) basement uplifts impede or redirect the groundwater flow.

Groundwater infiltration from alluvial aquifer into karstic aquifer - case study of recharge from river I\\vska to Ižica karstic springs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meglič, P.; Brenčič, M.

2012-04-01

River I\\vska and Ižica karstic springs are situated in the central part of Slovenia (approximately 20 km south from city Ljubljana) on southern edge of Barje, a tectonic depression field with mostly Holocene and Pleistocene lacustrine and rivers' sediments. Barje is surrounded with hills, which on the southern part consists mostly of Triassic dolomite and Jurassic limestone as well as the basement of Barje in this area. Recharge area of I\\vska River and Ižica karstic springs is covering around 102 km2 of the southern hilly edge of Barje. I\\vska River is a torrent with springs on Blo\\vska planota and flows towards Barje to the north. River formed deep narrow valley that slightly opens at the beginning of I\\vski Vintgar, where flows on a shallow gravel river bed deposited on karstic aquifer. The valley opens on Ljubljansko Barje at village I\\vska vas. Ižica karstic springs are situated on the contact of karst aquifer and Barje intergranular aquifer east of I\\vska valley. After a big flood event on 18th of September 2010 I\\vska River disappeared in the karstic fissures on the river bottom, near bridge in I\\vska village. One day later infiltration point moved 1070 meters upstream. This extreme event caused around 40% higher base flow discharge of Ižica River and total disappearance of I\\vska River for a few days. The analyzed discharge data in the year 2010 of the I\\vska and Ižica River, gave a new understanding of the discharge of I\\vska River and groundwater flow in the area. Before this extreme event discharge of the I\\vska River was measured at different profiles in the channel and reduction of discharge was observed along the course indicating that I\\vska recharges Ižica springs. Analyses presented were performed in the frame of INCOME project and are aimed to improve understanding of hydrogeological conditions in the catchment area of Barje aquifer which is exploited for the public water supply of Ljubljana.

78 FR 2387 - Combined Notice of Filings #1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-11

...: 20121228-5259. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/18/13. Docket Numbers: EC13-56-000. Applicants: Fox Energy Company, LLC, Fox Energy OP, L.P., Fox River Power, LLC, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation. Description: Section 203 Application of Fox Energy Company, LLC, Fox Energy OP, L.P, Fox River Power, LLC, and...

Spatial relations between sympatric coyotes and red foxes in North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sargeant, A.B.; Allen, S.H.; Hastings, J.O.

1987-01-01

Spatial relations between coyotes (Canis latrans) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on a 360-km2 area in North Dakota were studied during 1977-78. Coyote families occupied large (mean = 61.2 km2), relatively exclusive territories that encompassed about one-half of the study area. Fox families occupied much smaller (mean = 11.9 km2), relatively exclusive, territories that overlapped perimeters of coyote territories and/or encompassed area unoccupied by coyotes. No fox family lived totally within a coyote territory, but 3 fox families lived within the 153.6-km2 home range of an unattached yearling male coyote. Both coyotes and foxes, from families with overlapping territories, tended to use their overlap areas less than was expected by amount of overlap. Encounters between radio-equipped coyotes and foxes from families with overlapping territories occurred less often than was expected by chance. Foxes living near coyotes exhibited considerable tenacity to their territories, and no monitored fox was killed by coyotes during 2,518 fox-days of radio surveillance. A hypothesis for coyote-induced fox population declines, based largely on fox avoidance mechanisms, is presented.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection diagnosed by PCR in farmed red foxes, arctic foxes and raccoon dogs.

PubMed

Górecki, Marcin Tadeusz; Galbas, Mariola; Szwed, Katarzyna; Przysiecki, Piotr; Dullin, Piotr; Nowicki, Sławomir

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare Toxoplasma gondii infection in three canid species: red fox Vulpes vulpes, arctic fox Vulpes lagopus and raccoon dog Nyctereutesprocyonoides kept at the same farm. Anal swabs were taken from 24 adult and 10 juvenile red foxes, 12 adult arctic foxes, three adult and seven juvenile raccoon dogs. Additionally, muscle samples were taken from 10 juvenile red foxes. PCR was used to detect T. gondii DNA. T. gondii infection was not detected in any of the arctic foxes; 60% ofraccoon dogs were infected; the prevalence of the parasite in material from red fox swabs was intermediate between the prevalence observed in arctic foxes and raccoon dogs. It is possible that susceptibility and immune response to the parasite differ between the three investigated canid species. T. gondii DNA was detected in muscle tissue of five young foxes. The results of this study suggest that T. gondii infection is not rare in farmed canids.

Comparative nutrient digestibility of arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) on Svalbard and farm-raised blue foxes (Alopex lagopus).

PubMed

Ahlstrøm, Øystein; Fuglei, Eva; Mydland, Liv Torunn

2003-01-01

Arctic foxes from Svalbard (n=4) and farmed blue foxes (n=4) was used in a digestibility experiment with a high-carbohydrate feed to add more information to the nutritional physiology of the arctic fox, and to compare its digestive capacity with that of the farmed blue fox. The arctic fox has a diet containing mainly protein and fat from mammals and birds, while farmed blue foxes have been exposed to an omnivorous dietary regime for more than 80 generations. The experiment showed in general no difference in digestive capacity for protein and fat between the foxes (P>0.05), but for carbohydrates, including starch and glucose, the blue fox revealed higher digestibility values. The superior digestive capacity for carbohydrates in blue fox might be a result of a long-term selection of animals digesting dietary carbohydrates more efficiently, or that an early age exposition to dietary carbohydrates has given permanent improvement of the carbohydrate digestion in the gut.

Integrated characterization of groundwater contamination in an alluvial system. Case study of Allier alluvial aquifer (Massif Central, France).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, Nabaz; Celle-Jeanton, Hélène; Batisson, Isabelle; Bardot, Corinne; Colombet, Jonathan; Huneau, Frédéric; Le Coustumer, Philippe; Clauzet, Marie-Laure; Lavastre, Véronique

2013-04-01

Hydrogeology is an intrinsically multi-disciplinary field because of the critical role water plays in both human health and natural ecosystems. The NAA (Nappe Alluviale de l'Allier) project proposes an integrated research (hydrodynamic, hydrochemistry and biology) on the shallow aquifer of the Allier River (one of the main tributaries of the Loire River). This aquifer plays an important role in the regional water supply for it represents more than 60% of the total water abstraction. As an example, the sampling site, located near the city of Clermont-Ferrand (France) constitutes the major source of drinking water supply for more than 100 000 inhabitants and then plays a major role on the local socio-economy. A biweekly following sampling, that concerns hydrodynamical parameters, major ions and isotopes (oxygen-18, deuterium and carbon-13), has been achieved during two years on 2 rivers, 1 pond, 2 springs and 17 boreholes with the aim of defining the functioning of the aquifer in terms of quality and quantity of the water resources and then on the main processes that governs hydrodynamic and hydrochemistry. Preliminary results allowed discriminating different origins of groundwater with a part due to surface waters/groundwater interactions and a secondary origin that implies water circulating from the surrounding hills. A monthly following sampling of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and traces ions provides information on contaminants sources. In parallel, the dynamics of the microbial communities (bacteria, pico-cyanobacteria and pico-eukaryotes) was followed by flow cytometer. The bacterial diversity has been measured through PCR-DGGE analysis in order to evaluate the impact of the occurrence of contaminants.

Late Quaternary Uplift Rates and Geomorphology of the Santa Fe Springs and West Coyote Folds, Los Angeles Basin, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundermann, S. T.; Mueller, K. J.

2001-12-01

We mapped Quaternary aquifers with water wells and 5 m DEM's from IFSAR to define rates of folding along the Puente Hills blind thrust system. A cross section across Santa Fe Springs along Carfax Ave suggests 100 and 165 m of uplift of the 330 ka Gage and 650 ka Lynwood aquifers, yielding uplift rates of 0.2 mm/yr between 330-650 ka and 0.27 mm/yr beween 0-330 ka. For a 27° thrust, this yields a slip rate of 0.44 - 0.59 mm/yr. Surface folding is discernable across the Santa Fe Springs segment in the DEM, to a point 4 km west of the San Gabriel River. Aquifers correlated with reflectors in a USGS seismic profile along Carfax suggests lower relief for the Lynwood (85 m) and the Gage (59 m). We suggest the 1 km-long USGS profile images only part of the fold limb and that additional structural relief is accommodated further north, as defined by our subsurface mapping. Correlation of a shallow reflector in the seismic profile with the 15-20 ka Gaspur aquifer suggests Holocene uplift of 1.0 mm/yr. A similar analysis undertaken for the Coyote fold near Trojan Ave. suggests 85 and 229 m of uplift for the Gage and Lynwood, yielding uplift rates of 0.26 mm/yr between 0-330 ka and 0.45 mm/yr between 330-650 ka. Correlation of the Gage with a reflector on another USGS seismic profile along Trojan suggests equivalent uplift (86 m), indicating the profile images the entire width of the Coyote forelimb at this site.

SCP4 Promotes gluconeogenesis through Fox01/3a dephosphorylation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

FoxO1 and FoxO3a (collectively FoxO1/3a) proteins regulate a wide array of cellular processes, including hepatic gluconeogenesis. Phosphorylation of FoxO1/3a is a key event that determines its subcellular location and transcriptional activity. During glucose synthesis, the activity of FoxO1/3a is ne...

The ins and outs of FoxO shuttling: mechanisms of FoxO translocation and transcriptional regulation.

PubMed Central

Van Der Heide, Lars P; Hoekman, Marco F M; Smidt, Marten P

2004-01-01

FoxO (forkhead box O; forkhead members of the O class) are transcription factors that function under the control of insulin/insulin-like signalling. FoxO factors have been associated with a multitude of biological processes, including cell-cycle, cell death, DNA repair, metabolism and protection from oxidative stress. Central to the regulation of FoxO factors is a shuttling system, which confines FoxO factors to either the nucleus or the cytosol. Shuttling of FoxO requires protein phosphorylation within several domains, and association with 14-3-3 proteins and the nuclear transport machinery. Description of the FoxO-shuttling mechanism contributes to the understanding of FoxO function in relation to signalling and gene regulation. PMID:15005655

Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) ecology and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howell, Judd A.

1997-01-01

The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is a petite member of the family Canidae in the order Carnivora with a long muzzle and pointed ears (Samuel and Nelson 1982). The coat of the gray fox is silver gray across the back with significant amounts of rufus along the sides. This characteristic is often confused by people who see the flash of red and assume that the fox is a red fox (Vulpes vulpes). The gray fox has a black tipped tail with a dorsal black stripe that differentiates this species from the kit fox (Vulpes macrotis). The red fox has a white tipped tail. The gray fox weighs between 3-5 kg, occasionally to 7 kg. TL 800-1125, T 275-443, HF 100-150. (Jameson and Peeters 1988).

77 FR 27357 - IFR Altitudes; Miscellaneous Amendments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-10

... Hygen, CO FIX *Allan, CO FIX **13500 *16000--MRA *15400--MCA ALLAN, CO FIX, NW BND **12900--MOCA *CHART... *Allan, CO FIX Laramie, WY VOR/DME..... 16000 *16000--MRA Sec. 95.6106 VOR Federal Airway V106 Is Amended... in Part Olympia, WA VORTAC *Carro, WA FIX **4000 *4000--MRA **2000--MOCA *CARRO, WA FIX Diggn, WA FIX...

Video Games in the Middle School Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Elizabeth; Clem, Frances A.

2008-01-01

During the fall 2005 semester, an eighth grade teacher in a Laramie, Wyoming, middle school made an urgent plea for more progressive tools for a beginning computers course. Janet Johnson, a veteran teacher returning to the classroom after a hiatus of 10 years, was frustrated with the apparent lack of motivation and engagement by the students. She…

76 FR 30098 - Notice of Petitions by Firms for Determination of Eligibility To Apply for Trade Adjustment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-24

.... Enterprises, Inc 6543 South Laramie 28-Apr-11 The firm designs and Avenue, Bedford manufactures leather Park.... Chicago Booth Manufacturing, Inc. 5000 W. Roosevelt 12-May-11 The firm manufactures Road, Chicago, IL..., or threat thereof, and to a decrease in sales or production of each petitioning firm. [[Page 30099...

Climate, canker, and alder mortality in the Southern Rockies

Treesearch

James J. Worrall

2012-01-01

An increase in dieback and mortality of thinleaf alder (Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia) raised concern in southern Wyoming and Colorado two decades ago. In 1990, there was concern over extensive mortality of thinleaf alder along Big Laramie River near Jelm, WY, as well as in multiple locations in Colorado.2 Trees of all ages were...

Historical and recent flora of the Santa Rita Experimental Range

Treesearch

Alvin L. Medina

2003-01-01

The historical flora of the Santa Rita Experimental Range was composed from historical lists of plants collected by various investigators since 1903. Plant accessions were verified from lists of plant specimens housed at the Rocky Mountain Research Station herbarium in Flagstaff, AZ, and the Rocky Mountain National Herbarium in Laramie, WY. Recent additions (1980 to...

Serving the Needs of Performing Arts Students: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Jennifer

2015-01-01

The intent of this case study was to gain insight into the information needs and research behaviors of upper-division performing arts students, and how to best address those needs. This article presents findings from focus group interviews of thirty music, dance, and theater majors at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. The data revealed several…

Seed and soil dynamics in shrubland ecosystems: proceedings; 2002 August 12-16; Laramie, WY

Treesearch

Ann L. Hild; Nancy L. Shaw; Susan E. Meyer; D. Terrance Booth; E. Durant McArthur

2004-01-01

The 38 papers in this proceedings are divided into six sections; the first includes an overview paper and documentation of the first Shrub Research Consortium Distinguished Service Award. The next four sections cluster papers on restoration and revegetation, soil and microsite requirements, germination and establishment of desired species, and community ecology of...

Flow-system analysis of the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers in the Rapid City area, South Dakota--conceptual model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, Andrew J.; Putnam, Larry D.

2002-01-01

The conceptual model of the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers in the Rapid City area synthesizes the physical geography, hydraulic properties, and ground-water flow components of these important aquifers. The Madison hydrogeologic unit includes the karstic Madison aquifer, which is defined as the upper, more permeable 100 to 200 ft of the Madison Limestone, and the Madison confining unit, which consists of the lower, less permeable part of the Madison Limestone and the Englewood Formation. Overlying the Madison hydrogeologic unit is the Minnelusa hydrogeologic unit, which includes the Minnelusa aquifer in the upper, more permeable 200 to 300 ft and the Minnelusa confining unit in the lower, less permeable part. The Madison and Minnelusa hydrogeologic units outcrop in the study area on the eastern flank of the Black Hills where recharge occurs from streamflow losses and areal recharge. The conceptual model describes streamflow recharge, areal recharge, ground-water flow, storage in aquifers and confining units, unsaturated areas, leakage between aquifers, discharge from artesian springs, and regional outflow. Effective transmissivities estimated for the Madison aquifer range from 500 to 20,000 ft2/d and for the Minnelusa aquifer from 500 to 10,000 ft2/d. Localized anisotropic transmissivity in the Madison aquifer has tensor ratios as high as 45:1. Vertical hydraulic conductivities for the Minnelusa confining unit determined from aquifer tests range from 1.3x10-3 to 3.0x10-1 ft/d. The confined storage coefficient of the Madison and Minnelusa hydrogeologic units was estimated as 3x10-4 ft/d. Specific yield was estimated as 0.09 for the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers and 0.03 for the Madison and Minnelusa confining units. Potentiometric surfaces for the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers have a general easterly gradient of about 70 ft/mi with local variations. Temporal change in hydraulic head in the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers ranged from about 5 to 95 ft in water years 1988-97. The unconfined areas were estimated at about 53 and 36 mi2 for the Madison and Minnelusa hydrogeologic units, respectively, in contrast to an aquifer analysis area of 629 mi2. Dye-tracer tests, stable isotopes, and hydrogeologic features were analyzed conjunctively to estimate generalized ground-water flowpaths in the Madison aquifer and their influences on the Minnelusa aquifer. The western Rapid City area between Boxelder Creek and Spring Creek was characterized as having undergone extensive tectonic activity, greater brecciation in the Minnelusa Formation, large transmissivities, generally upward hydraulic gradients from the Madison aquifer to the Minnelusa aquifer, many karst springs, and converging flowpaths. Water-budget analysis included: (1) a dry-period budget for declining water levels; October 1, 1987, to March 31, 1993; (2) a wet-period budget for rising water levels, April 1, 1993, to September 30, 1997; and (3) a full 10-year period budget for water years 1988-97. By simultaneously balancing these water budgets, initial estimates of recharge, discharge, change in storage, and hydraulic properties were refined. Inflow rates for the 10-year budget included streamflow recharge of about 45 ft3/s or 61 percent of the total budget and areal recharge of 22 ft3/s or 30 percent. Streamflow recharge to the Madison hydrogeologic unit was about 86 percent of the total streamflow recharge. Outflow for the 10-year budget included springflow of 31 ft3/s or 42 percent of the total budget, water use of about 10 ft3/s or 14 percent, and regional outflow of 22 ft3/s or 30 percent. Ground-water storage increased 9 ft3/s during the 10-year period, and net ground-water movement from the Madison to Minnelusa hydrogeologic unit was about 8 ft3/s.

Protein-Protein Interaction Among the FoxP Family Members and their Regulation of Two Target Genes, VLDLR and CNTNAP2 in the Zebra Finch Song System

PubMed Central

Mendoza, Ezequiel; Scharff, Constance

2017-01-01

The Forkhead transcription factor FOXP2 is implicated in speech perception and production. The avian homolog, FoxP21 contributes to song learning and production in birds. In human cell lines, transcriptional activity of FOXP2 requires homo-dimerization or dimerization with paralogs FOXP1 or FOXP4. Whether FoxP dimerization occurs in the brain is unknown. We recently showed that FoxP1, FoxP2 and FoxP4 (FoxP1/2/4) proteins are co-expressed in neurons of Area X, a song control region in zebra finches. We now report on dimer- and oligomerization of zebra finch FoxPs and how this affects transcription. In cell lines and in the brain we identify homo- and hetero-dimers, and an oligomer composed of FoxP1/2/4. We further show that FoxP1/2 but not FoxP4 bind to the regulatory region of the target gene Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2). In addition, we demonstrate that FoxP1/4 bind to the regulatory region of very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR), as has been shown for FoxP2 previously. Interestingly, FoxP1/2/4 individually or in combinations regulate the promoters for SV40, zebra finch VLDLR and CNTNAP2 differentially. These data exemplify the potential for complex transcriptional regulation of FoxP1/2/4, highlighting the need for future functional studies dissecting their differential regulation in the brain. PMID:28507505

A meiotic linkage map of the silver fox, aligned and compared to the canine genome.

PubMed

Kukekova, Anna V; Trut, Lyudmila N; Oskina, Irina N; Johnson, Jennifer L; Temnykh, Svetlana V; Kharlamova, Anastasiya V; Shepeleva, Darya V; Gulievich, Rimma G; Shikhevich, Svetlana G; Graphodatsky, Alexander S; Aguirre, Gustavo D; Acland, Gregory M

2007-03-01

A meiotic linkage map is essential for mapping traits of interest and is often the first step toward understanding a cryptic genome. Specific strains of silver fox (a variant of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes), which segregate behavioral and morphological phenotypes, create a need for such a map. One such strain, selected for docility, exhibits friendly dog-like responses to humans, in contrast to another strain selected for aggression. Development of a fox map is facilitated by the known cytogenetic homologies between the dog and fox, and by the availability of high resolution canine genome maps and sequence data. Furthermore, the high genomic sequence identity between dog and fox allows adaptation of canine microsatellites for genotyping and meiotic mapping in foxes. Using 320 such markers, we have constructed the first meiotic linkage map of the fox genome. The resulting sex-averaged map covers 16 fox autosomes and the X chromosome with an average inter-marker distance of 7.5 cM. The total map length corresponds to 1480.2 cM. From comparison of sex-averaged meiotic linkage maps of the fox and dog genomes, suppression of recombination in pericentromeric regions of the metacentric fox chromosomes was apparent, relative to the corresponding segments of acrocentric dog chromosomes. Alignment of the fox meiotic map against the 7.6x canine genome sequence revealed high conservation of marker order between homologous regions of the two species. The fox meiotic map provides a critical tool for genetic studies in foxes and identification of genetic loci and genes implicated in fox domestication.

Simulation of ground-water/surface-water flow in the Santa Clara-Calleguas ground-water basin, Ventura County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanson, Randall T.; Martin, Peter; Koczot, Kathryn M.

2003-01-01

Ground water is the main source of water in the Santa Clara-Calleguas ground-water basin that covers about 310 square miles in Ventura County, California. A steady increase in the demand for surface- and ground-water resources since the late 1800s has resulted in streamflow depletion and ground-water overdraft. This steady increase in water use has resulted in seawater intrusion, inter-aquifer flow, land subsidence, and ground-water contamination. The Santa Clara-Calleguas Basin consists of multiple aquifers that are grouped into upper- and lower-aquifer systems. The upper-aquifer system includes the Shallow, Oxnard, and Mugu aquifers. The lower-aquifer system includes the upper and lower Hueneme, Fox Canyon, and Grimes Canyon aquifers. The layered aquifer systems are each bounded below by regional unconformities that are overlain by extensive basal coarse-grained layers that are the major pathways for ground-water production from wells and related seawater intrusion. The aquifer systems are bounded below and along mountain fronts by consolidated bedrock that forms a relatively impermeable boundary to ground-water flow. Numerous faults act as additional exterior and interior boundaries to ground-water flow. The aquifer systems extend offshore where they crop out along the edge of the submarine shelf and within the coastal submarine canyons. Submarine canyons have dissected these regional aquifers, providing a hydraulic connection to the ocean through the submarine outcrops of the aquifer systems. Coastal landward flow (seawater intrusion) occurs within both the upper- and lower-aquifer systems. A numerical ground-water flow model of the Santa Clara-Calleguas Basin was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey to better define the geohydrologic framework of the regional ground-water flow system and to help analyze the major problems affecting water-resources management of a typical coastal aquifer system. Construction of the Santa Clara-Calleguas Basin model required the compilation of geographic, geologic, and hydrologic data and estimation of hydraulic properties and flows. The model was calibrated to historical surface-water and ground-water flow for the period 1891-1993. Sources of water to the regional ground-water flow system are natural and artificial recharge, coastal landward flow from the ocean (seawater intrusion), storage in the coarse-grained beds, and water from compaction of fine-grained beds (aquitards). Inflows used in the regional flow model simulation include streamflows routed through the major rivers and tributaries; infiltration of mountain-front runoff and infiltration of precipitation on bedrock outcrops and on valley floors; and artificial ground-water recharge of diverted streamflow, irrigation return flow, and treated sewage effluent. Most natural recharge occurs through infiltration (losses) of streamflow within the major rivers and tributaries and the numerous arroyos that drain the mountain fronts of the basin. Total simulated natural recharge was about 114,100 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr) for 1984-93: 27,800 acre-ft/yr of mountain-front and bedrock recharge, 24,100 acre-ft/yr of valley-floor recharge, and 62,200 acre-ft/yr of net streamflow recharge. Artificial recharge (spreading of diverted streamflow, irrigation return, and sewage effluent) is a major source of ground-water replenishment. During the 1984-93 simulation period, the average rate of artificial recharge at the spreading grounds was about 54,400 acre-ft/yr, 13 percent less than the simulated natural recharge rate for streamflow infiltration within the major rivers and tributaries. Estimated recharge from infiltration of irrigation return flow on the valley floors averaged about 51,000 acre-ft/yr, and treated sewage effluent averaged about 9,000 acre-ft/yr. Artificial recharge as streamflow diversion to the spreading grounds has occurred since 1929, and treated-sewage effluent has been discharged to stream channels since 1930. Under

Protein kinase WNK3 regulates the neuronal splicing factor Fox-1.

PubMed

Lee, A-Young; Chen, Wei; Stippec, Steve; Self, Jon; Yang, Fan; Ding, Xiaojun; Chen, She; Juang, Yu-Chi; Cobb, Melanie H

2012-10-16

We report an action of the protein kinase WNK3 on the neuronal mRNA splicing factor Fox-1. Fox-1 splices mRNAs encoding proteins important in synaptic transmission and membrane excitation. WNK3, implicated in the control of neuronal excitability through actions on ion transport, binds Fox-1 and inhibits its splicing activity in a kinase activity-dependent manner. Phosphorylation of Fox-1 by WNK3 does not change its RNA binding capacity; instead, WNK3 increases the cytoplasmic localization of Fox-1, thereby suppressing Fox-1-dependent splicing. These findings demonstrate a role of WNK3 in RNA processing. Considering the implication of WNK3 and Fox-1 in disorders of neuronal development such as autism, WNK3 may offer a target for treatment of Fox-1-induced disease.

Diet patterns of island foxes on San Nicolas Island relative to feral cat removal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cypher, Brian L.; Kelly, Erica C.; Ferrara, Francesca J.; Drost, Charles A.; Westall, Tory L.; Hudgens, Brian

2017-01-01

Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) are a species of conservation concern that occur on six of the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. We analysed island fox diet on San Nicolas Island during 2006–12 to assess the influence of the removal of feral cats (Felis catus) on the food use by foxes. Our objective was to determine whether fox diet patterns shifted in response to the cat removal conducted during 2009–10, thus indicating that cats were competing with foxes for food items. We also examined the influence of annual precipitation patterns and fox abundance on fox diet. On the basis of an analysis of 1975 fox scats, use of vertebrate prey – deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), birds, and lizards – increased significantly during and after the complete removal of cats (n = 66) from the island. Deer mouse abundance increased markedly during and after cat removal and use of mice by foxes was significantly related to mouse abundance. The increase in mice and shift in item use by the foxes was consistent with a reduction in exploitative competition associated with the cat removal. However, fox abundance declined markedly coincident with the removal of cats and deer mouse abundance was negatively related to fox numbers. Also, annual precipitation increased markedly during and after cat removal and deer mouse abundance closely tracked precipitation. Thus, our results indicate that other confounding factors, particularly precipitation, may have had a greater influence on fox diet patterns.

FoxO1-negative cells are cancer stem-like cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Song, Weifeng; Li, Qi; Wang, Lei; Huang, Weiyi; Wang, Liwei

2015-06-11

Flow cytometry assays using aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity or CD133 positivity to isolate cancer stem cells (CSCs) are widely applied but have limitations. Thus, characterization of CSC makers for a specific cancer is potentially important. We have previously shown that miR-21 regulates cancer cell growth via FoxO1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we areported evidence of FoxO1-negative PDAC cells as CSCs in PDAC. Both ALDH-high and CD133-high cell fractions isolated from PDAC of the patients expressed high levels of miR-21 and null FoxO1. Cultured PDAC cells were virally transduced with GFP under FoxO1 promoter. GFP (FoxO1)-null PDAC cells expressed high levels of miR-21, and grew more quickly than FoxO1-positive PDAC cells. Moreover, the fold increases in growth of FoxO1-negative vs FoxO1-positive cells were greater than CD133-high vs CD133-low cells, or ALDH-high vs ALDH-low cells. Further, FoxO1-negative cells formed tumor spheres in culture and developed tumors after serial adoptive transplantation into NOD/SCID mice, while the FoxO1-positive cells did not. Finally, selective elimination of FoxO1-negative cells completely inhibited the growth of PDAC cells. Together, these data suggest that FoxO1-negative cells as CSCs in PDAC, and targeting FoxO1-negative cells in PDAC may provide better therapeutic outcome.

FoxO1 and HNF-4 Are Involved in Regulation of Hepatic Glucokinase Gene Expression by Resveratrol*

PubMed Central

Ganjam, Goutham Kumar; Dimova, Elitsa Y.; Unterman, Terry G.; Kietzmann, Thomas

2009-01-01

Resveratrol, a polyphenol derived from grapes, exerts important effects on glucose and lipid metabolism, yet detailed mechanisms mediating these effects remain unknown. The liver plays a central role in energy homeostasis, and glucokinase (GK) is a key enzyme involved in glucose utilization. Resveratrol activates SIRT1 (sirtuin 1), which promotes deacetylation of the forkhead transcription factor FoxO1. Previously, we reported that FoxO1 can suppress and that HNF-4 can stimulate GK expression in the liver. Here, we examined the role of FoxO1 and HNF-4 in mediating resveratrol effects on liver GK expression. Resveratrol suppressed hepatic GK expression in vivo and in isolated hepatocytes, and knocking down FoxO1 with shRNAs disrupted this effect. Reporter gene, gel shift, supershift assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies show that FoxO1 binds to the GK promoter and that the interplay between FoxO1 and HNF-4 within the GK promoter is essential for mediating the effects of resveratrol. Resveratrol promotes deacetylation of FoxO1 and enhances its recruitment to the FoxO-binding element. Conversely, resveratrol suppresses recruitment of HNF-4 to its binding site, and knockdown of FoxO1 blocks this effect of resveratrol. Coprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies show that resveratrol enhances interaction between FoxO1 and HNF-4, reduces binding of HNF-4 to its own site, and promotes its recruitment to the FoxO site in a FoxO1-dependent manner. These results provide the first evidence that resveratrol represses GK expression via FoxO1 and that the interaction between FoxO1 and HNF-4 contributes to these effects of resveratrol. PMID:19740748

FoxO1 and HNF-4 are involved in regulation of hepatic glucokinase gene expression by resveratrol.

PubMed

Ganjam, Goutham Kumar; Dimova, Elitsa Y; Unterman, Terry G; Kietzmann, Thomas

2009-11-06

Resveratrol, a polyphenol derived from grapes, exerts important effects on glucose and lipid metabolism, yet detailed mechanisms mediating these effects remain unknown. The liver plays a central role in energy homeostasis, and glucokinase (GK) is a key enzyme involved in glucose utilization. Resveratrol activates SIRT1 (sirtuin 1), which promotes deacetylation of the forkhead transcription factor FoxO1. Previously, we reported that FoxO1 can suppress and that HNF-4 can stimulate GK expression in the liver. Here, we examined the role of FoxO1 and HNF-4 in mediating resveratrol effects on liver GK expression. Resveratrol suppressed hepatic GK expression in vivo and in isolated hepatocytes, and knocking down FoxO1 with shRNAs disrupted this effect. Reporter gene, gel shift, supershift assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies show that FoxO1 binds to the GK promoter and that the interplay between FoxO1 and HNF-4 within the GK promoter is essential for mediating the effects of resveratrol. Resveratrol promotes deacetylation of FoxO1 and enhances its recruitment to the FoxO-binding element. Conversely, resveratrol suppresses recruitment of HNF-4 to its binding site, and knockdown of FoxO1 blocks this effect of resveratrol. Coprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies show that resveratrol enhances interaction between FoxO1 and HNF-4, reduces binding of HNF-4 to its own site, and promotes its recruitment to the FoxO site in a FoxO1-dependent manner. These results provide the first evidence that resveratrol represses GK expression via FoxO1 and that the interaction between FoxO1 and HNF-4 contributes to these effects of resveratrol.

FoxO6 Integrates Insulin Signaling With Gluconeogenesis in the Liver

PubMed Central

Kim, Dae Hyun; Perdomo, German; Zhang, Ting; Slusher, Sandra; Lee, Sojin; Phillips, Brett E.; Fan, Yong; Giannoukakis, Nick; Gramignoli, Roberto; Strom, Stephen; Ringquist, Steven; Dong, H. Henry

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE Excessive endogenous glucose production contributes to fasting hyperglycemia in diabetes. This effect stems from inept insulin suppression of hepatic gluconeogenesis. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we studied the ability of forkhead box O6 (FoxO6) to mediate insulin action on hepatic gluconeogenesis and its contribution to glucose metabolism. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We characterized FoxO6 in glucose metabolism in cultured hepatocytes and in rodent models of dietary obesity, insulin resistance, or insulin-deficient diabetes. We determined the effect of FoxO6 on hepatic gluconeogenesis in genetically modified mice with FoxO6 gain- versus loss-of-function and in diabetic db/db mice with selective FoxO6 ablation in the liver. RESULTS FoxO6 integrates insulin signaling to hepatic gluconeogenesis. In mice, elevated FoxO6 activity in the liver augments gluconeogenesis, raising fasting blood glucose levels, and hepatic FoxO6 depletion suppresses gluconeogenesis, resulting in fasting hypoglycemia. FoxO6 stimulates gluconeogenesis, which is counteracted by insulin. Insulin inhibits FoxO6 activity via a distinct mechanism by inducing its phosphorylation and disabling its transcriptional activity, without altering its subcellular distribution in hepatocytes. FoxO6 becomes deregulated in the insulin-resistant liver, accounting for its unbridled activity in promoting gluconeogenesis and correlating with the pathogenesis of fasting hyperglycemia in diabetes. These metabolic abnormalities, along with fasting hyperglycemia, are reversible by selective inhibition of hepatic FoxO6 activity in diabetic mice. CONCLUSIONS Our data uncover a FoxO6-dependent pathway by which the liver orchestrates insulin regulation of gluconeogenesis, providing the proof-of-concept that selective FoxO6 inhibition is beneficial for curbing excessive hepatic glucose production and improving glycemic control in diabetes. PMID:21940782

Expression of fox-related genes in the skin follicles of Inner Mongolia cashmere goat.

PubMed

Han, Wenjing; Li, Xiaoyan; Wang, Lele; Wang, Honghao; Yang, Kun; Wang, Zhixin; Wang, Ruijun; Su, Rui; Liu, Zhihong; Zhao, Yanhong; Zhang, Yanjun; Li, Jinquan

2018-03-01

This study investigated the expression of genes in cashmere goats at different periods of their fetal development. Bioinformatics analysis was used to evaluate data obtained by transcriptome sequencing of fetus skin samples collected from Inner Mongolia cashmere goats on days 45, 55, and 65 of fetal age. We found that FoxN1 , FoxE1 , and FoxI3 genes of the Fox gene family were probably involved in the growth and development of the follicle and the formation of hair, which is consistent with previous findings. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction detecting system and Western blot analysis were employed to study the relative differentially expressed genes FoxN1 , FoxE1 , and FoxI3 in the body skin of cashmere goat fetuses and adult individuals. This study provided new fundamental information for further investigation of the genes related to follicle development and exploration of their roles in hair follicle initiation, growth, and development.

Members of FOX family could be drug targets of cancers.

PubMed

Wang, Jinhua; Li, Wan; Zhao, Ying; Kang, De; Fu, Weiqi; Zheng, Xiangjin; Pang, Xiaocong; Du, Guanhua

2018-01-01

FOX families play important roles in biological processes, including metabolism, development, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and longevity. Here we are focusing on roles of FOX members in cancers, FOX members and drug resistance, FOX members and stem cells. Finally, FOX members as drug targets of cancer treatment were discussed. Future perspectives of FOXC1 research were described in the end. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Helios, and not FoxP3, is the marker of activated Tregs expressing GARP/LAP.

PubMed

Elkord, Eyad; Abd Al Samid, May; Chaudhary, Belal

2015-08-21

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are key players of immune regulation/dysregulation both in physiological and pathophysiological settings. Despite significant advances in understanding Treg function, there is still a pressing need to define reliable and specific markers that can distinguish different Treg subpopulations. Herein we show for the first time that markers of activated Tregs [latency associated peptide (LAP) and glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP, or LRRC32)] are expressed on CD4+FoxP3- T cells expressing Helios (FoxP3-Helios+) in the steady state. Following TCR activation, GARP/LAP are up-regulated on CD4+Helios+ T cells regardless of FoxP3 expression (FoxP3+/-Helios+). We show that CD4+GARP+/-LAP+ Tregs make IL-10 immunosuppressive cytokine but not IFN-γ effector cytokine. Further characterization of FoxP3/Helios subpopulations showed that FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs proliferate in vitro significantly less than FoxP3+Helios- Tregs upon TCR stimulation. Unlike FoxP3+Helios- Tregs, FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs secrete IL-10 but not IFN-γ or IL-2, confirming they are bona fide Tregs with immunosuppressive characteristics. Taken together, Helios, and not FoxP3, is the marker of activated Tregs expressing GARP/LAP, and FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs have more suppressive characteristics, compared with FoxP3+Helios- Tregs. Our work implies that therapeutic modalities for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, allergies and graft rejection should be designed to induce and/or expand FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs, while therapies against cancers or infectious diseases should avoid such expansion/induction.

Forkhead Box O6 (FoxO6) Depletion Attenuates Hepatic Gluconeogenesis and Protects against Fat-induced Glucose Disorder in Mice.

PubMed

Calabuig-Navarro, Virtu; Yamauchi, Jun; Lee, Sojin; Zhang, Ting; Liu, Yun-Zi; Sadlek, Kelsey; Coudriet, Gina M; Piganelli, Jon D; Jiang, Chun-Lei; Miller, Rita; Lowe, Mark; Harashima, Hideyoshi; Dong, H Henry

2015-06-19

Excessive endogenous glucose production contributes to fasting hyperglycemia in diabetes. FoxO6 is a distinct member of the FoxO subfamily. To elucidate the role of FoxO6 in hepatic gluconeogenesis and assess its contribution to the pathogenesis of fasting hyperglycemia in diabetes, we generated FoxO6 knock-out (FoxO6-KO) mice followed by determining the effect of FoxO6 loss-of-function on hepatic gluconeogenesis under physiological and pathological conditions. FoxO6 depletion attenuated hepatic gluconeogenesis and lowered fasting glycemia in FoxO6-KO mice. FoxO6-deficient primary hepatocytes were associated with reduced capacities to produce glucose in response to glucagon. When fed a high fat diet, FoxO6-KO mice exhibited significantly enhanced glucose tolerance and reduced blood glucose levels accompanied by improved insulin sensitivity. These effects correlated with attenuated hepatic gluconeogenesis in FoxO6-KO mice. In contrast, wild-type littermates developed fat-induced glucose intolerance with a concomitant induction of fasting hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. Furthermore, FoxO6-KO mice displayed significantly diminished macrophage infiltration into liver and adipose tissues, correlating with the reduction of macrophage expression of C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2), a factor that is critical for regulating macrophage recruitment in peripheral tissues. Our data indicate that FoxO6 depletion protected against diet-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance by attenuating hepatic gluconeogenesis and curbing macrophage infiltration in liver and adipose tissues in mice. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Forkhead Box O6 (FoxO6) Depletion Attenuates Hepatic Gluconeogenesis and Protects against Fat-induced Glucose Disorder in Mice*

PubMed Central

Calabuig-Navarro, Virtu; Yamauchi, Jun; Lee, Sojin; Zhang, Ting; Liu, Yun-Zi; Sadlek, Kelsey; Coudriet, Gina M.; Piganelli, Jon D.; Jiang, Chun-Lei; Miller, Rita; Lowe, Mark; Harashima, Hideyoshi; Dong, H. Henry

2015-01-01

Excessive endogenous glucose production contributes to fasting hyperglycemia in diabetes. FoxO6 is a distinct member of the FoxO subfamily. To elucidate the role of FoxO6 in hepatic gluconeogenesis and assess its contribution to the pathogenesis of fasting hyperglycemia in diabetes, we generated FoxO6 knock-out (FoxO6-KO) mice followed by determining the effect of FoxO6 loss-of-function on hepatic gluconeogenesis under physiological and pathological conditions. FoxO6 depletion attenuated hepatic gluconeogenesis and lowered fasting glycemia in FoxO6-KO mice. FoxO6-deficient primary hepatocytes were associated with reduced capacities to produce glucose in response to glucagon. When fed a high fat diet, FoxO6-KO mice exhibited significantly enhanced glucose tolerance and reduced blood glucose levels accompanied by improved insulin sensitivity. These effects correlated with attenuated hepatic gluconeogenesis in FoxO6-KO mice. In contrast, wild-type littermates developed fat-induced glucose intolerance with a concomitant induction of fasting hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia. Furthermore, FoxO6-KO mice displayed significantly diminished macrophage infiltration into liver and adipose tissues, correlating with the reduction of macrophage expression of C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2), a factor that is critical for regulating macrophage recruitment in peripheral tissues. Our data indicate that FoxO6 depletion protected against diet-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance by attenuating hepatic gluconeogenesis and curbing macrophage infiltration in liver and adipose tissues in mice. PMID:25944898

SMAD3 augments FoxO3-induced MuRF-1 promoter activity in a DNA-binding-dependent manner

PubMed Central

Bollinger, Lance M.; Witczak, Carol A.; Houmard, Joseph A.

2014-01-01

Muscle-specific RING finger-1 (MuRF-1), a ubiquitin ligase and key regulator of proteasome-dependent protein degradation, is highly expressed during skeletal muscle atrophy. The transcription factor forkhead box O3 (FoxO3) induces MuRF-1 expression, but the direct role of other major atrophy-related transcription factors, such as SMAD3, is largely unknown. The goal of this study was to determine whether SMAD3 individually regulates, or with FoxO3 coordinately regulates, MuRF-1 expression. In cultured myotubes or human embryonic kidney cells, MuRF-1 mRNA content and promoter activity were increased by FoxO3 but not by SMAD3 overexpression. However, FoxO3 and SMAD3 coexpression synergistically increased MuRF-1 mRNA and promoter activity. Mutation of the SMAD-binding element (SBE) in the proximal MuRF-1 promoter or overexpression of a SMAD3 DNA-binding mutant attenuated FoxO3-dependent MuRF-1 promoter activation, showing that SMAD binding to DNA is required for optimal activation of FoxO3-induced transcription of MuRF-1. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, SMAD3 DNA binding increased FoxO3 abundance and SBE mutation reduced FoxO3 abundance on the MuRF-1 promoter. Furthermore, SMAD3 overexpression dose-dependently increased FoxO3 protein content, and coexpression of FoxO3 and SMAD3 synergistically increased FoxO-dependent gene transcription [assessed with a FoxO response element (FRE)-driven reporter]. Collectively, these results show that SMAD3 regulates transcription of MuRF-1 by increasing FoxO3 binding at a conserved FRE-SBE motif within the proximal promoter region, and by increasing FoxO3 protein content and transcriptional activity. These data are the first to indicate that two major transcription factors regulating protein degradation, FoxO3 and SMAD3, converge to coordinately and directly regulate transcription of MuRF-1. PMID:24920680

Essential roles of FoxM1 in Ras-induced liver cancer progression and in cancer cells with stem cell features.

PubMed

Kopanja, Dragana; Pandey, Akshay; Kiefer, Megan; Wang, Zebin; Chandan, Neha; Carr, Janai R; Franks, Roberta; Yu, Dae-Yeul; Guzman, Grace; Maker, Ajay; Raychaudhuri, Pradip

2015-08-01

Overexpression of FoxM1 correlates with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Moreover, the Ras-signaling pathway is found to be ubiquitously activated in HCC through epigenetic silencing of the Ras-regulators. We investigated the roles of FoxM1 in Ras-driven HCC, and on HCC cells with stem-like features. We employed a transgenic mouse model that expresses the oncogenic Ras in the liver. That strain was crossed with a strain that harbor floxed alleles of FoxM1 and the MxCre gene that allows conditional deletion of FoxM1. FoxM1 alleles were deleted after development of HCC, and the effects on the tumors were analyzed. Also, FoxM1 siRNA was used in human HCC cell lines to determine its role in the survival of the HCC cells with stem cell features. Ras-driven tumors overexpress FoxM1. Deletion of FoxM1 inhibits HCC progression. There was increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the FoxM1 deleted HCC cells. Moreover, FoxM1 deletion caused a disproportionate loss of the CD44+ and EpCAM+ HCC cells in the tumors. We show that FoxM1 directly activates expression of CD44 in human HCC cells. Moreover, the human HCC cells with stem cell features are addicted to FoxM1 for ROS-regulation and survival. Our results provide genetic evidence for an essential role of FoxM1 in the progression of Ras-driven HCC. In addition, FoxM1 is required for the expression of CD44 in HCC cells. Moreover, FoxM1 plays a critical role in the survival of the HCC cells with stem cell features by regulating ROS. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characterization of the FoxL2 proximal promoter and coding sequence from the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina).

PubMed

Guo, Lei; Rhen, Turk

2017-10-01

Sex is determined by temperature during embryogenesis in snapping turtles, Chelydra serpentina. Previous studies in this species show that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) induces ovarian development at temperatures that normally produce males or mixed sex ratios. The feminizing effect of DHT is associated with increased expression of FoxL2, suggesting that androgens regulate transcription of FoxL2. To test this hypothesis, we cloned the proximal promoter (1.6kb) and coding sequence for snapping turtle FoxL2 (tFoxL2) in frame with mCherry to produce a fluorescent reporter. The tFoxL2-mCherry fusion plasmid or mCherry control plasmid were stably transfected into mouse KK1 granulosa cells. These cells were then treated with 0, 1, 10, or 100nM DHT to assess androgen effects on tFoxL2-mCherry expression. In contrast to the main hypothesis, DHT did not alter expression of the tFoxL2-mCherry reporter. However, normal serum increased expression of tFoxL2-mCherry when compared to charcoal-stripped serum, indicating that the cloned region of tFoxL2 contains cis regulatory elements. We also used the tFoxL2-mCherry plasmid as an expression vector to test the hypothesis that DHT and tFoxL2 interact to regulate expression of endogenous genes in granulosa cells. While tFoxL2-mCherry and DHT had independent effects on mouse FoxL2, FshR, GnRHR, and StAR expression, tFoxL2-mCherry potentiated low concentration DHT effects on mouse aromatase expression. Further studies will be required to determine whether synergistic regulation of aromatase by DHT and FoxL2 also occurs in turtle gonads during the sex-determining period, which would explain the feminizing effect of DHT in this species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

FoxM1 Promotes Stemness and Radio-Resistance of Glioblastoma by Regulating the Master Stem Cell Regulator Sox2

PubMed Central

Kim, Dong Geon; Cho, Hee Jin; Kim, Yeonghwan; Rheey, Jinguen; Shin, Kayoung; Seo, Yun Jee; Choi, Yeon-Sook; Lee, Jung-Il; Lee, Jeongwu; Joo, Kyeung Min; Nam, Do-Hyun

2015-01-01

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and most lethal brain tumor. As current standard therapy consisting of surgery and chemo-irradiation provides limited benefit for GBM patients, novel therapeutic options are urgently required. Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor is an oncogenic regulator that promotes the proliferation, survival, and treatment resistance of various human cancers. The roles of FoxM1 in GBM remain incompletely understood, due in part to pleotropic nature of the FoxM1 pathway. Here, we show the roles of FoxM1 in GBM stem cell maintenance and radioresistance. ShRNA-mediated FoxM1 inhibition significantly impeded clonogenic growth and survival of patient-derived primary GBM cells with marked downregulation of Sox2, a master regulator of stem cell phenotype. Ectopic expression of Sox2 partially rescued FoxM1 inhibition-mediated effects. Conversely, FoxM1 overexpression upregulated Sox2 expression and promoted clonogenic growth of GBM cells. These data, with a direct binding of FoxM1 in the Sox2 promoter region in GBM cells, suggest that FoxM1 regulates stemness of primary GBM cells via Sox2. We also found significant increases in FoxM1 and Sox2 expression in GBM cells after irradiation both in vitro and in vivo orthotopic tumor models. Notably, genetic or a small-molecule FoxM1 inhibitor-mediated FoxM1 targeting significantly sensitized GBM cells to irradiation, accompanying with Sox2 downregulation. Finally, FoxM1 inhibition combined with irradiation in a patient GBM-derived orthotopic model significantly impeded tumor growth and prolonged the survival of tumor bearing mice. Taken together, these results indicate that the FoxM1-Sox2 signaling axis promotes clonogenic growth and radiation resistance of GBM, and suggest that FoxM1 targeting combined with irradiation is a potentially effective therapeutic approach for GBM. PMID:26444992

FoxM1 Promotes Stemness and Radio-Resistance of Glioblastoma by Regulating the Master Stem Cell Regulator Sox2.

PubMed

Lee, Yeri; Kim, Kang Ho; Kim, Dong Geon; Cho, Hee Jin; Kim, Yeonghwan; Rheey, Jinguen; Shin, Kayoung; Seo, Yun Jee; Choi, Yeon-Sook; Lee, Jung-Il; Lee, Jeongwu; Joo, Kyeung Min; Nam, Do-Hyun

2015-01-01

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and most lethal brain tumor. As current standard therapy consisting of surgery and chemo-irradiation provides limited benefit for GBM patients, novel therapeutic options are urgently required. Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor is an oncogenic regulator that promotes the proliferation, survival, and treatment resistance of various human cancers. The roles of FoxM1 in GBM remain incompletely understood, due in part to pleotropic nature of the FoxM1 pathway. Here, we show the roles of FoxM1 in GBM stem cell maintenance and radioresistance. ShRNA-mediated FoxM1 inhibition significantly impeded clonogenic growth and survival of patient-derived primary GBM cells with marked downregulation of Sox2, a master regulator of stem cell phenotype. Ectopic expression of Sox2 partially rescued FoxM1 inhibition-mediated effects. Conversely, FoxM1 overexpression upregulated Sox2 expression and promoted clonogenic growth of GBM cells. These data, with a direct binding of FoxM1 in the Sox2 promoter region in GBM cells, suggest that FoxM1 regulates stemness of primary GBM cells via Sox2. We also found significant increases in FoxM1 and Sox2 expression in GBM cells after irradiation both in vitro and in vivo orthotopic tumor models. Notably, genetic or a small-molecule FoxM1 inhibitor-mediated FoxM1 targeting significantly sensitized GBM cells to irradiation, accompanying with Sox2 downregulation. Finally, FoxM1 inhibition combined with irradiation in a patient GBM-derived orthotopic model significantly impeded tumor growth and prolonged the survival of tumor bearing mice. Taken together, these results indicate that the FoxM1-Sox2 signaling axis promotes clonogenic growth and radiation resistance of GBM, and suggest that FoxM1 targeting combined with irradiation is a potentially effective therapeutic approach for GBM.

Genetic signatures of adaptation revealed from transcriptome sequencing of Arctic and red foxes.

PubMed

Kumar, Vikas; Kutschera, Verena E; Nilsson, Maria A; Janke, Axel

2015-08-07

The genus Vulpes (true foxes) comprises numerous species that inhabit a wide range of habitats and climatic conditions, including one species, the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) which is adapted to the arctic region. A close relative to the Arctic fox, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), occurs in subarctic to subtropical habitats. To study the genetic basis of their adaptations to different environments, transcriptome sequences from two Arctic foxes and one red fox individual were generated and analyzed for signatures of positive selection. In addition, the data allowed for a phylogenetic analysis and divergence time estimate between the two fox species. The de novo assembly of reads resulted in more than 160,000 contigs/transcripts per individual. Approximately 17,000 homologous genes were identified using human and the non-redundant databases. Positive selection analyses revealed several genes involved in various metabolic and molecular processes such as energy metabolism, cardiac gene regulation, apoptosis and blood coagulation to be under positive selection in foxes. Branch site tests identified four genes to be under positive selection in the Arctic fox transcriptome, two of which are fat metabolism genes. In the red fox transcriptome eight genes are under positive selection, including molecular process genes, notably genes involved in ATP metabolism. Analysis of the three transcriptomes and five Sanger re-sequenced genes in additional individuals identified a lower genetic variability within Arctic foxes compared to red foxes, which is consistent with distribution range differences and demographic responses to past climatic fluctuations. A phylogenomic analysis estimated that the Arctic and red fox lineages diverged about three million years ago. Transcriptome data are an economic way to generate genomic resources for evolutionary studies. Despite not representing an entire genome, this transcriptome analysis identified numerous genes that are relevant to arctic adaptation in foxes. Similar to polar bears, fat metabolism seems to play a central role in adaptation of Arctic foxes to the cold climate, as has been identified in the polar bear, another arctic specialist.

Hydrogeology of the Mogollon Highlands, central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, John T.C.; Steinkampf, William C.; Flynn, Marilyn E.

2005-01-01

The Mogollon Highlands, 4,855 square miles of rugged, mountainous terrain at the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau in central Arizona, is characterized by a bedrock-dominated hydrologic system that results in an incompletely integrated regional ground-water system, flashy streamflow, and various local water-bearing zones that are sensitive to drought. Increased demand on the water resources of the area as a result of recreational activities and population growth have made necessary an increased understanding of the hydrogeology of the region. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study of the geology and hydrology of the region in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Water Resources under the auspices of the Arizona Rural Watershed Initiative, a program launched in 1998 to assist rural areas in dealing with water-resources issues. The study involved the analysis of geologic maps, surface-water and ground-water flow, and water and rock chemical data and spatial relationships to characterize the hydrogeologic framework. The study area includes the southwestern corner of the Colorado Plateau and the Mogollon Rim, which is the eroded edge of the plateau. A 3,000- to 4,000-foot sequence of early to late Paleozoic sedimentary rocks forms the generally south-facing scarp of the Mogollon Rim. The area adjacent to the edge of the Mogollon Rim is an erosional landscape of rolling, step-like terrain exposing Proterozoic metamorphic and granitic rocks. Farther south, the Sierra Ancha and Mazatzal Mountain ranges, which are composed of various Proterozoic rocks, flank an alluvial basin filled with late Cenozoic sediments and volcanic flows. Eight streams with perennial to intermittent to ephemeral flow drain upland regions of the Mogollon Rim and flow into the Salt River on the southern boundary or the Verde River on the western boundary. Ground-water flow paths generally are controlled by large-scale fracture systems or by karst features in carbonate rocks. Stream channels are also largely controlled by structural features, such as regional joint or fault systems. Precipitation, which shows considerable variability in amount and intensity, recharges the ground-water system along the crest of the Mogollon Rim and to a lesser extent along the crests and flanks of the rim and the Mazatzal Mountains and Sierra Ancha. Flashy runoff in the mainly bedrock stream channels is typical. Springs are distributed throughout the region, typically discharging at or above the contact of variably permeable formations along the face of the Mogollon Rim with a scattering of low-discharge springs in the Proterozoic rocks below the rim. The surface of the Colorado Plateau is the primary recharge area for the C aquifer in which ground-water flows north toward the Little Colorado River and south toward the Mogollon Highlands. Within the study area, flow from the C aquifer primarily discharges from large, stable springs in the upper East Verde River, Tonto Creek, and Canyon Creek Basins along the top of the Mogollon Rim and to the west as base flow in West Clear Creek. On the basis of chemical evidence and the distribution and flow characteristics of springs and perennial streams, the C aquifer is also the source of water for the limestone aquifer that discharges from carbonate rocks near the base of the Mogollon Rim. Vertical flow from the C aquifer, the base of which is in the Schnebly Hill Formation, recharges the limestone aquifer that discharges mainly at Fossil Springs in the western part of the study area and as base flow in Cibecue Creek on the eastern edge of the study area. Local, generally shallow aquifers of variable productivity occur in plateau and mesa-capping basalts in the sedimentary rocks of the Schnebly Hill and Supai Formations, in fractured zones of the Proterozoic Payson granite, and in the alluvium of the lower Tonto Creek Basin. Where time series data exist, such water-bearing zones are shown to be sensitive to short-

FoxM1 Promotes Glioma Cells Progression by Up-Regulating Anxa1 Expression

PubMed Central

Cheng, Shi-Xiang; Tu, Yue; Zhang, Sai

2013-01-01

Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) is a member of the forkhead transcription factor family and is overexpression in malignant gliomas. However, the molecular mechanisms by which FoxM1lead to glioma carcinogenesis and progression are still not well known. In the present study, we show that Anxa1 was overexpression in gliomas and predicted the poor outcome. Furthermore, Anxa1 closely related to the FoxM1 expression and was a direct transcriptional target of FoxM1. Overexpression of FoxM1 up-regulated Anxa1 expression, whereas suppression of FoxM1 expression down-regulated Anxa1 expression in glioma cells. Finally, FoxM1 enhanced the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis in Anxa1-dependent manner both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings provide both clinical and mechanistic evidences that FoxM1 contributes to glioma development by directly up-regulating Anxa1 expression. PMID:23991102

Missense polymorphisms in the MC1R gene of the dog, red fox, arctic fox and Chinese raccoon dog.

PubMed

Nowacka-Woszuk, J; Salamon, S; Gorna, A; Switonski, M

2013-04-01

Coat colour variation is determined by many genes, one of which is the melanocortin receptor type 1 (MC1R) gene. In this study, we examined the whole coding sequence of this gene in four species belonging to the Canidae family (dog, red fox, arctic fox and Chinese raccoon dog). Although the comparative analysis of the obtained nucleotide sequences revealed a high conservation, which varied between 97.9 and 99.1%, we altogether identified 22 SNPs (10 in dogs, six in farmed red foxes, two in wild red foxes, three in arctic foxes and one in Chinese raccoon dog). Among them, seven appeared to be novel: one silent in the dog, three missense and one silent in the red fox, one in the 3'-flanking region in the arctic fox and one silent in the Chinese raccoon dog. In dogs and red foxes, the SNPs segregated as 10 and four haplotypes, respectively. Taking into consideration the published reports and results of this study, the highest number of missense polymorphisms was until now found in the dog (9) and red fox (7). © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

FoxO regulates microtubule dynamics and polarity to promote dendrite branching in Drosophila sensory neurons

PubMed Central

Sears, James C.; Broihier, Heather T.

2016-01-01

The size and shape of dendrite arbors are defining features of neurons and critical determinants of neuronal function. The molecular mechanisms establishing arborization patterns during development are not well understood, though properly regulated microtubule (MT) dynamics and polarity are essential. We previously found that FoxO regulates axonal MTs, raising the question of whether it also regulates dendritic MTs and morphology. Here we demonstrate that FoxO promotes dendrite branching in all classes of Drosophila dendritic arborization (da) neurons. FoxO is required both for initiating growth of new branches and for maintaining existing branches. To elucidate FoxO function, we characterized MT organization in both foxO null and overexpressing neurons. We find that FoxO directs MT organization and dynamics in dendrites. Moreover, it is both necessary and sufficient for anterograde MT polymerization, which is known to promote dendrite branching. Lastly, FoxO promotes proper larval nociception, indicating a functional consequence of impaired da neuron morphology in foxO mutants. Together, our results indicate that FoxO regulates dendrite structure and function and suggest that FoxO-mediated pathways control MT dynamics and polarity. PMID:27546375

Storm Prediction Center Today's Storm Reports

Science.gov Websites

)(?) Time Location County State Lat Lon Comments 2056 7 N BUFORD ALBANY WY 4121 10530 TORNADO SPOTTED NORTH 4236 10503 ON THE GROUND AT THIS TIME. (CYS) 2215 15 N CHEYENNE LARAMIE WY 4136 10479 TORNADO MOVING TOWARDS I-25 BETWEEN MM 25 AND 35. (CYS) Hail Reports (CSV) (Raw Hail CSV)(?) Time Size Location County

Impact of hurricanes storm surges on the groundwater resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Biersel, T. P.; Carlson, D.A.; Milner, L.R.

2007-01-01

Ocean surges onto coastal lowlands caused by tropical and extra tropical storms, tsunamis, and sea level rise affect all coastal lowlands and present a threat to drinking water resources of many coastal residents. In 2005, two such storms, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast of the US. Since September 2005, water samples have been collected from water wells impacted by the hurricanes' storm surges along the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in southeastern Louisiana. The private and public water wells tested were submerged by 0.6-4.5 m of surging saltwater for several hours. The wells' casing and/or the associated plumbing were severely damaged. Water samples were collected to determine if storm surge water inundated the well casing and, if so, its effect on water quality within the shallow aquifers of the Southern Hills Aquifer System. In addition, the samples were used to determine if the impact on water quality may have long-term implication for public health. Laboratory testing for several indicator parameters (Ca/Mg, Cl/Si, chloride, boron, specific conductance and bacteria) indicates that surge water entered water wells' casing and the screened aquifer. Analysis of the groundwater shows a decrease in the Ca/Mg ratio right after the storm and then a return toward pre-Katrina values. Chloride concentrations were elevated right after Katrina and Rita, and then decreased downward toward pre-Katrina values. From September 2005 to June 2006, the wells showed improvement in all the saltwater intrusion indicators. ?? 2007 Springer-Verlag.

Expression analysis of the speech-related genes FoxP1 and FoxP2 and their relation to singing behavior in two songbird species.

PubMed

Chen, Qianqian; Heston, Jonathan B; Burkett, Zachary D; White, Stephanie A

2013-10-01

Humans and songbirds are among the rare animal groups that exhibit socially learned vocalizations: speech and song, respectively. These vocal-learning capacities share a reliance on audition and cortico-basal ganglia circuitry, as well as neurogenetic mechanisms. Notably, the transcription factors Forkhead box proteins 1 and 2 (FoxP1, FoxP2) exhibit similar expression patterns in the cortex and basal ganglia of humans and the zebra finch species of songbird, among other brain regions. Mutations in either gene are associated with language disorders in humans. Experimental knock-down of FoxP2 in the basal ganglia song control region Area X during song development leads to imprecise copying of tutor songs. Moreover, FoxP2 levels decrease naturally within Area X when zebra finches sing. Here, we examined neural expression patterns of FoxP1 and FoxP2 mRNA in adult Bengalese finches, a songbird species whose songs exhibit greater sequence complexity and increased reliance on audition for maintaining their quality. We found that FoxP1 and FoxP2 expression in Bengalese finches is similar to that in zebra finches, including strong mRNA signals for both factors in multiple song control nuclei and enhancement of FoxP1 in these regions relative to surrounding brain tissue. As with zebra finches, when Bengalese finches sing, FoxP2 is behaviorally downregulated within basal ganglia Area X over a similar time course, and expression negatively correlates with the amount of singing. This study confirms that in multiple songbird species, FoxP1 expression highlights song control regions, and regulation of FoxP2 is associated with motor control of song.

Helios, and not FoxP3, is the marker of activated Tregs expressing GARP/LAP

PubMed Central

Elkord, Eyad; Abd Al Samid, May; Chaudhary, Belal

2015-01-01

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are key players of immune regulation/dysregulation both in physiological and pathophysiological settings. Despite significant advances in understanding Treg function, there is still a pressing need to define reliable and specific markers that can distinguish different Treg subpopulations. Herein we show for the first time that markers of activated Tregs [latency associated peptide (LAP) and glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP, or LRRC32)] are expressed on CD4+FoxP3− T cells expressing Helios (FoxP3−Helios+) in the steady state. Following TCR activation, GARP/LAP are up-regulated on CD4+Helios+ T cells regardless of FoxP3 expression (FoxP3+/−Helios+). We show that CD4+GARP+/−LAP+ Tregs make IL-10 immunosuppressive cytokine but not IFN-γ effector cytokine. Further characterization of FoxP3/Helios subpopulations showed that FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs proliferate in vitro significantly less than FoxP3+Helios− Tregs upon TCR stimulation. Unlike FoxP3+Helios− Tregs, FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs secrete IL-10 but not IFN-γ or IL-2, confirming they are bona fide Tregs with immunosuppressive characteristics. Taken together, Helios, and not FoxP3, is the marker of activated Tregs expressing GARP/LAP, and FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs have more suppressive characteristics, compared with FoxP3+Helios− Tregs. Our work implies that therapeutic modalities for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, allergies and graft rejection should be designed to induce and/or expand FoxP3+Helios+ Tregs, while therapies against cancers or infectious diseases should avoid such expansion/induction. PMID:26343373

Expression analysis of the speech-related genes FoxP1 and FoxP2 and their relation to singing behavior in two songbird species

PubMed Central

Chen, Qianqian; Heston, Jonathan B.; Burkett, Zachary D.; White, Stephanie A.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Humans and songbirds are among the rare animal groups that exhibit socially learned vocalizations: speech and song, respectively. These vocal-learning capacities share a reliance on audition and cortico-basal ganglia circuitry, as well as neurogenetic mechanisms. Notably, the transcription factors Forkhead box proteins 1 and 2 (FoxP1, FoxP2) exhibit similar expression patterns in the cortex and basal ganglia of humans and the zebra finch species of songbird, among other brain regions. Mutations in either gene are associated with language disorders in humans. Experimental knock-down of FoxP2 in the basal ganglia song control region Area X during song development leads to imprecise copying of tutor songs. Moreover, FoxP2 levels decrease naturally within Area X when zebra finches sing. Here, we examined neural expression patterns of FoxP1 and FoxP2 mRNA in adult Bengalese finches, a songbird species whose songs exhibit greater sequence complexity and increased reliance on audition for maintaining their quality. We found that FoxP1 and FoxP2 expression in Bengalese finches is similar to that in zebra finches, including strong mRNA signals for both factors in multiple song control nuclei and enhancement of FoxP1 in these regions relative to surrounding brain tissue. As with zebra finches, when Bengalese finches sing, FoxP2 is behaviorally downregulated within basal ganglia Area X over a similar time course, and expression negatively correlates with the amount of singing. This study confirms that in multiple songbird species, FoxP1 expression highlights song control regions, and regulation of FoxP2 is associated with motor control of song. PMID:24006346

Kit fox population trends at the Naval Petroleum Reserves in California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kato, T.T.; Scrivner, J.H.; Warrick, G.

The San Joaquin kit fox was listed as an endangered subspecies following passage of the Endangered Species Protection Act of 1966, and further classified as rare under the California Endangered Species Act of 1970. The San Joaquin kit fox occurs on the Naval Petroleum Reserves in California administered by the Department of Energy (DOE). A long term kit fox population monitoring program was initiated as part of DOE's mitigation strategy to comply with the Endangered Species Act. In addition to monitoring kit fox populations, the program includes assessments of kit fox prey density and assessments of predator abundance. The objectivesmore » of this study were to: describe the long term changes in the kit fox population on the Reserves and assess the roles of coyotes and lagomorphs in kit fox population dynamics. When the fox population on NPR-1 declined between 1980 and 1984, it appeared to have been negatively impacted by a declining prey base (lagomorphs) and an increasing coyote population. Declining lagomorph densities may have been a more important factor because as coyote numbers declined between 1985 and 1990, the kit fox population remained stable. The fox population on NPR-2 remained at a higher and more stable level than the population on NPR-1. The factors determining the higher densities and greater stability of the fox population on NPR-2 are unknown.« less

An amphioxus winged helix/forkhead gene, AmphiFoxD: insights into vertebrate neural crest evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Jr-Kai; Holland, Nicholas D.; Holland, Linda Z.

2002-01-01

During amphioxus development, the neural plate is bordered by cells expressing many genes with homologs involved in vertebrate neural crest induction. However, these amphioxus cells evidently lack additional genetic programs for the cell delaminations, migrations, and differentiations characterizing definitive vertebrate neural crest. We characterize an amphioxus winged helix/forkhead gene (AmphiFoxD) closely related to vertebrate FoxD genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the AmphiFoxD is basal to vertebrate FoxD1, FoxD2, FoxD3, FoxD4, and FoxD5. One of these vertebrate genes (FoxD3) consistently marks neural crest during development. Early in amphioxus development, AmphiFoxD is expressed medially in the anterior neural plate as well as in axial (notochordal) and paraxial mesoderm; later, the gene is expressed in the somites, notochord, cerebral vesicle (diencephalon), and hindgut endoderm. However, there is never any expression in cells bordering the neural plate. We speculate that an AmphiFoxD homolog in the common ancestor of amphioxus and vertebrates was involved in histogenic processes in the mesoderm (evagination and delamination of the somites and notochord); then, in the early vertebrates, descendant paralogs of this gene began functioning in the presumptive neural crest bordering the neural plate to help make possible the delaminations and cell migrations that characterize definitive vertebrate neural crest. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Silibinin-induced glioma cell apoptosis by PI3K-mediated but Akt-independent downregulation of FoxM1 expression.

PubMed

Zhang, Mingjie; Liu, Yunhui; Gao, Yun; Li, Shaoyi

2015-10-15

The oncogenic transcription factor Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) is overexpressed in many human tumors, including glioma. As a critical regulator of the cell cycle and apoptosis-related genes, FoxM1 is a potential therapeutic target against human malignant glioma. Silibinin, a flavonoid isolated from Silybum marianum, dose-dependently reduced glioma cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and downregulated FoxM1 expression. Knockdown of FoxM1 by small hairpin RNA (shRNA) transfection also promoted glioma cell apoptosis and augmented the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic properties of silibinin. Moreover, silibinin increased caspase-3 activation, upregulated pro-apoptotic Bax, and suppressed anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression, effects enhanced by FoxM1 knockdown. Silibinin treatment suppressed U87 cell PI3K phospho-activation, and simultaneous silibinin exposure, FoxM1 knockdown, and PI3K inhibition additively increased U87 cell apoptosis. Furthermore, PI3K inhibition reduced FoxM1 expression. Akt activity was also suppressed by FoxM1 downregulation but Akt inhibition did not alter FoxM1 expression. Thus, silibinin likely inhibited glioma cell proliferation and induced apoptosis through inactivation of PI3K and FoxM1, leading to activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. FoxM1 may be a novel target for chemotherapy against human glioma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in fat oxidation in response to various regimes of high intensity interval training (HIIT).

PubMed

Astorino, Todd Anthony; Schubert, Matthew M

2018-01-01

Increased whole-body fat oxidation (FOx) has been consistently demonstrated in response to moderate intensity continuous exercise training. Completion of high intensity interval training (HIIT) and its more intense form, sprint interval training (SIT), has also been reported to increase FOx in different populations. An explanation for this increase in FOx is primarily peripheral adaptations via improvements in mitochondrial content and function. However, studies examining changes in FOx are less common in response to HIIT or SIT than those determining increases in maximal oxygen uptake which is concerning, considering that FOx has been identified as a predictor of weight gain and glycemic control. In this review, we explored physiological and methodological issues underpinning existing literature concerning changes in FOx in response to HIIT and SIT. Our results show that completion of interval training increases FOx in approximately 50% of studies, with the frequency of increased FOx higher in response to studies using HIIT compared to SIT. Significant increases in β-HAD, citrate synthase, fatty acid binding protein, or FAT/CD36 are likely responsible for the greater FOx seen in these studies. We encourage scientists to adopt strict methodological procedures to attenuate day-to-day variability in FOx, which is dramatic, and develop standardized procedures for assessing FOx, which may improve detection of changes in FOx in response to HIIT.

A Multiplex PCR assay to differentiate between dog and red fox.

PubMed

Weissenberger, M; Reichert, W; Mattern, R

2011-11-01

Foxes are frequently the cause of car accidents in Baden-Württemberg (BW, Germany). The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is in close relation to the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the silver fox which is a coat colour variant of the red fox. As insurance claims that involve accidents with animals require authentication, we analyzed frequency distribution and allele sizes in two canine microsatellite loci in 26 dogs (different breeds) and 19 red foxes of the region of BW, Germany. Moreover, sequencing analysis was performed. Red foxes exhibited only 1 allele at each microsatellite locus, whereas in dog 7 alleles at the CPH4 locus and 6 alleles at the CPH12 locus were detected. Sequences of PCR products from the two species revealed several differences between dogs and foxes. We established a sequenced allelic ladder and give population data from dogs and red foxes from the region of BW, Germany. Using microsatellite polymorphisms is efficient in differentiating between dogs and foxes in forensic casework. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

FoxO6 regulates memory consolidation and synaptic function

PubMed Central

Salih, Dervis A.M.; Rashid, Asim J.; Colas, Damien; de la Torre-Ubieta, Luis; Zhu, Ruo P.; Morgan, Alexander A.; Santo, Evan E.; Ucar, Duygu; Devarajan, Keerthana; Cole, Christina J.; Madison, Daniel V.; Shamloo, Mehrdad; Butte, Atul J.; Bonni, Azad; Josselyn, Sheena A.; Brunet, Anne

2012-01-01

The FoxO family of transcription factors is known to slow aging downstream from the insulin/IGF (insulin-like growth factor) signaling pathway. The most recently discovered FoxO isoform in mammals, FoxO6, is highly enriched in the adult hippocampus. However, the importance of FoxO factors in cognition is largely unknown. Here we generated mice lacking FoxO6 and found that these mice display normal learning but impaired memory consolidation in contextual fear conditioning and novel object recognition. Using stereotactic injection of viruses into the hippocampus of adult wild-type mice, we found that FoxO6 activity in the adult hippocampus is required for memory consolidation. Genome-wide approaches revealed that FoxO6 regulates a program of genes involved in synaptic function upon learning in the hippocampus. Consistently, FoxO6 deficiency results in decreased dendritic spine density in hippocampal neurons in vitro and in vivo. Thus, FoxO6 may promote memory consolidation by regulating a program coordinating neuronal connectivity in the hippocampus, which could have important implications for physiological and pathological age-dependent decline in memory. PMID:23222102

FoxP2 regulates neurogenesis during embryonic cortical development.

PubMed

Tsui, David; Vessey, John P; Tomita, Hideaki; Kaplan, David R; Miller, Freda D

2013-01-02

The transcription factor FoxP2 has been associated with the development of human speech but the underlying cellular function of FoxP2 is still unclear. Here we provide evidence that FoxP2 regulates genesis of some intermediate progenitors and neurons in the mammalian cortex, one of the key centers for human speech. Specifically, knockdown of FoxP2 in embryonic cortical precursors inhibits neurogenesis, at least in part by inhibiting the transition from radial glial precursors to neurogenic intermediate progenitors. Moreover, overexpression of human, but not mouse, FoxP2 enhances the genesis of intermediate progenitors and neurons. In contrast, expression of a human FoxP2 mutant that causes vocalization deficits decreases neurogenesis, suggesting that in the murine system human FoxP2 acts as a gain-of-function protein, while a human FoxP2 mutant acts as a dominant-inhibitory protein. These results support the idea that FoxP2 regulates the transition from neural precursors to transit-amplifying progenitors and ultimately neurons, and shed light upon the molecular changes that might contribute to evolution of the mammalian cortex.

Phylogenetic relationships of the Fox (Forkhead) gene family in the Bilateria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazet, Francoise; Yu, Jr Kai; Liberles, David A.; Holland, Linda Z.; Shimeld, Sebastian M.

2003-01-01

The Forkhead or Fox gene family encodes putative transcription factors. There are at least four Fox genes in yeast, 16 in Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) and 42 in humans. Recently, vertebrate Fox genes have been classified into 17 groups named FoxA to FoxQ. Here, we extend this analysis to invertebrates, using available sequences from D. melanogaster, Anopheles gambiae (Ag), Caenorhabditis elegans (Ce), the sea squirt Ciona intestinalis (Ci) and amphioxus Branchiostoma floridae (Bf), from which we also cloned several Fox genes. Phylogenetic analyses lend support to the previous overall subclassification of vertebrate genes, but suggest that four subclasses (FoxJ, L, N and Q) could be further subdivided to reflect their relationships to invertebrate genes. We were unable to identify orthologs of Fox subclasses E, H, I, J, M and Q1 in D. melanogaster, A. gambiae or C. elegans, suggesting either considerable loss in ecdysozoans or the evolution of these subclasses in the deuterostome lineage. Our analyses suggest that the common ancestor of protostomes and deuterostomes had a minimum complement of 14 Fox genes.

On the origin of a domesticated species: Identifying the parent population of Russian silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

PubMed Central

Statham, Mark J.; Trut, Lyudmila N.; Sacks, Ben N.; Kharlamova, Anastasiya V.; Oskina, Irina N.; Gulevich, Rimma G.; Johnson, Jennifer L.; Temnykh, Svetlana V.; Acland, Gregory M.; Kukekova, Anna V.

2011-01-01

The foxes at Novosibirsk, Russia, are the only population of domesticated foxes in the world. These domesticated foxes originated from farm-bred silver foxes (Vulpes vulpes), whose genetic source is unknown. In this study we examined the origin of the domesticated strain of foxes and two other farm-bred fox populations (aggressive and unselected) maintained in Novosibirsk. To identify the phylogenetic origin of these populations we sequenced two regions of mtDNA, cytochrome b and D-loop, from 24 Novosibirsk foxes (8 foxes from each population) and compared them with corresponding sequences of native red foxes from Europe, Asia, Alaska and Western Canada, Eastern Canada, and the Western Mountains of the USA. We identified seven cytochrome b - D-loop haplotypes in Novosibirsk populations, four of which were previously observed in Eastern North America. The three remaining haplotypes differed by one or two base change from the most common haplotype in Eastern Canada. ΦST analysis showed significant differentiation between Novosibirsk populations and red fox populations from all geographic regions except Eastern Canada. No haplotypes of Eurasian origin were identified in the Novosibirsk populations. These results are consistent with historical records indicating that the original breeding stock of farm-bred foxes originated from Prince Edward Island, Canada. Mitochondrial DNA data together with historical records indicate two stages in the selection of domesticated foxes: the first includes captive breeding for ~50 years with unconscious selection for behaviour; the second corresponds to over 50 further years of intensive selection for tame behaviour. PMID:21625363

Platinum coat color in red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is caused by a mutation in an autosomal copy of KIT.

PubMed

Johnson, J L; Kozysa, A; Kharlamova, A V; Gulevich, R G; Perelman, P L; Fong, H W F; Vladimirova, A V; Oskina, I N; Trut, L N; Kukekova, A V

2015-04-01

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) demonstrates a variety of coat colors including platinum, a common phenotype maintained in farm-bred fox populations. Foxes heterozygous for the platinum allele have a light silver coat and extensive white spotting, whereas homozygosity is embryonic lethal. Two KIT transcripts were identified in skin cDNA from platinum foxes. The long transcript was identical to the KIT transcript of silver foxes, whereas the short transcript, which lacks exon 17, was specific to platinum. The KIT gene has several copies in the fox genome: an autosomal copy on chromosome 2 and additional copies on the B chromosomes. To identify the platinum-specific KIT sequence, the genomes of one platinum and one silver fox were sequenced. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was identified at the first nucleotide of KIT intron 17 in the platinum fox. In platinum foxes, the A allele of the SNP disrupts the donor splice site and causes exon 17, which is part of a segment that encodes a conserved tyrosine kinase domain, to be skipped. Complete cosegregation of the A allele with the platinum phenotype was confirmed by linkage mapping (LOD 25.59). All genotyped farm-bred platinum foxes from Russia and the US were heterozygous for the SNP (A/G), whereas foxes with different coat colors were homozygous for the G allele. Identification of the platinum mutation suggests that other fox white-spotting phenotypes, which are allelic to platinum, would also be caused by mutations in the KIT gene. © 2015 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Association of MC3R gene polymorphisms with body weight in the red fox and comparative gene organization in four canids.

PubMed

Skorczyk, A; Flisikowski, K; Szydlowski, M; Cieslak, J; Fries, R; Switonski, M

2011-02-01

There are five genes encoding melanocortin receptors. Among canids, the genes have mainly been studied in the dog (MC1R, MC2R and MC4R). The MC4R gene has also been analysed in the red fox. In this report, we present a study of chromosome localization, comparative sequence analysis and polymorphism of the MC3R gene in the dog, red fox, arctic fox and Chinese raccoon dog. The gene was localized by FISH to the following chromosome: 24q24-25 in the dog, 14p16 in the red fox, 18q13 in the arctic fox and NPP4p15 in the Chinese raccoon dog. A high identity level of the MC3R gene sequences was observed among the species, ranging from 96.0% (red fox--Chinese raccoon dog) to 99.5% (red fox--arctic fox). Altogether, eight polymorphic sites were found in the red fox, six in the Chinese raccoon dog and two in the dog, while the arctic fox appeared to be monomorphic. In addition, association of several polymorphisms with body weight was analysed in red foxes (the number of genotyped animals ranged from 319 to 379). Two polymorphisms in the red fox, i.e. a silent substitution c.957A>C and c.*185C>T in the 3'-flanking sequence, showed a significant association (P < 0.01) with body weight. © 2010 The Authors, Animal Genetics © 2010 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Effect of British hunting ban on fox numbers.

PubMed

Baker, Philip J; Harris, Stephen; Webbon, Charlotte C

2002-09-05

Pressure to ban the hunting of foxes with hounds in Britain has fuelled debate about its contribution to the control of fox populations. We took advantage of a nationwide one-year ban on fox-hunting during the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in 2001 to examine this issue and found that the ban had no measurable impact on fox numbers in randomly selected areas. Our results argue against suggestions that fox populations would increase markedly in the event of a permanent ban on hunting.

Mitochondrial genomes suggest rapid evolution of dwarf California Channel Islands foxes (Urocyon littoralis).

PubMed

Hofman, Courtney A; Rick, Torben C; Hawkins, Melissa T R; Funk, W Chris; Ralls, Katherine; Boser, Christina L; Collins, Paul W; Coonan, Tim; King, Julie L; Morrison, Scott A; Newsome, Seth D; Sillett, T Scott; Fleischer, Robert C; Maldonado, Jesus E

2015-01-01

Island endemics are typically differentiated from their mainland progenitors in behavior, morphology, and genetics, often resulting from long-term evolutionary change. To examine mechanisms for the origins of island endemism, we present a phylogeographic analysis of whole mitochondrial genomes from the endangered island fox (Urocyon littoralis), endemic to California's Channel Islands, and mainland gray foxes (U. cinereoargenteus). Previous genetic studies suggested that foxes first appeared on the islands >16,000 years ago, before human arrival (~13,000 cal BP), while archaeological and paleontological data supported a colonization >7000 cal BP. Our results are consistent with initial fox colonization of the northern islands probably by rafting or human introduction ~9200-7100 years ago, followed quickly by human translocation of foxes from the northern to southern Channel Islands. Mitogenomes indicate that island foxes are monophyletic and most closely related to gray foxes from northern California that likely experienced a Holocene climate-induced range shift. Our data document rapid morphological evolution of island foxes (in ~2000 years or less). Despite evidence for bottlenecks, island foxes have generated and maintained multiple mitochondrial haplotypes. This study highlights the intertwined evolutionary history of island foxes and humans, and illustrates a new approach for investigating the evolutionary histories of other island endemics.

Nuclear Genetic Analysis of the Red Fox Across its Trans-Pacific Range.

PubMed

Sacks, Benjamin N; Lounsberry, Zachary T; Statham, Mark J

2018-06-27

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) occurs on multiple continents in diverse habitats, making it an informative system for evolutionary genomic research. However, its phylogeography remains unclear. Previously, mitochondrial DNA and small numbers of nuclear loci provided discordant views. Both markers indicated deep divergence (~ 0.5 million years [MY]) between Eurasian and southern North American populations but differed in the apparent continental affinity of Alaskan red foxes, implying some degree of gene exchange during secondary contact (~0.1 MY). We assayed >173000 nuclear genomic sites in 52 red foxes, along with 2 Rueppell's foxes (Vulpes rueppellii) and a gray wolf (Canis lupus) using the Illumina CanineHD BeadChip. We obtained 5107 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the foxes. Consistent with the Afro-Eurasian origins of red foxes, genetic diversity was higher in Eurasian than North American samples. Phylogenetic trees indicated that Alaskan and southern North American red foxes formed a monophyletic group nested within the Eurasian clade. However, admixture models suggested Alaskan red foxes contained up to 40% Eurasian ancestry. We hypothesize that North American red foxes either hybridized with Eurasian foxes in Beringia at the start of the last glaciation or merged with a Beringian population after the last glaciation. Future work is needed to test between these scenarios and assess speciation.

Theoretical study on the mechanism of the reaction of FOX-7 with OH and NO2 radicals: bimolecular reactions with low barrier during the decomposition of FOX-7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ji-Dong; Zhang, Li-Li

2017-12-01

The decomposition of 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) attracts great interests, while the studies on bimolecular reactions during the decomposition of FOX-7 are scarce. This study for the first time investigated the bimolecular reactions of OH and NO2 radicals, which are pyrolysis products of ammonium perchlorate (an efficient oxidant usually used in solid propellant), with FOX-7 by computational chemistry methods. The molecular geometries and energies were calculated using the (U)B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) method. The rate constants of the reactions were calculated by canonical variational transition state theory. We found three mechanisms (H-abstraction, OH addition to C and N atom) for the reaction of OH + FOX-7 and two mechanisms (O abstraction and H abstraction) for the reaction of NO2 + FOX-7. OH radical can abstract H atom or add to C atom of FOX-7 with barriers near to zero, which means OH radical can effectively degrade FOX-7. The O abstraction channel of the reaction of NO2 + FOX-7 results in the formation of NO3 radical, which has never been detected experimentally during the decomposition of FOX-7.

Mitochondrial Genomes Suggest Rapid Evolution of Dwarf California Channel Islands Foxes (Urocyon littoralis)

PubMed Central

Hofman, Courtney A.; Rick, Torben C.; Hawkins, Melissa T. R.; Funk, W. Chris; Ralls, Katherine; Boser, Christina L.; Collins, Paul W.; Coonan, Tim; King, Julie L.; Morrison, Scott A.; Newsome, Seth D.; Sillett, T. Scott; Fleischer, Robert C.; Maldonado, Jesus E.

2015-01-01

Island endemics are typically differentiated from their mainland progenitors in behavior, morphology, and genetics, often resulting from long-term evolutionary change. To examine mechanisms for the origins of island endemism, we present a phylogeographic analysis of whole mitochondrial genomes from the endangered island fox (Urocyon littoralis), endemic to California’s Channel Islands, and mainland gray foxes (U. cinereoargenteus). Previous genetic studies suggested that foxes first appeared on the islands >16,000 years ago, before human arrival (~13,000 cal BP), while archaeological and paleontological data supported a colonization >7000 cal BP. Our results are consistent with initial fox colonization of the northern islands probably by rafting or human introduction ~9200–7100 years ago, followed quickly by human translocation of foxes from the northern to southern Channel Islands. Mitogenomes indicate that island foxes are monophyletic and most closely related to gray foxes from northern California that likely experienced a Holocene climate-induced range shift. Our data document rapid morphological evolution of island foxes (in ~2000 years or less). Despite evidence for bottlenecks, island foxes have generated and maintained multiple mitochondrial haplotypes. This study highlights the intertwined evolutionary history of island foxes and humans, and illustrates a new approach for investigating the evolutionary histories of other island endemics. PMID:25714775

75 FR 70027 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, CO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-16

... Nation, Kansas; Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, California & Arizona; Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation..., California & Arizona; Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and...

Response of gray foxes to modified live-virus canine distemper vaccines.

PubMed

Halbrooks, R D; Swango, L J; Schnurrenberger, P R; Mitchell, F E; Hill, E P

1981-12-01

Ten gray foxes seronegative for canine distemper virus were vaccinated with 1 of 3 commercial modified live-virus canine distemper vaccines. Of 5 foxes receiving vaccine A (chicken tissue culture origin), 4 developed significant titers (greater than or equal to 1:100) of neutralizing antibody to canine distemper virus and remained clinically normal after vaccination. Two of 3 foxes vaccinated with vaccine B (canine cell line origin) and both foxes receiving vaccine C (canine cell line origin) died of vaccine-induced distemper. Five unvaccinated control foxes died of distemper after a known occasion for contact transmission of virus from a fox vaccinated with vaccine B. The results suggested that the chicken tissue culture origin modified live-virus canine distemper vaccine is probably safe for normal adult gray foxes, whereas the canine cell origin vaccines are hazardous. The results of this study tended to corroborate anecdotal experiences of veterinarians who have observed that gray foxes frequently die from distemper soon after vaccination with modified live-virus canine distemper vaccines.

Global warming and effects on the Arctic fox.

PubMed

Fuglei, Eva; Ims, Rolf Anker

2008-01-01

We predict the effect of global warming on the arctic fox, the only endemic terrestrial predatory mammals in the arctic region. We emphasize the difference between coastal and inland arctic fox populations. Inland foxes rely on peak abundance of lemming prey to sustain viable populations. In the short-term, warmer winters result in missed lemming peak years and reduced opportunities for successful arctic fox breeding. In the long-term, however, warmer climate will increase plant productivity and more herbivore prey for competitive dominant predators moving in from the south. The red fox has already intruded the arctic region and caused a retreat of the southern limit of arctic fox distribution range. Coastal arctic foxes, which rely on the richer and temporally stable marine subsidies, will be less prone to climate-induced resource limitations. Indeed, arctic islands, becoming protected from southern species invasions as the extent of sea ice is decreasing, may become the last refuges for coastal populations of Arctic foxes.

Inhibition of FoxO1 acetylation by INHAT subunit SET/TAF-Iβ induces p21 transcription.

PubMed

Chae, Yun-Cheol; Kim, Kee-Beom; Kang, Joo-Young; Kim, Se-Ryeon; Jung, Hyeon-Soo; Seo, Sang-Beom

2014-08-25

Post-translational modification of forkhead family transcription factor, FoxO1, is an important regulatory mode for its diverse activities. FoxO1 is acetylated by HAT coactivators and its transcriptional activity is decreased via reduced DNA binding affinity. Here, we report that SET/TAF-Iβ inhibited p300-mediated FoxO1 acetylation in an INHAT domain-dependent manner. SET/TAF-Iβ interacted with FoxO1 and activated transcription of FoxO1 target gene, p21. Moreover, SET/TAF-Iβ inhibited acetylation of FoxO1 and increased p21 transcription induced by oxidative stress. Our results suggest that SET/TAF-Iβ inhibits FoxO1 acetylation and activates its transcriptional activity toward p21. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FoxG1 and TLE2 act cooperatively to regulate ventral telencephalon formation.

PubMed

Roth, Martin; Bonev, Boyan; Lindsay, Jennefer; Lea, Robert; Panagiotaki, Niki; Houart, Corinne; Papalopulu, Nancy

2010-05-01

FoxG1 is a conserved transcriptional repressor that plays a key role in the specification, proliferation and differentiation of the telencephalon, and is expressed from the earliest stages of telencephalic development through to the adult. How the interaction with co-factors might influence the multiplicity and diversity of FoxG1 function is not known. Here, we show that interaction of FoxG1 with TLE2, a Xenopus tropicalis co-repressor of the Groucho/TLE family, is crucial for regulating the early activity of FoxG1. We show that TLE2 is co-expressed with FoxG1 in the ventral telencephalon from the early neural plate stage and functionally cooperates with FoxG1 in an ectopic neurogenesis assay. FoxG1 has two potential TLE binding sites: an N-terminal eh1 motif and a C-terminal YWPMSPF motif. Although direct binding seems to be mediated by the N-terminal motif, both motifs appear important for functional synergism. In the neurogenesis assay, mutation of either motif abolishes functional cooperation of TLE2 with FoxG1, whereas in the forebrain deletion of both motifs renders FoxG1 unable to induce the ventral telencephalic marker Nkx2.1. Knocking down either FoxG1 or TLE2 disrupts the development of the ventral telencephalon, supporting the idea that endogenous TLE2 and FoxG1 work together to specify the ventral telencephalon.

FoxG1 and TLE2 act cooperatively to regulate ventral telencephalon formation

PubMed Central

Roth, Martin; Bonev, Boyan; Lindsay, Jennefer; Lea, Robert; Panagiotaki, Niki; Houart, Corinne; Papalopulu, Nancy

2010-01-01

FoxG1 is a conserved transcriptional repressor that plays a key role in the specification, proliferation and differentiation of the telencephalon, and is expressed from the earliest stages of telencephalic development through to the adult. How the interaction with co-factors might influence the multiplicity and diversity of FoxG1 function is not known. Here, we show that interaction of FoxG1 with TLE2, a Xenopus tropicalis co-repressor of the Groucho/TLE family, is crucial for regulating the early activity of FoxG1. We show that TLE2 is co-expressed with FoxG1 in the ventral telencephalon from the early neural plate stage and functionally cooperates with FoxG1 in an ectopic neurogenesis assay. FoxG1 has two potential TLE binding sites: an N-terminal eh1 motif and a C-terminal YWPMSPF motif. Although direct binding seems to be mediated by the N-terminal motif, both motifs appear important for functional synergism. In the neurogenesis assay, mutation of either motif abolishes functional cooperation of TLE2 with FoxG1, whereas in the forebrain deletion of both motifs renders FoxG1 unable to induce the ventral telencephalic marker Nkx2.1. Knocking down either FoxG1 or TLE2 disrupts the development of the ventral telencephalon, supporting the idea that endogenous TLE2 and FoxG1 work together to specify the ventral telencephalon. PMID:20356955

Upregulation of FoxO 1 Signaling Mediates the Proinflammatory Cytokine Upregulation in the Macrophage from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients.

PubMed

Li, Ning; Wang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Xiaojie; Yu, Hongna; Lin, Li; Sun, Chengming; Liu, Peng; Chu, Yongli; Hou, Jianqing

2017-02-01

Chronic activation of macrophage-mediated inflammatory signals in insulin-sensitive metabolic tissues is thought to be one of the causes of insulin resistance-one of the hallmarks of the metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance is a feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and is related to mitochondrial and endothelial function. In the present study, we investigated the phosphorylation level of FoxO 1, which is suppressed by the action of AKT, triggers the TLR4 inflammatory signaling pathway in the macrophages, from polycystic ovary syndrome patients or normal subjects. Then we investigated the influence of phosphorylation level of FoxO 1FoxO 1 on the induction of proinflammatory cytokines in the macrophages and the influence by FoxO FoxO 1 knockdown on the insulin-induced glucose uptake in PCOS macrophages. Our results demonstrated that the significantly high level of FoxO 1FoxO 1 phosphorylation correlated with the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the macrophages from PCOS patients. The high level of FoxO 1FoxO 1 phosphorylation enhanced the TLR-4 signaling in response to LPS, and the FoxO FoxO 1 knockdown inhibited the insulin-induced glucose uptake in PCOS macrophages. The findings of this paper suggest an intriguing regulatory transcriptional/signaling loop in macrophages that may contribute to maintain and exacerbate inflammation and insulin resistance in PCOS macrophages.

Hydrogeologic information on the Glorieta Sandstone and the Ogallala Formation in the Oklahoma Panhandle and adjoining areas as related to underground waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Irwin, James Haskell; Morton, Robert B.

1969-01-01

The Oklahoma Panhandle and adjacent areas in Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico have prospered because of the development of supplies of fresh water and of oil and gas. The Ogallala and, in places, Cretaceous rocks produce fresh water for irrigation, public supply, and domestic and stock use through approximately 9,000 irrigation and public supply wells and a large but undetermined number of other wells. Disposal of oil-field brine and other wastes into the Glorieta Sandstone is of concern to many local residents because of the possibility of pollution of the overlying fresh-water aquifers, particularly the Ogallala Formation. Permits for 147 disposal wells into the Glorieta have been issued in this area. This report summarizes the data on geology, hydrology, and water development currently available to the U.S. Geological Survey. Geologic information indicates that, in the report area, the Glorieta Sandstone lies at depths ranging from about 500 to 1,600 feet below the base of the Ogallala Fox, nation. The rocks between those two formations are of relatively impermeable types, but solution and removal of salt has resulted in collapse of the rocks in some places. Collapse and fracturing of the rocks could result in increased vertical permeability. This might result in movement of brine under hydrostatic head from the Glorieta Sandstone into overlying fresh-water aquifers, in places where an upward hydraulic gradient exists or is created by an increase in pressure within the Glorieta. Abandoned or inadequately sealed boreholes also are possible conduits for such fluids. The mixing of water in the fresh-water aquifers with brines injected into the Glorieta is not known to have occurred anywhere in the report area, but the information available is not adequate to show positively whether or not this may have occurred locally. Much additional information on the stratigraphy and hydrology--particularly, data on the potentiometric surface of water in the Glorieta--needs to be collected and analyzed before conclusions can be drawn regarding the possibility of vertical movement of oil-field brines from the Glorieta to fresh-water aquifers above.

Uncoupling of acetylation from phosphorylation regulates FoxO1 function independent of its subcellular localization.

PubMed

Qiang, Li; Banks, Alexander S; Accili, Domenico

2010-08-27

The activity of transcription factor FoxO1 is regulated by phosphorylation-dependent nuclear exclusion and deacetylation-dependent nuclear retention. It is unclear whether and how these two post-translational modifications affect each other. To answer this question, we expressed FoxO1 cDNAs with combined mutations of phosphorylation and acetylation sites in HEK-293 cells and analyzed their subcellular localization patterns. We show that mutations mimicking the acetylated state (KQ series) render FoxO1 more sensitive to Akt-mediated phosphorylation and nuclear exclusion and can reverse the constitutively nuclear localization of phosphorylation-defective FoxO1. Conversely, mutations mimicking the deacetylated state (KR series) promote FoxO1 nuclear retention. Oxidative stress and the Sirt1 activator resveratrol are thought to promote FoxO1 deacetylation and nuclear retention, thus increasing its activity. Accordingly, FoxO1 deacetylation was required for the effect of oxidative stress (induced by H(2)O(2)) to retain FoxO1 in the nucleus. H(2)O(2) also inhibited FoxO1 phosphorylation on Ser-253 and Thr-24, the key insulin-regulated sites, irrespective of its acetylation. In contrast, the effect of resveratrol was independent of FoxO1 acetylation and its phosphorylation on Ser-253 and Thr-24, suggesting that resveratrol acts on FoxO1 in a Sirt1- and Akt-independent manner. The dissociation of deacetylation from dephosphorylation in H(2)O(2)-treated cells indicates that the two modifications can occur independently of each other. It can be envisaged that FoxO1 exists in multiple nuclear forms with distinct activities depending on the balance of acetylation and phosphorylation.

Groundwater processes and landscape evolution in Saharan Africa: Remote sensing, isotopic and geophysical constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farag, A. Z.; Sultan, M.; El Kadiri, R.; Mohamed, L.

2013-12-01

Paleoclimatic regimes of the North African Sahara Desert alternated between dry and wet periods throughout the Pleistocene Epoch and it is during these wet periods that the fossil aquifers in North Africa were recharged. The largest of these aquifer systems is the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS; area: 2.2 million km2) in Egypt, Libya, Sudan and Chad and the North Western Sahara Aquifer (NWSA; area: 1 million km2) in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. These aquifers have similar stratigraphic and hydrogeologic settings: (1) the main aquifer is composed largely of older clastic sediments (NAS: Nubian Sandstone; CI: Continental Intercalaire Aquifer) that is overlain by non-clastic carbonates with intercalations of clays and marls ( PNAS: Post Nubian Aquifer System, CT: Complexe Terminal) (2) unconfined conditions in the south that give way to confined conditions in the north, and (3) during wet periods, the NAS and the CI were recharged, groundwater levels rose, and groundwater flowed from the south to the north. In this study we present evidences (remote sensing, field, geophysical, isotopic) to support the hypothesis that in wet periods: (1) groundwater under high hydrostatic pressures access deep seated deep structures and discharge at the near surface causing sapping features and in the overlying carbonate sequences causing karstic features, and (2) many of the present topographic features including natural depressions across the NSAS and the NWSA were largely controlled by the groundwater system processes in previous wet climatic features. Evidences include: (1) Stubby-looking channels with U- shaped valley floors and theater-like valley heads indicative of sapping processes were mapped (using high spatial resolution IKONOS images, ASTER Digital Elevation Model (DEM), slope, hill shade and Landsat mosaics) along scarps in Egypt and Libya (scarp length: 2190 km) and in Algeria (scarp length: 400 km), (2) many of the mapped channel networks (length up to 50 km) start from the mapped sapping features and flow towards the lowlands forming playa deposits (e.g., NSAS: Ain Dalla, Siwa Oasis and Qattara, NWAS: Chott Melrhir, Chott Merouane and Chott El-Jerid), (3) widespread tufa deposits in Kharga, Bishma, Siwa and Tadrart plastered along the scarp faces suggesting deposition from groundwater that accessed deep-seated faults defining the scarp, (4) the oxygen isotopic composition of the tufa is consistent with the deposition from the fossil groundwater (5) many of the scarps are controlled by the presence of deep- seated faults (from total magnetic intensity maps, radar and Landsat images) that cut across the NAS and NWAS aquifers and the overlying sequences and thus can act as conduits for rising groundwater, (6) similarities in the isotopic compositions of groundwater in the NAS and the overlying PNAS and in the CI and the overlying CT , and (7) under current dry condition, the deep seated fossil aquifers discharge in the overlying aquifers as evidenced by the isotopic composition of 96 groundwater samples that show evidence for mixing of Nubian fossil water (δ 18O= -10.7 ‰) with modern and River Nile water (δ 18O= -0.6 ‰).

Young and intense: FoxP2 immunoreactivity in Area X varies with age, song stereotypy, and singing in male zebra finches

PubMed Central

Thompson, Christopher K.; Schwabe, Fabian; Schoof, Alexander; Mendoza, Ezequiel; Gampe, Jutta; Rochefort, Christelle; Scharff, Constance

2013-01-01

FOXP2 is a transcription factor functionally relevant for learned vocalizations in humans and songbirds. In songbirds, FoxP2 mRNA expression in the medium spiny neurons of the basal ganglia song nucleus Area X is developmentally regulated and varies with singing conditions in different social contexts. How individual neurons in Area X change FoxP2 expression across development and in social contexts is not known, however. Here we address this critical gap in our understanding of FoxP2 as a link between neuronal networks and behavior. We used a statistically unbiased analysis of FoxP2-immunoreactivity (FoxP2-IR) on a neuron-by-neuron basis and found a bimodal distribution of FoxP2-IR neurons in Area X: weakly-stained and intensely-stained. The density of intensely-stained FoxP2-IR neurons was 10 times higher in juveniles than in adults, exponentially decreased with age, and was negatively correlated with adult song stability. Three-week old neurons labeled with BrdU were more than five times as likely to be intensely-stained than weakly-stained. The density of FoxP2-IR putative migratory neurons with fusiform-shaped nuclei substantially decreased as birds aged. The density of intensely-stained FoxP2-IR neurons was not affected by singing whereas the density of weakly-stained FoxP2-IR neurons was. Together, these data indicate that young Area X medium spiny neurons express FoxP2 at high levels and decrease expression as they become integrated into existing neural circuits. Once integrated, levels of FoxP2 expression correlate with singing behavior. Together, these findings raise the possibility that FoxP2 levels may orchestrate song learning and song stereotypy in adults by a common mechanism. PMID:23450800

Young and intense: FoxP2 immunoreactivity in Area X varies with age, song stereotypy, and singing in male zebra finches.

PubMed

Thompson, Christopher K; Schwabe, Fabian; Schoof, Alexander; Mendoza, Ezequiel; Gampe, Jutta; Rochefort, Christelle; Scharff, Constance

2013-01-01

FOXP2 is a transcription factor functionally relevant for learned vocalizations in humans and songbirds. In songbirds, FoxP2 mRNA expression in the medium spiny neurons of the basal ganglia song nucleus Area X is developmentally regulated and varies with singing conditions in different social contexts. How individual neurons in Area X change FoxP2 expression across development and in social contexts is not known, however. Here we address this critical gap in our understanding of FoxP2 as a link between neuronal networks and behavior. We used a statistically unbiased analysis of FoxP2-immunoreactivity (FoxP2-IR) on a neuron-by-neuron basis and found a bimodal distribution of FoxP2-IR neurons in Area X: weakly-stained and intensely-stained. The density of intensely-stained FoxP2-IR neurons was 10 times higher in juveniles than in adults, exponentially decreased with age, and was negatively correlated with adult song stability. Three-week old neurons labeled with BrdU were more than five times as likely to be intensely-stained than weakly-stained. The density of FoxP2-IR putative migratory neurons with fusiform-shaped nuclei substantially decreased as birds aged. The density of intensely-stained FoxP2-IR neurons was not affected by singing whereas the density of weakly-stained FoxP2-IR neurons was. Together, these data indicate that young Area X medium spiny neurons express FoxP2 at high levels and decrease expression as they become integrated into existing neural circuits. Once integrated, levels of FoxP2 expression correlate with singing behavior. Together, these findings raise the possibility that FoxP2 levels may orchestrate song learning and song stereotypy in adults by a common mechanism.

The control of foxN2/3 expression in sea urchin embryos and its function in the skeletogenic gene regulatory network.

PubMed

Rho, Ho Kyung; McClay, David R

2011-03-01

Early development requires well-organized temporal and spatial regulation of transcription factors that are assembled into gene regulatory networks (GRNs). In the sea urchin, an endomesoderm GRN model explains much of the specification in the endoderm and mesoderm prior to gastrulation, yet some GRN connections remain incomplete. Here, we characterize FoxN2/3 in the primary mesenchyme cell (PMC) GRN state. Expression of foxN2/3 mRNA begins in micromeres at the hatched blastula stage and then is lost from micromeres at the mesenchyme blastula stage. foxN2/3 expression then shifts to the non-skeletogenic mesoderm and, later, to the endoderm. Here, we show that Pmar1, Ets1 and Tbr are necessary for activation of foxN2/3 in micromeres. The later endomesoderm expression of foxN2/3 is independent of the earlier expression of foxN2/3 in micromeres and is independent of signals from PMCs. FoxN2/3 is necessary for several steps in the formation of the larval skeleton. Early expression of genes for the skeletal matrix is dependent on FoxN2/3, but only until the mesenchyme blastula stage as foxN2/3 mRNA disappears from PMCs at that time and we assume that the protein is not abnormally long-lived. Knockdown of FoxN2/3 inhibits normal PMC ingression and foxN2/3 morphant PMCs do not organize in the blastocoel and fail to join the PMC syncytium. In addition, without FoxN2/3, the PMCs fail to repress the transfating of other mesodermal cells into the skeletogenic lineage. Thus, FoxN2/3 is necessary for normal ingression, for expression of several skeletal matrix genes, for preventing transfating and for fusion of the PMC syncytium.

A conceptual model for the impact of climate change on fox rabies in Alaska, 1980–2010

PubMed Central

Kim, Bryan I.; Blanton, Jesse D.; Gilbert, Amy; Castrodale, Louisa; Hueffer, Karsten; Slate, Dennis; Rupprecht, Charles E.

2013-01-01

The direct and interactive effects of climate change on host species and infectious disease dynamics are likely to initially manifest at latitudinal extremes. As such, Alaska represents a region in the United States for introspection on climate change and disease. Rabies is enzootic among arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) throughout the northern polar region. In Alaska, arctic and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are reservoirs for rabies, with most domestic animal and wildlife cases reported from northern and western coastal Alaska. Based on passive surveillance, a pronounced seasonal trend in rabid foxes occurs in Alaska, with a peak in winter and spring. This study describes climatic factors that may be associated with reported cyclic rabies occurrence. Based upon probabilistic modeling, a stronger seasonal effect in reported fox rabies cases appears at higher latitudes in Alaska, and rabies in arctic foxes appear disproportionately affected by climatic factors in comparison to red foxes. As temperatures continue a warming trend a decrease in reported rabid arctic foxes may be expected. The overall epidemiology of rabies in Alaska is likely to shift to increased viral transmission among red foxes as the primary reservoir in the region. Information on fox and lemming demographics, in addition to enhanced rabies surveillance among foxes at finer geographic scales, will be critical to develop more comprehensive models for rabies virus transmission in the region. PMID:23452510

FoxP2 directly regulates the reelin receptor VLDLR developmentally and by singing.

PubMed

Adam, Iris; Mendoza, Ezequiel; Kobalz, Ursula; Wohlgemuth, Sandra; Scharff, Constance

2016-07-01

Mutations of the transcription factor FOXP2 cause a severe speech and language disorder. In songbirds, FoxP2 is expressed in the medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the avian basal ganglia song nucleus, Area X, which is crucial for song learning and adult song performance. Experimental downregulation of FoxP2 in Area X affects spine formation, prevents neuronal plasticity induced by social context and impairs song learning. Direct target genes of FoxP2 relevant for song learning and song production are unknown. Here we show that a lentivirally mediated FoxP2 knockdown in Area X of zebra finches downregulates the expression of VLDLR, one of the two reelin receptors. Zebra finch FoxP2 binds to the promoter of VLDLR and activates it, establishing VLDLR as a direct FoxP2 target. Consistent with these findings, VLDLR expression is co-regulated with FoxP2 as a consequence of adult singing and during song learning. We also demonstrate that knockdown of FoxP2 affects glutamatergic transmission at the corticostriatal MSN synapse. These data raise the possibility that the regulatory relationship between FoxP2 and VLDLR guides structural plasticity towards the subset of FoxP2-positive MSNs in an activity dependent manner via the reelin pathway. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A conceptual model for the impact of climate change on fox rabies in Alaska, 1980-2010.

PubMed

Kim, B I; Blanton, J D; Gilbert, A; Castrodale, L; Hueffer, K; Slate, D; Rupprecht, C E

2014-02-01

The direct and interactive effects of climate change on host species and infectious disease dynamics are likely to initially manifest\\ at latitudinal extremes. As such, Alaska represents a region in the United States for introspection on climate change and disease. Rabies is enzootic among arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) throughout the northern polar region. In Alaska, arctic and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are reservoirs for rabies, with most domestic animal and wildlife cases reported from northern and western coastal Alaska. Based on passive surveillance, a pronounced seasonal trend in rabid foxes occurs in Alaska, with a peak in winter and spring. This study describes climatic factors that may be associated with reported cyclic rabies occurrence. Based upon probabilistic modelling, a stronger seasonal effect in reported fox rabies cases appears at higher latitudes in Alaska, and rabies in arctic foxes appear disproportionately affected by climatic factors in comparison with red foxes. As temperatures continue a warming trend, a decrease in reported rabid arctic foxes may be expected. The overall epidemiology of rabies in Alaska is likely to shift to increased viral transmission among red foxes as the primary reservoir in the region. Information on fox and lemming demographics, in addition to enhanced rabies surveillance among foxes at finer geographic scales, will be critical to develop more comprehensive models for rabies virus transmission in the region. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Individual tree crown delineation using localized contour tree method and airborne LiDAR data in coniferous forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Bin; Yu, Bailang; Wu, Qiusheng; Huang, Yan; Chen, Zuoqi; Wu, Jianping

2016-10-01

Individual tree crown delineation is of great importance for forest inventory and management. The increasing availability of high-resolution airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data makes it possible to delineate the crown structure of individual trees and deduce their geometric properties with high accuracy. In this study, we developed an automated segmentation method that is able to fully utilize high-resolution LiDAR data for detecting, extracting, and characterizing individual tree crowns with a multitude of geometric and topological properties. The proposed approach captures topological structure of forest and quantifies topological relationships of tree crowns by using a graph theory-based localized contour tree method, and finally segments individual tree crowns by analogy of recognizing hills from a topographic map. This approach consists of five key technical components: (1) derivation of canopy height model from airborne LiDAR data; (2) generation of contours based on the canopy height model; (3) extraction of hierarchical structures of tree crowns using the localized contour tree method; (4) delineation of individual tree crowns by segmenting hierarchical crown structure; and (5) calculation of geometric and topological properties of individual trees. We applied our new method to the Medicine Bow National Forest in the southwest of Laramie, Wyoming and the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest in the central portion of the Cascade Range of Oregon, U.S. The results reveal that the overall accuracy of individual tree crown delineation for the two study areas achieved 94.21% and 75.07%, respectively. Our method holds great potential for segmenting individual tree crowns under various forest conditions. Furthermore, the geometric and topological attributes derived from our method provide comprehensive and essential information for forest management.

An Application of a Procedures Manual for Assessing the Socioeconomic Impact of the Construction and Operation of Coal Utilization Facilities in the Old West Region.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Old West Regional Commission, Billings, MT.

To evaluate and test the effectiveness of the "Procedures Manual for Assisting the Socioeconomic Impact of the Construction and Operation of Coal Utilization Facilities in the Old West Region," an impact study of a proposed electric generating station on the Laramie River near Wheatland, Wyoming, identifies difficulties encountered in…

Ozone and modeled stomatal conductance at a high elevation subalpine site in southeastern Wyoming

Treesearch

Robert C. Musselman; Karl F. Zeller; Nedialko T. Nikolov

1998-01-01

Ozone concentrations have been monitored at the Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiment Site (GLEES) in the Snowy Range of the Medicine Bow Mountains 55 km west of Laramie, Wyoming, USA. The site is located at 3,186 m elevation in a large subalpine meadow of a mature subalpine forest near timberline. Continuous ozone and meteorological monitoring are a part of the GLEES...

Using wind-deformed conifers to measure wind patterns in alpine transition at GLEES

Treesearch

Robert C. Musselman; Gene L. Wooldridge; Douglas G. Fox; Bernadette H. Connell

1990-01-01

The Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiments Site (GLEES) is a high-elevation ecosystem in the Snowy Range west of Laramie, WY, that is perceived to be highly sensitive to changes in chemical and physical climate. Deposition of atmospheric chemicals to this ecosystem is, in part, governed by the wind pattern. The GLEES has numerous wind-swept areas where the coniferous...

Architectural Survey of Laramie Armory, Wyoming Army National Guard

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-30

for federal agencies to address their cultural resources, defined as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure , or object...continues today (Super, Miller, and Hylton 2000, 3). More utliitarian structures were built during the Great Depression with civil works project funds... structures at Newcastle (Figure 2) and Lander. In March 1923, the Adjutant General signed a contract for construction of three more armories, but the

Molecular Dynamics of Lipid Bilayers

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-09

34 ECZI~ NUMUER 01" O-USECNI’ONS) Vt5 DEGRLU: LOOEi-00(PICOSEC Z-ILIO Pfu .LC 2 I 2 Ni, I AlI I 1-.M U 1 l"M .111 p lPll..4 5~~~~ 93.U) i’(OU...Station Box 3944 Laramie, WY 82071 LINDSAY, Stuart M. RACKOVSKY, Shalom R. SINSKEY, Anthony J. Department of Physics Department of Biophysics

FoxP3 inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by activating the apoptotic signaling pathway

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ma, Gui-Fen; Chen, Shi-Yao, E-mail: shiyao_chen@163.com; Endoscopy Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The article revealed FoxP3 gene function in gastric cancer firstly. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Present the novel roles of FoxP3 in inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis in gastric cancer cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Overexpression of FoxP3 increased proapoptotic molecules and repressed antiapoptotic molecules. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Silencing of FoxP3 reduced the expression of proapoptotic genes, such as PARP, caspase-3 and caspase-9. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer FoxP3 is sufficient for activating the apoptotic signaling pathway. -- Abstract: Forkhead Box Protein 3 (FoxP3) was identified as a key transcription factor to the occurring and function of the regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, limited evidence indicated its function in tumor cells.more » To elucidate the precise roles and underlying molecular mechanism of FoxP3 in gastric cancer (GC), we examined the expression of FoxP3 and the consequences of interfering with FoxP3 gene in human GC cell lines, AGS and MKN45, by multiple cellular and molecular approaches, such as immunofluorescence, gene transfection, CCK-8 assay, clone formation assay, TUNEL assay, Flow cytometry, immunoassay and quantities polymerase chain reaction (PCR). As a result, FoxP3 was expressed both in nucleus and cytoplasm of GC cells. Up-regulation of FoxP3 inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis. Overexpression of FoxP3 increased the protein and mRNA levels of proapoptotic molecules, such as poly ADP-ribose polymerase1 (PARP), caspase-3 and caspase-9, and repressed the expression of antiapoptotic molecules, such as cellular inhibitor of apoptosis-1 (c-IAP1) and the long isoform of B cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). Furthermore, silencing of FoxP3 by siRNA in GC cells reduced the expression of proapoptotic genes, such as PARP, caspase-3 and caspase-9. Collectively, our findings identify the novel roles of FoxP3 in inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in GC cells by regulating apoptotic signaling, which could be a promising therapeutic approach for gastric cancer.« less

Deletion of FoxO1, 3, and 4 in Osteoblast Progenitors Attenuates the Loss of Cancellous Bone Mass in a Mouse Model of Type 1 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Iyer, Srividhya; Han, Li; Ambrogini, Elena; Yavropoulou, Maria; Fowlkes, John; Manolagas, Stavros C; Almeida, Maria

2017-01-01

Type 1 diabetes is associated with osteopenia and increased fragility fractures, attributed to reduced bone formation. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating these effects remain unknown. Insulin promotes osteoblast formation and inhibits the activity of the FoxO transcription factors. FoxOs, on the other hand, inhibit osteoprogenitor proliferation and bone formation. Here, we investigated whether FoxOs play a role in the low bone mass associated with type 1 diabetes, using mice lacking FoxO1, 3, and 4 in osteoprogenitor cells (FoxO1,3,4ΔOsx1-Cre). Streptozotocin-induced diabetes caused a reduction in bone mass and strength in FoxO-intact mice. In contrast, cancellous bone was unaffected in diabetic FoxO1,3,4ΔOsx1-Cre mice. The low bone mass in the FoxO-intact diabetic mice was associated with decreased osteoblast number and bone formation, as well as decreased expression of the anti-osteoclastogenic cytokine osteoprotegerin (OPG) and increased osteoclast number. FoxO deficiency did not alter the effects of diabetes on bone formation; however, it did prevent the decrease in OPG and the increase in osteoclast number. Addition of high glucose to osteoblastic cell cultures decreased OPG mRNA, indicating that hyperglycemia in and of itself contributes to diabetic bone loss. Taken together, these results suggest that FoxOs exacerbate the loss of cancellous bone mass associated with type 1 diabetes and that inactivation of FoxOs might ameliorate the adverse effects of insulin deficiency. PMID:27491024

Rapid Urbanization of Red Foxes in Estonia: Distribution, Behaviour, Attacks on Domestic Animals, and Health-Risks Related to Zoonotic Diseases

PubMed Central

Plumer, Liivi; Davison, John; Saarma, Urmas

2014-01-01

Urban areas are becoming increasingly important for wildlife as diminishing natural habitats no longer represent a suitable environment for many species. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are nowadays common in many cities worldwide, and in recent years they have colonized urban areas in Estonia. We used a public web-based questionnaire approach to evaluate the distribution and behaviour of Estonian urban foxes, to detect related problems and to assess health risks to humans and domestic animals. In total, 1205 responses were collected throughout the country. Foxes have colonized the majority of Estonian towns (33 out of 47) in a relatively short period of time, and have already established breeding dens in several towns. Despite their recent arrival, the behaviour of Estonian urban foxes is similar to that reported in longer-established urban fox populations: they are mostly active during night-time, often visit city centres and some also have dens in such locations. Certain characteristics of urban foxes serve as a basis for conflict with humans: foxes have entered houses and attacked domestic animals, killing cats and poultry. About 8% of reported foxes exhibited symptoms of sarcoptic mange, a disease that also infects domestic animals, especially dogs. The proportion of mange-infected foxes was higher in large urban areas. In addition to mange, a substantial fraction of red foxes in Estonia are known to be infected with the life-threatening tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis. Therefore, urban foxes may represent a source of serious infectious disease for pets and humans. PMID:25531399

Forkhead transcription factor foxe1 regulates chondrogenesis in zebrafish.

PubMed

Nakada, Chisako; Iida, Atsumi; Tabata, Yoko; Watanabe, Sumiko

2009-12-15

Forkhead transcription factor (Fox) e1 is a causative gene for Bamforth-Lazarus syndrome, which is characterized by hypothyroidism and cleft palate. Applying degenerate polymerase chain reaction using primers specific for the conserved forkhead domain, we identified zebrafish foxe1 (foxe1). Foxe1 is expressed in the thyroid, pharynx, and pharyngeal skeleton during development; strongly expressed in the gill and weakly expressed in the brain, eye, and heart in adult zebrafish. A loss of function of foxe1 by morpholino antisense oligo (MO) exhibited abnormal craniofacial development, shortening of Meckel's cartilage and the ceratohyals, and suppressed chondrycytic proliferation. However, at 27 hr post fertilization, the foxe1 MO-injected embryos showed normal dlx2, hoxa2, and hoxb2 expression, suggesting that the initial steps of pharyngeal skeletal development, including neural crest migration and specification of the pharyngeal arch occurred normally. In contrast, at 2 dpf, a severe reduction in the expression of sox9a, colIIaI, and runx2b, which play roles in chondrocytic proliferation and differentiation, was observed. Interestingly, fgfr2 was strongly upregulated in the branchial arches of the foxe1 MO-injected embryos. Unlike Foxe1-null mice, normal thyroid development in terms of morphology and thyroid-specific marker expression was observed in foxe1 MO-injected zebrafish embryos. Taken together, our results indicate that Foxe1 plays an important role in chondrogenesis during development of the pharyngeal skeleton in zebrafish, probably through regulation of fgfr2 expression. Furthermore, the roles reported for FOXE1 in mammalian thyroid development may have been acquired during evolution. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Endothelial FoxM1 Mediates Bone Marrow Progenitor Cell-Induced Vascular Repair and Resolution of Inflammation following Inflammatory Lung Injury

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yidan D.; Huang, Xiaojia; Yi, Fan; Dai, Zhiyu; Qian, Zhijian; Tiruppathi, Chinnaswamy; Tran, Khiem; Zhao, You-Yang

2015-01-01

Adult stem cell treatment is a potential novel therapeutic approach for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Given the extremely low rate of cell engraftment, it is believed that these cells exert their beneficial effects via paracrine mechanisms. However, the endogenous mediator(s) in the pulmonary vasculature remains unclear. Employing the mouse model with endothelial cell (EC)-restricted disruption of FoxM1 (FoxM1 CKO), here we show that endothelial expression of the reparative transcriptional factor FoxM1 is required for the protective effects of bone marrow progenitor cells (BMPC) against LPS-induced inflammatory lung injury and mortality. BMPC treatment resulted in rapid induction of FoxM1 expression in WT but not FoxM1 CKO lungs. BMPC-induced inhibition of lung vascular injury, resolution of lung inflammation, and survival, as seen in WT mice, were abrogated in FoxM1 CKO mice following LPS challenge. Mechanistically, BMPC treatment failed to induce lung EC proliferation in FoxM1 CKO mice, which was associated with impaired expression of FoxM1 target genes essential for cell cycle progression. We also observed that BMPC treatment enhanced endothelial barrier function in WT, but not in FoxM1-deficient EC monolayers. Restoration of β-catenin expression in FoxM1-deficient ECs normalized endothelial barrier enhancement in response to BMPC treatment. These data demonstrate the requisite role of endothelial FoxM1 in the mechanism of BMPC-induced vascular repair to restore vascular integrity and accelerate resolution of inflammation, thereby promoting survival following inflammatory lung injury. PMID:24578354

Rapid urbanization of red foxes in Estonia: distribution, behaviour, attacks on domestic animals, and health-risks related to zoonotic diseases.

PubMed

Plumer, Liivi; Davison, John; Saarma, Urmas

2014-01-01

Urban areas are becoming increasingly important for wildlife as diminishing natural habitats no longer represent a suitable environment for many species. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are nowadays common in many cities worldwide, and in recent years they have colonized urban areas in Estonia. We used a public web-based questionnaire approach to evaluate the distribution and behaviour of Estonian urban foxes, to detect related problems and to assess health risks to humans and domestic animals. In total, 1205 responses were collected throughout the country. Foxes have colonized the majority of Estonian towns (33 out of 47) in a relatively short period of time, and have already established breeding dens in several towns. Despite their recent arrival, the behaviour of Estonian urban foxes is similar to that reported in longer-established urban fox populations: they are mostly active during night-time, often visit city centres and some also have dens in such locations. Certain characteristics of urban foxes serve as a basis for conflict with humans: foxes have entered houses and attacked domestic animals, killing cats and poultry. About 8% of reported foxes exhibited symptoms of sarcoptic mange, a disease that also infects domestic animals, especially dogs. The proportion of mange-infected foxes was higher in large urban areas. In addition to mange, a substantial fraction of red foxes in Estonia are known to be infected with the life-threatening tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis. Therefore, urban foxes may represent a source of serious infectious disease for pets and humans.

Nodal enhances the activity of FoxO3a and its synergistic interaction with Smads to regulate cyclin G2 transcription in ovarian cancer cells.

PubMed

Fu, G; Peng, C

2011-09-15

Nodal, a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, has been recently shown to suppress cell proliferation and to stimulate the expression of cyclin G2 (CCNG2) in human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. However, the precise mechanisms underlying these events are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of CCNG2 by the Nodal signaling pathway. In ovarian cancer cells, overexpression of Nodal or its receptors, activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7) or ALK4, resulted in an increase in the CCNG2 promoter activity. Several putative Forkhead box class O (FoxO)3a-binding sites are present in the human CCNG2 promoter and overexpression of FoxO3a enhanced the CCNG2 promoter activity. The functional FoxO3a-binding element (FBE) was mapped to a proximal region located between -398 and -380 bp (FBE1) through deletion and mutation analyses, as well as chromatin immunoprecipitation (IP) assay. Interestingly, mutation of the FBE1 not only abolished the effect of FoxO3a, but also blocked Nodal-induced CCNG2 transcription. Nodal stimulated FoxO3a mRNA and protein expression through the canonical Smad pathway and suppressed FoxO3a inactivation by inhibiting AKT activity. Silencing of FoxO3a using small interfering RNA significantly reduced the effect of Nodal on the CCNG2 promoter activity. On the other hand, overexpression of Smad2 and Smad3 enhanced the FoxO3a-induced CCNG2 promoter activity whereas knockdown of Smad4 blocked the activity of FoxO3a. Furthermore, IP assays revealed that FoxO3a formed complexes with Smad proteins and that Nodal enhanced the binding of FoxO3a to the CCNG2 promoter. Finally, silencing of FoxO3a reversed the inhibitory effect of Nodal on cell proliferation. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that Nodal signaling promotes CCNG2 transcription by upregulating FoxO3a expression, inhibiting FoxO3a phosphorylation and enhancing its synergistic interaction with Smads. These results also suggest that FoxO3a is an important mediator of Nodal signaling in ovarian cancer cells.

Investigation of FoxO3 dynamics during erythroblast development in β-thalassemia major.

PubMed

Thanuthanakhun, Naruchit; Nuntakarn, Lalana; Sampattavanich, Somponnat; Anurathapan, Usanarat; Phuphanitcharoenkun, Suphanun; Pornpaiboonstid, Savichaya; Borwornpinyo, Suparerk; Hongeng, Suradej

2017-01-01

The FoxO3 transcription factor is a key regulator of oxidative stress and erythroid maturation during erythropoiesis. In this study, we explored the involvement of FoxO3 in severe β-thalassemia. Using primary CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells from patients with β-thalassemia major, we successfully developed an in vitro model of ineffective erythropoiesis. Based on this model, FoxO3 activity was quantified in single cells using high throughput imaging flow cytometry. This study revealed a significant reduction of FoxO3 activity during the late stage of erythroblast differentiation in β-thalassemia, in contrast to erythropoiesis in normal cells that maintain persistent activation of FoxO3. In agreement with the decreased FoxO3 activity in β-thalassemia, the expression of FoxO3 target genes was also found to decrease, concurrent with elevated phosphorylation of AKT, most clearly at the late stage of erythroid differentiation. Our findings provide further evidence for the involvement of FoxO3 during terminal erythropoiesis and confirm the modulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway as a potential therapeutic strategy for β-thalassemia.

FoxP2 and olfaction: divergence of FoxP2 expression in olfactory tubercle between different feeding habit bats.

PubMed

Chen, Qi; Wang, Lina; Jones, G; Metzner, W; Xuan, F J; Yin, Jiangxia; Sun, Y

2013-12-01

FoxP2 is a member of the winged helix/forkhead class of transcription factors. Despite FoxP2 is found to have particular relevance to speech and language, the role of this gene is broader and not yet fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the expression of FoxP2 in the brains of bats with different feeding habits (two frugivorous species and three insectivorous species). We found FoxP2 expression in the olfactory tubercle of frugivorous species is significantly higher than that in insectivorous species. Difference of FoxP2 expression was not observed within each of the frugivorous or insectivorous group. The diverse expression patterns in olfactory tubercle between two kinds of bats indicate FoxP2 has a close relation with olfactory tubercle associated functions, suggesting its important role in sensory integration within the olfactory tubercle and such a discrepancy of FoxP2 expression in olfactory tubercle may take responsibility for the different feeding behaviors of frugivorous and insectivorous bats.

Fox transcription factors: from development to disease.

PubMed

Golson, Maria L; Kaestner, Klaus H

2016-12-15

Forkhead box (Fox) transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved in organisms ranging from yeast to humans. They regulate diverse biological processes both during development and throughout adult life. Mutations in many Fox genes are associated with human disease and, as such, various animal models have been generated to study the function of these transcription factors in mechanistic detail. In many cases, the absence of even a single Fox transcription factor is lethal. In this Primer, we provide an overview of the Fox family, highlighting several key Fox transcription factor families that are important for mammalian development. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Seasonal patterns of prey availability and the foraging behavior of arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) in a waterfowl nesting area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stickney, Alice

1991-01-01

The foraging behavior of arctic foxes was observed in a waterfowl nesting area on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta of Alaska in 1985–1986. Observations were made during peak fox activity from two towers, 3 m high, located in different community types. Data were collected continuously for individual foxes on specific activities, the community in which activities occurred, and the type of food obtained. After migratory birds started nesting in the area, the food potentially available to foxes changed from microtines, old caches, and carrion to include eggs and birds. This change was reflected in the foraging behavior of the foxes as they switched to predation on eggs. After nesting began, the search success rate of foxes increased (from <30% to >50%) and search duration decreased (mean 19.7 s before nest initiation versus mean 9.4 s in mid-incubation) as the rate of food acquisition increased. Over 80% of the eggs taken by foxes were cached rather than eaten immediately, which extended the availability of this temporally limited resource to foxes. Eggs were the primary prey of arctic foxes during the nesting stages in both years, even though microtine populations were high in one year (1985) and low in the other (1986).

USP7 Attenuates Hepatic Gluconeogenesis Through Modulation of FoxO1 Gene Promoter Occupancy

PubMed Central

Hall, Jessica A.; Tabata, Mitsuhisa; Rodgers, Joseph T.

2014-01-01

Hepatic forkhead protein FoxO1 is a key component of systemic glucose homeostasis via its ability to regulate the transcription of rate-limiting enzymes in gluconeogenesis. Important in the regulation of FoxO1 transcriptional activity are the modifying/demodifying enzymes that lead to posttranslational modification. Here, we demonstrate the functional interaction and regulation of FoxO1 by herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7; also known as herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease, HAUSP), a deubiquitinating enzyme. We show that USP7-mediated mono-deubiquitination of FoxO1 results in suppression of FoxO1 transcriptional activity through decreased FoxO1 occupancy on the promoters of gluconeogenic genes. Knockdown of USP7 in primary hepatocytes leads to increased expression of FoxO1-target gluconeogenic genes and elevated glucose production. Consistent with this, USP7 gain-of-function suppresses the fasting/cAMP-induced activation of gluconeogenic genes in hepatocyte cells and in mouse liver, resulting in decreased hepatic glucose production. Notably, we show that the effects of USP7 on hepatic glucose metabolism depend on FoxO1. Together, these results place FoxO1 under the intimate regulation of deubiquitination and glucose metabolic control with important implication in diseases such as diabetes. PMID:24694308

Comparative behavioral effects between synthetic 2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT) and the odor of natural fox (Vulpes vulpes) feces in mice.

PubMed

Buron, Gaelle; Hacquemand, Romain; Pourie, Gregory; Lucarz, Annie; Jacquot, Laurence; Brand, Gerard

2007-10-01

Synthetic 2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT)--a component of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) feces--is frequently used to induce unconditioned fear in rodents. Surprisingly, direct comparison between TMT and natural fox feces odor is almost nonexistent. In this study, Experiment 1 compared the avoidance in relation to TMT concentration, natural fox feces, and gender of fox and mice. Results show that the avoidance is (a) higher with either pure or 50% TMT as compared to natural fox feces, whereas the difference is slight with 10% TMT, and (b) significantly higher for the female mouse group compared to the male mouse group with TMT as well as natural fox feces. In addition, no clear difference in effect was observed between male and female fox feces. Experiment 2 compared behavioral parameters recorded as an index of fear and anxiety, general activity, and avoidance in elevated plus-maze and open-field chamber between 10% TMT and natural fox feces in relation to the estrus cycle of the mice. Results show no cycle period effect--except for the avoidance parameter "distance to odorant"--and no different effects between 10% TMT and natural fox feces except for freezing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

Mapping a Pristine Glaciofluvial Aquifer on the Canadian Shield Using Ground-Penetrating Radar and Electrical Resistivity Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graves, L. W.; Shirokova, V.; Bank, C.

2013-12-01

Our study aims to construct a 3D structural model of an unconfined pristine aquifer in Laurentian Hills, Ontario, Canada. The stratigraphy of the study site, which covers about 5400 square meters, features reworked glaciofluvial sands and glacial till on top of Canadian Shield bedrock. A network of 25 existing piezometers provides ground-truth. We used two types of geophysical surveys to map the water table and the aquifer basin. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) collected 40 profiles over distances up to 140 meters using 200MHz and 400MHz antennas with a survey wheel. The collected radargrams show a distinct reflective layer, which can be mapped to outcrops of glacial till within the area. This impermeable interface forms the aquitard. Depths of the subsurface features were calculated using hyperbolic fits on the radargrams in Matlab by determining wave velocity then converting measured two-way-time to depth. Electrical resistivity was used to determine the water table elevations because the unconfined water table did not reflect the radar waves. 20 resistivity profiles were collected in the same area using Wenner-Alpha and dipole-dipole arrays with both 24 and 48 electrodes and for 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 2.0 meter spacing. The inverted resistivity models show low resistivity values (<1000 Ohm.m) below 2 to 5 meter depths and higher resistivity values (2000-6000 Ohm.m) above 1 to 2 meter depths. These contrasting resistivity values correspond to saturated and wet sand (lower resistivity) to dry sand (higher resistivity); a correlation we could verify with several bore-hole logs. The water table is marked on the resistivity profiles as a steep resistivity gradient, and the depth can be added to the comprehensive 3D model. This model also incorporates hydrogeological characteristics and geochemical anomalies found within the aquifer. Ongoing seasonal and annual monitoring of the aquifer using geophysical methods will bring a fourth dimension to our understanding of this dynamic system. GPR Profile with Glacial Till Interface.

Basic hydrogeologic and remote sensing data for selection of sanitary landfill sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, H. K.; Ruth, B. E.; Degner, J. D.

1977-01-01

Solid waste disposal were studied in Volusia County to protect the water supply in the area. Highlands in this County are of limited areal extent and, most significantly, the sand hills and ridges are in areas where recharge of the Floridan aquifer occurs. This study proves that well drained soils meeting the current State requirements are of limited areal extent. These areas should not be utilized as sanitary landfill sites! Rather, it is recommended that the Tomoka Farm Road site into the adjacent wetlands be extended. The County site on Rima Ridge recommended by Greenleaf-Telesca as the primary waste burial site in the County should be re-evaluated because of potential danger to the Daytona Beach water supply.

Activation of FoxM1 Revitalizes the Replicative Potential of Aged β-Cells in Male Mice and Enhances Insulin Secretion

PubMed Central

Golson, Maria L.; Dunn, Jennifer C.; Maulis, Matthew F.; Dadi, Prasanna K.; Osipovich, Anna B.; Magnuson, Mark A.; Jacobson, David A.

2015-01-01

Type 2 diabetes incidence increases with age, while β-cell replication declines. The transcription factor FoxM1 is required for β-cell replication in various situations, and its expression declines with age. We hypothesized that increased FoxM1 activity in aged β-cells would rejuvenate proliferation. Induction of an activated form of FoxM1 was sufficient to increase β-cell mass and proliferation in 12-month-old male mice after just 2 weeks. Unexpectedly, at 2 months of age, induction of activated FoxM1 in male mice improved glucose homeostasis with unchanged β-cell mass. Cells expressing activated FoxM1 demonstrated enhanced glucose-stimulated Ca2+ influx, which resulted in improved glucose tolerance through enhanced β-cell function. Conversely, our laboratory has previously demonstrated that mice lacking FoxM1 in the pancreas display glucose intolerance or diabetes with only a 60% reduction in β-cell mass, suggesting that the loss of FoxM1 is detrimental to β-cell function. Ex vivo insulin secretion was therefore examined in size-matched islets from young mice lacking FoxM1 in β-cells. Foxm1-deficient islets indeed displayed reduced insulin secretion. Our studies reveal that activated FoxM1 increases β-cell replication while simultaneously enhancing insulin secretion and improving glucose homeostasis, making FoxM1 an attractive therapeutic target for diabetes. PMID:26251404

Evaluation of the 'Fitting to Outcomes eXpert' (FOX®) with established cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Buechner, Andreas; Vaerenberg, Bart; Gazibegovic, Dzemal; Brendel, Martina; De Ceulaer, Geert; Govaerts, Paul; Lenarz, Thomas

2015-01-01

To evaluate the possible impact of 'Fitting to Outcomes eXpert (FOX(®))' on cochlear implant (CI) fitting in a clinic with extensive experience of fitting a range of CI systems, as a way to assess whether a software tool such as FOX is able to complement standard clinical procedures. Ten adult post-lingually deafened and unilateral long-term users of the Advanced Bionics(TM) CI system (Clarion CII or HiRes 90K(TM)) underwent speech perception assessment with their current clinical program. One cycle 'iteration' of FOX optimization was performed and the program adjusted accordingly. After a month of using both clinical and FOX programs, a second iteration of FOX optimization was performed. Following this, the assessments were repeated without further acclimatization. FOX prescribed programming modifications in all subjects. Soundfield-aided thresholds were significantly lower for FOX than the clinical program. Group speech scores in noise were not significantly different between the two programs but three individual subjects had improved speech scores with the FOX MAP, two had worse speech scores, and five were the same. FOX provided a standardized approach to fitting based on outcome measures rather than comfort alone. The results indicated that for this group of well-fitted patients, FOX improved outcomes in some individuals. There were significant changes, both better and worse, in individual speech perception scores but median scores remained unchanged. Soundfield-aided thresholds were significantly improved for the FOX group.

Hydrogeologic framework of the Santa Clara Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanson, Randall T.

2015-01-01

The hydrologic framework of the Santa Clara Valley in northern California was redefined on the basis of new data and a new hydrologic model. The regional groundwater flow systems can be subdivided into upper-aquifer and lower-aquifer systems that form a convergent flow system within a basin bounded by mountains and hills on three sides and discharge to pumping wells and the southern San Francisco Bay. Faults also control the flow of groundwater within the Santa Clara Valley and subdivide the aquifer system into three subregions.After decades of development and groundwater depletion that resulted in substantial land subsidence, Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) and the local water purveyors have refilled the basin through conservation and importation of water for direct use and artificial recharge. The natural flow system has been altered by extensive development with flow paths toward major well fields. Climate has not only affected the cycles of sedimentation during the glacial periods over the past million years, but interannual to interdecadal climate cycles also have affected the supply and demand components of the natural and anthropogenic inflows and outflows of water in the valley. Streamflow has been affected by development of the aquifer system and regulated flow from reservoirs, as well as conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water. Interaquifer flow through water-supply wells screened across multiple aquifers is an important component to the flow of groundwater and recapture of artificial recharge in the Santa Clara Valley. Wellbore flow and depth-dependent chemical and isotopic data indicate that flow into wells from multiple aquifers, as well as capture of artificial recharge by pumping of water-supply wells, predominantly is occurring in the upper 500 ft (152 m) of the aquifer system. Artificial recharge represents about one-half of the inflow of water into the valley for the period 1970–1999. Most subsidence is occurring below 250 ft (76 m), and most pumpage occurs within the upper-aquifer system between 300 and 650 ft (between 91 and 198 m) below land surface.Overall, the natural quality of most groundwater in the Santa Clara Valley is good. Isotopic data indicate that artificial recharge is occurring throughout the shallower parts of the upper-aquifer system and that recent recharge (less than 50 yr old) occurs throughout most of the basin in the upper-aquifer system, but many of the wells in the center of the basin with deeper well screens do not contain tritium and recent recharge. Age dates indicate that the groundwater in the upper-aquifer system generally is less than 2000 yr old, and groundwater in the lower-aquifer system generally ranges from 16,700 to 39,900 yr old. Depth-dependent sampling indicates that wellbores are the main path for vertical flow between aquifer layers. Isotopic data indicate as much as 60% of water pumped from production wells originated as artificial recharge. Shallow aquifers not only contain more recent recharge but may be more susceptible to anthropogenic and natural contamination, as evidenced by trace occurrences of iron, nitrate, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in selected water-supply wells.Water-resource management issues are centered on sustaining a reliable and good-quality source of water to the residents and industries of the valley. While the basin has been refilled, increased demand owing to growth and droughts could result in renewed storage depletion and the related potential adverse effects of land subsidence and seawater intrusion. The new hydrologic model demonstrates the importance of the aquifer layering, faults, and stream channels in relation to groundwater flow and infiltration of recharge. This model provides a means to analyze water resource issues because it separates the supply and demand components of the inflows and outflows.

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers for blue fox (Alopex lagopus).

PubMed

Li, Y M; Guo, P C; Lu, J Y; Bai, C Y; Zhao, Z H; Yan, S Q

2016-06-03

The blue fox, belonging to the family Canidae, is a coat color variant of the native arctic fox (Alopex lagopus). To date, microsatellite loci in blue fox are typically amplified using canine simple sequence repeat primers. In the present study, we constructed an (AC)n enrichment library, and isolated and identified 17 polymorphic microsatellite markers for blue fox. The number of alleles per locus is from two to seven based on 24 examined individuals. The expected and observed heterozygosities were in the range of 0.3112 to 0.8236 and 0.2917 to 0.8750, respectively. The polymorphic information content per locus ranged from 0.2583 to 0.8022. These polymorphic markers can be useful for future population genetic studies of both farmed blue foxes and wild arctic foxes.

Where is the TMT? GC-MS analyses of fox feces and behavioral responses of rats to fear-inducing odors.

PubMed

Rampin, Olivier; Jerôme, Nathalie; Saint-Albin, Audrey; Ouali, Christian; Boué, Frank; Meunier, Nicolas; Nielsen, Birte L

2018-02-02

TMT (2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline) is known as a component of fox feces inducing fear in rodents. However, no recent chemical analyses of fox feces are available, and few studies make direct comparisons between TMT and fox feces. Fox feces from 3 individuals were used to prepare 24 samples to be analyzed for the presence of TMT using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). When TMT was added in low amounts (50-2000 nmol/g), TMT was detected in 10 out of 11 samples. When no TMT was added, TMT was detected in only 1 out of 13 samples. In a second experiment, we tested the behavioral response of male Brown Norway (BN) and Wistar rats to either fox feces, a low amount of TMT (0.6 nmol) or 1-hexanol. TMT induced freezing in the rats, but fox feces induced significantly more freezing episodes and longer total duration of freezing in both rat strains. In experiment 3, male BN rats were exposed over several days to fox feces, rat feces, 1-hexanol, cadaverine, 2-phenylethylamine, and TMT, one odor at a time. Fox feces induced significantly more freezing episodes of a longer total duration than any of the other odors, with rat feces and 1-hexanol giving rise to the lowest amount of freezing. This finding, together with our inability to verify the presence of TMT in fox feces, indicates that the concentration of TMT in our fox feces samples was below 50 nmol/g. It may also be that other compounds in fox feces play a role in its fear-inducing properties. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Anoxia-responsive regulation of the FoxO transcription factors in freshwater turtles, Trachemys scripta elegans.

PubMed

Krivoruchko, Anastasia; Storey, Kenneth B

2013-11-01

The forkhead class O (FoxO) transcription factors are important regulators of multiple aspects of cellular metabolism. We hypothesized that activation of these transcription factors could play crucial roles in low oxygen survival in the anoxia-tolerant turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans. Two FoxOs, FoxO1 and FoxO3, were examined in turtle tissues in response to 5 and 20h of anoxic submergence using techniques of RT-PCR, western immunoblotting and DNA-binding assays to assess activation. Transcript levels of FoxO-responsive genes were also quantified using RT-PCR. FoxO1 was anoxia-responsive in the liver, with increases in transcript levels, protein levels, nuclear levels and DNA-binding of 1.7-4.8fold in response to anoxia. Levels of phosphorylated FoxO1 also decreased to 57% of control values in response to 5h of anoxia, indicating activation. FoxO3 was activated in the heart, kidney and liver in response to anoxia, with nuclear levels increasing by 1.5-3.7fold and DNA-binding activity increasing by 1.3-2.9fold. Transcript levels of two FoxO-target genes, p27kip1 and catalase, also rose by 2.4-2.5fold in the turtle liver under anoxia. The results suggest that the FoxO transcription factors are activated in response to anoxia in T. scripta elegans, potentially contributing to the regulation of stress resistance and metabolic depression. This study provides the first demonstration of activation of FoxOs in a natural model for vertebrate anoxia tolerance, further improving understanding of how tissues can survive without oxygen. © 2013.

Y-Chromosome Markers for the Red Fox.

PubMed

Rando, Halie M; Stutchman, Jeremy T; Bastounes, Estelle R; Johnson, Jennifer L; Driscoll, Carlos A; Barr, Christina S; Trut, Lyudmila N; Sacks, Benjamin N; Kukekova, Anna V

2017-09-01

The de novo assembly of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) genome has facilitated the development of genomic tools for the species. Efforts to identify the population history of red foxes in North America have previously been limited by a lack of information about the red fox Y-chromosome sequence. However, a megabase of red fox Y-chromosome sequence was recently identified over 2 scaffolds in the reference genome. Here, these scaffolds were scanned for repeated motifs, revealing 194 likely microsatellites. Twenty-three of these loci were selected for primer development and, after testing, produced a panel of 11 novel markers that were analyzed alongside 2 markers previously developed for the red fox from dog Y-chromosome sequence. The markers were genotyped in 76 male red foxes from 4 populations: 7 foxes from Newfoundland (eastern Canada), 12 from Maryland (eastern United States), and 9 from the island of Great Britain, as well as 48 foxes of known North American origin maintained on an experimental farm in Novosibirsk, Russia. The full marker panel revealed 22 haplotypes among these red foxes, whereas the 2 previously known markers alone would have identified only 10 haplotypes. The haplotypes from the 4 populations clustered primarily by continent, but unidirectional gene flow from Great Britain and farm populations may influence haplotype diversity in the Maryland population. The development of new markers has increased the resolution at which red fox Y-chromosome diversity can be analyzed and provides insight into the contribution of males to red fox population diversity and patterns of phylogeography. © The American Genetic Association 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Differential FoxP2 and FoxP1 expression in a vocal learning nucleus of the developing budgerigar

PubMed Central

Whitney, Osceola; Voyles, Tawni; Hara, Erina; Chen, Qianqian; White, Stephanie A.; Wright, Timothy F.

2014-01-01

The forkhead domain FOXP2 and FOXP1 transcription factors are implicated in several cognitive disorders with language deficits, notably autism, and thus play a central role in learned vocal motor behavior in humans. Although a similar role for FoxP2 and FoxP1 is proposed for other vertebrate species, including songbirds, the neurodevelopmental expression of these genes are unknown in a species with lifelong vocal learning abilities. Like humans, budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) learn new vocalizations throughout their entire lifetime. Like songbirds, budgerigars have distinct brain nuclei for vocal learning, which include the magnocellular nucleus of the medial striatum (MMSt), a basal ganglia region that is considered developmentally and functionally analogous to Area X in songbirds. Here we used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to investigate FoxP2 and FoxP1 expression in the MMSt of juvenile and adult budgerigars. We found FoxP2 mRNA and protein expression levels in the MMSt that were lower than the surrounding striatum throughout development and adulthood. In contrast, FoxP1 mRNA and protein had an elevated MMSt/striatum expression ratio as birds matured, regardless of their sex. These results show that life-long vocal plasticity in budgerigars is associated with persistent low-level FoxP2 expression in the budgerigar MMSt, and suggests the possibility that FoxP1 plays an organizational role in the neurodevelopment of vocal motor circuitry. Thus, developmental regulation of the FoxP2 and FoxP1 genes in the basal ganglia appears essential for vocal mimicry in a range of species that possess this relatively rare trait. PMID:25407828

Knockdown of FoxP2 alters spine density in Area X of the zebra finch.

PubMed

Schulz, S B; Haesler, S; Scharff, C; Rochefort, C

2010-10-01

Mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor FoxP2 impair human speech and language. We have previously shown that deficits in vocal learning occur in zebra finches after reduction of FoxP2 in Area X, a striatal nucleus involved in song acquisition. We recently showed that FoxP2 is expressed in newly generated spiny neurons (SN) in adult Area X as well as in the ventricular zone (VZ) from which the SN originates. Moreover, their recruitment to Area X increases transiently during the song learning phase. The present report therefore investigated whether FoxP2 is involved in the structural plasticity of Area X. We assessed the proliferation, differentiation and morphology of SN after lentivirally mediated knockdown of FoxP2 in Area X or in the VZ during the song learning phase. Proliferation rate was not significantly affected by knockdown of FoxP2 in the VZ. In addition, FoxP2 reduction both in the VZ and in Area X did not affect the number of new neurons in Area X. However, at the fine-structural level, SN in Area X bore fewer spines after FoxP2 knockdown. This effect was even more pronounced when neurons received the knockdown before differentiation, i.e. as neuroblasts in the VZ. These results suggest that FoxP2 might directly or indirectly regulate spine dynamics in Area X and thereby influence song plasticity. Together, these data present the first evidence for a role of FoxP2 in the structural plasticity of dendritic spines and complement the emerging evidence of physiological synaptic plasticity in FoxP2 mouse models. Genes, Brain and Behavior © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society. No claim to original US government works.

Differential FoxP2 and FoxP1 expression in a vocal learning nucleus of the developing budgerigar.

PubMed

Whitney, Osceola; Voyles, Tawni; Hara, Erina; Chen, Qianqian; White, Stephanie A; Wright, Timothy F

2015-07-01

The forkhead domain FOXP2 and FOXP1 transcription factors are implicated in several cognitive disorders with language deficits, notably autism, and thus play a central role in learned vocal motor behavior in humans. Although a similar role for FoxP2 and FoxP1 is proposed for other vertebrate species, including songbirds, the neurodevelopmental expression of these genes are unknown in a species with lifelong vocal learning abilities. Like humans, budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) learn new vocalizations throughout their entire lifetime. Like songbirds, budgerigars have distinct brain nuclei for vocal learning, which include the magnocellular nucleus of the medial striatum (MMSt), a basal ganglia region that is considered developmentally and functionally analogous to Area X in songbirds. Here, we used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to investigate FoxP2 and FoxP1 expression in the MMSt of juvenile and adult budgerigars. We found FoxP2 mRNA and protein expression levels in the MMSt that were lower than the surrounding striatum throughout development and adulthood. In contrast, FoxP1 mRNA and protein had an elevated MMSt/striatum expression ratio as birds matured, regardless of their sex. These results show that life-long vocal plasticity in budgerigars is associated with persistent low-level FoxP2 expression in the budgerigar MMSt, and suggests the possibility that FoxP1 plays an organizational role in the neurodevelopment of vocal motor circuitry. Thus, developmental regulation of the FoxP2 and FoxP1 genes in the basal ganglia appears essential for vocal mimicry in a range of species that possess this relatively rare trait. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An improved method for determining the distribution of swift fox in Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roy, Christiane C.; Sovada, Marsha A.; Sargeant, Glen A.; Roy, Christiane C.

1999-01-01

During 1997 and 1998 we tested a new method for determining the distribution of swift foxes (Vulpes velox) in Kansas. From a sampling frame of 30 counties in western Kansas, we selected a systematic sample of alternate townships in a checkerboard pattern. During September and October 1997 and August 1998, experienced observers delineated suitable swift fox habitat within each sample township and searched it for evidence of occupancy (tracks, dens, and the animals themselves) by swift fox and other furbearers. Each township was searched for a minimum of 30 minutes, with searches continuing until swift foxes were either detected or for 120 minutes. Of the 288 townships selected in 1997, 271 (94.1%) were searched effectively with swift fox detected in 40.5% of the townships. Adverse weather conditions prevented surveys in two northwestern counties of our sample frame. In 1998, 245 township were searched effectively. Swift fox were detected in 27 counties searched to date. We did not detect swift fox in Seward, Meade and Ford counties, where the species is thought to be uncommon or absent. Tracks were difficult to discern in areas with hard or sandy soils and were sometimes obliterated by adverse weather, vehicle traffic, and agricultural activities. To determine how frequently we failed to detect swift foxes that were present, we plan to repeat searches in 1999 in townships where swift foxes were not detected previously. Nevertheless, preliminary results suggest our method to be a practical means for conducting landscape-scale presence/absence surveys of swift fox. Restricting searches to habitat judged best for swift foxes and most favorable for track detection helped control costs and achieve high detection rates.

Endoparasites of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Denmark 2009-2012 - A comparative study.

PubMed

Al-Sabi, Mohammad Nafi Solaiman; Chriél, Mariann; Jensen, Trine Hammer; Enemark, Heidi Larsen

2013-12-01

Invasive species negatively influence the biodiversity of the ecosystems they invade and may introduce pathogens to native species. Raccoon dogs have very successfully invaded Europe, including, recently, Denmark. This study included analyses of gastrointestinal helminths and Trichinella spp. from 99 raccoon dogs and 384 native red foxes collected from October 2009 to March 2012. The sedimentation and counting method used revealed that raccoon dogs and foxes harboured 9 and 13 different helminth species, respectively, of which several known to be zoonotic. Significantly more nematode and cestode species were found in foxes while raccoon dogs had more trematode species. Rodent transmitted parasites were more prevalent in foxes, while amphibian transmitted parasites were more prevalent in raccoon dogs. One fox was infected with Echinococcus multilocularis (0.3%), while no Trichinella spp. were detected in raccoon dogs or foxes. The trematode Brachylaima tokudai was detected for the first time in Denmark in five of 384 foxes (1.3%). Prevalences of Pygidiopsis summa (3.0% and 3.4%) and Cryptocotyle spp. (15.2% and 15.4%) were comparable in raccoon dogs and foxes, respectively. Four helminth species were more prevalent in foxes than in raccoon dogs: Toxocara canis (60.9% and 13.1%); Uncinaria stenocephala (84.1% and 48.5%); Mesocestoides spp. (42.7% and 23.2%); and Taenia spp. (30.7% and 2.0%), respectively. Three helminth species were more prevalent in raccoon dogs than in foxes: Dipylidium caninum (5.1% and 0.3%); Mesorchis denticulatus (38.4% and 4.2%); and Alaria alata (69.7% and 34.4%), respectively. T. canis was more abundant in foxes while A. alata was more abundant in raccoon dogs. The intestinal distribution of a number of helminth species was comparable between hosts, but highly variable between parasite species. Inherent biological factors and host invasion of new areas might have shaped these marked differences in helminth fauna between the invasive raccoon dog and the native red fox.

Mesopredator Management: Effects of Red Fox Control on the Abundance, Diet and Use of Space by Feral Cats.

PubMed

Molsher, Robyn; Newsome, Alan E; Newsome, Thomas M; Dickman, Christopher R

2017-01-01

Apex predators are subject to lethal control in many parts of the world to minimize their impacts on human industries and livelihoods. Diverse communities of smaller predators-mesopredators-often remain after apex predator removal. Despite concern that these mesopredators may be 'released' in the absence of the apex predator and exert negative effects on each other and on co-occurring prey, these interactions have been little studied. Here, we investigate the potential effects of competition and intraguild predation between red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis catus) in south-eastern Australia where the apex predator, the dingo (Canis dingo), has been extirpated by humans. We predicted that the larger fox would dominate the cat in encounters, and used a fox-removal experiment to assess whether foxes affect cat abundance, diet, home-range and habitat use. Our results provide little indication that intraguild predation occurred or that cats responded numerically to the fox removal, but suggest that the fox affects some aspects of cat resource use. In particular, where foxes were removed cats increased their consumption of invertebrates and carrion, decreased their home range size and foraged more in open habitats. Fox control takes place over large areas of Australia to protect threatened native species and agricultural interests. Our results suggest that fox control programmes could lead to changes in the way that cats interact with co-occurring prey, and that some prey may become more vulnerable to cat predation in open habitats after foxes have been removed. Moreover, with intensive and more sustained fox control it is possible that cats could respond numerically and alter their behaviour in different ways to those documented herein. Such outcomes need to be considered when estimating the indirect impacts of fox control. We conclude that novel approaches are urgently required to control invasive mesopredators at the same time, especially in areas where apex predators are absent.

Mesopredator Management: Effects of Red Fox Control on the Abundance, Diet and Use of Space by Feral Cats

PubMed Central

Molsher, Robyn; Newsome, Thomas M.; Dickman, Christopher R.

2017-01-01

Apex predators are subject to lethal control in many parts of the world to minimize their impacts on human industries and livelihoods. Diverse communities of smaller predators—mesopredators—often remain after apex predator removal. Despite concern that these mesopredators may be 'released' in the absence of the apex predator and exert negative effects on each other and on co-occurring prey, these interactions have been little studied. Here, we investigate the potential effects of competition and intraguild predation between red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis catus) in south-eastern Australia where the apex predator, the dingo (Canis dingo), has been extirpated by humans. We predicted that the larger fox would dominate the cat in encounters, and used a fox-removal experiment to assess whether foxes affect cat abundance, diet, home-range and habitat use. Our results provide little indication that intraguild predation occurred or that cats responded numerically to the fox removal, but suggest that the fox affects some aspects of cat resource use. In particular, where foxes were removed cats increased their consumption of invertebrates and carrion, decreased their home range size and foraged more in open habitats. Fox control takes place over large areas of Australia to protect threatened native species and agricultural interests. Our results suggest that fox control programmes could lead to changes in the way that cats interact with co-occurring prey, and that some prey may become more vulnerable to cat predation in open habitats after foxes have been removed. Moreover, with intensive and more sustained fox control it is possible that cats could respond numerically and alter their behaviour in different ways to those documented herein. Such outcomes need to be considered when estimating the indirect impacts of fox control. We conclude that novel approaches are urgently required to control invasive mesopredators at the same time, especially in areas where apex predators are absent. PMID:28068378

Inactivation of the FoxO3a transcription factor is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species during protein kinase CK2 downregulation-mediated senescence in human colon cancer and breast cancer cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Seong-Yeol; Bae, Young-Seuk, E-mail: ysbae@knu.ac.kr

We previously showed that protein kinase CK2 downregulation mediates senescence through the reactive oxygen species (ROS)–p53–p21{sup Cip1/WAF1} pathway in various human cells. In the present study, we investigated whether the FoxO3a transcription factor is associated with ROS production during CK2 downregulation-induced senescence in human colon cancer HCT116 and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. FoxO3a overexpression suppressed ROS production and p53 stabilization induced by a CK2α knockdown. CK2α downregulation induced nuclear export of FoxO3a through stimulation of AKT-mediated phosphorylation of FoxO3a and decreased transcription of its target genes (Cu/ZnSOD, MnSOD, and catalase). In contrast, CK2α overexpression inhibited AKT-mediated FoxO3a phosphorylation. This resulted inmore » nuclear accumulation of FoxO3a, and elevated expression of its target genes. Therefore, these data indicate for the first time that CK2 downregulation stimulates ROS generation by inhibiting FoxO3a during premature senescence in human colon and breast cancer cells. - Highlights: • FoxO3a overexpression inhibited ROS production mediated by CK2α knockdown. • CK2α downregulation induced nuclear export of FoxO3a via AKT activation. • CK2α downregulation reduced transcription of FoxO3a target genes including SOD. • CK2α upregulation elevated nuclear import and target gene expression of FoxO3a. • This study indicates that CK2 can modulate the intracellular ROS level via FoxO3a.« less

Behavior-Linked FoxP2 Regulation Enables Zebra Finch Vocal Learning

PubMed Central

Heston, Jonathan B.

2015-01-01

Mutations in the FOXP2 transcription factor cause an inherited speech and language disorder, but how FoxP2 contributes to learning of these vocal communication signals remains unclear. FoxP2 is enriched in corticostriatal circuits of both human and songbird brains. Experimental knockdown of this enrichment in song control neurons of the zebra finch basal ganglia impairs tutor song imitation, indicating that adequate FoxP2 levels are necessary for normal vocal learning. In unmanipulated birds, vocal practice acutely downregulates FoxP2, leading to increased vocal variability and dynamic regulation of FoxP2 target genes. To determine whether this behavioral regulation is important for song learning, here, we used viral-driven overexpression of FoxP2 to counteract its downregulation. This manipulation disrupted the acute effects of song practice on vocal variability and caused inaccurate song imitation. Together, these findings indicate that dynamic behavior-linked regulation of FoxP2, rather than absolute levels, is critical for vocal learning. PMID:25698728

[Association analysis between SNPs of the growth hormone receptor gene and growth traits in arctic fox].

PubMed

DU, Zhi-Heng; Liu, Zong-Yue; Bai, Xiu-Juan

2010-06-01

Using single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene were detected in an arctic fox population. Correlation analysis between GHR polymorphisms and growth traits were carried out using the appropriate model. Four SNPs, G3A in the 5'UTR, C99T in the first exon, T59C and G65A in the fifth exon were identified on the arctic fox GHR gene. The G3A and C99T polymorphisms of GHR were associated with female fox body weight (Pamp;0.05) and the T59C and G65A polymorphisms of GHR were associated with male fox body weight (Pamp;0.05) and the skin length of the female fox (Pamp;0.01). Therefore, marker assistant selection on body weight and skin length of arctic foxes using these SNPs can be applied to get big and high quality arctic foxes.

Fox proteins are modular competency factors for facial cartilage and tooth specification.

PubMed

Xu, Pengfei; Balczerski, Bartosz; Ciozda, Amanda; Louie, Kristin; Oralova, Veronika; Huysseune, Ann; Crump, J Gage

2018-06-26

Facial form depends on the precise positioning of cartilage, bone, and tooth fields in the embryonic pharyngeal arches. How complex signaling information is integrated to specify these cell types remains a mystery. We find that modular expression of Forkhead domain transcription factors (Fox proteins) in the zebrafish face arises through integration of Hh, Fgf, Bmp, Edn1 and Jagged-Notch pathways. Whereas loss of C-class Fox proteins results in reduced upper facial cartilages, loss of F-class Fox proteins results in distal jaw truncations and absent midline cartilages and teeth. We show that Fox proteins are required for Sox9a to promote chondrogenic gene expression. Fox proteins are sufficient in neural crest-derived cells for cartilage development, and neural crest-specific misexpression of Fox proteins expands the cartilage domain but inhibits bone. These results support a modular role for Fox proteins in establishing the competency of progenitors to form cartilage and teeth in the face. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Variation in home range size of red foxes Vulpes vulpes along a gradient of productivity and human landscape alteration

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Home range size is a fundamental concept for understanding animal dispersion and ecological needs, and it is one of the most commonly reported ecological attributes of free-ranging mammals. Previous studies indicate that red foxes Vulpes vulpes display great variability in home range size. Yet, there has been little consensus regarding the reasons why home range sizes of red foxes vary so extensively. In this study, we examine possible causes of variation in red fox home range sizes using data from 52 GPS collared red foxes from four study areas representing a gradient of landscape productivity and human landscape alteration in Norway and Sweden. Using 90% Local Convex Hull home range estimates, we examined how red fox home range size varied in relation to latitude, elevation, vegetation zone, proportion of agricultural land and human settlement within a home range, and sex and age. We found considerable variation in red fox home range sizes, ranging between 0.95 km2 to 44 km2 (LoCoH 90%) and 2.4 km2 to 358 km2 (MCP 100%). Elevation, proportion of agricultural land and sex accounted for 50% of the variation in home range size found amongst foxes, with elevation having the strongest effect. Red foxes residing in more productive landscapes (those in more southern vegetation zones), had home ranges approximately four times smaller than the home ranges of foxes in the northern boreal vegetation zone. Our results indicate that home range size was influenced by a productivity gradient at both the landscape (latitude) and the local (elevation) scale. The influence of the proportion of agriculture land on home range size of foxes illustrates how human landscape alteration can affect the space use and distribution of red foxes. Further, the variation in home range size found in this study demonstrates the plasticity of red foxes to respond to changing human landscape alteration as well as changes in landscape productivity, which may be contributing to red fox population increases and northern range expansions. PMID:28384313

Pearsonema (syn Capillaria) plica associated cystitis in a Fennoscandian arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus: a case report

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

The bladderworm Pearsonema (syn Capillaria) plica affects domestic dogs and wild carnivores worldwide. A high prevalence in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) has been reported in many European countries. P. plica inhabits the lower urinary tract and is considered to be of low pathogenic significance in dogs mostly causing asymptomatic infections. However, a higher level of pathogenicity has been reported in foxes. A severe cystitis associated with numerous bladderworms was found in a captive arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) originating from the endangered Fennoscandian arctic fox population. To our knowledge this is the first description of P. plica infection in an arctic fox. PMID:20540788

Pearsonema (syn Capillaria) plica associated cystitis in a Fennoscandian arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus: a case report.

PubMed

Fernández-Aguilar, Xavier; Mattsson, Roland; Meijer, Tomas; Osterman-Lind, Eva; Gavier-Widén, Dolores

2010-06-12

The bladderworm Pearsonema (syn Capillaria) plica affects domestic dogs and wild carnivores worldwide. A high prevalence in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) has been reported in many European countries. P. plica inhabits the lower urinary tract and is considered to be of low pathogenic significance in dogs mostly causing asymptomatic infections. However, a higher level of pathogenicity has been reported in foxes. A severe cystitis associated with numerous bladderworms was found in a captive arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) originating from the endangered Fennoscandian arctic fox population. To our knowledge this is the first description of P. plica infection in an arctic fox.

Adiponectin and peptide YY in the fasting blue fox (Alopex lagopus).

PubMed

Mustonen, Anne-Mari; Pyykönen, Teija; Nieminen, Petteri

2005-02-01

Adiponectin (Acrp30) and peptide YY (PYY) are weight-regulatory hormones participating in the control of energy homeostasis. This study investigated the effects of long-term wintertime fasting on plasma Acrp30 and PYY levels in the carnivorous blue fox, a farm-bred variant of the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus). Plasma Acrp30 and PYY concentrations were determined with radioimmunoassays during a 22-day period of fasting, which led to a 20.3% reduction in body mass of the animals (n=32). Sixteen fed blue foxes served as the control group. Acrp30 and PYY were present in blue fox plasma at similar or lower levels as reported previously for other mammals. Fasting had no acute effects on Acrp30 or PYY concentrations of the blue foxes. However, the Acrp30 levels of the fasted blue foxes were 24%-48% higher than in the fed animals between days 8-22 of fasting. Fasted blue foxes also had 6.2-fold higher plasma PYY concentrations after 15 days of fasting. Acrp30 and PYY seem to play roles in the body weight-regulation of the blue fox during long-term fasting, but their specific functions and physiological significance remain to be determined.

Investigation of FoxO3 dynamics during erythroblast development in β-thalassemia major

PubMed Central

Thanuthanakhun, Naruchit; Nuntakarn, Lalana; Sampattavanich, Somponnat; Anurathapan, Usanarat; Phuphanitcharoenkun, Suphanun; Pornpaiboonstid, Savichaya; Hongeng, Suradej

2017-01-01

The FoxO3 transcription factor is a key regulator of oxidative stress and erythroid maturation during erythropoiesis. In this study, we explored the involvement of FoxO3 in severe β-thalassemia. Using primary CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells from patients with β-thalassemia major, we successfully developed an in vitro model of ineffective erythropoiesis. Based on this model, FoxO3 activity was quantified in single cells using high throughput imaging flow cytometry. This study revealed a significant reduction of FoxO3 activity during the late stage of erythroblast differentiation in β-thalassemia, in contrast to erythropoiesis in normal cells that maintain persistent activation of FoxO3. In agreement with the decreased FoxO3 activity in β-thalassemia, the expression of FoxO3 target genes was also found to decrease, concurrent with elevated phosphorylation of AKT, most clearly at the late stage of erythroid differentiation. Our findings provide further evidence for the involvement of FoxO3 during terminal erythropoiesis and confirm the modulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway as a potential therapeutic strategy for β-thalassemia. PMID:29099866

Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Red Fox (Vuples vuples) and Phylogenetic Analysis with Other Canid Species.

PubMed

Zhong, Hua-Ming; Zhang, Hong-Hai; Sha, Wei-Lai; Zhang, Cheng-De; Chen, Yu-Cai

2010-04-01

The whole mitochondrial genome sequence of red fox (Vuples vuples) was determined. It had a total length of 16 723 bp. As in most mammal mitochondrial genome, it contained 13 protein coding genes, two ribosome RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and one control region. The base composition was 31.3% A, 26.1% C, 14.8% G and 27.8% T, respectively. The codon usage of red fox, arctic fox, gray wolf, domestic dog and coyote followed the same pattern except for an unusual ATT start codon, which initiates the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 3 gene in the red fox. A long tandem repeat rich in AC was found between conserved sequence block 1 and 2 in the control region. In order to confirm the phylogenetic relationships of red fox to other canids, phylogenetic trees were reconstructed by neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony methods using 12 concatenated heavy-strand protein-coding genes. The result indicated that arctic fox was the sister group of red fox and they both belong to the red fox-like clade in family Canidae, while gray wolf, domestic dog and coyote belong to wolf-like clade. The result was in accordance with existing phylogenetic results.

FoxO1 in dopaminergic neurons regulates energy homeostasis and targets tyrosine hydroxylase

PubMed Central

Doan, Khanh V.; Kinyua, Ann W.; Yang, Dong Joo; Ko, Chang Mann; Moh, Sang Hyun; Shong, Ko Eun; Kim, Hail; Park, Sang-Kyu; Kim, Dong-Hoon; Kim, Inki; Paik, Ji-Hye; DePinho, Ronald A.; Yoon, Seul Gi; Kim, Il Yong; Seong, Je Kyung; Choi, Yun-Hee; Kim, Ki Woo

2016-01-01

Dopaminergic (DA) neurons are involved in the integration of neuronal and hormonal signals to regulate food consumption and energy balance. Forkhead transcriptional factor O1 (FoxO1) in the hypothalamus plays a crucial role in mediation of leptin and insulin function. However, the homoeostatic role of FoxO1 in DA system has not been investigated. Here we report that FoxO1 is highly expressed in DA neurons and mice lacking FoxO1 specifically in the DA neurons (FoxO1 KODAT) show markedly increased energy expenditure and interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) thermogenesis accompanied by reduced fat mass and improved glucose/insulin homoeostasis. Moreover, FoxO1 KODAT mice exhibit an increased sucrose preference in concomitance with higher dopamine and norepinephrine levels. Finally, we found that FoxO1 directly targets and negatively regulates tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression, the rate-limiting enzyme of the catecholamine synthesis, delineating a mechanism for the KO phenotypes. Collectively, these results suggest that FoxO1 in DA neurons is an important transcriptional factor that directs the coordinated control of energy balance, thermogenesis and glucose homoeostasis. PMID:27681312

An introduced predator alters Aleutian Island plant communities by thwarting nutrient subsidies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maron, J.L.; Estes, J.A.; Croll, D.A.; Danner, E.M.; Elmendorf, S.C.; Buckelew, S.L.

2006-01-01

The ramifying effects of top predators on food webs traditionally have been studied within the framework of trophic cascades. Trophic cascades are compelling because they embody powerful indirect effects of predators on primary production. Although less studied, indirect effects of predators may occur via routes that are not exclusively trophic. We quantified how the introduction of foxes onto the Aleutian Islands transformed plant communities by reducing abundant seabird populations, thereby disrupting nutrient subsidies vectored by seabirds from sea to land. We compared soil and plant fertility, plant biomass and community composition, and stable isotopes of nitrogen in soil, plants, and other organisms on nine fox-infested and nine historically fox-free islands across the Aleutians. Additionally, we experimentally augmented nutrients on a fox-infested island to test whether differences in plant productivity and composition between fox-infested and fox-free islands could have arisen from differences in nutrient inputs between island types. Islands with historical fox infestations had soils low in phosphorus and nitrogen and plants low in tissue nitrogen. Soils, plants, slugs, flies, spiders, and bird droppings on these islands had low d15N values indicating that these organisms obtained nitrogen from internally derived sources. In contrast, soils, plants, and higher trophic level organisms on fox-free islands had elevated d15N signatures indicating that they utilized nutrients derived from the marine environment. Furthermore, soil phosphorus (but not nitrogen) and plant tissue nitrogen were higher on fox-free than fox-infested islands. Nutrient subsidized fox-free islands supported lush, high biomass plant communities dominated by graminoids. Fox-infested islands were less graminoid dominated and had higher cover and biomass of low-lying forbs and dwarf shrubs. While d15N profiles of soils and plants and graminoid biomass varied with island size and distance from shore, after accounting for these effects differences between fox-infested and fox-free islands still existed. Fertilization over four years caused a 24-fold increase in graminoid biomass and a shift toward a more graminoid dominated plant community typical of fox-free islands. These results indicate that apex predators can influence plant productivity and composition through complex interaction web pathways involving both top-down forcing and bottom-up nutrient exchanges across systems. ?? 2006 by the Ecological Society of America.

Probing the Mechanism of Inactivation of the FOX-4 Cephamycinase by Avibactam.

PubMed

Nukaga, Michiyoshi; Papp-Wallace, Krisztina M; Hoshino, Tyuji; Lefurgy, Scott T; Bethel, Christopher R; Barnes, Melissa D; Zeiser, Elise T; Johnson, J Kristie; Bonomo, Robert A

2018-05-01

Ceftazidime-avibactam is a "second-generation" β-lactam-β-lactamase inhibitor combination that is effective against Enterobacteriaceae expressing class A extended-spectrum β-lactamases, class A carbapenemases, and/or class C cephalosporinases. Knowledge of the interactions of avibactam, a diazabicyclooctane with different β-lactamases, is required to anticipate future resistance threats. FOX family β-lactamases possess unique hydrolytic properties with a broadened substrate profile to include cephamycins, partly as a result of an isoleucine at position 346, instead of the conserved asparagine found in most AmpCs. Interestingly, a single amino acid substitution at N346 in the Citrobacter AmpC is implicated in resistance to the aztreonam-avibactam combination. In order to understand how diverse active-site topologies affect avibactam inhibition, we tested a panel of clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates producing bla FOX using ceftazidime-avibactam, determined the biochemical parameters for inhibition using the FOX-4 variant, and probed the atomic structure of avibactam with FOX-4. Avibactam restored susceptibility to ceftazidime for most isolates producing bla FOX ; two isolates, one expressing bla FOX-4 and the other producing bla FOX-5 , displayed an MIC of 16 μg/ml for the combination. FOX-4 possessed a k 2 / K value of 1,800 ± 100 M -1 · s -1 and an off rate ( k off ) of 0.0013 ± 0.0003 s -1 Mass spectrometry showed that the FOX-4-avibactam complex did not undergo chemical modification for 24 h. Analysis of the crystal structure of FOX-4 with avibactam at a 1.5-Å resolution revealed a unique characteristic of this AmpC β-lactamase. Unlike in the Pseudomonas -derived cephalosporinase 1 (PDC-1)-avibactam crystal structure, interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding) between avibactam and position I346 in FOX-4 are not evident. Furthermore, another residue is not observed to be close enough to compensate for the loss of these critical hydrogen-bonding interactions. This observation supports findings from the inhibition analysis of FOX-4; FOX-4 possessed the highest K d (dissociation constant) value (1,600 nM) for avibactam compared to other AmpCs (7 to 660 nM). Medicinal chemists must consider the properties of extended-spectrum AmpCs, such as the FOX β-lactamases, for the design of future diazabicyclooctanes. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

76 FR 13312 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Fox River, Oshkosh, WI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

...-AA09 Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Fox River, Oshkosh, WI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice... National Railway Bridge across the Fox River at Mile 55.72 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After careful... On December 8, 2010, we published an NPRM entitled Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Fox River...

FoxP2 protein levels regulate cell morphology changes and migration patterns in the vertebrate developing telencephalon.

PubMed

Garcia-Calero, Elena; Botella-Lopez, Arancha; Bahamonde, Olga; Perez-Balaguer, Ariadna; Martinez, Salvador

2016-07-01

In the mammalian telencephalon, part of the progenitor cells transition from multipolar to bipolar morphology as they invade the mantle zone. This associates with changing patterns of radial migration. However, the molecules implicated in these morphology transitions are not well known. In the present work, we analyzed the function of FoxP2 protein in this process during telencephalic development in vertebrates. We analyzed the expression of FoxP2 protein and its relation with cell morphology and migratory patterns in mouse and chicken developing striatum. We observed FoxP2 protein expressed in a gradient from the subventricular zone to the mantle layer in mice embryos. In the FoxP2 low domain cells showed multipolar migration. In the striatal mantle layer where FoxP2 protein expression is higher, cells showed locomoting migration and bipolar morphology. In contrast, FoxP2 showed a high and homogenous expression pattern in chicken striatum, thus bipolar morphology predominated. Elevation of FoxP2 in the striatal subventricular zone by in utero electroporation promoted bipolar morphology and impaired multipolar radial migration. In mouse cerebral cortex we obtained similar results. FoxP2 promotes transition from multipolar to bipolar morphology by means of gradiental expression in mouse striatum and cortex. Together these results indicate a role of FoxP2 differential expression in cell morphology control of the vertebrate telencephalon.

Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the Pioneer Transcription Factor FoxA1 Promotes Activation of Estrogen Signaling.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Noritaka; Shibazaki, Misato; Yamada, Chiaki; Anzai, Erina; Morii, Mariko; Nakayama, Yuji; Kuga, Takahisa; Hashimoto, Yuuki; Tomonaga, Takeshi; Yamaguchi, Naoto

2017-06-01

The pioneer transcription factor FoxA1 plays an important role in estrogen signaling by opening closed chromatin and promoting recruitment of the estrogen receptor to its target regions in DNA. In this study, we analyzed tyrosine phosphorylation of FoxA1 by the non-receptor-type tyrosine kinase c-Abl. c-Abl was shown to phosphorylate FoxA1 at multiple sites, especially in the N- and C-terminal regions. Tyr429 and Tyr464 were identified as the major phosphorylation sites in the FoxA1 C-terminal region. The phosphomimetic and nonphosphorylatable FoxA1 mutants were generated by glutamic acid and phenylalanine substitutions at these tyrosine residues, respectively. The phosphomimetic FoxA1 promoted the activation of estrogen signaling, whereas the nonphosphorylatable FoxA1 suppressed its activation. Stimulation with the epidermal growth factor, which activates c-Abl, enhanced the activation of estrogen signaling. In contrast, the c-Abl inhibitor imatinib reduced its activation. The phosphomimetic FoxA1 mutant showed a higher affinity toward histone H3 than the wild-type. These results suggest that c-Abl-mediated phosphorylation of FoxA1 promotes the activation of estrogen signaling by inducing its binding to histones. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1453-1461, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sarcoptic mange in Swedish wildlife.

PubMed

Mörner, T

1992-12-01

Mange caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var. vulpes appeared among red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Scandinavia (south-west Finland) for the first time in this century in 1967. The disease was most probably introduced by foxes crossing the Gulf of Finland from Estonia. The mange epizootic spread northwards through Finland and reached Sweden in late 1975, when mangy foxes appeared in the northern part of the country. In 1984, mange was observed in most parts of Sweden. The disease was observed to spread rapidly in boreal areas, whereas it spread more slowly in agricultural areas. Mortality due to mange was very high. The duration of the disease before death due to emaciation has been shown experimentally to be over 90 days. An outbreak of fox mange among Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) occurred in 1986. The local population of Arctic foxes was caught and successfully treated. The following year, treated foxes were caught again and no signs of disease were found. Sporadic cases of fox mange have also been diagnosed in lynx (Lynx lynx), pine marten (Martes martes) and domestic dogs. Single cases have been observed in other species: wolf (Canis lupus), mountain hare (Lepus timidus), domestic cat and horse. No cases of sarcoptic mange have been recorded in the badger (Meles meles). At present, although fox mange occurs as an epizootic in local populations, the number of foxes has increased again in many parts of Sweden.

[Relationship between FoxO1 Expression and Wound Age during Skin Incised Wound Healing].

PubMed

Chen, Y; Ji, X Y; Fan, Y Y; Yu, L S

2018-02-01

To investigate FoxO1 expression and its time-dependent changes during the skin incised wound healing. After the establishment of the skin incised wound model in mice, the FoxO1 expression of skin in different time periods was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry staining showed that FoxO1 was weakly expressed in a few fibroblasts of epidermis, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, vessel endothelium and dermis in the control group. The FoxO1 expression was enhanced in the epidermis and skin appendages around the wound during 6-12 h after injury, which could be detected in the infiltrating neutrophils and a small number of monocytes. FoxO1 was mainly expressed in monocytes during 1-3 d after injury, and in neovascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts during 5-10 d. On the 14th day after injury, the FoxO1 expression still could be detected in a few fibroblasts. The Western blotting results showed that the FoxO1 expression quantity of the tissue samples in injury group was higher than in control group. The FoxO1 expression peaked at 12 h and 7 d after injury. FoxO1 is time-dependently expressed in skin wound healing, which can be a useful marker for wound age determination. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.

Lattice Three-Species Models of the Spatial Spread of Rabies among FOXES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benyoussef, A.; Boccara, N.; Chakib, H.; Ez-Zahraouy, H.

Lattice models describing the spatial spread of rabies among foxes are studied. In these models, the fox population is divided into three-species: susceptible (S), infected or incubating (I), and infectious or rabid (R). They are based on the fact that susceptible and incubating foxes are territorial while rabid foxes have lost their sense of direction and move erratically. Two different models are investigated: a one-dimensional coupled-map lattice model, and a two-dimensional automata network model. Both models take into account the short-range character of the infection process and the diffusive motion of rabid foxes. Numerical simulations show how the spatial distribution of rabies, and the speed of propagation of the epizootic front depend upon the carrying capacity of the environment and diffusion of rabid foxes out of their territory.

Linear model describing three components of flow in karst aquifers using 18O data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, Andrew J.; Putnam, L.D.

2004-01-01

The stable isotope of oxygen, 18O, is used as a naturally occurring ground-water tracer. Time-series data for ??18O are analyzed to model the distinct responses and relative proportions of the conduit, intermediate, and diffuse flow components in karst aquifers. This analysis also describes mathematically the dynamics of the transient fluid interchange between conduits and diffusive networks. Conduit and intermediate flow are described by linear-systems methods, whereas diffuse flow is described by mass-balance methods. An automated optimization process estimates parameters of lognormal, Pearson type III, and gamma distributions, which are used as transfer functions in linear-systems analysis. Diffuse flow and mixing parameters also are estimated by these optimization methods. Results indicate the relative proximity of a well to a main conduit flowpath and can help to predict the movement and residence times of potential contaminants. The three-component linear model is applied to five wells, which respond to changes in the isotopic composition of point recharge water from a sinking stream in the Madison aquifer in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Flow velocities as much as 540 m/d and system memories of as much as 71 years are estimated by this method. Also, the mean, median, and standard deviation of traveltimes; time to peak response; and the relative fraction of flow for each of the three components are determined for these wells. This analysis infers that flow may branch apart and rejoin as a result of an anastomotic (or channeled) karst network.

Chromosomal Mapping of Canine-Derived BAC Clones to the Red Fox and American Mink Genomes

PubMed Central

Vorobieva, Nadegda V.; Beklemisheva, Violetta R.; Johnson, Jennifer L.; Temnykh, Svetlana V.; Yudkin, Dmitry V.; Trut, Lyudmila N.; Andre, Catherine; Galibert, Francis; Aguirre, Gustavo D.; Acland, Gregory M.; Graphodatsky, Alexander S.

2009-01-01

High-quality sequencing of the dog (Canis lupus familiaris) genome has enabled enormous progress in genetic mapping of canine phenotypic variation. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes), another canid species, also exhibits a wide range of variation in coat color, morphology, and behavior. Although the fox genome has not yet been sequenced, canine genomic resources have been used to construct a meiotic linkage map of the red fox genome and begin genetic mapping in foxes. However, a more detailed gene-specific comparative map between the dog and fox genomes is required to establish gene order within homologous regions of dog and fox chromosomes and to refine breakpoints between homologous chromosomes of the 2 species. In the current study, we tested whether canine-derived gene–containing bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones can be routinely used to build a gene-specific map of the red fox genome. Forty canine BAC clones were mapped to the red fox genome by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Each clone was uniquely assigned to a single fox chromosome, and the locations of 38 clones agreed with cytogenetic predictions. These results clearly demonstrate the utility of FISH mapping for construction of a whole-genome gene-specific map of the red fox. The further possibility of using canine BAC clones to map genes in the American mink (Mustela vison) genome was also explored. Much lower success was obtained for this more distantly related farm-bred species, although a few BAC clones were mapped to the predicted chromosomal locations. PMID:19546120

Forkhead Box M1 Is Regulated by Heat Shock Factor 1 and Promotes Glioma Cells Survival under Heat Shock Stress*

PubMed Central

Dai, Bingbing; Gong, Aihua; Jing, Zhitao; Aldape, Kenneth D.; Kang, Shin-Hyuk; Sawaya, Raymond; Huang, Suyun

2013-01-01

The forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) is a key transcription factor regulating multiple aspects of cell biology. Prior studies have shown that FoxM1 is overexpressed in a variety of human tumors, including brain tumor, and plays a critical role in cancer development and progression. In this study we found that FoxM1 was up-regulated by heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) under heat shock stress condition in multiple cell lines. Knockdown of HSF1 with HSF1 siRNA or inhibition of HSF1 with a HSF1 inhibitor abrogated heat shock-induced expression of FoxM1. Genetic deletion of HSF1 in mouse embryo fibroblast cells also abolished heat shock stress-induced FoxM1 expression. Moreover, we showed that HSF1 directly bound to FoxM1 promoter and increased FoxM1 promoter activity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that FoxM1 was required for the G2-M phase progression through regulating Cdc2, Cdc20, and Cdc25B under a mild heat shock stress but enhanced cell survival under lethal heat shock stress condition. Finally, in human glioblastoma specimens, FoxM1 overexpression correlated with elevated HSF1 expression. Our results indicate that FoxM1 is regulated by HSF1 and is critical for HSF1-mediated heat shock response. We demonstrated a novel mechanism of stress resistance controlled by HSF1 and a new HSF-FoxM1 connection that mediates cellular thermotolerance. PMID:23192351

Fox-2 Splicing Factor Binds to a Conserved Intron Motif to PromoteInclusion of Protein 4.1R Alternative Exon 16

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ponthier, Julie L.; Schluepen, Christina; Chen, Weiguo

Activation of protein 4.1R exon 16 (E16) inclusion during erythropoiesis represents a physiologically important splicing switch that increases 4.1R affinity for spectrin and actin. Previous studies showed that negative regulation of E16 splicing is mediated by the binding of hnRNP A/B proteins to silencer elements in the exon and that downregulation of hnRNP A/B proteins in erythroblasts leads to activation of E16 inclusion. This paper demonstrates that positive regulation of E16 splicing can be mediated by Fox-2 or Fox-1, two closely related splicing factors that possess identical RNA recognition motifs. SELEX experiments with human Fox-1 revealed highly selective binding tomore » the hexamer UGCAUG. Both Fox-1 and Fox-2 were able to bind the conserved UGCAUG elements in the proximal intron downstream of E16, and both could activate E16 splicing in HeLa cell co-transfection assays in a UGCAUG-dependent manner. Conversely, knockdown of Fox-2 expression, achieved with two different siRNA sequences resulted in decreased E16 splicing. Moreover, immunoblot experiments demonstrate mouse erythroblasts express Fox-2, but not Fox-1. These findings suggest that Fox-2 is a physiological activator of E16 splicing in differentiating erythroid cells in vivo. Recent experiments show that UGCAUG is present in the proximal intron sequence of many tissue-specific alternative exons, and we propose that the Fox family of splicing enhancers plays an important role in alternative splicing switches during differentiation in metazoan organisms.« less

EUCOLEUS BOEHMI INFECTION IN THE NASAL CONCHAE AND PARANASAL SINUSES OF RED FOX (VULPES VULPES) ON PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA.

PubMed

Lopez, Alfonso; Aburto, Enrique; Jones, Kathleen; Robbins, William; Conboy, Gary

2016-04-28

Eucoleus boehmi (Nematoda: Capillariidae) occurs in the nasal conchae and paranasal sinuses of wild and domestic canids. We surveyed the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) on Prince Edward Island, Canada, for E. boehmi infection and characterized the associated histopathology. Nasal capillarid infections were detected based on histologic examination of three coronal sections of the nasal cavity and by centrifugal flotation examination (CFE) of rectal feces. Capillarids were detected in histologic sections in 28 of 36 (78%) foxes; detection occurred most frequently in the caudal section (28 foxes) and least in the rostral section (10 foxes). Adult worm morphology was typical for capillarids (stichosome esophagus, bacillary bands, bipolar plugged eggs); E. boehmi eggs were specifically identified based on the characteristic pitted shell wall surface. Adult worms were detected in histologic sections in all 28 and E. boehmi eggs in 21 of the positive foxes. No eggs of Eucoleus aerophilus were observed in any of the sections. Affected foxes had an eosinophilic and lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis with goblet cell hyperplasia. Eggs of E. aerophilus were detected on CFE in 20 of 36 (56%) foxes; 19 of the histologically positive foxes were coinfected with E. aerophilus. Eggs of E. boehmi were detected on CFE in 26 of 36 (72%) foxes and were consistent in size and morphology with those described from wild canids, but they differed from those reported from cases of infection in dogs. Prevalence based on identification of eggs on histologic section or CFE indicated 27 of 36 (75%) red foxes examined were infected with E. boehmi.

Chromosomal mapping of canine-derived BAC clones to the red fox and American mink genomes.

PubMed

Kukekova, Anna V; Vorobieva, Nadegda V; Beklemisheva, Violetta R; Johnson, Jennifer L; Temnykh, Svetlana V; Yudkin, Dmitry V; Trut, Lyudmila N; Andre, Catherine; Galibert, Francis; Aguirre, Gustavo D; Acland, Gregory M; Graphodatsky, Alexander S

2009-01-01

High-quality sequencing of the dog (Canis lupus familiaris) genome has enabled enormous progress in genetic mapping of canine phenotypic variation. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes), another canid species, also exhibits a wide range of variation in coat color, morphology, and behavior. Although the fox genome has not yet been sequenced, canine genomic resources have been used to construct a meiotic linkage map of the red fox genome and begin genetic mapping in foxes. However, a more detailed gene-specific comparative map between the dog and fox genomes is required to establish gene order within homologous regions of dog and fox chromosomes and to refine breakpoints between homologous chromosomes of the 2 species. In the current study, we tested whether canine-derived gene-containing bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones can be routinely used to build a gene-specific map of the red fox genome. Forty canine BAC clones were mapped to the red fox genome by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Each clone was uniquely assigned to a single fox chromosome, and the locations of 38 clones agreed with cytogenetic predictions. These results clearly demonstrate the utility of FISH mapping for construction of a whole-genome gene-specific map of the red fox. The further possibility of using canine BAC clones to map genes in the American mink (Mustela vison) genome was also explored. Much lower success was obtained for this more distantly related farm-bred species, although a few BAC clones were mapped to the predicted chromosomal locations.

FoxP2 expression in the cerebellum and inferior olive: development of the transverse stripe-shaped expression pattern in the mouse cerebellar cortex.

PubMed

Fujita, Hirofumi; Sugihara, Izumi

2012-02-15

Many molecules are expressed heterogeneously in subpopulations of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) and inferior olive (IO) neurons during development or in adulthood. These expression patterns are often organized in longitudinal stripes in the cerebellar cortex, which may be related to functional compartmentalization. FoxP2, a transcription factor, is expressed in PCs and IO neurons, but the details of its expression pattern remain unclear. Here we examined FoxP2 expression patterns systematically by immunostaining serial sections of the hindbrain from embryonic day 14.5 to adulthood in mice. FoxP2 was highly expressed in virtually all PCs at and before postnatal day 6 (P6), except for those in the flocculus and small parts of the nodulus (vermal lobule X), where FoxP2 expression was moderate or absent. After P6, FoxP2 expression gradually diminished in PCs in some areas. In adults, FoxP2 was expressed, less intensely than in earlier stages, in subsets of PCs that were mostly arranged transversely along the folial apices. In contrast, FoxP2 was expressed intensely in most IO neurons during development and in adulthood. FoxP2 was also expressed in a small population of neurons in the cerebellar nuclei. FoxP2 expression in adult rats and chicks was generally comparable to that in adult mice, suggesting evolutionary conservation of the expression pattern. Thus, the FoxP2 expression pattern reflects new transverse compartmentalization in the adult cerebellar cortex, although its functional significance remains unclear. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Lack of the central nervous system- and neural crest-expressed forkhead gene Foxs1 affects motor function and body weight.

PubMed

Heglind, Mikael; Cederberg, Anna; Aquino, Jorge; Lucas, Guilherme; Ernfors, Patrik; Enerbäck, Sven

2005-07-01

To gain insight into the expression pattern and functional importance of the forkhead transcription factor Foxs1, we constructed a Foxs1-beta-galactosidase reporter gene "knock-in" (Foxs1beta-gal/beta-gal) mouse, in which the wild-type (wt) Foxs1 allele has been inactivated and replaced by a beta-galactosidase reporter gene. Staining for beta-galactosidase activity reveals an expression pattern encompassing neural crest-derived cells, e.g., cranial and dorsal root ganglia as well as several other cell populations in the central nervous system (CNS), most prominently the internal granule layer of cerebellum. Other sites of expression include the lachrymal gland, outer nuclear layer of retina, enteric ganglion neurons, and a subset of thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei. In the CNS, blood vessel-associated smooth muscle cells and pericytes stain positive for Foxs1. Foxs1beta-gal/beta-gal mice perform significantly better (P < 0.01) on a rotating rod than do wt littermates. We have also noted a lower body weight gain (P < 0.05) in Foxs1beta-gal/lbeta-gal males on a high-fat diet, and we speculate that dorsomedial hypothalamic neurons, expressing Foxs1, could play a role in regulating body weight via regulation of sympathetic outflow. In support of this, we observed increased levels of uncoupling protein 1 mRNA in Foxs1beta-gal/beta-gal mice. This points toward a role for Foxs1 in the integration and processing of neuronal signals of importance for energy turnover and motor function.

SCP4 Promotes Gluconeogenesis Through FoxO1/3a Dephosphorylation.

PubMed

Cao, Jin; Yu, Yi; Zhang, Zhengmao; Chen, Xi; Hu, Zhaoyong; Tong, Qiang; Chang, Jiang; Feng, Xin-Hua; Lin, Xia

2018-01-01

FoxO1 and FoxO3a (collectively FoxO1/3a) proteins regulate a wide array of cellular processes, including hepatic gluconeogenesis. Phosphorylation of FoxO1/3a is a key event that determines its subcellular location and transcriptional activity. During glucose synthesis, the activity of FoxO1/3a is negatively regulated by Akt-mediated phosphorylation, which leads to the cytoplasmic retention of FoxO1/3a. However, the nuclear phosphatase that directly regulates FoxO1/3a remains to be identified. In this study, we discovered a nuclear phosphatase, SCP4/CTDSPL2 (SCP4), that dephosphorylated FoxO1/3a and promoted FoxO1/3a transcription activity. We found that SCP4 enhanced the transcription of FoxO1/3a target genes encoding PEPCK1 and G6PC, key enzymes in hepatic gluconeogenesis. Ectopic expression of SCP4 increased, while knockdown of SCP4 inhibited, glucose production. Moreover, we demonstrated that gene ablation of SCP4 led to hypoglycemia in neonatal mice. Consistent with the positive role of SCP4 in gluconeogenesis, expression of SCP4 was regulated under pathophysiological conditions. SCP4 expression was induced by glucose deprivation in vitro and in vivo and was elevated in obese mice caused by genetic (A vy ) and dietary (high-fat) changes. Thus, our findings provided experimental evidence that SCP4 regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and could serve as a potential target for the prevention and treatment of diet-induced glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

Fork head transcription factor is required for ovarian mature in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is the most devastating rice pest in many areas throughout Asia. The reproductive system of female N. lugens consists of a pair of ovaries with 24-33 ovarioles per ovary in most individuals which determine its fecundity. The fork head (Fox) is a transcriptional regulatory molecule, which regulates and controls many physiological processes in eukaryotes. The Fox family has several subclasses and members, and several Fox factors have been reported to be involved in regulating fecundity. Results We have cloned a fork head gene in N. lugens. The full-length cDNA of NlFoxA is 1789 bp and has an open reading frame of 1143 bp, encoding a protein of 380 amino acids. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Reverse Transcription- PCR (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that NlFoxA mRNA was mainly expressed in the fat body, midgut, cuticle and Malpighian tube, and was expressed continuously with little change during all the developmental stages. NlFoxA belongs to the FoxA subfamily of the Fox transcription factors. Knockdown of NlFoxA expression by RNAi using artificial diet containing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) significantly decreased the number of offspring and impacted the development of ovaries. ELISA and Western blot analyses showed that feeding-based RNAi of NlFoxA gene also resulted in decreased expression of vitellogenin (Vg) protein. Conclusion NlFoxA plays an important role in regulation of fecundity and development of ovaries in the BPH via regulating vitellogenin expression. PMID:22208615

The Sioux Treaty of 1868. The Constitution Community: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Linda Darus

From the 1860s through the 1870s the U.S. frontier saw many Indian wars and skirmishes. A study and report on the conditions of the Indian tribes, released in 1867, led to an act to establish an Indian Peace Commission to end the wars and prevent future Indian conflicts. In the spring of 1868 a conference was held at Fort Laramie (Wyoming) that…

Japanese Method Gets a Wyoming Accent: Lab School in Laramie Adapts Lesson Study Concept to Its Own Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trent, Allen; Blum, Timothy; McLaughlin, Meredith; Yocom, Dorothy Jean

2005-01-01

A study group from a Wyoming school and nearby university delve into the Japanese process of lesson study, learning the differences between the Japanese and U.S. education systems and how the process can work--and does not work--in an American context. The group's understandings highlight ways that lesson study can be adapted for use in the United…

An Investigation of Aerosol and Ozone Measurements from the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer: Validation and Relation to Other Chemical Species

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshler, Terry

1997-01-01

Throughout this study we focused on comparisons of CLAES and in situ measurements of ozone and aerosol extinction. Thus the comparison is between satellite data representative of large spatial regions and in situ data representative of nearly point samples. Both instruments provide vertical profiles, but the region of overlap is limited to between approximately 10 and 100 mb. CLAES Version 7 ozone measurements have been compared to electrochemical cell ozonesonde measurements over McMurdo Station, Antarctica (78 deg S, 167 deg E), Dumont d'Urville, Antarctica (66.7 deg S, 140 deg E), Laramie, Wyoming (41 deg N, 106 deg W), and Bear Island, Norway (74.3 deg N, 19 deg E). Comparisons were made between vertical ozone profiles, and between integrated column ozone over the region of overlap of the measurements. Comparisons using CLAES Version 8 data are underway. CLAES Version 8 aerosol extinction measurements at all wavelengths have also been compared to University of Wyoming aerosol extinctions over McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and over Laramie, Wyoming. Coincidences in all cases were determined by minimizing the distance between the CLAES observations and the surface station, and the time separation between the satellite and in situ measurements.

Lapland longspur mortality at an oil well drilling rig site, Laramie County, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramirez, Pedro; Dickerson, Kimberly K.; Lindstrom, Jim; Meteyer, Carol U.; Darrah, Scott

2015-01-01

Two hundred fifty-one Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) carcasses were recovered around an oil well drilling rig in Laramie County, Wyoming, USA, on December 13–14, 2010, apparent victims of a winter storm and “light entrapment” from the lights on the drilling rig during foggy conditions. We found Lapland longspur carcasses distributed around the drilling rig from 33 m to 171 m. Investigators did not find evidence of bird carcasses on the drilling rig deck or equipment immediately adjacent to the drilling rig. We ruled out chemical toxins and disease as a cause of mortality. Weather conditions, the circular depositional pattern of carcasses around the drilling rig, and bird necropsy results led investigators to conclude that the Lapland longspur mortality was the result of the migrating birds entering the area illuminated by the drilling rig lights in freezing fog and the birds repeatedly circling the drilling rig until they fell to the ground in exhaustion and dying from subsequent trauma. Further research is needed to understand how to most effectively adjust lighting of onshore drilling rigs to reduce the potential for avian light entrapment. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science and Management Workshop Proceedings, May 12-14, 2009, Laramie, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nuccio, Vito F.; D'Erchia, Frank D.; Parady, K.(compiler); Mellinger, A.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hosted the second Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) Science and Management Workshop at the University of Wyoming Conference Center and Hilton Garden Inn on May 12, 13, and 14, 2009, in Laramie, Wyo. The workshop focused on six topics seen as relevant to ongoing WLCI science and management activities: mapping and modeling resources for decisionmaking; data information and management; fish and wildlife research; changing landscapes; monitoring; and reclamation and offsite mitigation. Panelists gave presentations on ongoing research in these six areas during plenary sessions followed by audience discussions. Three breakout groups focused on discussing wildlife, reclamation, and monitoring. Throughout the plenary sessions, audience discussions, and breakout groups, several needs were repeatedly emphasized by panelists and workshop participants: developing a conservation plan and identifying priority areas and species for conservation actions; gaining a deeper understanding of sagebrush ecology; identifying thresholds for wildlife that can be used to create an 'early warning system' for managers; continuing to collect basic data across the landscape; facilitating even greater communication and partnership across agencies and between scientists and land managers; and engaging proactively in understanding new changes on the landscape such as wind energy development and climate change. Detailed proceedings from the workshop are captured and summarized in this report.

Geologic Map of the Eaton Reservoir Quadrangle, Larimer County, Colorado and Albany County, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Workman, Jeremiah B.

2008-01-01

New geologic mapping of the Eaton Reservoir 7.5' quadrangle defines geologic relationships in the northern Front Range along the Colorado/Wyoming border approximately 35 km south of Laramie, Wyo. Previous mapping within the quadrangle was limited to regional reconnaissance mapping (Tweto, 1979; Camp, 1979; Burch, 1983) and some minor site-specific studies (Carlson and Marsh, 1986; W. Braddock, unpub. mapping, 1982). Braddock and others (1989) mapped the Diamond Peak 7.5' quadrangle to the east, Burch (1983) mapped rocks of the Rawah batholith to the south, W. Braddock (unpub. mapping, 1981) mapped the Sand Creek Pass 7.5' quadrangle to the west, and Ver Ploeg and Boyd (2000) mapped the Laramie 30' x 60' quadrangle to the north. Field work was completed during 2005 and 2006 and the mapping was compiled at a scale of 1:24,000. Minimal petrographic work and isotope dating was done in connection with the present mapping, but detailed petrographic and isotope studies were carried out on correlative map units in surrounding areas as part of a related regional study of the northern Front Range. Classification of Proterozoic rocks is primarily based upon field observation of bulk mineral composition, macroscopic textural features, and field relationships that allow for correlation with rocks studied in greater detail outside of the map area.

Sarcoptic Mange in a South American Gray Fox (Chilla Fox; Lycalopex griseus ), Chile.

PubMed

Verdugo, Claudio; Espinoza, Angelo; Moroni, Manuel; Valderrama, Rocio; Hernandez, Carlos

2016-07-01

Mange, a prevalent disease of dogs in Chile, is also a serious threat to wildlife. We report a case of sarcoptic mange in a South American gray fox or chilla fox ( Lycalopex griseus ). Further research is needed to understand the impact of mange in wildlife populations.

Mycobacterium bovis Infection of Red Fox, France.

PubMed

Michelet, Lorraine; De Cruz, Krystel; Hénault, Sylvie; Tambosco, Jennifer; Richomme, Céline; Réveillaud, Édouard; Gares, Hélène; Moyen, Jean-Louis; Boschiroli, María Laura

2018-06-01

Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild red foxes was found in southern France, where livestock and other wildlife species are infected. Foxes frequently interact with cattle but have been underestimated as a reservoir of M. bovis. Our results suggest a possible role of the red fox in the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis.

A Study of the Connection Among Basin-Fill Aquifers, Carbonate-Rock Aquifers, and Surface-Water Resources in Southern Snake Valley, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2008-01-01

The Secretary of the Interior through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act approved funding for research to improve understanding of hydrologic systems that sustain numerous water-dependent ecosystems on Federal lands in Snake Valley, Nevada. Some of the streams and spring-discharge areas in and adjacent to Great Basin National Park have been identified as susceptible to ground-water withdrawals (Elliott and others, 2006) and research has shown a high potential for ground-water flow from southern Spring Valley into southern Snake Valley through carbonate rocks that outcrop along a low topographic divide known as the Limestone Hills (Welch and others, 2007). Comprehensive geologic, hydrologic, and chemical information will be collected and analyzed to assess the hydraulic connection between basin-fill aquifers and surface-water resources, water-dependent ecological features, and the regional carbonate-rock aquifer, the known source of many high-discharge springs. Understanding these connections is important because proposed projects to pump and export ground water from Spring and Snake Valleys in Nevada may result in unintended capture of water currently supplying springs, streams, wetlands, limestone caves, and other biologically sensitive areas (fig. 1). The methods that will be used in this study may be transferable to other areas in the Great Basin. The National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service submitted the proposal for funding this research to facilitate science-based land management. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources and Geologic Disciplines, and the University of Nevada, Reno, will accomplish four research elements through comprehensive data collection and analysis that are concentrated in two distinct areas on the eastern and southern flanks of the Snake Range (fig. 2). The projected time line for this research is from July 2008 through September 2011.

Biomagnification of cycad neurotoxins in flying foxes: implications for ALS-PDC in Guam.

PubMed

Banack, Sandra Anne; Cox, Paul Alan

2003-08-12

Beta-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) occurs in higher levels in museum specimens of the Guamanian flying fox than in the cycad seeds the flying foxes feed on, confirming the hypothesis that cycad neurotoxins are biomagnified within the Guam ecosystem. Consumption of a single flying fox may have resulted in an equivalent BMAA dose obtained from eating 174 to 1,014 kg of processed cycad flour. Traditional feasting on flying foxes may be related to the prevalence of neuropathologic disease in Guam.

Echinococcus species from red foxes, corsac foxes, and wolves in Mongolia.

PubMed

Ito, Akira; Chuluunbaatar, Gantigmaa; Yanagida, Tetsuya; Davaasuren, Anu; Sumiya, Battulga; Asakawa, Mitsuhiko; Ki, Toshiaki; Nakaya, Kazuhiro; Davaajav, Abmed; Dorjsuren, Temuulen; Nakao, Minoru; Sako, Yasuhito

2013-11-01

The small intestines of 420 wild canids (111 corsac foxes, 191 red foxes and 118 wolves) from Mongolia, were examined for adult worms of the genus Echinococcus. The Mongolian genotype of Echinococcus multilocularis was found in fifteen red foxes and four wolves, whereas two genotypes (G6/7 and G10) of Echinococcus canadensis were found in two and three wolves, respectively. No adult Echinococcus worms were found in the corsac foxes examined. The genotypes of E. multilocularis and E. canadensis are discussed in terms of host specificity and distribution in Mongolia. The importance of wolves in the completion of the life cycle of Echinococcus spp. is also discussed.

Robust Bayesian Experimental Design for Conceptual Model Discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, H. V.; Tsai, F. T. C.

2015-12-01

A robust Bayesian optimal experimental design under uncertainty is presented to provide firm information for model discrimination, given the least number of pumping wells and observation wells. Firm information is the maximum information of a system can be guaranteed from an experimental design. The design is based on the Box-Hill expected entropy decrease (EED) before and after the experiment design and the Bayesian model averaging (BMA) framework. A max-min programming is introduced to choose the robust design that maximizes the minimal Box-Hill EED subject to that the highest expected posterior model probability satisfies a desired probability threshold. The EED is calculated by the Gauss-Hermite quadrature. The BMA method is used to predict future observations and to quantify future observation uncertainty arising from conceptual and parametric uncertainties in calculating EED. Monte Carlo approach is adopted to quantify the uncertainty in the posterior model probabilities. The optimal experimental design is tested by a synthetic 5-layer anisotropic confined aquifer. Nine conceptual groundwater models are constructed due to uncertain geological architecture and boundary condition. High-performance computing is used to enumerate all possible design solutions in order to identify the most plausible groundwater model. Results highlight the impacts of scedasticity in future observation data as well as uncertainty sources on potential pumping and observation locations.

Cloning of fox (Vulpes vulpes) Il2, Il6, Il10 and IFNgamma and analysis of their expression by quantitative RT-PCR in fox PBMC after in vitro stimulation by Concanavalin A.

PubMed

Rolland-Turner, Magali; Farré, Guillaume; Boué, Franck

2006-04-15

The immune response in the fox (Vulpes vulpes), despite the success of the oral rabies vaccine is not well characterised, and specific immunological tools are needed. A quantitative RT-PCR using SyBR Green to investigate fox cytokine expression after antigen PBMC in vitro re-stimulation is presented here. First, we cloned by homology with dog cytokine sequences the fox IL2, IL6, IL10, IFNgamma and a partial 18S sequence. Fox specific primers were then defined and used to set up a species-specific quantitative RT-PCR assay using SyBR Green and 18S housekeeping gene as internal standard. The technique was validated using total RNA from fox PBMC stimulated with a polyclonal activator, Concanavaline A.

[Brent goose colonies near snowy owls: internest distances in relation to breeding Arctic fox densities].

PubMed

Kharitonov, S P; Ebbinge, B S; De Fou, J

2013-01-01

This study was conducted in 2005 near Medusa Bay (73 degrees 21' N, 80 degrees 32' E) and the delta of the Pyasina River (74 degrees 10' N, 86 degrees 45' E), northwest of the Taimyr Peninsula. It was shown that in the years when the numbers of the Arctic foxes are high, even though the lemming numbers are high as well, Brent geese nest considerably closer to owls' nests than in the years with low Arctic fox numbers. At values of the Arctic fox densities greater than one breeding pair per 20 km2, the factor of lemming numbers ceases to affect the distance between owl and geese nests. This distance becomes dependent on the Arctic fox density (numbers). When the Arctic fox density is greater than the pronounced threshold, the owl-Brent internest distance is inversely and linearly related to the Arctic fox density.

Development of novel polymorphic microsatellite markers for the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes).

PubMed

Yan, S Q; Bai, C Y; Qi, S M; Li, Y M; Li, W J; Sun, J H

2015-06-01

The silver fox (Vulpes vulpes), a coat color variant of the red fox, is one of the most important fur-bearing animals. To date, development of microsatellite loci for the silver fox has been limited and mainly based on cross-amplification by using canine SSR primers. In this study, 28 polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated and identified for silver fox through the construction and screening of an (AC)n-enriched library. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 8 based on 48 individuals tested. The expected and observed hetero- zygosity and polymorphism information content per locus ranged from 0.2544 to 0.859, 0.2083 to 0.7917, and 0.2181 to 0.821, respectively. The polymorphic markers presented in this study may be useful for future analysis of the genetic diversity and population structure of farmed silver fox and wild red fox.

75 FR 76322 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Fox River, Oshkosh, WI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

...-AA09 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Fox River, Oshkosh, WI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice... procedures for the Canadian National Railway Bridge across the Fox River at Mile 55.72 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin... add paragraph (e) to read as follows: Sec. 117.1087 Fox River. * * * * * (e) The draw of the Canadian...

76 FR 9606 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, CO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-18

... Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma; Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Santee Sioux Nation, Nebraska; Shakopee...; Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in...

75 FR 31510 - Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc., Hatboro, PA; Approval of Conversion

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2010-06-03

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Autochthonous Hepatozoon infection in hunting dogs and foxes from the Czech Republic.

PubMed

Mitková, Barbora; Hrazdilová, Kristýna; Steinbauer, Vladimír; D'Amico, Gianluca; Mihalca, Andrei Daniel; Modrý, David

2016-11-01

Blood samples from 21 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 8 hunting dogs from the same locality in the Czech Republic were examined for presence of Hepatozoon canis/Hepatozoon sp. The dogs were selected based on their close contact with foxes during fox bolting and because they had not traveled into known endemic areas. Using diagnostic PCR amplifying partial 18S rDNA fragment, Hepatozoon DNA was detected in 20 red foxes (95 %) and 4 dogs (50 %). From 8 positive foxes and 2 positive dogs, we obtained nearly complete 18S rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences revealed very low variability. Buffy coat smears from positive dogs were prepared and examined. No Hepatozoon gamonts were found. This study provides the first report of autochthonous infection of H. canis/Hepatozoon in dogs and foxes from the Czech Republic. Our study indirectly demonstrates cross infection between red foxes and dogs and confirms autochthonous infection of Hepatozoon canis in dogs living in a geographic area well outside the range of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, which is so far the only known vector of H. canis in Europe.

Systemic AA amyloidosis in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes).

PubMed

Rising, Anna; Cederlund, Ella; Palmberg, Carina; Uhlhorn, Henrik; Gaunitz, Stefan; Nordling, Kerstin; Ågren, Erik; Ihse, Elisabet; Westermark, Gunilla T; Tjernberg, Lars; Jörnvall, Hans; Johansson, Jan; Westermark, Per

2017-11-01

Amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis occurs spontaneously in many mammals and birds, but the prevalence varies considerably among different species, and even among subgroups of the same species. The Blue fox and the Gray fox seem to be resistant to the development of AA amyloidosis, while Island foxes have a high prevalence of the disease. Herein, we report on the identification of AA amyloidosis in the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Edman degradation and tandem MS analysis of proteolyzed amyloid protein revealed that the amyloid partly was composed of full-length SAA. Its amino acid sequence was determined and found to consist of 111 amino acid residues. Based on inter-species sequence comparisons we found four residue exchanges (Ser31, Lys63, Leu71, Lys72) between the Red and Blue fox SAAs. Lys63 seems unique to the Red fox SAA. We found no obvious explanation to how these exchanges might correlate with the reported differences in SAA amyloidogenicity. Furthermore, in contrast to fibrils from many other mammalian species, the isolated amyloid fibrils from Red fox did not seed AA amyloidosis in a mouse model. © 2017 The Protein Society.

Predation on seabirds by red foxes at Shaiak Island, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petersen, M.R.

1982-01-01

Two Red Foxes (Vulpes fulva) that invaded Shaiak Island before the 1976 nesting season had a marked impact on the nesting success of five of seven species of seabirds breeding on the island that year. Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima), Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens), and Common Murres (Uria aalge), that nest in areas accessible to foxes, did not raise any young to fledging. Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) were only slightly more successful; 13 (4.3%) of 300 pairs raised one or more young to fledging. Evidence suggested that 21 (35.6%) of 62 pairs of Tufted Puffins (Lunda cirrhata) lost eggs or chicks to foxes, and foxes killed at least 13 (8.3%) of 156 adult puffins on ten sample plots. Conversely, Black-Legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) and Pelagic Cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus), which nested primarily on cliffs inaccessible to foxes, lost very few nests. There was no apparent change in general nest site selections by seabirds the following year, when foxes were no longer present. Any avoidance by birds of areas vulnerable to fox predation would probably be discernible only after several years of continuous predation.

Red fox ( Vulpes vulpes L.) favour seed dispersal, germination and seedling survival of Mediterranean Hackberry ( Celtis australis L.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juan, Traba; Sagrario, Arrieta; Jesús, Herranz; Cristina, Clamagirand M.

2006-07-01

Seeds of the Mediterranean Hackberry Celtis australis are often encountered in fox faeces. In order to evaluate the effect of gut transit on the size of seeds selected, the rates and speed of germination and on the survival of the seedlings, Mediterranean Hackberry seeds from fox faeces were germinated in a greenhouse. The results were compared with those of seeds taken from ripe, uneaten fruits. Fox-dispersed seeds were smaller and lighter than the control ones and had higher (74% vs. 57%) and more rapid germination (74.5 days vs. 99.2 days). Seedlings from fox-dispersed seeds showed significantly greater survival by the end of the study period (74.1% vs. 43.6%) than the control ones. Survival in seedlings from fox-dispersed seeds was related to germination date, late seedlings showing poorer survival. This relationship was not observed away in the control seedlings. Seed mass did not affect seedling survival. Seedling arising from fox-dispersed seeds grew faster than control ones. These results suggest that fox can play a relevant role as seed disperser of Mediterranean Hackberry.

Behavior-linked FoxP2 regulation enables zebra finch vocal learning.

PubMed

Heston, Jonathan B; White, Stephanie A

2015-02-18

Mutations in the FOXP2 transcription factor cause an inherited speech and language disorder, but how FoxP2 contributes to learning of these vocal communication signals remains unclear. FoxP2 is enriched in corticostriatal circuits of both human and songbird brains. Experimental knockdown of this enrichment in song control neurons of the zebra finch basal ganglia impairs tutor song imitation, indicating that adequate FoxP2 levels are necessary for normal vocal learning. In unmanipulated birds, vocal practice acutely downregulates FoxP2, leading to increased vocal variability and dynamic regulation of FoxP2 target genes. To determine whether this behavioral regulation is important for song learning, here, we used viral-driven overexpression of FoxP2 to counteract its downregulation. This manipulation disrupted the acute effects of song practice on vocal variability and caused inaccurate song imitation. Together, these findings indicate that dynamic behavior-linked regulation of FoxP2, rather than absolute levels, is critical for vocal learning. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/352885-10$15.00/0.

Habitat selection by female swift foxes (Vulpes velox) during the pup-rearing season

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sasmal, Indrani; Jenks, Jonathan A.; Grovenburg, Troy W.; Datta, Shubham; Schroeder, Greg M.; Klaver, Robert W.; Honness, Kevin M.

2011-01-01

The swift fox (Vulpes velox) was historically distributed in western South Dakota including the region surrounding Badlands National Park (BNP). The species declined during the mid-1800s, largely due to habitat loss and poisoning targeted at wolves (Canis lupis) and coyotes (C. latrans). Only a small population of swift foxes near Ardmore, South Dakota persisted. In 2003, an introduction program was initiated at BNP with swift foxes translocated from Colorado and Wyoming. We report on habitat use by female swift foxes during the pup-rearing season (May–July) in 2009. Analyses of location data from 13 radiomarked female foxes indicated disproportional use (P Ŷ = 1.01), sparse vegetation (Ŷ = 1.43) and prairie dog towns (Ŷ = 1.18) in proportion to their availability, whereas they were less likely to use woodland (Ŷ = 0.00), shrubland (Ŷ = 0.14), pasture/agricultural-land (Ŷ = 0.25) and development (Ŷ = 0.16) relative to availability. Swift foxes typically are located in habitats that provide greater visibility, such as shortgrass prairie and areas with sparse vegetation; which allow detection of approaching coyotes (e.g., primary predator of swift foxes).

A preliminary appraisal of the Garber-Wellington Aquifer, southern Logan and northern Oklahoma counties, Oklahoma

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, Jerry E.; Marcher, Melvin V.

1977-01-01

The Garber-Wellington aquifer, which dips westward at 30 to 40 feet per mile, consists of about 900 feet of interbedded sandstone, shale, and siltstone. Sandstone comprises 35 to 75 percent of the aquifer and averages about 50 percent. Water-table conditions generally exist in the upper 200 feet in the outcrop area of the aquifer; semi-artesian or artesian conditions exist below a depth of 200 feet and beneath rocks of the Hennessey Group (predominantly shale) where the aquifer is fully saturated. Water containing more than 1,000 milligrams per liter dissolved solids occurs at various depths through the area. The altitude of the base of fresh water ranges from 250 feet above sea level in the south-central part of the area to 950 feet in the northwestern part. The thickness of the fresh-water zone ranges from less than 150 feet in the northern part of the area to about 850 feet in the southern part. The total amount of water stored in the fresh-water zone is estimated to be 21 million acre-feet based on specific yield of 0.20. Minimum recharge to the aquifer in 1975 is estimated to be 190 acre-feet per square mile or about 10 percent of the annual precipitation. Total minimum recharge to the aquifer in the study area in 1975 is estimated to be 129,000 acre-feet. Streams in the area are the principal means of ground-water discharge; the amount of discharge is essentially the same as recharge. The amount of groundwater used for municipal and rural water supply in 1975 is estimated to have been 5,000 acre-feet; a similar amount may have been used for industrial purposes. As a result of pumping, the potentiometric surface in 1975 had been lowered about 200 feet in the vicinity of Edmond and about 100 feet in the vicinity of Nichols Hills. Chemical analyses of water from the aquifer indicates that hardness is greater in the upper part of the aquifer than in the lower part, and that sulfate, chloride, and dissolved solids increase with depth. Reported yields of wells more than 250 feet deep range from 70 to 475 gallons per minute and average 240 gallons per minute. Potential well yields range from 225 gallons per minute when the fresh-water zone is 350 feet thick to about 550 gallons per minute where the fresh water zone is 850 feet thick. These estimates of potential yield are based on an available drawdown of half the thickness of the fresh-water zone and a specific capacity of 1.3 gallons per minute per foot. Intrusion of saline water into the fresh-water zone is a potential threat to water quality in the aquifer if the pressure head in the fresh-water zone is reduced sufficiently to allow upconing of saline water. One way to avoid the problem of upconing is by steady pumping at low rates from widely spaced wells; however, information required to determine pumping rates and well spacing is not available. For proper aquifer management the distribution of wells and rates of withdrawals should be designed to capture maximum recharge to the ground-water system. This may be accomplished by developing regional ground-water gradients that are sufficiently large to move water to pumpage centers but not so steep as to cause upconing of saline water or excessive water-level declines.

Ground-water-quality assessment of shallow aquifers in the Front Range Urban Corridor, Colorado, 1954-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flynn, Jennifer L.

2003-01-01

Historical (1954-98) water-quality data for major ions, trace elements, major plant nutrients, and organic constituents collected in 3,870 sampling events at 2,138 shallow wells represent ground-water quality in shallow aquifers that underlie the Front Range Urban Corridor in Colorado. Nonparametric summary statistics and maps of concentrations across the study area indicate that ground water in the study area included fresh to saline water. Sulfate concentrations were elevated in the north and northeast parts of the study area, possibly due to Pierre Shale and Laramie Formation shale outcrops in those areas. Apart from isolated areas of known contamination, chloride concentrations were generally less than 100 milligrams per liter across the study area. Wells with elevated nitrate concentrations usually were located near rivers and streams downgradient from metropolitan areas. Elevated nitrate concentrations in wells that were not along the South Platte River were possibly from individual sewage disposal system usage or from fertilizer application to land. Spatial distribution for organic compounds for which more than 40 percent of the data were above the detection limit (atrazine, methyl-tert-butylether, and prometon) is not widespread across the study area, but this may reflect limitations of data availability. Summary statistics calculated or estimated by decade are influenced by the temporal variability of data across the study area. The median values of specific conductance, chloride, and nitrate from the 1970?s are less than values from the 1980?s and 1990?s, which, because most samples from the l970?s were collected in the western part of the study area, indicates that water quality in the western part of the study area is generally different than the rest of the study area. Chloride may be introduced to ground water from runoff of road deicers or chlorinated organics in transportation/transitional areas, where the median concentration is the greatest (85.0 milligrams per liter). Nitrate median concentrations are several times greater where the land is cultivated or used for agricultural business, which may reflect use of nitrogen fertilizers and the presence of animal feeding operations. Most inorganic and organic constituents exceeded drinking-water standards in only a small percentage of samples. Exceptions to this include sulfate; nitrate; trace elements aluminum, cadmium, iron, and manganese; and organic compounds 1,1-dichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, benzene, and dichloromethane.

FoxP in bees: A comparative study on the developmental and adult expression pattern in three bee species considering isoforms and circuitry.

PubMed

Schatton, Adriana; Mendoza, Ezequiel; Grube, Kathrin; Scharff, Constance

2018-06-15

Mutations in the transcription factors FOXP1, FOXP2, and FOXP4 affect human cognition, including language. The FoxP gene locus is evolutionarily ancient and highly conserved in its DNA-binding domain. In Drosophila melanogaster FoxP has been implicated in courtship behavior, decision making, and specific types of motor-learning. Because honeybees (Apis mellifera, Am) excel at navigation and symbolic dance communication, they are a particularly suitable insect species to investigate a potential link between neural FoxP expression and cognition. We characterized two AmFoxP isoforms and mapped their expression in the brain during development and in adult foragers. Using a custom-made antiserum and in situ hybridization, we describe 11 AmFoxP expressing neuron populations. FoxP was expressed in equivalent patterns in two other representatives of Apidae; a closely related dwarf bee and a bumblebee species. Neural tracing revealed that the largest FoxP expressing neuron cluster in honeybees projects into a posterior tract that connects the optic lobe to the posterior lateral protocerebrum, predicting a function in visual processing. Our data provide an entry point for future experiments assessing the function of FoxP in eusocial Hymenoptera. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Insights into Korean red fox (Vulpes vulpes) based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence variation in East Asia.

PubMed

Yu, Jeong-Nam; Han, Sang-Hoon; Kim, Bang-Hwan; Kryukov, Alexey P; Kim, Soonok; Lee, Byoung-Yoon; Kwak, Myounghai

2012-11-01

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the most widely distributed terrestrial carnivore in the world, occurring throughout most of North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. In South Korea, however, this species has been drastically reduced due to habitat loss and poaching. Consequently, it is classified as an endangered species in Korea. As a first step of a planned red fox restoration project, preserved red fox museum specimens were used to determine the genetic status of red foxes that had previously inhabited South Korea against red foxes from neighboring countries. Total eighty three mtDNA cytochrome b sequences, including 22 newly obtained East Asian red fox sequences and worldwide red fox sequences from NCBI, were clustered into three clades (i.e., I, II, and III) based on haplotype network and neighbor-joining trees. The mean genetic distance between clades was 2.0%. Clade III contained South Korean and other East Asian samples in addition to Eurasian and North Pacific individuals. In clade III, South Korean individuals were separated into two lineages of Eurasian and North Pacific groups, showing unclear phylogeographic structuring and admixture. This suggests that South Korean red fox populations may have been composed of individuals from these two different genetic lineages.

The effects of sex, age, season and habitat on diet of the red fox Vulpes vulpes in northeastern Poland.

PubMed

Kidawa, Dorota; Kowalczyk, Rafał

2011-07-01

The diet of the red fox Vulpes vulpes was investigated in five regions of northeastern Poland by stomach content analysis of 224 foxes collected from hunters. The red fox is expected to show the opportunistic feeding habits. Our study showed that foxes preyed mainly on wild prey, with strong domination of Microtus rodents, regardless of sex, age, month and habitat. Voles Microtus spp. were found in 73% of stomachs and constituted 47% of food volume consumed. Other food items were ungulate carrion (27% of volume), other mammals (11%), birds (9%), and plant material (4%). Sex- and age-specific differences in dietary diversity were found. Adult males and juvenile foxes had larger food niche breadths than adult females and their diets highly overlapped. Proportion of Microtus voles increased from autumn to late winter. Significant habitat differences between studied regions were found. There was a tendency among foxes to decrease consumption of voles with increasing percentage of forest cover. Based on our findings, red foxes in northeastern Poland can be recognized as a generalist predators, consuming easily accessible and abundant prey. However, high percentage of voles consumed regardless of age, sex, month, or habitats may indicate red fox specialization in preying on Microtus rodents.

FoxO and Stress Responses in the Cnidarian Hydra vulgaris

PubMed Central

Bridge, Diane; Theofiles, Alexander G.; Holler, Rebecca L.; Marcinkevicius, Emily; Steele, Robert E.; Martínez, Daniel E.

2010-01-01

Background In the face of changing environmental conditions, the mechanisms underlying stress responses in diverse organisms are of increasing interest. In vertebrates, Drosophila, and Caenorhabditis elegans, FoxO transcription factors mediate cellular responses to stress, including oxidative stress and dietary restriction. Although FoxO genes have been identified in early-arising animal lineages including sponges and cnidarians, little is known about their roles in these organisms. Methods/Principal Findings We have examined the regulation of FoxO activity in members of the well-studied cnidarian genus Hydra. We find that Hydra FoxO is expressed at high levels in cells of the interstitial lineage, a cell lineage that includes multipotent stem cells that give rise to neurons, stinging cells, secretory cells and gametes. Using transgenic Hydra that express a FoxO-GFP fusion protein in cells of the interstitial lineage, we have determined that heat shock causes localization of the fusion protein to the nucleus. Our results also provide evidence that, as in bilaterian animals, Hydra FoxO activity is regulated by both Akt and JNK kinases. Conclusions These findings imply that basic mechanisms of FoxO regulation arose before the evolution of bilaterians and raise the possibility that FoxO is involved in stress responses of other cnidarian species, including corals. PMID:20657733

Serological and molecular epidemiology of canine adenovirus type 1 in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Walker, David; Fee, Seán A; Hartley, Gill; Learmount, Jane; O'Hagan, Maria J H; Meredith, Anna L; de C Bronsvoort, Barend M; Porphyre, Thibaud; Sharp, Colin P; Philbey, Adrian W

2016-10-31

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) causes infectious canine hepatitis (ICH), a frequently fatal disease which primarily affects canids. In this study, serology (ELISA) and molecular techniques (PCR/qPCR) were utilised to investigate the exposure of free-ranging red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to CAV-1 in the United Kingdom (UK) and to examine their role as a wildlife reservoir of infection for susceptible species. The role of canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), primarily a respiratory pathogen, was also explored. In foxes with no evidence of ICH on post-mortem examination, 29 of 154 (18.8%) red foxes had inapparent infections with CAV-1, as detected by a nested PCR, in a range of samples, including liver, kidney, spleen, brain, and lung. CAV-1 was detected in the urine of three red foxes with inapparent infections. It was estimated that 302 of 469 (64.4%) red foxes were seropositive for canine adenovirus (CAV) by ELISA. CAV-2 was not detected by PCR in any red foxes examined. Additional sequence data were obtained from CAV-1 positive samples, revealing regional variations in CAV-1 sequences. It is concluded that CAV-1 is endemic in free-ranging red foxes in the UK and that many foxes have inapparent infections in a range of tissues.

FoxO and stress responses in the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris.

PubMed

Bridge, Diane; Theofiles, Alexander G; Holler, Rebecca L; Marcinkevicius, Emily; Steele, Robert E; Martínez, Daniel E

2010-07-21

In the face of changing environmental conditions, the mechanisms underlying stress responses in diverse organisms are of increasing interest. In vertebrates, Drosophila, and Caenorhabditis elegans, FoxO transcription factors mediate cellular responses to stress, including oxidative stress and dietary restriction. Although FoxO genes have been identified in early-arising animal lineages including sponges and cnidarians, little is known about their roles in these organisms. We have examined the regulation of FoxO activity in members of the well-studied cnidarian genus Hydra. We find that Hydra FoxO is expressed at high levels in cells of the interstitial lineage, a cell lineage that includes multipotent stem cells that give rise to neurons, stinging cells, secretory cells and gametes. Using transgenic Hydra that express a FoxO-GFP fusion protein in cells of the interstitial lineage, we have determined that heat shock causes localization of the fusion protein to the nucleus. Our results also provide evidence that, as in bilaterian animals, Hydra FoxO activity is regulated by both Akt and JNK kinases. These findings imply that basic mechanisms of FoxO regulation arose before the evolution of bilaterians and raise the possibility that FoxO is involved in stress responses of other cnidarian species, including corals.

Advanced Glycation End-Products affect transcription factors regulating insulin gene expression

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Puddu, A., E-mail: alep100@hotmail.com; Storace, D.; Odetti, P.

2010-04-23

Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) are generated by the covalent interaction of reducing sugars with proteins, lipids or nucleic acids. AGEs are implicated in diabetic complications and pancreatic {beta}-cell dysfunction. We previously demonstrated that exposure of the pancreatic islet cell line HIT-T15 to high concentrations of AGEs leads to a significant decrease of insulin secretion and content. Insulin gene transcription is positively regulated by the beta cell specific transcription factor PDX-1 (Pancreatic and Duodenal Homeobox-1). On the contrary, the forkhead transcription factor FoxO1 inhibits PDX-1 gene transcription. Activity of FoxO1 is regulated by post-translational modifications: phosphorylation deactivates FoxO1, and acetylation preventsmore » FoxO1 ubiquitination. In this work we investigated whether AGEs affect expression and subcellular localization of PDX-1 and FoxO1. HIT-T15 cells were cultured for 5 days in presence of AGEs. Cells were then lysed and processed for subcellular fractionation. We determined intracellular insulin content, then we assessed the expression and subcellular localization of PDX-1, FoxO1, phosphoFoxO1 and acetylFoxO1. As expected intracellular insulin content was lower in HIT-T15 cells cultured with AGEs. The results showed that AGEs decreased expression and nuclear localization of PDX-1, reduced phosphorylation of FoxO1, and increased expression and acetylation of FoxO1. These results suggest that AGEs decrease insulin content unbalancing transcription factors regulating insulin gene expression.« less

Cell type-specific expression of FoxP2 in the ferret and mouse retina.

PubMed

Sato, Chihiro; Iwai-Takekoshi, Lena; Ichikawa, Yoshie; Kawasaki, Hiroshi

2017-04-01

Although the anatomical and physiological properties of subtypes of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) have been extensively investigated, their molecular properties are still unclear. Here, we examined the expression patterns of FoxP2 in the retina of ferrets and mice. We found that FoxP2 was expressed in small subsets of neurons in the adult ferret retina. FoxP2-positive neurons in the ganglion cell layer were divided into two groups. Large FoxP2-positive neurons expressed Brn3a and were retrogradely labeled with cholera toxin subunit B injected into the optic nerve, indicating that they are RGCs. The soma size and the projection pattern of FoxP2-positive RGCs were consistent with those of X cells. Because we previously reported that FoxP2 was selectively expressed in X cells in the ferret lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), our findings indicate that FoxP2 is specifically expressed in the parvocellular pathway from the retina to the LGN. Small FoxP2-positive neurons were positive for GAD65/67, suggesting that they are GABAergic amacrine cells. Most Foxp2-positive cells were RGCs in the adult mouse retina. Dendritic morphological analyses suggested that Foxp2-positive RGCs included direction-selective RGCs in mice. Thus, our findings suggest that FoxP2 is expressed in specific subtypes of RGCs in the retina of ferrets and mice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Zebrafish foxP2 Zinc Finger Nuclease Mutant Has Normal Axon Pathfinding

PubMed Central

Xing, Lingyan; Hoshijima, Kazuyuki; Grunwald, David J.; Fujimoto, Esther; Quist, Tyler S.; Sneddon, Jacob; Chien, Chi-Bin; Stevenson, Tamara J.; Bonkowsky, Joshua L.

2012-01-01

foxP2, a forkhead-domain transcription factor, is critical for speech and language development in humans, but its role in the establishment of CNS connectivity is unclear. While in vitro studies have identified axon guidance molecules as targets of foxP2 regulation, and cell culture assays suggest a role for foxP2 in neurite outgrowth, in vivo studies have been lacking regarding a role for foxP2 in axon pathfinding. We used a modified zinc finger nuclease methodology to generate mutations in the zebrafish foxP2 gene. Using PCR-based high resolution melt curve analysis (HRMA) of G0 founder animals, we screened and identified three mutants carrying nonsense mutations in the 2nd coding exon: a 17 base-pair (bp) deletion, an 8bp deletion, and a 4bp insertion. Sequence analysis of cDNA confirmed that these were frameshift mutations with predicted early protein truncations. Homozygous mutant fish were viable and fertile, with unchanged body morphology, and no apparent differences in CNS apoptosis, proliferation, or patterning at embryonic stages. There was a reduction in expression of the known foxP2 target gene cntnap2 that was rescued by injection of wild-type foxP2 transcript. When we examined axon pathfinding using a pan-axonal marker or transgenic lines, including a foxP2-neuron-specific enhancer, we did not observe any axon guidance errors. Our findings suggest that foxP2 is not necessary for axon pathfinding during development. PMID:22937139

Zebrafish foxP2 zinc finger nuclease mutant has normal axon pathfinding.

PubMed

Xing, Lingyan; Hoshijima, Kazuyuki; Grunwald, David J; Fujimoto, Esther; Quist, Tyler S; Sneddon, Jacob; Chien, Chi-Bin; Stevenson, Tamara J; Bonkowsky, Joshua L

2012-01-01

foxP2, a forkhead-domain transcription factor, is critical for speech and language development in humans, but its role in the establishment of CNS connectivity is unclear. While in vitro studies have identified axon guidance molecules as targets of foxP2 regulation, and cell culture assays suggest a role for foxP2 in neurite outgrowth, in vivo studies have been lacking regarding a role for foxP2 in axon pathfinding. We used a modified zinc finger nuclease methodology to generate mutations in the zebrafish foxP2 gene. Using PCR-based high resolution melt curve analysis (HRMA) of G0 founder animals, we screened and identified three mutants carrying nonsense mutations in the 2(nd) coding exon: a 17 base-pair (bp) deletion, an 8bp deletion, and a 4bp insertion. Sequence analysis of cDNA confirmed that these were frameshift mutations with predicted early protein truncations. Homozygous mutant fish were viable and fertile, with unchanged body morphology, and no apparent differences in CNS apoptosis, proliferation, or patterning at embryonic stages. There was a reduction in expression of the known foxP2 target gene cntnap2 that was rescued by injection of wild-type foxP2 transcript. When we examined axon pathfinding using a pan-axonal marker or transgenic lines, including a foxP2-neuron-specific enhancer, we did not observe any axon guidance errors. Our findings suggest that foxP2 is not necessary for axon pathfinding during development.

Non-viral FoxM1 gene delivery to hepatocytes enhances liver repopulation

PubMed Central

Xiang, D; Liu, C-C; Wang, M-J; Li, J-X; Chen, F; Yao, H; Yu, B; Lu, L; Borjigin, U; Chen, Y-X; Zhong, L; Wangensteen, K J; He, Z-Y; Wang, X; Hu, Y-P

2014-01-01

Hepatocyte transplantation as a substitute strategy of orthotopic liver transplantation is being studied for treating end-stage liver diseases. Several technical hurdles must be overcome in order to achieve the therapeutic liver repopulation, such as the problem of insufficient expansion of the transplanted hepatocytes in recipient livers. In this study, we analyzed the application of FoxM1, a cell-cycle regulator, to enhance the proliferation capacity of hepatocytes. The non-viral sleeping beauty (SB) transposon vector carrying FoxM1 gene was constructed for delivering FoxM1 into the hepatocytes. The proliferation capacities of hepatocytes with FoxM1 expression were examined both in vivo and in vitro. Results indicated that the hepatocytes with FoxM1 expression had a higher proliferation rate than wild-type (WT) hepatocytes in vitro. In comparison with WT hepatocytes, the hepatocytes with FoxM1 expression had an enhanced level of liver repopulation in the recipient livers at both sub-acute injury (fumaryl acetoacetate hydrolase (Fah)–/– mice model) and acute injury (2/3 partial hepatectomy mice model). Importantly, there was no increased risk of tumorigenicity with FoxM1 expression in recipients even after serial transplantation. In conclusion, expression of FoxM1 in hepatocytes enhanced the capacity of liver repopulation without inducing tumorigenesis. FoxM1 gene delivered by non-viral SB vector into hepatocytes may be a viable approach to promote therapeutic repopulation after hepatocyte transplantation. PMID:24853430

Potential risk of viral transmission from flying foxes to domestic animals and humans on the southern coast of West Java, Indonesia

PubMed Central

BASRI, Chaerul; ARIFIN, Eko Muhammad Zainal; TAKEMAE, Hitoshi; HENGJAN, Yupadee; IIDA, Keisuke; SUDARNIKA, Etih; ZAHID, Abdul; SOEJOEDONO, Retno Damayanti; SUSETYA, Heru; SUMIARTO, Bambang; KOBAYASHI, Ryosuke; AGUNGPRIYONO, Srihadi; HONDO, Eiichi

2017-01-01

Flying foxes have been considered to be involved in the transmission of serious infectious diseases to humans. Using questionnaires, we aimed to determine the direct and/or indirect contacts of flying foxes in an Indonesian nature conservation area with domestic animals and humans living in the surrounding area. We surveyed 150 residents of 10 villages in West Java. Villages were classified into 3 groups: inside and/or within 1 km from the outer border of the conservation area and 1–5 km or 5–10 km away from the reserve’s outer border. Data were collected by direct interview using a structured questionnaire consisting of the respondent characteristics (age, sex and occupation); histories of contacts between flying foxes and humans, dogs and other domestic animals; and knowledge about infectious diseases, mainly rabies, in flying foxes. We found that flying foxes from the nature conservation area often enter residential areas at night to look for food, especially during the fruit season. In these residential areas, flying foxes had direct contacts with humans and a few contacts with domestic animals, especially dogs. People who encounter flying foxes seldom used personal protective equipment, such as leather gloves, goggles and caps. The residents living around the conservation area mostly had poor knowledge about flying foxes and disease transmission. This situation shows that the population in this region is at a quite high risk for contracting infectious diseases from flying foxes. PMID:28724851

Home ranges and movements of arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) in western Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anthony, R. Michael

1997-01-01

During the period from 1985 to 1990, radio collars were attached to 61 arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) in the coastal region of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska. Radio tracking using hand-held receivers from aircraft, and from fixed towers was conducted to determine daily and seasonal movements of foxes. Intensive radio tracking of 18 foxes from May through July indicated that males used larger areas (x=10.22i??6.18 km2) than females (x=4.57i??1.94 km2) regardless of breeding status. Generally foxes were relocated near (x=3.4i??2.4 km) their summer home ranges during other seasons of the year. There were no complex social groups of foxes among the marked population. Foxes did not have a definitive preference for any plant community, probably because of the even distribution and abundance of prey throughout all communities. Thirty foxes were relocated repeatedly during a period of at least 10 months, which included the denning season of one year and the breeding season of the next. Of 24 confirmed deaths of collared foxes, 16 were caused by shooting or trapping by local residents and 8 had unidentified causes. Maximum distance moved between relocations was 48.4 km. Males moved farther from initial capture sites in the winter following capture than did females, largely because of greater than 20 km movements by two foxes. There were no seasonal differences in movements between males and females.

Inhibition of FoxO transcriptional activity prevents muscle fiber atrophy during cachexia and induces hypertrophy

PubMed Central

Reed, Sarah A.; Sandesara, Pooja B.; Senf, Sarah M.; Judge, Andrew R.

2012-01-01

Cachexia is characterized by inexorable muscle wasting that significantly affects patient prognosis and increases mortality. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis of this muscle wasting is of significant importance. Recent work showed that components of the forkhead box O (FoxO) pathway are increased in skeletal muscle during cachexia. In the current study, we tested the physiological significance of FoxO activation in the progression of muscle atrophy associated with cachexia. FoxO-DNA binding dependent transcription was blocked in the muscles of mice through injection of a dominant negative (DN) FoxO expression plasmid prior to inoculation with Lewis lung carcinoma cells or the induction of sepsis. Expression of DN FoxO inhibited the increased mRNA levels of atrogin-1, MuRF1, cathepsin L, and/or Bnip3 and inhibited muscle fiber atrophy during cancer cachexia and sepsis. Interestingly, during control conditions, expression of DN FoxO decreased myostatin expression, increased MyoD expression and satellite cell proliferation, and induced fiber hypertrophy, which required de novo protein synthesis. Collectively, these data show that FoxO-DNA binding-dependent transcription is necessary for normal muscle fiber atrophy during cancer cachexia and sepsis, and further suggest that basal levels of FoxO play an important role during normal conditions to depress satellite cell activation and limit muscle growth.—Reed, S. A., Sandesara, P. B., Senf, S. F., Judge, A. R. Inhibition of FoxO transcriptional activity prevents muscle fiber atrophy during cachexia and induces hypertrophy. PMID:22102632

Potential risk of viral transmission from flying foxes to domestic animals and humans on the southern coast of West Java, Indonesia.

PubMed

Basri, Chaerul; Arifin, Eko Muhammad Zainal; Takemae, Hitoshi; Hengjan, Yupadee; Iida, Keisuke; Sudarnika, Etih; Zahid, Abdul; Soejoedono, Retno Damayanti; Susetya, Heru; Sumiarto, Bambang; Kobayashi, Ryosuke; Agungpriyono, Srihadi; Hondo, Eiichi

2017-09-29

Flying foxes have been considered to be involved in the transmission of serious infectious diseases to humans. Using questionnaires, we aimed to determine the direct and/or indirect contacts of flying foxes in an Indonesian nature conservation area with domestic animals and humans living in the surrounding area. We surveyed 150 residents of 10 villages in West Java. Villages were classified into 3 groups: inside and/or within 1 km from the outer border of the conservation area and 1-5 km or 5-10 km away from the reserve's outer border. Data were collected by direct interview using a structured questionnaire consisting of the respondent characteristics (age, sex and occupation); histories of contacts between flying foxes and humans, dogs and other domestic animals; and knowledge about infectious diseases, mainly rabies, in flying foxes. We found that flying foxes from the nature conservation area often enter residential areas at night to look for food, especially during the fruit season. In these residential areas, flying foxes had direct contacts with humans and a few contacts with domestic animals, especially dogs. People who encounter flying foxes seldom used personal protective equipment, such as leather gloves, goggles and caps. The residents living around the conservation area mostly had poor knowledge about flying foxes and disease transmission. This situation shows that the population in this region is at a quite high risk for contracting infectious diseases from flying foxes.

Specific detection of Echinococcus spp. from the Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata) and the red fox (V. vulpes) using copro-DNA PCR analysis.

PubMed

Jiang, Weibin; Liu, Nan; Zhang, Gaotian; Renqing, Pengcuo; Xie, Fei; Li, Tiaoying; Wang, Zhenghuan; Wang, Xiaoming

2012-10-01

There are three Echinococcus species, Echinococcus granulosus, E. multilocularis, and E. shiquicus, which are distributed on the vast area of pastureland on the eastern Tibetan plateau in China. Tibetan foxes (Vulpes ferrilata) have been determined to be the main wild definitive host of E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus, but little information is available on the prevalence of these two parasites in Tibetan foxes. Consequently, the copro-prevalence of these parasites in foxes from the eastern Tibetan plateau was evaluated in this study. For each copro-DNA sample extracted from fox feces, a 133-bp segment of EgG1 Hae III was used to screen for infection with E. granulosus. Multiplex nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was used to target an 874-bp segment of the mitochondrial COI gene to distinguish E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus. Among 184 fecal samples, 120 were from Tibetan foxes and six from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Of the fecal samples from Tibetan foxes, 74 (giving a copro-prevalence of 62%) showed the presence of Echinococcus spp.: 23 (19%) were found to contain E. multilocularis, 32 (27%) E. shiquicus, and 19 (16%) showed mixed infection with both E. multilocularis and E. shiquicus. Two fecal samples from red foxes were found to be infected with E. multilocularis. No fox feces were found to be infected with E. granulosus. Tests on zinc finger protein genes and a 105-bp fragment of the Sry gene found no significant difference in the prevalence of the two parasites between sexes. The efficiency of our multiplex nested PCR methods were compared with previous polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods and some problems associated with the copro-PCR were discussed.

Neural FoxP2 and FoxP1 expression in the budgerigar, an avian species with adult vocal learning.

PubMed

Hara, Erina; Perez, Jemima M; Whitney, Osceola; Chen, Qianqian; White, Stephanie A; Wright, Timothy F

2015-04-15

Vocal learning underlies acquisition of both language in humans and vocal signals in some avian taxa. These bird groups and humans exhibit convergent developmental phases and associated brain pathways for vocal communication. The transcription factor FoxP2 plays critical roles in vocal learning in humans and songbirds. Another member of the forkhead box gene family, FoxP1 also shows high expression in brain areas involved in vocal learning and production. Here, we investigate FoxP2 and FoxP1 mRNA and protein in adult male budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a parrot species that exhibits vocal learning as both juveniles and adults. To examine these molecules in adult vocal learners, we compared their expression patterns in the budgerigar striatal nucleus involved in vocal learning, magnocellular nucleus of the medial striatum (MMSt), across birds with different vocal states, such as vocalizing to a female (directed), vocalizing alone (undirected), and non-vocalizing. We found that both FoxP2 mRNA and protein expressions were consistently lower in MMSt than in the adjacent striatum regardless of the vocal states, whereas previous work has shown that songbirds exhibit down-regulation in the homologous region, Area X, only after singing alone. In contrast, FoxP1 levels were high in MMSt compared to the adjacent striatum in all groups. Taken together these results strengthen the general hypothesis that FoxP2 and FoxP1 have specialized expression in vocal nuclei across a range of taxa, and suggest that the adult vocal plasticity seen in budgerigars may be a product of persistent down-regulation of FoxP2 in MMSt. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neural FoxP2 and FoxP1 expression in the budgerigar, an avian species with adult vocal learning

PubMed Central

Hara, Erina; Perez, Jemima M.; Whitney, Osceola; Chen, Qianqian; White, Stephanie A.; Wright, Timothy F.

2015-01-01

Vocal learning underlies acquisition of both language in humans and vocal signals in some avian taxa. These bird groups and humans exhibit convergent developmental phases and associated brain pathways for vocal communication. The transcription factor FoxP2 plays critical roles in vocal learning in humans and songbirds. Another member of the forkhead box gene family, FoxP1 also shows high expression in brain areas involved in vocal learning and production. Here, we investigate FoxP2 and FoxP1 mRNA and protein in adult male budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a parrot species that exhibits vocal learning as both juveniles and adults. To examine these molecules in adult vocal learners, we compared their expression patterns in the budgerigar striatal nucleus involved in vocal learning, magnocellular nucleus of the medial striatum (MMSt), across birds with different vocal states, such as vocalizing to a female (directed), vocalizing alone (undirected), and non-vocalizing. We found that both FoxP2 mRNA and protein expressions were consistently lower in MMSt than in the adjacent striatum regardless of the vocal states, whereas previous work has shown that songbirds exhibit downregulation in the homologous region, Area X, only after singing alone. In contrast, FoxP1 levels were high in MMSt compared to the adjacent striatum in all groups. Taken together these results strengthen the general hypothesis that FoxP2 and FoxP1 have specialized expression in vocal nuclei across a range of taxa, and suggest that the adult vocal plasticity seen in budgerigars may be a product of persistent down-regulation of FoxP2 in MMSt. PMID:25601574

Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome-Cdh1-Mediated Proteolysis of the Forkhead Box M1 Transcription Factor Is Critical for Regulated Entry into S Phase▿

PubMed Central

Park, Hyun Jung; Costa, Robert H.; Lau, Lester F.; Tyner, Angela L.; Raychaudhuri, Pradip

2008-01-01

The forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor is overexpressed in many cancers, and in mouse models it is required for tumor progression. FoxM1 activates expression of the cell cycle genes required for both S and M phase progression. Here we demonstrate that FoxM1 is degraded in late mitosis and early G1 phase by the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) E3 ubiquitin ligase. FoxM1 interacts with the APC/C complex and its adaptor, Cdh1. Expression of Cdh1 stimulated degradation of the FoxM1 protein, and depletion of Cdh1 resulted in stabilization of the FoxM1 protein in late mitosis and in early G1 phase of the cell cycle. Cdh1 has been implicated in regulating S phase entry. We show that codepletion of FoxM1 inhibits early S phase entry observed in Cdh1-depleted cells. The N-terminal region of FoxM1 contains both destruction box (D box) and KEN box sequences that are required for targeting by Cdh1. Mutation of either the D box sequence or the KEN box sequence stabilized FoxM1 and blocked Cdh1-induced proteolysis. Cells expressing a nondegradable form of FoxM1 entered S phase rapidly following release from M phase arrest. Together, our observations show that FoxM1 is one of the targets of Cdh1 in late M or early G1 phase and that its proteolysis is important for regulated entry into S phase. PMID:18573889

Anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome-CDH1-mediated proteolysis of the forkhead box M1 transcription factor is critical for regulated entry into S phase.

PubMed

Park, Hyun Jung; Costa, Robert H; Lau, Lester F; Tyner, Angela L; Raychaudhuri, Pradip

2008-09-01

The forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor is overexpressed in many cancers, and in mouse models it is required for tumor progression. FoxM1 activates expression of the cell cycle genes required for both S and M phase progression. Here we demonstrate that FoxM1 is degraded in late mitosis and early G(1) phase by the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) E3 ubiquitin ligase. FoxM1 interacts with the APC/C complex and its adaptor, Cdh1. Expression of Cdh1 stimulated degradation of the FoxM1 protein, and depletion of Cdh1 resulted in stabilization of the FoxM1 protein in late mitosis and in early G(1) phase of the cell cycle. Cdh1 has been implicated in regulating S phase entry. We show that codepletion of FoxM1 inhibits early S phase entry observed in Cdh1-depleted cells. The N-terminal region of FoxM1 contains both destruction box (D box) and KEN box sequences that are required for targeting by Cdh1. Mutation of either the D box sequence or the KEN box sequence stabilized FoxM1 and blocked Cdh1-induced proteolysis. Cells expressing a nondegradable form of FoxM1 entered S phase rapidly following release from M phase arrest. Together, our observations show that FoxM1 is one of the targets of Cdh1 in late M or early G(1) phase and that its proteolysis is important for regulated entry into S phase.

Genotyping-By-Sequencing (GBS) Detects Genetic Structure and Confirms Behavioral QTL in Tame and Aggressive Foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

PubMed Central

Johnson, Jennifer L.; Wittgenstein, Helena; Mitchell, Sharon E.; Hyma, Katie E.; Temnykh, Svetlana V.; Kharlamova, Anastasiya V.; Gulevich, Rimma G.; Vladimirova, Anastasiya V.; Fong, Hiu Wa Flora; Acland, Gregory M.; Trut, Lyudmila N.; Kukekova, Anna V.

2015-01-01

The silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) offers a novel model for studying the genetics of social behavior and animal domestication. Selection of foxes, separately, for tame and for aggressive behavior has yielded two strains with markedly different, genetically determined, behavioral phenotypes. Tame strain foxes are eager to establish human contact while foxes from the aggressive strain are aggressive and difficult to handle. These strains have been maintained as separate outbred lines for over 40 generations but their genetic structure has not been previously investigated. We applied a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach to provide insights into the genetic composition of these fox populations. Sequence analysis of EcoT22I genomic libraries of tame and aggressive foxes identified 48,294 high quality SNPs. Population structure analysis revealed genetic divergence between the two strains and more diversity in the aggressive strain than in the tame one. Significant differences in allele frequency between the strains were identified for 68 SNPs. Three of these SNPs were located on fox chromosome 14 within an interval of a previously identified behavioral QTL, further supporting the importance of this region for behavior. The GBS SNP data confirmed that significant genetic diversity has been preserved in both fox populations despite many years of selective breeding. Analysis of SNP allele frequencies in the two populations identified several regions of genetic divergence between the tame and aggressive foxes, some of which may represent targets of selection for behavior. The GBS protocol used in this study significantly expanded genomic resources for the fox, and can be adapted for SNP discovery and genotyping in other canid species. PMID:26061395

Genotyping-By-Sequencing (GBS) Detects Genetic Structure and Confirms Behavioral QTL in Tame and Aggressive Foxes (Vulpes vulpes).

PubMed

Johnson, Jennifer L; Wittgenstein, Helena; Mitchell, Sharon E; Hyma, Katie E; Temnykh, Svetlana V; Kharlamova, Anastasiya V; Gulevich, Rimma G; Vladimirova, Anastasiya V; Fong, Hiu Wa Flora; Acland, Gregory M; Trut, Lyudmila N; Kukekova, Anna V

2015-01-01

The silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) offers a novel model for studying the genetics of social behavior and animal domestication. Selection of foxes, separately, for tame and for aggressive behavior has yielded two strains with markedly different, genetically determined, behavioral phenotypes. Tame strain foxes are eager to establish human contact while foxes from the aggressive strain are aggressive and difficult to handle. These strains have been maintained as separate outbred lines for over 40 generations but their genetic structure has not been previously investigated. We applied a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach to provide insights into the genetic composition of these fox populations. Sequence analysis of EcoT22I genomic libraries of tame and aggressive foxes identified 48,294 high quality SNPs. Population structure analysis revealed genetic divergence between the two strains and more diversity in the aggressive strain than in the tame one. Significant differences in allele frequency between the strains were identified for 68 SNPs. Three of these SNPs were located on fox chromosome 14 within an interval of a previously identified behavioral QTL, further supporting the importance of this region for behavior. The GBS SNP data confirmed that significant genetic diversity has been preserved in both fox populations despite many years of selective breeding. Analysis of SNP allele frequencies in the two populations identified several regions of genetic divergence between the tame and aggressive foxes, some of which may represent targets of selection for behavior. The GBS protocol used in this study significantly expanded genomic resources for the fox, and can be adapted for SNP discovery and genotyping in other canid species.

CD8+ and FoxP3+ T-cell infiltration in actinic cheilitis.

PubMed

Rojas, Isolde G; Spencer, Maria L; Zapata, Paulina A; Martínez, Alejandra; Alarcón, Rosario; Marchesani, Francisco J; Tezal, Mine

2017-01-01

Differences in immune profile between actinic cheilitis (AC), a precursor of lip squamous cell carcinoma, and normal lip vermillion (NL) have not been elucidated. To compare density, distribution, and ratios of CD8+ and FoxP3+ cells between AC and NL and assess their associations with clinicopathologic variables. Samples of AC and NL obtained between 2001 and 2013 at the College of Dentistry of the University of Concepcion, Chile, were retrospectively analyzed for immunohistochemical detection of CD8+ and FoxP3+ cells. Differences between groups were tested by Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's exact tests. Independent effects of cell densities and CD8/FoxP3 ratio with AC were assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustment for potential confounding. A total of 62 AC and 24 NL biopsies were included. Densities of CD8+ and FoxP3+ cells in AC were significantly higher than in NL. Conversely, the CD8+/FoxP3+ ratio was significantly lower in AC as compared to NL. After adjustment for sun exposure, age, gender, and smoking status, a stromal FoxP3+ cell density higher than 0.35 cells/field was significantly associated with increased odds of AC (odds ratio [OR] = 5.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18-21.31), while a stromal CD8+/FoxP3+ ratio higher than 5.91 was associated with decreased odds of AC (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.08-1.08). AC is characterized by increased FoxP3+ cell infiltration and a reduced CD8/FoxP3 ratio as compared to NL. Therefore, increased infiltration of FoxP3+ cells relative to CD8+ cells may contribute to the transition from normal to preneoplastic stages in lip carcinogenesis. © 2016 The International Society of Dermatology.

Evaluation of neophobia and its potential impact upon predator control techniques: a study on two sympatric foxes in southern Patagonia.

PubMed

Travaini, Alejandro; Vassallo, Aldo Iván; García, Germán Oscar; Echeverría, Alejandra Isabel; Zapata, Sonia Cristina; Nielsen, Sigrid

2013-01-01

An alternative approach to increase the efficiency of predator control and selectivity is to consider the natural behavioural repertoire of the target species and how such behaviours may increase their vulnerability. Neophobia, or the hesitancy to approach a novel food item, object, or place, is an important factor influencing the investigative behaviour of animals, and its incorporation to predator control techniques may help to reduce losses of livestock to predators. In this study, we simultaneously evaluated the existence and intensity of neophobic responses in two sympatric fox species, the Culpeo (Pseudalopex culpaeus) and the Grey (P. griseus) foxes in southern Patagonia, Argentina. For this purpose, we used bait stations to compare fox behavioural responses in the absence (pre-treatment), presence (treatment) and removal (post-treatment) of a novel stimulus, which consisted of an orange PVC-traffic cone. Both fox species showed a neophobic response: bait-station visitation rates decreased (P=0.005 and P=0.048, for Culpeo and Grey foxes, respectively) in the presence of the novel object. The intensity of the response differed between species being higher for Culpeo foxes (approximately 80% of reduction in visitation rate during treatment for Culpeo foxes vs. 10% for Grey foxes). However, the bait-station visitation pattern after novel object removal indicated that animals probably increased exploration of the station. The high level of neophobia achieved by the Culpeo fox, together with an increase in post-treatment site exploration, suggests that behavioural manipulations (reduction of neophobia and its consequent increase in risk taking) could improve selective and efficient fox control in rural areas where livestock production is a major economic activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contact rates between wild and domestic canids: no evidence of parvovirus or canine distemper virus in crab-eating foxes.

PubMed

Courtenay, O; Quinnell, R J; Chalmers, W S

2001-07-03

Evaluating the risk of disease spill-over from domestic dogs to wildlife depends on knowledge of inter-specific contact rates and/or exposure to aetiological agents in dog environments. Here, contact rates of crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) with sympatric domestic dog populations were measured over 25months in Amazon Brazil. Foxes and dogs were serologically and clinically monitored for exposure to canine parvovirus (CPV-2) and canine distemper virus (CDV), pathogens known to have caused wildlife population declines elsewhere. Twenty-two of 24 (92%) tagged foxes visited one or more houses in a median 2 (range 1-3) villages per night where dog densities ranged from 7.2 to 15.4 per km(2) (mean 9.5 per km(2)). Foxes spent an average 6.4% (0-40.3%) of their 10h nocturnal activity period in villages, the equivalent of 38m (range 0-242) per night. The rate of potential exposure to disease agents was thus high, though varied by 3 orders of magnitude for individual foxes. Overall, 46% of the fox population was responsible for 80% of all contacts. None of the 37 monitored foxes however showed serological or clinical evidence of infection with CPV-2 or CDV. Seroprevalences for CPV-2 and CDV antibodies in the local domestic dog population were 13% (3/23) and 9% (2/23), respectively, and 89% of 97 monitored pups born during the study presented clinical signs consistent with active CPV-2 infection (haemorrhagic diarrhoea, vomiting, rapid morbidity and emaciation). Although there was no evidence for infection with either virus in foxes, the high level of contact of foxes with peridomestic habitats suggests that the probability of potential spill-over infections from dogs to foxes is high.

Posttranslational modulation of FoxO1 contributes to cardiac remodeling in post-ischemic heart failure.

PubMed

Kappel, Ben Arpad; Stöhr, Robert; De Angelis, Lorenzo; Mavilio, Maria; Menghini, Rossella; Federici, Massimo

2016-06-01

Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) plays a key role in energy homeostasis, stress response and autophagy and is dysregulated in diabetes and ischemia. We investigated cardiac FoxO1 expression and posttranstranslational modifications after myocardial infarction (MI) and further tested if active posttranstranslational modulation of FoxO1 can alter cardiac remodeling in postischemic heart failure. Non-diabetic and diabetic C57BL/6 mice were subjected to MI by ligation of left anterior descending artery. In selected experiments we combined this model with intramyocardial injection of adenovirus expressing different isoforms of FoxO1. We used Millar catheter, histology, Western blot and metabolomics for further analyses. We show that after MI total cardiac FoxO1 is downregulated and partly recovers after 7 days. This downregulation is accompanied by fundamental posttranslational modifications of FoxO1, particularly acetylation. Adenovirus experiments revealed smaller infarction size and improved heart function in mice expressing a constitutively deacetylated variant of FoxO1 compared to a wild type variant of FoxO1 in both non-diabetic (MI size: -13.4 ± 3.5%; LVDP: +29.1 ± 9.4  mmHg; p < 0.05) and diabetic mice (MI size: -17.6 ± 3.7%; LVDP: +10.9 ± 3.6  mmHg; p < 0.05). Metabolomics analyses showed alterations in metabolites connected to muscle breakdown, collagen/elastin and energy metabolism between the two groups. First, our results demonstrate that myocardial ischemia is associated with downregulation and posttranslational modification of cardiac FoxO1. Second, we show in a mouse model of postischemic heart failure that posttranslational modulation of FoxO1 alters heart function involving collagen and protein metabolism. Therefore, posttranslational modifications of FoxO1 could be an option to target remodeling processes in postischemic heart failure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phenotypically non-suppressive cells predominate among FoxP3-positive cells in oral lichen planus.

PubMed

Schreurs, Olav; Karatsaidis, Andreas; Schenck, Karl

2016-11-01

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common T-cell-dominated oral chronic inflammatory disease occurring in periods of remission, quiescence, activity with pronounced inflammation, and acute ulceration. Cell infiltrates in OLP contain varying numbers of CD4 + T cells expressing the transcription factor FoxP3. FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells are, however, a heterogeneous cell population containing suppressive and non-suppressive cells, and their distribution in infiltrates from OLP is unknown. Biopsies were taken from normal oral mucosa (n = 8) and OLP lesions (n = 19), and a set of in situ methods for the determination of the functional phenotype of FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells was applied. Numbers of FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells were highest in the atrophic form of the disease, yet low in the ulcerative form. The main FoxP3 + CD4 + T-cell population observed was FoxP3 + CD45RA - CD25 + CD45RO + and CD15s - , a phenotype delineating a non-suppressive subset. Numbers of cells with an actively suppressing phenotype (FoxP3 + CD45RA - CD25 + CD45RO + and CD15s + ) were, however, about twice as high in reticular lesions as compared with the atrophic form. Many FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells expressed T-bet, the hallmark transcription factor for IFN-γ-producing T cells, indicating that they may enhance immune and inflammatory responses rather than suppress them. The absence of actively suppressing FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells may in part explain why OLP is a remarkably persisting condition, in spite of the presence of substantially high numbers of FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells. The findings emphasize that it is crucial to examine not only numbers but also functional phenotype of FoxP3 + CD4 + T cells in human tissues. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Detection and significance of TregFoxP3+ and Th17 cells in peripheral blood of non-small cell lung cancer patients

PubMed Central

Li, Sha; Li, Yan; Qu, Xun; Liu, Xiaolin

2014-01-01

Introduction The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between TregFoxP3+ cells and Th17 cells and occurrence of lung cancer. Material and methods The proportions of TregFoxP3+ and Th17 cells, the expression of FoxP3 and RORγt mRNA, and the levels of related cell factors such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), interleukin IL-17 (IL-17) and IL-23 were determined respectively by flow cytometry analysis, real-time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and ELISA in peripheral blood of 18 healthy people and 26 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results The levels of TregFoxP3+ and Th17, expression of FoxP3 and RORγt mRNA, and ratios of TregFoxP3+/Th17 and FoxP3/RORγt in peripheral blood with NSCLC were higher than those in healthy controls (p < 0.05). The proportion of Th17 cells from NSCLC patients was positively correlated with that of TregFoxP3+ (r = 0.81, p < 0.05). The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrates that the increased level of TregFoxP3+/Th17 in the peripheral blood may be a useful indicator in early diagnosis of non-small cell lung carcinoma. The TregFoxP3+/Th17 and FoxP3/RORγt levels for patients in stage IV were higher than those of patients in stages I, II, and III (p < 0.05). The levels of TGF-β, IL-17, and IL-23 were higher in NSCLC patients than those in healthy controls. Conclusions The results suggest that ratios of Treg/Th17 correlate with the stage of NSCLC. PMID:24904654

Finding a fox: an evaluation of survey methods to estimate abundance of a small desert carnivore.

PubMed

Dempsey, Steven J; Gese, Eric M; Kluever, Bryan M

2014-01-01

The status of many carnivore species is a growing concern for wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, and the general public. Historically, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) were classified as abundant and distributed in the desert and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, but is now considered rare throughout its range. Survey methods have been evaluated for kit foxes, but often in populations where abundance is high and there is little consensus on which technique is best to monitor abundance. We conducted a 2-year study to evaluate four survey methods (scat deposition surveys, scent station surveys, spotlight survey, and trapping) for detecting kit foxes and measuring fox abundance. We determined the probability of detection for each method, and examined the correlation between the relative abundance as estimated by each survey method and the known minimum kit fox abundance as determined by radio-collared animals. All surveys were conducted on 15 5-km transects during the 3 biological seasons of the kit fox. Scat deposition surveys had both the highest detection probabilities (p = 0.88) and were most closely related to minimum known fox abundance (r2 = 0.50, P = 0.001). The next best method for kit fox detection was the scent station survey (p = 0.73), which had the second highest correlation to fox abundance (r2 = 0.46, P<0.001). For detecting kit foxes in a low density population we suggest using scat deposition transects during the breeding season. Scat deposition surveys have low costs, resilience to weather, low labor requirements, and pose no risk to the study animals. The breeding season was ideal for monitoring kit fox population size, as detections consisted of the resident population and had the highest detection probabilities. Using appropriate monitoring techniques will be critical for future conservation actions for this rare desert carnivore.

Genome-wide identification, phylogeny, and gonadal expression of fox genes in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus.

PubMed

Yuan, Jing; Tao, Wenjing; Cheng, Yunying; Huang, Baofeng; Wang, Deshou

2014-08-01

The fox genes play important roles in various biological processes, including sexual development. In the present study, we isolated 65 fox genes, belonging to 18 subfamilies named A-R, from Nile tilapia through genome-wide screening. Twenty-four of them have two or three (foxm1) copies. Furthermore, 16, 25, 68, and 45 fox members were isolated from nematodes, protochordates, teleosts, and tetrapods, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses indicated fox gene family had undergone three expansions parallel to the three rounds of genome duplication during evolution. We also analyzed the clustered fox genes and found that apparent linkage duplication existed in teleosts, which further supported fish-specific genome duplication hypothesis. In addition, species- and lineage-specific duplication is another reason for fox gene family expansion. Based on the four pairs of XX and XY gonadal transcriptome data from four critical developmental stages, we analyzed the expression profile of all fox genes and identified sexually dimorphic fox genes at each stage. All fox genes were detected in gonads, with 15 of them at the background expression level (total read per kb per million reads, RPKM < 10), 29 at moderate expression level (10 < total RPKM < 100), and 21 at high expression level (total RPKM > 100). There are 27, 24, 28, and 9 sexually dimorphic fox genes at 5, 30, 90, and 180 days after hatching (dah), respectively. foxq1a, foxf1, foxr1, and foxr1 were identified as the most differentially expressed genes at each stage. foxl2 was characterized as XX-dominant gene, while foxd5, foxi3, foxn3, foxj1a, foxj3b, and foxo6b were characterized as XY-dominant genes. qPCR and in situ hybridization of foxh1 and foxj1a were performed to confirm the expression profiles and to validate the transcriptome data. Our results suggest that fox genes might play important roles in sex determination and gonadal development in teleosts.

Finding a Fox: An Evaluation of Survey Methods to Estimate Abundance of a Small Desert Carnivore

PubMed Central

Dempsey, Steven J.; Gese, Eric M.; Kluever, Bryan M.

2014-01-01

The status of many carnivore species is a growing concern for wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, and the general public. Historically, kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) were classified as abundant and distributed in the desert and semi-arid regions of southwestern North America, but is now considered rare throughout its range. Survey methods have been evaluated for kit foxes, but often in populations where abundance is high and there is little consensus on which technique is best to monitor abundance. We conducted a 2-year study to evaluate four survey methods (scat deposition surveys, scent station surveys, spotlight survey, and trapping) for detecting kit foxes and measuring fox abundance. We determined the probability of detection for each method, and examined the correlation between the relative abundance as estimated by each survey method and the known minimum kit fox abundance as determined by radio-collared animals. All surveys were conducted on 15 5-km transects during the 3 biological seasons of the kit fox. Scat deposition surveys had both the highest detection probabilities (p = 0.88) and were most closely related to minimum known fox abundance (r2 = 0.50, P = 0.001). The next best method for kit fox detection was the scent station survey (p = 0.73), which had the second highest correlation to fox abundance (r2 = 0.46, P<0.001). For detecting kit foxes in a low density population we suggest using scat deposition transects during the breeding season. Scat deposition surveys have low costs, resilience to weather, low labor requirements, and pose no risk to the study animals. The breeding season was ideal for monitoring kit fox population size, as detections consisted of the resident population and had the highest detection probabilities. Using appropriate monitoring techniques will be critical for future conservation actions for this rare desert carnivore. PMID:25148102

FoxP1 marks medium spiny neurons from precursors to maturity and is required for their differentiation.

PubMed

Precious, S V; Kelly, C M; Reddington, A E; Vinh, N N; Stickland, R C; Pekarik, V; Scherf, C; Jeyasingham, R; Glasbey, J; Holeiter, M; Jones, L; Taylor, M V; Rosser, A E

2016-08-01

Identifying the steps involved in striatal development is important both for understanding the striatum in health and disease, and for generating protocols to differentiate striatal neurons for regenerative medicine. The most prominent neuronal subtype in the adult striatum is the medium spiny projection neuron (MSN), which constitutes more than 85% of all striatal neurons and classically expresses DARPP-32. Through a microarray study of genes expressed in the whole ganglionic eminence (WGE: the developing striatum) in the mouse, we identified the gene encoding the transcription factor Forkhead box protein P1 (FoxP1) as the most highly up-regulated gene, thus providing unbiased evidence for the association of FoxP1 with MSN development. We also describe the expression of FoxP1 in the human fetal brain over equivalent gestational stages. FoxP1 expression persisted through into adulthood in the mouse brain, where it co-localised with all striatal DARPP-32 positive projection neurons and a small population of DARPP-32 negative cells. There was no co-localisation of FoxP1 with any interneuron markers. FoxP1 was detectable in primary fetal striatal cells following dissection, culture, and transplantation into the adult lesioned striatum, demonstrating its utility as an MSN marker for transplantation studies. Furthermore, DARPP-32 expression was absent from FoxP1 knock-out mouse WGE differentiated in vitro, suggesting that FoxP1 is important for the development of DARPP-32-positive MSNs. In summary, we show that FoxP1 labels MSN precursors prior to the expression of DARPP-32 during normal development, and in addition suggest that FoxP1 labels a sub-population of MSNs that are not co-labelled by DARPP-32. We demonstrate the utility of FoxP1 to label MSNs in vitro and following neural transplantation, and show that FoxP1 is required for DARPP-32 positive MSN differentiation in vitro. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Segregated Regulatory CD39+ CD4+ T Cell Function: TGF-β-Producing FoxP3− and IL-10-Producing FoxP3+ Cells Are Interdependent for Protection Against Collagen-Induced Arthritis1

PubMed Central

Kochetkova, Irina; Thornburg, Theresa; Callis, Gayle; Pascual, David W.

2011-01-01

Oral immunization with a Salmonella vaccine vector expressing enterotoxigenic E. coli colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) can protect against collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) by dampening IL-17 and IFN-γ via enhanced IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β. To identify the responsible regulatory CD4+ T cells making the host refractory to CIA, Salmonella-CFA/I induced CD39+CD4+ T cells with enhanced apyrase activity relative to Salmonella vector-immunized mice. Adoptive transfer of vaccine-induced CD39+CD4+ T cells into CIA mice conferred complete protection, while CD39−CD4+ T cells did not. Subsequent analysis of vaccinated FoxP3-GFP mice revealed the CD39+ T cells were composed of FoxP3-GFP− and FoxP3-GFP+ subpopulations. Although each adoptively transferred Salmonella-CFA/I-induced FoxP3− and FoxP3+CD39+CD4+ T cells could protect against CIA, each subset was not as efficacious as total CD39+CD4+ T cells, suggesting their interdependence for optimal protection. Cytokine analysis revealed FoxP3− CD39+CD4+ T cells produced TGF-β, and FoxP3+CD39+CD4+ T cells produced IL-10, showing a segregation of function. Moreover, donor FoxP3-GFP− CD4+ T cells converted to FoxP3-GFP+ CD39+CD4+ T cells in the recipients, showing plasticity of these regulatory T cells. TGF-β was found to be essential for protection since in vivo TGF-β neutralization reversed activation of cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) and reduced the development of CD39+CD4+ T cells. Thus, CD39 apyrase-expressing CD4+ T cells stimulated by Salmonella-CFA/I are composed of TGF-β-producing FoxP3− CD39+CD4+ T cells and support the stimulation of IL-10-producing FoxP3+ CD39+CD4+ T cells. PMID:21967895

Different expression of FoxM1 in human benign and malignant pleural effusion.

PubMed

Tang, Zhonghao; Li, Hongqing; Zhu, Huili; Bai, Chunxue

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were as follows: to analyze the forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) expression in benign and malignant pleural effusion by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR); to explore the role of FoxM1 in formation and progress in malignant pleural effusion, and whether there is significant difference in expression level of FoxM1 between benign and malignant pleural effusion; to seek a gene marker diagnostically useful to identify benign and malignant pleural effusion in diagnosis and treatment of pleural effusion; and to collect expression level data of FoxM1 in 23 malignant pleural effusion samples (17 adenocarcinoma samples, four squamous carcinoma samples and two small cell lung carcinoma samples) and 15 benign pleural effusion samples (11 inflammatory pleural effusions, two transudates, two tuberculous pleural effusions) by RT-PCR. Among all 38 samples, average FoxM1 expression level of benign pleural effusions is (235.09 ± 59.99), while malignant pleural effusions (828.77 ± 109.76). Among 23 malignant samples, average FoxM1 expression level is (529.27 ± 75.85) in samples without cytological diagnostic evidence, while (1,218.12 ± 167.21) in samples with cytological diagnostic evidence. Differences of FoxM1 expression level between benign pleural effusions and malignant ones have statistical significance. There is an area of 0.881 under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, which verifies the accuracy of using FoxM1 expression level as diagnostic index to identify benign and malignant pleural effusions. According to our study, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for FoxM1 expression level at 418.1 were 82.6 and 86.7 %, respectively, while 47.8 and 100 %, respectively, at 768.7. FoxM1 expression level in malignant pleural effusions is significantly higher than in benign ones. This study provides a new approach in clinical diagnosis, with FoxM1 as a specific molecule marker to identify benign and malignant pleural effusions. FoxM1 expression level could provide evidence for diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural effusions and lung cancer.

Endoparasites of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Denmark 2009–2012 – A comparative study

PubMed Central

Al-Sabi, Mohammad Nafi Solaiman; Chriél, Mariann; Jensen, Trine Hammer; Enemark, Heidi Larsen

2013-01-01

Invasive species negatively influence the biodiversity of the ecosystems they invade and may introduce pathogens to native species. Raccoon dogs have very successfully invaded Europe, including, recently, Denmark. This study included analyses of gastrointestinal helminths and Trichinella spp. from 99 raccoon dogs and 384 native red foxes collected from October 2009 to March 2012. The sedimentation and counting method used revealed that raccoon dogs and foxes harboured 9 and 13 different helminth species, respectively, of which several known to be zoonotic. Significantly more nematode and cestode species were found in foxes while raccoon dogs had more trematode species. Rodent transmitted parasites were more prevalent in foxes, while amphibian transmitted parasites were more prevalent in raccoon dogs. One fox was infected with Echinococcus multilocularis (0.3%), while no Trichinella spp. were detected in raccoon dogs or foxes. The trematode Brachylaima tokudai was detected for the first time in Denmark in five of 384 foxes (1.3%). Prevalences of Pygidiopsis summa (3.0% and 3.4%) and Cryptocotyle spp. (15.2% and 15.4%) were comparable in raccoon dogs and foxes, respectively. Four helminth species were more prevalent in foxes than in raccoon dogs: Toxocara canis (60.9% and 13.1%); Uncinaria stenocephala (84.1% and 48.5%); Mesocestoides spp. (42.7% and 23.2%); and Taenia spp. (30.7% and 2.0%), respectively. Three helminth species were more prevalent in raccoon dogs than in foxes: Dipylidium caninum (5.1% and 0.3%); Mesorchis denticulatus (38.4% and 4.2%); and Alaria alata (69.7% and 34.4%), respectively. T. canis was more abundant in foxes while A. alata was more abundant in raccoon dogs. The intestinal distribution of a number of helminth species was comparable between hosts, but highly variable between parasite species. Inherent biological factors and host invasion of new areas might have shaped these marked differences in helminth fauna between the invasive raccoon dog and the native red fox. PMID:24533328

Effects of miR-155 on proliferation and apoptosis by regulating FoxO3a/BIM in liver cancer cell line HCCLM3.

PubMed

Liao, W-W; Zhang, C; Liu, F-R; Wang, W-J

2018-03-01

MiR-155 has been shown to be up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) interacting mediator of cell death (BIM) regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis, as its down-regulation is involved in HCC onset. Transcriptional factor FoxO3a mediates BIM expression and is related to HCC pathogenesis. Bioinformatics analysis showed targeted regulation of FoxO3a by miR-155. This study aims to investigate whether miR-155 plays a role in mediating FoxO3a/BIM signal pathway and HCC occurrence. HCC patients were collected for tumor and adjacent tissues, in which microRNA-155 (miR-155) and FoxO3a expressions were examined. In vitro cultured HCCLM3, HepG2 and L-02 cells were tested for basal apoptotic rate by flow cytometry and were compared for miR-155 and FoxO3a expression. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated the targeted relationship between miR-155 and FoxO3a. HCCLM3 cells were treated with miR-155 inhibitor and/or FoxO3a-pMD18-T. Cell apoptosis and proliferation were examined by using flow cytometry and MTT assays, respectively. Western blot and spectrometry assay were employed to quantify the FoxO3a, BIM expressions, and caspase activity. Compared to adjacent tissues, HCC tissues had significantly higher miR-155 and significantly lower FoxO3a expression (p<0.05). HCCLM3 and HepG2 cells had significantly lower FoxO3a expression and basal apoptotic rate compared to L02 cells, whilst miR-155 level was significantly higher (p<0.05). MiR-155 targeted and inhibited 3'-UTR of FoxO3a, increasing BIM expression, caspase-3, and caspase-9 activities, and enhancing cell apoptosis and weakening proliferation. HCC tissues elevated the miR-155 and suppressed the FoxO3a expressions. MiR-155 targeted and inhibited FoxO3a expression to suppress the BIM, depress caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities, therefore inhibiting the HCC cell apoptosis and facilitating proliferation.

FoxO1 regulates myocardial glucose oxidation rates via transcriptional control of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 expression.

PubMed

Gopal, Keshav; Saleme, Bruno; Al Batran, Rami; Aburasayn, Hanin; Eshreif, Amina; Ho, Kim L; Ma, Wayne K; Almutairi, Malak; Eaton, Farah; Gandhi, Manoj; Park, Edwards A; Sutendra, Gopinath; Ussher, John R

2017-09-01

Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) is the rate-limiting enzyme for glucose oxidation and a critical regulator of metabolic flexibility during the fasting to feeding transition. PDH is regulated via both PDH kinases (PDHK) and PDH phosphatases, which phosphorylate/inactivate and dephosphorylate/activate PDH, respectively. Our goal was to determine whether the transcription factor forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) regulates PDH activity and glucose oxidation in the heart via increasing the expression of Pdk4 , the gene encoding PDHK4. To address this question, we differentiated H9c2 myoblasts into cardiac myocytes and modulated FoxO1 activity, after which Pdk4 /PDHK4 expression and PDH phosphorylation/activity were assessed. We assessed binding of FoxO1 to the Pdk4 promoter in cardiac myocytes in conjunction with measuring the role of FoxO1 on glucose oxidation in the isolated working heart. Both pharmacological (1 µM AS1842856) and genetic (siRNA mediated) inhibition of FoxO1 decreased Pdk4 /PDHK4 expression and subsequent PDH phosphorylation in H9c2 cardiac myocytes, whereas 10 µM dexamethasone-induced Pdk4 /PDHK4 expression was abolished via pretreatment with 1 µM AS1842856. Furthermore, transfection of H9c2 cardiac myocytes with a vector expressing FoxO1 increased luciferase activity driven by a Pdk4 promoter construct containing the FoxO1 DNA-binding element region, but not in a Pdk4 promoter construct lacking this region. Finally, AS1842856 treatment in fasted mice enhanced glucose oxidation rates during aerobic isolated working heart perfusions. Taken together, FoxO1 directly regulates Pdk4 transcription in the heart, thereby controlling PDH activity and subsequent glucose oxidation rates. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although studies have shown an association between FoxO1 activity and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 expression, our study demonstrated that pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 is a direct transcriptional target of FoxO1 (but not FoxO3/FoxO4) in the heart. Furthermore, we report here, for the first time, that FoxO1 inhibition increases glucose oxidation in the isolated working mouse heart. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Genetic characteristics of red foxes In northeastern Oregon

Treesearch

Gregory A Green; Benjamin N Sacks; Leonard J Erickson; Keith B Aubry

2017-01-01

The Rocky Mountain Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes macroura), once common in the Blue Mountains ecoregion of northeastern Oregon, was considered rare in eastern Oregon by the 1930s and thought to be extirpated by the 1960s, when putatively new Red Fox populations began to appear. Although the new foxes were long presumed to be nonnative (originating from...

77 FR 56858 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for Four Subspecies of Island Fox

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-14

...] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for Four Subspecies of Island Fox AGENCY... Plan for Four Subspecies of Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Each of the four subspecies, San Miguel Island fox (Urocyon littoralis littoralis...

Two cysteine substitutions in the MC1R generate the blue variant of the Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) and prevent expression of the white winter coat.

PubMed

Våge, Dag Inge; Fuglei, Eva; Snipstad, Kristin; Beheim, Janne; Landsem, Veslemøy Malm; Klungland, Helge

2005-10-01

We have characterized two mutations in the MC1R gene of the blue variant of the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) that both incorporate a novel cysteine residue into the receptor. A family study in farmed arctic foxes verified that the dominant expression of the blue color phenotype cosegregates completely with the allele harboring these two mutations. Additionally to the altered pigment synthesis, the blue fox allele suppresses the seasonal change in coat color found in the native arctic fox. Consequently, these findings suggest that the MC1R/agouti regulatory system is involved in the seasonal changes of coat color found in arctic fox.

Natural Brucella infection in Argentine wild foxes*

PubMed Central

Szyfres, B.; Tomé, J. González

1966-01-01

In the course of an investigation in 1962-64 into the natural occurrence of brucellosis among grey foxes in Argentina, agglutination tests were performed on 728 sera of the foxes Dusicyon gymnocercus antiquus and D. griseus griseus, captured in the provinces of Buenos Aires and Rio Negro. Agglutination titres of from 1:25 to 1:800 were found in 173 (23.8%) of the foxes tested, 11.3% having titres of 1:100 or more. In bacteriological testing, eight cultures of Brucella abortus, biotype 1, were obtained. Discussing their findings, the authors point out that it cannot be stated definitely whether Brucella is naturally shed by foxes or to what extent infected foxes contribute to the dissemination of brucellosis. PMID:5296540

The Emerging Roles of Forkhead Box (FOX) Proteins in Osteosarcoma

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wentao; Duan, Ning; Song, Tao; Li, Zhong; Zhang, Caiguo; Chen, Xun

2017-01-01

Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer primarily occurring in children and young adults. Over the past few years, the deregulation of a superfamily transcription factors, known as forkhead box (FOX) proteins, has been demonstrated to contribute to the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma. Molecular mechanism studies have demonstrated that FOX family proteins participate in a variety of signaling pathways and that their expression can be regulated by multiple factors. The dysfunction of FOX genes can alter osteosarcoma cell differentiation, metastasis and progression. In this review, we summarized the evidence that FOX genes play direct or indirect roles in the development and progression of osteosarcoma, and evaluated the emerging role of FOX proteins as targets for therapeutic intervention. PMID:28775781

Environmental Assessment for Property Transfer to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-20

density residential and agricultural. Laramie County owns most of the land between the two segments of the subject property, with the exception of a home...receptors located nearest to the Proposed Action site include residential areas and Swan Ranch and Cheyenne Logistics Hub. Additional local...generate noise; sources would include periodic emergency vehicle use and helicopter flight operations. Nearby sensitive receptors (e.g., residential

PDK-1/FoxO1 pathway in POMC neurons regulates Pomc expression and food intake.

PubMed

Iskandar, Kristy; Cao, Yongheng; Hayashi, Yoshitake; Nakata, Masanori; Takano, Eisuke; Yada, Toshihiko; Zhang, Changliang; Ogawa, Wataru; Oki, Miyo; Chua, Streamson; Itoh, Hiroshi; Noda, Tetsuo; Kasuga, Masato; Nakae, Jun

2010-04-01

Both insulin and leptin signaling converge on phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase [PI(3)K]/3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK-1)/protein kinase B (PKB, also known as Akt) in proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. Forkhead box-containing protein-O1 (FoxO1) is inactivated in a PI(3)K-dependent manner. However, the interrelationship between PI(3)K/PDK-1/Akt and FoxO1, and the chronic effects of the overexpression of FoxO1 in POMC neurons on energy homeostasis has not been elucidated. To determine the extent to which PDK-1 and FoxO1 signaling in POMC neurons was responsible for energy homeostasis, we generated POMC neuron-specific Pdk1 knockout mice (POMCPdk1(-/-)) and mice selectively expressing a constitutively nuclear (CN)FoxO1 or transactivation-defective (Delta256)FoxO1 in POMC neurons (CNFoxO1(POMC) or Delta256FoxO1(POMC)). POMCPdk1(-/-) mice showed increased food intake and body weight accompanied by decreased expression of Pomc gene. The CNFoxO1(POMC) mice exhibited mild obesity and hyperphagia compared with POMCPdk1(-/-) mice. Although expression of the CNFoxO1 made POMCPdk1(-/-) mice more obese due to excessive suppression of Pomc gene, overexpression of Delta256FoxO1 in POMC neurons had no effects on metabolic phenotypes and Pomc expression levels of POMCPdk1(-/-) mice. These data suggest a requirement for PDK-1 and FoxO1 in transcriptional regulation of Pomc and food intake.

Pathology and Epidemiology of Ceruminous Gland Tumors among Endangered Santa Catalina Island Foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) in the Channel Islands, USA

PubMed Central

Vickers, T. Winston; Clifford, Deana L.; Garcelon, David K.; King, Julie L.; Duncan, Calvin L.; Gaffney, Patricia M.; Boyce, Walter M.

2015-01-01

In this study, we examined the prevalence, pathology, and epidemiology of tumors in free-ranging island foxes occurring on three islands in the California Channel Islands, USA. We found a remarkably high prevalence of ceruminous gland tumors in endangered foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) occurring on Santa Catalina Island (SCA)—48.9% of the dead foxes examined from 2001–2008 had tumors in their ears, and tumors were found in 52.2% of randomly-selected mature (≥ 4 years) foxes captured in 2007–2008, representing one of the highest prevalences of tumors ever documented in a wildlife population. In contrast, no tumors were detected in foxes from San Nicolas Island or San Clemente Island, although ear mites (Otodectes cynotis), a predisposing factor for ceruminous gland tumors in dogs and cats, were highly prevalent on all three islands. On SCA, otitis externa secondary to ear mite infection was highly correlated with ceruminous gland hyperplasia (CGH), and tumors were significantly associated with the severity of CGH, ceruminous gland dysplasia, and age group (older foxes). We propose a conceptual model for the formation of ceruminous gland tumors in foxes on SCA that is based on persistent, ubiquitous infection with ear mites, and an innate, over exuberant inflammatory and hyperplastic response of SCA foxes to these mites. Foxes on SCA are now opportunistically treated with acaricides in an attempt to reduce mite infections and the morbidity and mortality associated with this highly prevalent tumor. PMID:26618759

Pulses of movement across the sea ice: population connectivity and temporal genetic structure in the arctic fox.

PubMed

Norén, Karin; Carmichael, Lindsey; Fuglei, Eva; Eide, Nina E; Hersteinsson, Pall; Angerbjörn, Anders

2011-08-01

Lemmings are involved in several important functions in the Arctic ecosystem. The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) can be divided into two discrete ecotypes: "lemming foxes" and "coastal foxes". Crashes in lemming abundance can result in pulses of "lemming fox" movement across the Arctic sea ice and immigration into coastal habitats in search for food. These pulses can influence the genetic structure of the receiving population. We have tested the impact of immigration on the genetic structure of the "coastal fox" population in Svalbard by recording microsatellite variation in seven loci for 162 Arctic foxes sampled during the summer and winter over a 5-year period. Genetic heterogeneity and temporal genetic shifts, as inferred by STRUCTURE simulations and deviations from Hardy-Weinberg proportions, respectively, were recorded. Maximum likelihood estimates of movement as well as STRUCTURE simulations suggested that both immigration and genetic mixture are higher in Svalbard than in the neighbouring "lemming fox" populations. The STRUCTURE simulations and AMOVA revealed there are differences in genetic composition of the population between summer and winter seasons, indicating that immigrants are not present in the reproductive portion of the Svalbard population. Based on these results, we conclude that Arctic fox population structure varies with time and is influenced by immigration from neighbouring populations. The lemming cycle is likely an important factor shaping Arctic fox movement across sea ice and the subsequent population genetic structure, but is also likely to influence local adaptation to the coastal habitat and the prevalence of diseases.

Effects of roads on survival of San Clemente Island foxes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snow, N.P.; Andelt, William F.; Stanley, T.R.; Resnik, J.R.; Munson, L.

2012-01-01

Roads generate a variety of influences on wildlife populations; however, little is known about the effects of roads on endemic wildlife on islands. Specifically, road-kills of island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) on San Clemente Island (SCI), Channel Islands, California, USA are a concern for resource managers. To determine the effects of roads on island foxes, we radiocollared foxes using a 3-tiered sampling design to represent the entire population in the study area, a sub-population near roads, and a sub-population away from roads on SCI. We examined annual survival rates using nest-survival models, causes of mortalities, and movements for each sample. We found the population had high annual survival (0.90), although survival declined with use of road habitat, particularly for intermediate-aged foxes. Foxes living near roads suffered lower annual survival (0.76), resulting from high frequencies of road-kills (7 of 11 mortalities). Foxes living away from roads had the highest annual survival (0.97). Road-kill was the most prominent cause of mortality detected on SCI, which we estimated as killing 3-8% of the population in the study area annually. Based on movements, we were unable to detect any responses by foxes that minimized their risks from roads. The probabilities of road-kills increased with use of the road habitat, volume of traffic, and decreasing road sinuosity. We recommend that managers should attempt to reduce road-kills by deterring or excluding foxes from entering roads, and attempting to modify behaviors of motorists to be vigilant for foxes. ?? 2011 The Wildlife Society.

A spring aerial census of red foxes in North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sargeant, A.B.; Pfeifer, W.K.; Allen, S.H.

1975-01-01

Systematic aerial searches were flown on transects to locate adult red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), pups, and rearing dens on 559.4 km2 (six townships) in eastern North Dakota during mid-May and mid-June each year from 1969 through 1973 and during mid-April 1969 and early May 1970. The combined sightings of foxes and fox dens from the mid-May and mid-June searches were used to identify individual fox families. The number of fox families was used as the measurement of density. Dens, highly visible during the mid-May searches, were the most reliable family indicator; 84 percent of 270 families identified during the study were represented by dens. Adult foxes second in importance, were most observable during the mid-May searches when 20 to 35 percent of those estimated to be available were sighted. Adult sightings during other search periods ranged from 4 to 17 percent of those available. Pup sightings were the most variable family indicator, but they led to the discovery of some dens. Sources of error for which adjustment factors were determined are: den moves exceeding criterion established for the spacing of dens in a single family, overestimation of the number of fox families living near township boundaries, and the percentage of fox families overlooked during the aerial searches. These adjustment factors appeared to be largely compensatory.

FoxP3 Expression in Macrophages, Cancer, and B Cells-Is It Real?

PubMed

Vadasz, Zahava; Toubi, Elias

2017-06-01

During the last decade, B regulatory cells are appreciated to have a central role in preventing autoimmunity and maintaining self-tolerance. They are characterized by expressing different phenotypic markers and the production of either IL-10 or TGF-β or both. The recent recognition of Fas ligand expressing B regulatory cells as "killer" cells established their role in maintaining viral persistence by preventing effective antiviral immune responses. The forkhead lineage-transcription factor (FoxP3) was considered for many years to be a highly specific intracellular regulatory marker of CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells. The possibility of FoxP3 being expressed in B regulatory cells was suggested in many studies. Though controversial, FoxP3 expression was also reported in macrophages and cancer cells. Aiming to avoid artifact staining, many researchers required the usage of FoxP3 messenger RNA (mRNA) and PCR in order to prove a true expression of FoxP3 in these different cells. In addition, most studies' report on that FoxP3 expression in all abovementioned cells is related to their status of activation since naïve (non-activated cells) were found poorly FoxP3 expressing. In this review, we present the existing data on FoxP3 expression in non-T-regulatory cells, but we suggest that further studies are needed to better establish this concept.

Physiological adaptations to fasting in an actively wintering canid, the Arctic blue fox (Alopex lagopus).

PubMed

Mustonen, Anne-Mari; Pyykönen, Teija; Puukka, Matti; Asikainen, Juha; Hänninen, Sari; Mononen, Jaakko; Nieminen, Petteri

2006-01-01

This study investigated the physiological adaptations to fasting using the farmed blue fox (Alopex lagopus) as a model for the endangered wild arctic fox. Sixteen blue foxes were fed throughout the winter and 32 blue foxes were fasted for 22 d in Nov-Dec 2002. Half of the fasted blue foxes were food-deprived again for 22 d in Jan-Feb 2003. The farmed blue fox lost weight at a slower rate (0.97-1.02% body mass d(-1)) than observed previously in the arctic fox, possibly due to its higher initial body fat content. The animals experienced occasional fasting-induced hypoglycaemia, but their locomotor activity was not affected. The plasma triacylglycerol and glycerol concentrations were elevated during phase II of fasting indicating stimulated lipolysis, probably induced by the high growth hormone concentrations. The total cholesterol, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, urea, uric acid and total protein levels and the urea:creatinine ratio decreased during fasting. Although the plasma levels of some essential amino acids increased, the blue foxes did not enter phase III of starvation characterized by stimulated proteolysis during either of the 22-d fasting procedures. Instead of excessive protein catabolism, it is liver dysfunction, indicated by the increased plasma bilirubin levels and alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, that may limit the duration of fasting in the species.

Anti-predator meshing may provide greater protection for sea turtle nests than predator removal.

PubMed

O'Connor, Julie M; Limpus, Colin J; Hofmeister, Kate M; Allen, Benjamin L; Burnett, Scott E

2017-01-01

The problem of how to protect sea turtle nests from terrestrial predators is of worldwide concern. On Queensland's southern Sunshine Coast, depredation of turtle nests by the introduced European red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been recorded as the primary terrestrial cause of egg and hatchling mortality. We investigated the impact of foxes on the nests of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and occasional green turtle (Chelonia mydas) over ten nesting seasons. Meshing of nests with fox exclusion devices (FEDs) was undertaken in all years accompanied by lethal fox control in the first five-year period, but not in the second five-year period. Lethal fox control was undertaken in the study area from 2005 to February 2010, but foxes still breached 27% (range19-52%) of turtle nests. In the second five-year period, despite the absence of lethal fox control, the average percentage of nests breached was less than 3% (range 0-4%). Comparison of clutch depredation rates in the two five-year periods demonstrated that continuous nest meshing may be more effective than lethal fox control in mitigating the impact of foxes on turtle nests. In the absence of unlimited resources available for the eradication of exotic predators, the use of FEDs and the support and resourcing of a dedicated volunteer base can be considered an effective turtle conservation tool on some beaches.

75 FR 57289 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Pioneer Historical Society of Bent County, Las Animas, CO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-20

...; Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa; Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas & Nebraska; Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma... Taos, New Mexico; Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico; Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico; Sac & Fox Tribe of the...

78 FR 45960 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Jefferson City, MO

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-30

... professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Sac & Fox Nation, Oklahoma; Sac & Fox of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska; and the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa. History and... County, MO, was ceded by the Sauk and Fox in a series of treaties with the United States between 1804 and...

Profiling analysis of FOX gene family members identified FOXE1 as potential regulator of NSCLC development.

PubMed

Ji, G H; Cui, Y; Yu, H; Cui, X B

2016-09-30

Lung cancer is one of the most malignant tumors worldwide with a high mortality rate, which has not been improved since several decades ago. FOX gene family members have been reported to play extensive roles in regulating many biological processes and disorders. In order to clarify the contribution of FOX gene family members in lung cancer biology, we performed expression profiling analysis of FOX gene family members from FOXA to FOXR in lung cancer cell lines and tissue specimens by Real-time PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis. We found that FOXE1 was the only gene which was over-expressed in six out of eight lung cancer cell lines and human cancer tissue specimens (28 out of 35 cases with higher expression and 7 out of 35 cases with moderate expression). Further investigation showed that MMP2 gene was up-regulated, and autophagy markers such as LC3B, ATG5, ATG12 and BECLIN1, were down-regulated concomitant with the increase of FOXE1. These results implicated that FOXE1 may be an important regulator by targeting autophagy and MMPs pathways in lung cancer development.

The impact of past climate change on genetic variation and population connectivity in the Icelandic arctic fox

PubMed Central

Mellows, Andrew; Barnett, Ross; Dalén, Love; Sandoval-Castellanos, Edson; Linderholm, Anna; McGovern, Thomas H.; Church, Mike J.; Larson, Greger

2012-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that the presence of sea ice is an important factor in facilitating migration and determining the degree of genetic isolation among contemporary arctic fox populations. Because the extent of sea ice is dependent upon global temperatures, periods of significant cooling would have had a major impact on fox population connectivity and genetic variation. We tested this hypothesis by extracting and sequencing mitochondrial control region sequences from 17 arctic foxes excavated from two late-ninth-century to twelfth-century AD archaeological sites in northeast Iceland, both of which predate the Little Ice Age (approx. sixteenth to nineteenth century). Despite the fact that five haplotypes have been observed in modern Icelandic foxes, a single haplotype was shared among all of the ancient individuals. Results from simulations within an approximate Bayesian computation framework suggest that the rapid increase in Icelandic arctic fox haplotype diversity can only be explained by sea-ice-mediated fox immigration facilitated by the Little Ice Age. PMID:22977155

The forkhead transcription factor FoxY regulates Nanos

PubMed Central

Song, Jia L.; Wessel, Gary M.

2012-01-01

FoxY is a member of the forkhead transcription factor family that appeared enriched in the presumptive germ line of sea urchins (Ransick et al., 2002, Dev Biol 246:132). Here we test the hypothesis that FoxY is involved in germ line determination in this animal. We found two splice forms of FoxY that share the same DNA-binding domain but vary in the carboxy-terminal trans-activation/repression domain. Both forms of the FoxY protein are present in the ovary and in the early embryo, and their mRNAs accumulate to their highest levels in the small micromeres and adjacent non-skeletogenic mesoderm. Knockdown of FoxY resulted in a dramatic decrease in the Nanos mRNA and protein levels as well as a loss of coelomic pouches in the 2-week-old larvae. Our results indicate that FoxY positively regulates Nanos at the transcriptional level and is essential for reproductive potential in this organism. PMID:22777754

The forkhead transcription factor FoxY regulates Nanos.

PubMed

Song, Jia L; Wessel, Gary M

2012-10-01

FoxY is a member of the forkhead transcription factor family that appeared enriched in the presumptive germ line of sea urchins (Ransick et al. Dev Biol 2002;246:132). Here, we test the hypothesis that FoxY is involved in germ line determination in this animal. We found two splice forms of FoxY that share the same DNA-binding domain, but vary in the carboxy-terminal trans-activation/repression domain. Both forms of the FoxY protein are present in the egg and in the early embryo, and their mRNAs accumulate to their highest levels in the small micromeres and adjacent non-skeletogenic mesoderm. Knockdown of FoxY resulted in a dramatic decrease in Nanos mRNA and protein levels as well as a loss of coelomic pouches in 2-week-old larvae. Our results indicate that FoxY positively regulates Nanos at the transcriptional level and is essential for reproductive potential in this organism. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

FoxP2 in song-learning birds and vocal-learning mammals.

PubMed

Webb, D M; Zhang, J

2005-01-01

FoxP2 is the first identified gene that is specifically involved in speech and language development in humans. Population genetic studies of FoxP2 revealed a selective sweep in recent human history associated with two amino acid substitutions in exon 7. Avian song learning and human language acquisition share many behavioral and neurological similarities. To determine whether FoxP2 plays a similar role in song-learning birds, we sequenced exon 7 of FoxP2 in multiple song-learning and nonlearning birds. We show extreme conservation of FoxP2 sequences in birds, including unusually low rates of synonymous substitutions. However, no amino acid substitutions are shared between the song-learning birds and humans. Furthermore, sequences from vocal-learning whales, dolphins, and bats do not share the human-unique substitutions. While FoxP2 appears to be under strong functional constraints in mammals and birds, we find no evidence for its role during the evolution of vocal learning in nonhuman animals as in humans.

Molecular epidemiology of rabies in northern Colombia 1994-2003. Evidence for human and fox rabies associated with dogs.

PubMed Central

Páez, A.; Saad, C.; Núñez, C.; Bóshell, J.

2005-01-01

During the period 2000-2003, wild grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in northern Colombia became infected with rabies. In order to derive phylogenetic relationships between rabies viruses isolated in foxes, dogs and humans in this region, 902 nt cDNA fragments containing the G-L intergenic region and encoding the cytoplasmic domain of protein G and a fragment of protein L were obtained by RT-PCR, sequenced and compared. Phylogenetic analysis showed that rabies viruses isolated in foxes, dogs and humans belonged to a single genetic variant. Speculative analysis together with epidemiological data indicated that rabies in foxes may have been due to contact with rabid dogs. Rabies transmission between dogs, wild foxes and humans may happen in natural conditions in northern Colombia. This finding is the first to suggest dog-to-fox rabies transmission in South America, and provides another example of dog rabies variants being able to successfully colonize wildlife hosts. PMID:15962560

The impact of past climate change on genetic variation and population connectivity in the Icelandic arctic fox.

PubMed

Mellows, Andrew; Barnett, Ross; Dalén, Love; Sandoval-Castellanos, Edson; Linderholm, Anna; McGovern, Thomas H; Church, Mike J; Larson, Greger

2012-11-22

Previous studies have suggested that the presence of sea ice is an important factor in facilitating migration and determining the degree of genetic isolation among contemporary arctic fox populations. Because the extent of sea ice is dependent upon global temperatures, periods of significant cooling would have had a major impact on fox population connectivity and genetic variation. We tested this hypothesis by extracting and sequencing mitochondrial control region sequences from 17 arctic foxes excavated from two late-ninth-century to twelfth-century AD archaeological sites in northeast Iceland, both of which predate the Little Ice Age (approx. sixteenth to nineteenth century). Despite the fact that five haplotypes have been observed in modern Icelandic foxes, a single haplotype was shared among all of the ancient individuals. Results from simulations within an approximate Bayesian computation framework suggest that the rapid increase in Icelandic arctic fox haplotype diversity can only be explained by sea-ice-mediated fox immigration facilitated by the Little Ice Age.

Population limitation in a non-cyclic arctic fox population in a changing climate.

PubMed

Pálsson, Snæbjörn; Hersteinsson, Páll; Unnsteinsdóttir, Ester R; Nielsen, Ólafur K

2016-04-01

Arctic foxes Vulpes lagopus (L.) display a sharp 3- to 5-year fluctuation in population size where lemmings are their main prey. In areas devoid of lemmings, such as Iceland, they do not experience short-term fluctuations. This study focusses on the population dynamics of the arctic fox in Iceland and how it is shaped by its main prey populations. Hunting statistics from 1958-2003 show that the population size of the arctic fox was at a maximum in the 1950s, declined to a minimum in the 1970s, and increased steadily until 2003. Analysis of the arctic fox population size and their prey populations suggests that fox numbers were limited by rock ptarmigan numbers during the decline period. The recovery of the arctic fox population was traced mostly to an increase in goose populations, and favourable climatic conditions as reflected by the Subpolar Gyre. These results underscore the flexibility of a generalist predator and its responses to shifting food resources and climate changes.

Noble Gas signatures of Enhanced Oil Recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barry, P. H.; Kulongoski, J. T.; Tyne, R. L.; Hillegonds, D.; Byrne, D. J.; Landon, M. K.; Ballentine, C. J.

2017-12-01

Noble gases are powerful tracers of fluids from various oil and gas production activities in hydrocarbon reservoirs and nearby groundwater. Non-radiogenic noble gases are introduced into undisturbed oil and natural gas reservoirs through exchange with formation waters [1-3]. Reservoirs with extensive hydraulic fracturing, injection for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and/or waste disposal also show evidence for a component of noble gases introduced from air [4]. Isotopic and elemental ratios of noble gases can be used to 1) assess the migration history of the injected and formation fluids, and 2) determine the extent of exchange between multiphase fluids in different reservoirs. We present noble gas isotope and abundance data from casing, separator and injectate gases of the Lost Hills and Fruitvale oil fields in the San Joaquin basin, California. Samples were collected as part of the California State Water Resource Control Board's Oil and Gas Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program. Lost Hills (n=7) and Fruitvale (n=2) gases are geochemically distinct and duplicate samples are highly reproducible. Lost Hills casing gas samples were collected from areas where EOR and hydraulic fracturing has occurred in the past several years, and from areas where EOR is absent. The Fruitvale samples were collected from a re-injection port. All samples are radiogenic in their He isotopes, typical of a crustal environment, and show enrichments in heavy noble gases, resulting from preferential adsorption on sediments. Fruitvale samples reflect air-like surface conditions, with higher air-derived noble gas concentrations. Lost Hills gases show a gradation from pristine crustal signatures - indicative of closed-system exchange with formation fluids - to strongly air-contaminated signatures in the EOR region. Pristine samples can be used to determine the extent of hydrocarbon exchange with fluids, whereas samples with excess air can be used to quantify the extent of EOR. Determining noble gas baseline values for pristine vs. recently modified (EOR, hydraulic fracturing) zones will be critical for interpreting the origin of any fugitive gases identified in nearby aquifers. [1] Ballentine et al., (1996) GCA, 60, 831-849 [2] Barry et al., (2016) GCA, 194, 291-309. [3] Barry et al., (2017) Geology, 45, 9. Darrah et al., (2014) PNAS 111, 39.

Prevalence of species of Toxocara in dogs, cats and red foxes from the Poznan region, Poland.

PubMed

Luty, T

2001-06-01

The prevalence of toxocariasis was evaluated for 445 dogs, 105 cats and 92 foxes from the Poznan region during 1997-1998. Forty one cats were infected (39%), 140 dogs (32%) and 15 red foxes (16%). Toxocara canis was found most frequently in puppies up to 3 months old (58%) and T. cati in kittens 4-6 months old (64%). Toxocariasis was much more prevalent amongst adult foxes (14%) than adult dogs (3%). In contrast to cats, female dogs and foxes were less infected than males. The present study suggests that cats may constitute an underestimated risk of transmission of Toxocara spp. to humans and the progressive synatropization of red foxes may also increase the sources of environmental contamination with Toxocara eggs.

Sarcoptic mange in free-ranging pampas foxes in the Gran Chaco, Bolivia.

PubMed

Deem, Sharon L; Noss, Andrew J; Cuéllar, Rosa Leny; Villarroel, Richard; Linn, Michael J; Forrester, Donald J

2002-07-01

Sarcoptes scabiei infestation was diagnosed in two freshly dead free-ranging pampas foxes (Pseudalopex gymnocercus) in the Gran Chaco, Bolivia. Diagnosis was made based on histologic evaluation of skin biopsies and identification of the parasite from skin scrapings. Characteristic gross lesions consistent with mange were noted in 19 of 94 observations of free-ranging pampas foxes in the region from December 1998 to January 2000. None of 16 crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) observed during the same time period had visible lesions consistent with scabies. These are the first case reports of S. scabiei in pampas foxes.

Water-Resource Trends and Comparisons Between Partial-Development and October 2006 Hydrologic Conditions, Wood River Valley, South-Central Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skinner, Kenneth D.; Bartolino, James R.; Tranmer, Andrew W.

2007-01-01

This report analyzes trends in ground-water and surface-water data, documents 2006 hydrologic conditions, and compares 2006 and historic ground-water data of the Wood River Valley of south-central Idaho. The Wood River Valley extends from Galena Summit southward to the Timmerman Hills. It is comprised of a single unconfined aquifer and an underlying confined aquifer present south of Baseline Road in the southern part of the study area. Streams are well-connected to the shallow unconfined aquifer. Because the entire population of the area depends on ground water for domestic supply, either from domestic or municipal-supply wells, rapid population growth since the 1970s has raised concerns about the continued availability of ground and surface water to support existing uses and streamflow. To help address these concerns, this report evaluates ground- and surface-water conditions in the area before and during the population growth that started in the 1970s. Mean annual water levels in three wells (two completed in the unconfined aquifer and one in the confined aquifer) with more than 50 years of semi-annual measurements showed statistically significant declining trends. Mean annual and monthly streamflow trends were analyzed for three gaging stations in the Wood River Valley. The Big Wood River at Hailey gaging station (13139500) showed a statistically significant trend of a 25-percent increase in mean monthly base flow for March over the 90-year period of record, possibly because of earlier snowpack runoff. Both the 7-day and 30-day low-flow analyses for the Big Wood River near Bellevue gaging station (13141000) show a mean decrease of approximately 15 cubic feet per second since the 1940s, and mean monthly discharge showed statistically significant decreasing trends for December, January, and February. The Silver Creek at Sportsman Access near Picabo gaging station (13150430) also showed statistically significant decreasing trends in annual and mean monthly discharge for July through February and April from 1975 to 2005. Comparisons of partial-development (ground-water conditions from 1952 to 1986) and 2006 ground-water resources in the Wood River Valley using a geographic information system indicate that most ground-water levels for the unconfined aquifer in the study area are either stable or declining. Declines are predominant in the southern part of the study area south of Hailey, and some areas exceed what is expected of natural fluctuations in ground-water levels. Some ground-water levels rose in the northern part of the study area; however, these increases are approximated due to a lack of water-level data in the area. Ground-water level declines in the confined aquifer exceed the range of expected natural fluctuations in large areas of the confined aquifer in the southern part of the study area in the Bellevue fan. However, the results in this area are approximated due to limited available water-level data.

Associations between Forkhead Box O1 (FoxO1) Expression and Indicators of Hepatic Glucose Production in Transition Dairy Cows Supplemented with Dietary Nicotinic Acid.

PubMed

Kinoshita, Asako; Locher, Lena; Tienken, Reka; Meyer, Ulrich; Dänicke, Sven; Rehage, Jürgen; Huber, Korinna

2016-01-01

Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) is a transcription factor which promotes hepatic glucose production (HGP) by up-regulating the transcription of gluconeogenic enzymes in monogastric species. The activity of FoxO1 is inhibited by insulin-induced phosphorylation. The aims of the present study were to find associations between FoxO1 expression and variables associated with HGP as affected by feeding regimen in dairy cows during the transition period. Twenty one healthy German Holstein cows were allocated to four groups (LC-CON, HC-CON, LC-NA with 5 cows/group and HC-NA with 6 cows/group, respectively). Cows received 0 (LC-CON and HC-CON) or 24 (LC-NA and HC-NA) g/d nicotinic acid with high (HC) or low (LC) concentrate proportion from -42 days (-41.8 + 4.8; mean + standard deviation) relative to expected calving date (d-42) to d24. Liver biopsy was taken at d-42, 1, 21, and 100. The total protein expression of FoxO1 (tFoxO1) and the extent of phosphorylation of FoxO1 at serine 256 (pFoxO1) were analysed semiquantitatively by Western Blotting. The expression of hepatic mRNA of FoxO1 and seven genes associated with HGP was measured by real-time RT-PCR. Mixed model and Pearson's correlation were used for statistical evaluation with the level of significance at P<0.05. No dietary effect was observed either on feed intake, energy balance, or on the concentration of blood metabolites. Neither time nor diet affected the expression of FoxO1 total protein and mRNA. A NA × concentrate interaction was found in pFoxO1. However, no corresponding dietary effect was found in the mRNA expression of investigated genes. Different patterns of correlations between FoxO1-related variables and investigated indicators for HGP were found at d21 and 100. The results indicated that the regulation of HGP did not take place on the levels of mRNA and protein expression and the phosphorylation of FoxO1 in dairy cows in early lactation.

Associations between Forkhead Box O1 (FoxO1) Expression and Indicators of Hepatic Glucose Production in Transition Dairy Cows Supplemented with Dietary Nicotinic Acid

PubMed Central

Kinoshita, Asako; Locher, Lena; Tienken, Reka; Meyer, Ulrich; Dänicke, Sven; Rehage, Jürgen; Huber, Korinna

2016-01-01

Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) is a transcription factor which promotes hepatic glucose production (HGP) by up-regulating the transcription of gluconeogenic enzymes in monogastric species. The activity of FoxO1 is inhibited by insulin-induced phosphorylation. The aims of the present study were to find associations between FoxO1 expression and variables associated with HGP as affected by feeding regimen in dairy cows during the transition period. Twenty one healthy German Holstein cows were allocated to four groups (LC-CON, HC-CON, LC-NA with 5 cows/group and HC-NA with 6 cows/group, respectively). Cows received 0 (LC-CON and HC-CON) or 24 (LC-NA and HC-NA) g/d nicotinic acid with high (HC) or low (LC) concentrate proportion from -42 days (-41.8 + 4.8; mean + standard deviation) relative to expected calving date (d-42) to d24. Liver biopsy was taken at d-42, 1, 21, and 100. The total protein expression of FoxO1 (tFoxO1) and the extent of phosphorylation of FoxO1 at serine 256 (pFoxO1) were analysed semiquantitatively by Western Blotting. The expression of hepatic mRNA of FoxO1 and seven genes associated with HGP was measured by real-time RT-PCR. Mixed model and Pearson’s correlation were used for statistical evaluation with the level of significance at P<0.05. No dietary effect was observed either on feed intake, energy balance, or on the concentration of blood metabolites. Neither time nor diet affected the expression of FoxO1 total protein and mRNA. A NA × concentrate interaction was found in pFoxO1. However, no corresponding dietary effect was found in the mRNA expression of investigated genes. Different patterns of correlations between FoxO1-related variables and investigated indicators for HGP were found at d21 and 100. The results indicated that the regulation of HGP did not take place on the levels of mRNA and protein expression and the phosphorylation of FoxO1 in dairy cows in early lactation. PMID:26800252

Increased CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells alter the balance between Treg and Th17 cells in colitis mice.

PubMed

Ma, Ya-Hui; Zhang, Jie; Chen, Xue; Xie, You-Fu; Pang, Yan-Hua; Liu, Xin-Juan

2016-11-14

To investigate the role of regulatory T cell (Treg) subsets in the balance between Treg and T helper 17 (Th17) cells in various tissues from mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. Treg cells, Treg cell subsets, Th17 cells, and CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + IL-17 + cells from the lamina propria of colon (LPC) and other ulcerative colitis (UC) mouse tissues were evaluated by flow cytometry. Forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3), interleukin 17A (IL-17A), and RORC mRNA levels were assessed by real-time PCR, while interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-17A levels were detected with a Cytometric Beads Array. In peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC), mesenteric lymph node (MLN), lamina propria of jejunum (LPJ) and LPC from UC mice, Treg cell numbers were increased ( P < 0.05), and FoxP3 and IL-10 mRNA levels were decreased. Th17 cell numbers were also increased in PBMC and LPC, as were IL-17A levels in PBMC, LPJ, and serum. The number of FrI subset cells (CD4 + CD45RA + FoxP3 low ) was increased in the spleen, MLN, LPJ, and LPC. FrII subset cells (CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 high ) were decreased among PBMC, MLN, LPJ, and LPC, but the number of FrIII cells (CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 low ) and CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + IL-17A + cells was increased. FoxP3 mRNA levels in CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 low cells decreased in PBMC, MLN, LPJ, and LPC in UC mice, while IL-17A and RORC mRNA increased. In UC mice the distribution of Treg, Th17 cells, CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 high , and CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 low cells was higher in LPC relative to other tissues. Increased numbers of CD4 + CD45RA - FoxP3 low cells may cause an imbalance between Treg and Th17 cells that is mainly localized to the LPC rather than secondary lymphoid tissues.

Increased CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells alter the balance between Treg and Th17 cells in colitis mice

PubMed Central

Ma, Ya-Hui; Zhang, Jie; Chen, Xue; Xie, You-Fu; Pang, Yan-Hua; Liu, Xin-Juan

2016-01-01

AIM To investigate the role of regulatory T cell (Treg) subsets in the balance between Treg and T helper 17 (Th17) cells in various tissues from mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. METHODS Treg cells, Treg cell subsets, Th17 cells, and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+IL-17+ cells from the lamina propria of colon (LPC) and other ulcerative colitis (UC) mouse tissues were evaluated by flow cytometry. Forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3), interleukin 17A (IL-17A), and RORC mRNA levels were assessed by real-time PCR, while interleukin-10 (IL-10) and IL-17A levels were detected with a Cytometric Beads Array. RESULTS In peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC), mesenteric lymph node (MLN), lamina propria of jejunum (LPJ) and LPC from UC mice, Treg cell numbers were increased (P < 0.05), and FoxP3 and IL-10 mRNA levels were decreased. Th17 cell numbers were also increased in PBMC and LPC, as were IL-17A levels in PBMC, LPJ, and serum. The number of FrI subset cells (CD4+CD45RA+FoxP3low) was increased in the spleen, MLN, LPJ, and LPC. FrII subset cells (CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3high) were decreased among PBMC, MLN, LPJ, and LPC, but the number of FrIII cells (CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low) and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+IL-17A+ cells was increased. FoxP3 mRNA levels in CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells decreased in PBMC, MLN, LPJ, and LPC in UC mice, while IL-17A and RORC mRNA increased. In UC mice the distribution of Treg, Th17 cells, CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3high, and CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells was higher in LPC relative to other tissues. CONCLUSION Increased numbers of CD4+CD45RA-FoxP3low cells may cause an imbalance between Treg and Th17 cells that is mainly localized to the LPC rather than secondary lymphoid tissues. PMID:27895423

78 FR 39608 - Safety Zone; Summer in the City Water Ski Show; Fox River, Green Bay, WI

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Summer in the City Water Ski Show; Fox River, Green Bay, WI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Fox River in Green Bay, WI. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Fox River...

A Novel FOXE1 Mutation (R73S) in Bamforth–Lazarus Syndrome Causing Increased Thyroidal Gene Expression

PubMed Central

Carré, Aurore; Hamza, Rasha T.; Kariyawasam, Dulanjalee; Guillot, Loïc; Teissier, Raphaël; Tron, Elodie; Castanet, Mireille; Dupuy, Corinne; El Kholy, Mohamed; Polak, Michel

2014-01-01

Background: Homozygous loss-of-function mutations in the FOXE1 gene have been reported in several patients with partial or complete Bamforth–Lazarus syndrome: congenital hypothyroidism (CH) with thyroid dysgenesis (usually athyreosis), cleft palate, spiky hair, with or without choanal atresia, and bifid epiglottis. Here, our objective was to evaluate potential functional consequences of a FOXE1 mutation in a patient with a similar clinical phenotype. Methods: FOXE1 was sequenced in eight patients with thyroid dysgenesis and cleft palate. Transient transfection was performed in HEK293 cells using the thyroglobulin (TG) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) promoters in luciferase reporter plasmids to assess the functional impact of the FOXE1 mutations. Primary human thyrocytes transfected with wild type and mutant FOXE1 served to assess the impact of the mutation on endogenous TG and TPO expression. Results: We identified and characterized the function of a new homozygous FOXE1 missense mutation (p.R73S) in a boy with a typical phenotype (athyreosis, cleft palate, and partial choanal atresia). This new mutation located within the forkhead domain was inherited from the heterozygous healthy consanguineous parents. In vitro functional studies in HEK293 cells showed that this mutant gene enhanced the activity of the TG and TPO gene promoters (1.5-fold and 1.7-fold respectively vs. wild type FOXE1; p<0.05), unlike the five mutations previously reported in Bamforth–Lazarus syndrome. The gain-of-function effect of the FOXE1-p.R73S mutant gene was confirmed by an increase in endogenous TG production in primary human thyrocytes. Conclusion: We identified a new homozygous FOXE1 mutation responsible for enhanced expression of the TG and TPO genes in a boy whose phenotype is similar to that reported previously in patients with loss-of-function FOXE1 mutations. This finding further delineates the role for FOXE1 in both thyroid and palate development, and shows that enhanced gene activity should be considered among the mechanisms underlying Bamforth–Lazarus syndrome. PMID:24219130

Long-term study of Sarcoptes scabiei infection in Norwegian red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) indicating host/parasite adaptation.

PubMed

Davidson, Rebecca K; Bornstein, Set; Handeland, Kjell

2008-10-01

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population, in Norway, was naïve to Sarcoptes scabiei prior to the late 1970s when this parasite was first recorded and a still ongoing epidemic started. During the course of this protracted epidemic some degree of host/parasite adaptation, with the occurrence of healthy antibody positive foxes, might be expected. In the present study the prevalence of sarcoptic mange and serologically identified S. scabiei exposure was investigated in 363 Norwegian red foxes, shot by hunters during two different study periods (1994-1995 and 2002-2005). The sarcoptic mange diagnosis was based upon the presence of clearly visible lesions in the skin of the cadaver with confirmatory demonstration of S. scabiei. The serodiagnosis was based on an indirect-ELISA. There was a significant decrease in prevalence of both mange cases and seropositive animals from the first to the second study period. Whilst the mange prevalence fell more than threefold, from 30.0% to 6.6%, the seroprevalence dropped less dramatically from 53.3% to 19.1%. The smaller decrease in seroprevalence compared to mange cases reflected a significantly higher ratio of seropositive-mange negative versus seropositive-mange positive foxes, during the second study period, 40:18, compared to the first, 14:18. These findings indicate that the red fox population is adapting to live with the parasite and that low-grade or sub-clinical infections, and even recoveries, occur amongst exposed foxes. Mange positive foxes had significantly poorer body condition than those without sarcoptic mange. No significant difference in body condition was seen between seropositive-mange negative versus seronegative-mange negative foxes. The ELISA sensitivity was found to be 95% and proved a useful tool for investigating the exposure to S. scabiei in wild foxes. This study is believed to be the first pointing to a long-term Sarcoptes/fox adaptation, combining long-term prevalence studies of clinical sarcoptic mange and serological evidence of exposure to the parasite in the general fox population.

Hydrogeology of the interstream area between Ty Ty Creek and Ty Ty Creek tributary near Plains, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, Lisa M.; Hicks, David W.

1996-01-01

This report is part of an interdisciplinary effort to identify and describe processes that control movement and fate of selected fertilizers and pesticides in the surface and subsurface environments in the Fall Line Hills district of the Georgia Coastal Plain physiographic province. This report describes the hydrogeology of the interstream area between Ty Ty Creek and it's tributary near Plains, Sumter County, Georgia. Geologic units of interest to this study are, in ascending order, (1) the Tuscahoma Formation, a bluish gray, silty clay; (2) the Tallahatta Formation, a fine-to-coarse, poorly sorted quartz sand that is divided into an upper and lower unit; and (3) the undifferentiated overburden, which consists of fine to medium poorly sorted sand, silt and clay. Continuous-core samples indicate that the unsaturated zone includes the undifferentiated overburden and the upper unit of the Tallahatta Formation, and attains a maximum thickness of about 52 feet (ft) in the southern part of the study area. The Claiborne aquifer in the study area consists of the lower unit of the Tallahatta Formation and ranges in thickness from 3 ft near Ty Ty Creek tributary to about 20 ft in the upland divide area. It is confined below by the clayey sediments of the Tuscahoma Formation. The Claiborne aquifer in the study area generally is confined above by an extensive clay layer that is the base if the upper unit of the Tallahatta Formation. Fluctuations in the amount of vertical recharge to the aquifer result in areal and temporal changes in aquifer conditions from confined to unconfined in parts of the study area. Hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer ranges from 3.5 to 7 feet per day. The transmissivity of the aquifer is approximately 50 feet squared per day. Water-level data indicate the potentiometric surface slopes to the south, southeast, and southwest with a gradient of about 87 to 167 feet per mile. The shape of the potentiometric surface and the direction of groundwater flow remains relatively unchanged during high and low water-level periods. Water levels in the Claiborne aquifer fluctuated by a maximum of 6 ft during the period from January to December 1991. Recharge to the Claiborne aquifer consists of a local and regional flow component. Lateral ground-water flow (regional flow) into the study area is dependent on regional hydraulic controls (pumpage, stream discharge, and rainfall). The rate of lateral movement of ground water is dependent on the hydraulic conductivity of the saturated zone, the hydraulic gradient, and other hydraulic factors, and is considered to be relatively constant. Local recharge enters the ground-water system as rainfall that percolates down to the water table. Annual water-level fluctuations in the Claiborne aquifer indicate that the majority of regional and local recharge occurs in the interstream area with recharge decreasing downslope to the streams. Ground water discharges to Ty Ty Creek and it's tributary throughout the year during low and high water-level periods.

Hydrostratigraphic interpretation of test-hole and surface geophysical data, Elkhorn and Loup River Basins, Nebraska, 2008 to 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hobza, Christopher M.; Bedrosian, Paul A.; Bloss, Benjamin R.

2012-01-01

The Elkhorn-Loup Model (ELM) was begun in 2006 to understand the effect of various groundwater-management scenarios on surface-water resources. During phase one of the ELM study, a lack of subsurface geological information was identified as a data gap. Test holes drilled to the base of the aquifer in the ELM study area are spaced as much as 25 miles apart, especially in areas of the western Sand Hills. Given the variable character of the hydrostratigraphic units that compose the High Plains aquifer system, substantial variation in aquifer thickness and characteristics can exist between test holes. To improve the hydrogeologic understanding of the ELM study area, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, multiple Natural Resources Districts participating in the ELM study, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Conservation and Survey Division, described the subsurface lithology at six test holes drilled in 2010 and concurrently collected borehole geophysical data to identify the base of the High Plains aquifer system. A total of 124 time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) soundings of resistivity were collected at and between selected test-hole locations during 2008-11 as a quick, non-invasive means of identifying the base of the High Plains aquifer system. Test-hole drilling and geophysical logging indicated the base-of-aquifer elevation was less variable in the central ELM area than in previously reported results from the western part of the ELM study area, where deeper paleochannels were eroded into the Brule Formation. In total, more than 435 test holes were examined and compared with the modeled-TDEM soundings. Even where present, individual stratigraphic units could not always be identified in modeled-TDEM sounding results if sufficient resistivity contrast was not evident; however, in general, the base of aquifer [top of the aquifer confining unit (ACU)] is one of the best-resolved results from the TDEM-based models, and estimates of the base-of-aquifer elevation are in good accordance with those from existing test-hole data. Differences between ACU elevations based on modeled-TDEM and test-hole data ranged from 2 to 113 feet (0.6 to 34 meters). The modeled resistivity results reflect the eastward thinning of Miocene-age and older stratigraphic units, and generally allowed confident identification of the accompanying change in the stratigraphic unit forming the ACU. The differences in elevation of the top of the Ogallala, estimated on the basis of the modeled-TDEM resistivity, and the test-hole data ranged from 11 to 251 feet (3.4 to 77 meters), with two-thirds of model results being within 60 feet of the test-hole contact elevation. The modeled-TDEM soundings also provided information regarding the distribution of Plio-Pleistocene gravel deposits, which had an average thickness of 100 feet (30 meters) in the study area; however, in many cases the contact between the Plio-Pleistocene deposits and the overlying Quaternary deposits cannot be reliably distinguished using TDEM soundings alone because of insufficient thickness or resistivity contrast.

Interspecific and Geographic Variation in the Diets of Sympatric Carnivores: Dingoes/Wild Dogs and Red Foxes in South-Eastern Australia

PubMed Central

Pascoe, Charlie; Benshemesh, Joe; Robley, Alan; Lawrence, Jenny; Ritchie, Euan G.; Nimmo, Dale G.; Lumsden, Lindy F.

2015-01-01

Dingoes/wild dogs (Canis dingo/familiaris) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are widespread carnivores in southern Australia and are controlled to reduce predation on domestic livestock and native fauna. We used the occurrence of food items in 5875 dingo/wild dog scats and 11,569 fox scats to evaluate interspecific and geographic differences in the diets of these species within nine regions of Victoria, south-eastern Australia. The nine regions encompass a wide variety of ecosystems. Diet overlap between dingoes/wild dogs and foxes varied among regions, from low to near complete overlap. The diet of foxes was broader than dingoes/wild dogs in all but three regions, with the former usually containing more insects, reptiles and plant material. By contrast, dingoes/wild dogs more regularly consumed larger mammals, supporting the hypothesis that niche partitioning occurs on the basis of mammalian prey size. The key mammalian food items for dingoes/wild dogs across all regions were black wallaby (Wallabia bicolor), brushtail possum species (Trichosurus spp.), common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), cattle (Bos taurus) and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The key mammalian food items for foxes across all regions were European rabbit, sheep (Ovis aries) and house mouse (Mus musculus). Foxes consumed 6.1 times the number of individuals of threatened Critical Weight Range native mammal species than did dingoes/wild dogs. The occurrence of intraguild predation was asymmetrical; dingoes/wild dogs consumed greater biomass of the smaller fox. The substantial geographic variation in diet indicates that dingoes/wild dogs and foxes alter their diet in accordance with changing food availability. We provide checklists of taxa recorded in the diets of dingoes/wild dogs and foxes as a resource for managers and researchers wishing to understand the potential impacts of policy and management decisions on dingoes/wild dogs, foxes and the food resources they interact with. PMID:25790230

Neglected intravascular pathogens, Babesia vulpes and haemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in European red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population.

PubMed

Koneval, Martina; Miterpáková, Martina; Hurníková, Zuzana; Blaňarová, Lucia; Víchová, Bronislava

2017-08-30

Wild animals, especially canids, are important reservoirs of vector-borne pathogens, that are transmitted by the ticks and other bloodsucking arthropods. In total, 300 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), shot by the hunters in eastern and northern Slovakia, were screened for the presence of vector-borne pathogens by PCR-based methods Blood samples were obtained from nine red foxes and tissue samples originated from 291 animals (the liver tissue samples from 49 foxes and spleen samples from 242 red foxes). Babesia vulpes and haemotropic Mycoplasma species were identified by amplification and sequencing of 18S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene fragments, respectively. Overall, the presence of these pathogens was recorded in 12.3% of screened DNA samples. Altogether 9.7% (29/300) of investigated foxes carried DNA of Babesia spp. In total, 12 out of 29 Babesia spp. PCR - positive amplicons were further sequenced and identified as B. vulpes (41.4%; 12/29), remaining 17 samples are referred as Babesia sp. (58.6%; 17/29). Overall prevalence of B. vulpes reached 4.0% (n=300). Thirteen (4.3%) samples tested positive for distinct Mycoplasma species. To the best of our knowledge, this study brings the first information on B. vulpes infection in red foxes in Slovakia, and the first data on the prevalence and diversity of haemotropic Mycoplasma spp. in European red fox population. Moreover, co-infections with B. vulpes and Mycoplasma spp. were confirmed in 1.7% of tested DNA samples. The relatively high rates of blood pathogen' prevalence and species diversity in wild foxes indicate the role of the fox population in the maintenance of the parasites in sylvatic cycles and strengthen the assumption that foxes play an important role in spreading of infectious microorganisms within and outside the natural foci. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forkhead Box O1 Regulates Macrophage Polarization Following Staphylococcus aureus Infection: Experimental Murine Data and Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Wang, Yu-Chen; Ma, Hong-Di; Yin, Xue-Ying; Wang, Yin-Hu; Liu, Qing-Zhi; Yang, Jing-Bo; Shi, Qing-Hua; Sun, Baolin; Gershwin, M Eric; Lian, Zhe-Xiong

2016-12-01

The functions of macrophages that lead to effective host responses are critical for protection against Staphylococcus aureus. Deep tissue-invading S. aureus initially countered by macrophages trigger macrophage accumulation and induce inflammatory responses through surface receptors, especially toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). Here, we found that macrophages formed sporadic aggregates in the liver during infection. Within those aggregates, macrophages co-localized with T cells and were indispensable for their infiltration. In addition, we have focused on the mechanisms underlying the polarization of macrophages in Forkhead box transcription factor O1 (FoxO1) conditional knockout Lys Cre/+ FoxO1 fl/fl mice following S. aureus infection and report herein that macrophage M1-M2 polarization via TLR2 is intrinsically regulated by FoxO1. Indeed, for effective FoxO1 activity, stimulation of TLR2 is essential. However, following S. aureus challenge, there was a decrease in macrophage FoxO1, with increased phosphorylation of FoxO1 because of TLR2-mediated activation of PI3K/Akt and c-Raf/MEK/ERK pathway. Following infection in Lys Cre/+ FoxO1 fl/fl mice, mice became more susceptible to S. aureus with reduced macrophage aggregation in the liver and attenuated Th1 and Th17 responses. FoxO1 abrogation reduced M1 pro-inflammatory responses triggered by S. aureus and enhanced M2 polarization in macrophages. In contrast, overexpression of FoxO1 in macrophages increased pro-inflammatory mediators and functional surface molecule expression. In conclusion, macrophage FoxO1 is critical to promote M1 polarization and maintain a competent T cell immune response against S. aureus infection in the liver. FoxO1 regulates macrophage M1-M2 polarization downstream of TLR2 dynamically through phosphorylation.

Isolation of chicken homolog of the FOXL2 gene and comparison of its expression patterns with those of aromatase during ovarian development.

PubMed

Govoroun, Marina S; Pannetier, Maëlle; Pailhoux, Eric; Cocquet, Julie; Brillard, Jean-Pierre; Couty, Isabelle; Batellier, Florence; Cotinot, Corinne

2004-12-01

Mutations in the forkhead transcription factor gene FOXL2 are involved in ovarian failure, which occurs in human BPES syndrome. This syndrome presents a sexually dimorphic expression, specific to the ovary in several vertebrates. We cloned the open reading frame of chicken FOXL2 (cFoxL2) and studied cFoxL2 expression in developing gonads and during adulthood to examine the role of FOXL2 in ovarian differentiation and function in birds. The spatial and temporal dynamics of cFoxL2 and aromatase expression were analyzed in parallel by using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry in attempt to investigate the possible role of cFoxL2 in the regulation of aromatase. The expression patterns of cFoxL2 and aromatase transcripts were highly correlated during the sex-differentiation period (4.7-12.7 days of incubation). Aromatase and cFoxL2 proteins were colocalized in the medullar part of female gonads on embryonic day 14. Fourteen days after hatching, cFoxL2 protein was mainly detected in granulosa cells of developing follicles. In adult ovary follicular envelopes, apart from granulosa cells, cFoxL2 transcript and protein were detected at lower levels in theca cells where aromatase was present. A high level of cFoxL2 transcription was also observed in maturing and ovulated oocytes. Our results confirm that FoxL2 is an early regulator of ovarian development in birds and may be involved in aromatase transcription regulation. Copyright (c) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Evidence, models, conservation programs and limits to management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, J.D.

2012-01-01

Walsh et al. (2012) emphasized the importance of obtaining evidence to assess the effects of management actions on state variables relevant to objectives of conservation programs. They focused on malleefowl Leipoa ocellata, ground-dwelling Australian megapodes listed as vulnerable. They noted that although fox Vulpes vulpes baiting is the main management action used in malleefowl conservation throughout southern Australia, evidence of the effectiveness of this action is limited and currently debated. Walsh et al. (2012) then used data from 64 sites monitored for malleefowl and foxes over 23 years to assess key functional relationships relevant to fox control as a conservation action for malleefowl. In one set of analyses, Walsh et al. (2012) focused on two relationships: fox baiting investment versus fox presence, and fox presence versus malleefowl population size and rate of population change. Results led to the counterintuitive conclusion that increases in investments in fox control produced slight decreases in malleefowl population size and growth. In a second set of analyses, Walsh et al. (2012) directly assessed the relationship between investment in fox baiting and malleefowl population size and rate of population change. This set of analyses showed no significant relationship between investment in fox population control and malleefowl population growth. Both sets of analyses benefited from the incorporation of key environmental covariates hypothesized to influence these management relationships. Walsh et al. (2012) concluded that "in most situations, malleefowl conservation did not effectively benefit from fox baiting at current levels of investment." In this commentary, I discuss the work of Walsh et al. (2012) using the conceptual framework of structured decision making (SDM). In doing so, I accept their analytic results and associated conclusions as accurate and discuss basic ideas about evidence, conservation and limits to management.

Trend analysis of Trichinella in a red fox population from a low endemic area using a validated artificial digestion and sequential sieving technique.

PubMed

Franssen, Frits; Deksne, Gunita; Esíte, Zanda; Havelaar, Arie; Swart, Arno; van der Giessen, Joke

2014-11-28

Freezing of fox carcasses to minimize professional hazard of infection with Echinococcus multilocularis is recommended in endemic areas, but this could influence the detection of Trichinella larvae in the same host species. A method based on artificial digestion of frozen fox muscle, combined with larva isolation by a sequential sieving method (SSM), was validated using naturally infected foxes from Latvia. The validated SSM was used to detect dead Trichinella muscle larvae (ML) in frozen muscle samples of 369 red foxes from the Netherlands, of which one fox was positive (0.067 larvae per gram). This result was compared with historical Trichinella findings in Dutch red foxes. Molecular analysis using 5S PCR showed that both T. britovi and T. nativa were present in the Latvian foxes, without mixed infections. Of 96 non-frozen T. britovi ML, 94% was successfully sequenced, whereas this was the case for only 8.3% of 72 frozen T. britovi ML. The single Trichinella sp. larva that was recovered from the positive Dutch fox did not yield PCR product, probably due to severe freeze-damage. In conclusion, the SSM presented in this study is a fast and effective method to detect dead Trichinella larvae in frozen meat. We showed that the Trichinella prevalence in Dutch red fox was 0.27% (95% CI 0.065-1.5%), in contrast to 3.9% in the same study area fifteen years ago. Moreover, this study demonstrated that the efficacy of 5S PCR for identification of Trichinella britovi single larvae from frozen meat is not more than 8.3%.

Lithium ions attenuate serum-deprivation-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells through regulation of the Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathways.

PubMed

Zeng, Zhiwen; Wang, Haitao; Shang, Fu; Zhou, Lihua; Little, Peter J; Quirion, Remi; Zheng, Wenhua

2016-03-01

Lithium is currently used in the treatment of mental illness. We have previously reported that lithium stimulated the protein kinase B/Forkhead box O1 (Akt/FoxO1) pathway in rats. However, little information is available regarding its neuroprotective role of this pathway and underlying mechanisms. PC12 cells treated with serum deprivation were used as a toxicity model to study the protective effect of lithium and its underlying mechanisms. Cell viability was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay and Hoechst staining. FoxO1 subcellular location and its overexpression were used to study the underlying mechanisms. Various pathway inhibitors were used to investigate the possible pathways, while the phosphorylation of Akt and FoxO1 was analyzed by Western blot. Lithium pretreatment dose-dependently reduced PC12 cell apoptosis induced by serum starvation. The protective effect of lithium was abolished by LY294002, a PI3K-specific inhibitor, and Akt inhibitor Akt inhibitor VIII, whereas mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK kinase) inhibitor U0126 had no effect. Lithium induced the phosphorylation of Akt and FoxO1 in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Lithium-induced phosphorylation of Akt and FoxO1 is mediated by the PI3K/Akt pathway. Serum deprivation caused nuclear translocation of FoxO1 while application of lithium reversed the effect of serum deprivation. Moreover, overexpression of FoxO1 enhanced cell apoptosis induced by serum withdrawal. Finally, lithium was found to reduce the exogenous and endogenous FoxO1 protein levels in PC12 cells in a concentration-dependent fashion. The protective effect of lithium against serum starvation cell death is mediated by the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 pathway.

Striatal FoxP2 Is Actively Regulated during Songbird Sensorimotor Learning

PubMed Central

Teramitsu, Ikuko; Poopatanapong, Amy; Torrisi, Salvatore; White, Stephanie A.

2010-01-01

Background Mutations in the FOXP2 transcription factor lead to language disorders with developmental onset. Accompanying structural abnormalities in cortico-striatal circuitry indicate that at least a portion of the behavioral phenotype is due to organizational deficits. We previously found parallel FoxP2 expression patterns in human and songbird cortico/pallio-striatal circuits important for learned vocalizations, suggesting that FoxP2's function in birdsong may generalize to speech. Methodology/Principal Findings We used zebra finches to address the question of whether FoxP2 is additionally important in the post-organizational function of these circuits. In both humans and songbirds, vocal learning depends on auditory guidance to achieve and maintain optimal vocal output. We tested whether deafening prior to or during the sensorimotor phase of song learning disrupted FoxP2 expression in song circuitry. As expected, the songs of deafened juveniles were abnormal, however basal FoxP2 levels were unaffected. In contrast, when hearing or deaf juveniles sang for two hours in the morning, FoxP2 was acutely down-regulated in the striatal song nucleus, area X. The extent of down-regulation was similar between hearing and deaf birds. Interestingly, levels of FoxP2 and singing were correlated only in hearing birds. Conclusions/Significance Hearing appears to link FoxP2 levels to the amount of vocal practice. As juvenile birds spent more time practicing than did adults, their FoxP2 levels are likely to be low more often. Behaviorally-driven reductions in the mRNA encoding this transcription factor could ultimately affect downstream molecules that function in vocal exploration, especially during sensorimotor learning. PMID:20062527

Are flying-foxes coming to town? Urbanisation of the spectacled flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) in Australia.

PubMed

Tait, Jessica; Perotto-Baldivieso, Humberto L; McKeown, Adam; Westcott, David A

2014-01-01

Urbanisation of wildlife populations is a process with significant conservation and management implications. While urban areas can provide habitat for wildlife, some urbanised species eventually come into conflict with humans. Understanding the process and drivers of wildlife urbanisation is fundamental to developing effective management responses to this phenomenon. In Australia, flying-foxes (Pteropodidae) are a common feature of urban environments, sometimes roosting in groups of tens of thousands of individuals. Flying-foxes appear to be becoming increasingly urbanised and are coming into increased contact and conflict with humans. Flying-fox management is now a highly contentious issue. In this study we used monitoring data collected over a 15 year period (1998-2012) to examine the spatial and temporal patterns of association of spectacled flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) roost sites (camps) with urban areas. We asked whether spectacled flying-foxes are becoming more urbanised and test the hypothesis that such changes are associated with anthropogenic changes to landscape structure. Our results indicate that spectacled flying-foxes were more likely to roost near humans than might be expected by chance, that over the period of the study the proportion of the flying-foxes in urban-associated camps increased, as did the number of urban camps. Increased urbanisation of spectacled flying-foxes was not related to changes in landscape structure or to the encroachment of urban areas on camps. Overall, camps tended to be found in areas that were more fragmented, closer to human habitation and with more urban land cover than the surrounding landscape. This suggests that urbanisation is a behavioural response rather than driven by habitat loss.

Are Flying-Foxes Coming to Town? Urbanisation of the Spectacled Flying-Fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) in Australia

PubMed Central

Tait, Jessica; Perotto-Baldivieso, Humberto L.; McKeown, Adam; Westcott, David A.

2014-01-01

Urbanisation of wildlife populations is a process with significant conservation and management implications. While urban areas can provide habitat for wildlife, some urbanised species eventually come into conflict with humans. Understanding the process and drivers of wildlife urbanisation is fundamental to developing effective management responses to this phenomenon. In Australia, flying-foxes (Pteropodidae) are a common feature of urban environments, sometimes roosting in groups of tens of thousands of individuals. Flying-foxes appear to be becoming increasingly urbanised and are coming into increased contact and conflict with humans. Flying-fox management is now a highly contentious issue. In this study we used monitoring data collected over a 15 year period (1998–2012) to examine the spatial and temporal patterns of association of spectacled flying-fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) roost sites (camps) with urban areas. We asked whether spectacled flying-foxes are becoming more urbanised and test the hypothesis that such changes are associated with anthropogenic changes to landscape structure. Our results indicate that spectacled flying-foxes were more likely to roost near humans than might be expected by chance, that over the period of the study the proportion of the flying-foxes in urban-associated camps increased, as did the number of urban camps. Increased urbanisation of spectacled flying-foxes was not related to changes in landscape structure or to the encroachment of urban areas on camps. Overall, camps tended to be found in areas that were more fragmented, closer to human habitation and with more urban land cover than the surrounding landscape. This suggests that urbanisation is a behavioural response rather than driven by habitat loss. PMID:25295724

Michael J. Fox: Spurring Research on Parkinson's

MedlinePlus

... on. Feature: Parkinson's Disease Michael J. Fox: Spurring Research on Parkinson's Past Issues / Winter 2014 Table of ... founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in the year 2000. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock " ...

The occurrence of rabies in the Svalbard Islands of Norway.

PubMed

Prestrud, P; Krogsrud, J; Gjertz, I

1992-01-01

After the first recorded outbreak of rabies in the Svalbard Islands (Norway) in 1980, brain tissue from 817 trapped arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) was tested for rabies by a direct fluorescent antibody test. During the same period (1980 to 1990), 29 arctic foxes, 23 polar bears (Ursus maritimus), 19 reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and five ringed seals (Phoca hispida) were also tested using the same technique. These animals had either been found dead, killed because of abnormal behavior or were apparently healthy when they were collected. Rabies virus antigen was not detected in any of the trapped foxes. Rabies was confirmed in two foxes in 1981, two foxes and one reindeer in 1987, and in one fox in 1990. The presence of rabies in the Svalbard archipelago probably resulted from immigration over the sea ice of an infected host.

Changes in the expression of Fox O1 and death ligand genes during follicular atresia in porcine ovary.

PubMed

Lin, F; Fu, Y H; Han, J; Shen, M; Du, C W; Li, R; Ma, X S; Liu, H L

2014-08-28

Follicular atresia, a key phenomenon in follicle development, eliminates most of the follicles in mammalian ovaries. To investigate the molecular mechanism of follicular atresia in porcine ovaries, we investigated the mRNA expression of three important cell death ligand-receptor systems and Fox O1 in follicles with a diameter of 3-5 mm. The phosphorylation and subcellular localization of Fox O1 during granulosa cell apoptosis was also determined. TRAIL and Fas L played an important role in follicular atresia at this stage. Fox O1 expression was upregulated during atresia, and was confined to the nucleus of granulosa cells; however, phosphorylated Fox O1 was localized to the cytoplasm. These results suggest Fox O1 involvement in the regulation of TRAIL and Fas L expression during follicular atresia in pigs.

Interplay between metabolic rate and diet quality in the South American fox, Pseudalopex culpaeus.

PubMed

Silva, Sergio I; Jaksic, Fabian M; Bozinovic, Francisco

2004-01-01

We studied the metabolic costs associated with the ingestion of peppertree fruits (Schinus molle) in the culpeo fox, Pseudalopex culpaeus, the second largest canid in South America. Throughout its range of distribution, this fox feeds on rodents and other small vertebrates, and also on peppertree fruits, which represent 98% of total fruits consumed in semiarid Chile. Peppertree contains a high diversity of phytochemicals. Foxes feeding on diets containing rats and peppertree fruits (mixed diets) exhibited a 98.9% increase in basal rate of metabolism when compared to rat-acclimated foxes. Thus, acute ingestion of chemically defended fruits has an energetic cost for the fox, reflected in higher values of basal metabolism. Increased metabolic rates may be associated with increased protein synthesis for detoxification and for tissue repair, including the production of biotransformation enzymes.

Swift fox survival and production in southeastern Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olson, Travis L.; Lindzey, Frederick G.

2002-01-01

We estimated annual survival rates of swift foxes (Vulpes velox) and documented number of young per pair in a transition zone between shortgrass prairie and sagebrush steppe plant communities in southeastern Wyoming during 1996-2000. Annual adult survival ranged from 40% to 69%, with predation by coyotes (Canis latrans) the primary cause of deaths. Two foxes died of canine distemper virus. Annual survival rates did not differ among years (P>0.12). Nineteen of 24 (79%) swift fox pairs were observed with young over 3 years. Mean minimum litter size was 4.6 based on these 19 litters and 6 others not associated with our radiocollared foxes. Adult survival was similar and litter size slightly larger than observed elsewhere in the species range, suggesting that viable swift fox populations can be supported by sagebrush steppe and shortgrass prairie transition habitat.

Novel Ehrlichia and Hepatozoon agents infecting the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) in southeastern Brazil.

PubMed

Almeida, Aliny P; Souza, Tayse D; Marcili, Arlei; Labruna, Marcelo B

2013-05-01

This study evaluated infection by vector-borne agents in 58 crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous L.) that were road-killed in an Atlantic rainforest reserve in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Spleen, lung, or blood samples collected from the foxes were tested in the laboratory by a battery of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting bacteria of the genera Rickettsia, Borrelia, Coxiella, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia; and protozoa of the genera Babesia, Hepatozoon, and Leishmania. Of the targeted organisms, evidence of infection in the foxes was detected for Ehrlichia and Hepatozoon organisms only. Overall, six (10.3%) foxes were infected by an ehrlichial agent closely related to an ehrlichial agent recently detected in free-ranging Jaguars [(Panthera onca (L.)] in central-western Brazil, and to Ehrlichia ruminantium. For Hepatozoon, 28 (48.3%) foxes were infected by an agent closely related to Hepatozoon sp. Curupira 2 and H. americanum; and one (1.7%) fox was infected by an organism closely related to reptile-associated Hepatozoon agents. Finally, 11 (19.0%) foxes were found infested by Amblyomma cajennense (F.) nymphs, which were all PCR negative for the range of vector-borne agents cited above. Because the haplotypes found in free-ranging foxes are genetically closely related to pathogens of great veterinary importance, namely E. ruminantium and H. americanum, it is highly desirable to know if these novel organisms have any important role as agents of diseases in domestic animals and wildlife in Brazil.

Hepatozoon canis in German red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and their ticks: molecular characterization and the phylogenetic relationship to other Hepatozoon spp.

PubMed

Najm, Nour-Addeen; Meyer-Kayser, Elisabeth; Hoffmann, Lothar; Pfister, Kurt; Silaghi, Cornelia

2014-07-01

In this study, the prevalence of Hepatozoon spp. in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and their ticks from Germany, as well as molecular characterizations and phylogenetic relationship to other Hepatozoon spp. were investigated. DNA extracts of 261 spleen samples and 1,953 ticks were examined for the presence of Hepatozoon spp. by a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 18S rRNA gene. The ticks included four tick species: Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes canisuga, Ixodes hexagonus and Dermacentor reticulatus. A total of 118/261 foxes (45.2%) and 148/1,953 ticks (7.5%) were Hepatozoon PCR-positive. Amplicons from 36 positive foxes and 41 positive ticks were sequenced. All sequences obtained from foxes and 39/41 from ticks had a 99% similarity to Hepatozoon canis, whereas two ticks' sequences had a 99% identity to Hepatozoon sp. The obtained Hepatozoon sequences in this study were phylogenetically related to other Hepatozoon sequences detected in other countries, which may represent strain variants. The high prevalence of H. canis DNA in red foxes in this study supports the suggested role of those animals in distribution of this parasite. Furthermore, detection of DNA of H. canis in foxes and all examined tick species collected from those foxes allows speculating about previously undescribed potential vectors for H. canis and suggests a potential role of the red fox in its natural endemic cycles.

Role of Forkhead Box Class O proteins in cancer progression and metastasis.

PubMed

Kim, Chang Geun; Lee, Hyemin; Gupta, Nehal; Ramachandran, Sharavan; Kaushik, Itishree; Srivastava, Sangeeta; Kim, Sung-Hoon; Srivastava, Sanjay K

2018-06-01

It is now widely accepted that several gene alterations including transcription factors are critically involved in cancer progression and metastasis. Forkhead Box Class O proteins (FoxOs) including FoxO1/FKHR, FoxO3/FKHRL1, FoxO4/AFX and FoxO6 transcription factors are known to play key roles in proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, cell metabolism, aging and cancer biology through their phosphorylation, ubiquitination, acetylation and methylation. Though FoxOs are proved to be mainly regulated by upstream phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3 K)/Akt signaling pathway, the role of FoxOs in cancer progression and metastasis still remains unclear so far. Thus, with previous experimental evidences, the present review discussed the role of FoxOs in association with metastasis related molecules including cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1), Cdc25A/Cdk2, Src, serum and glucocorticoid inducible kinases (SGKs), CXCR4, E-cadherin, annexin A8 (ANXA8), Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and mRNAs such as miR-182, miR-135b, miR-499-5p, miR-1274a, miR-150, miR-34b/c and miR-622, subsequently analyzed the molecular mechanism of some natural compounds targeting FoxOs and finally suggested future research directions in cancer progression and metastasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dispersal patterns of red foxes relative to population density

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, Stephen H.; Sargeant, Alan B.

1993-01-01

Factors affecting red fox (Vulpes vulpes) dispersal patterns are poorly understood but warranted investigation because of the role of dispersal in rebuilding depleted populations and transmission of diseases. We examined dispersal patterns of red foxes in North Dakota based on recoveries of 363 of 854 foxes tagged as pups and relative to fox density. Foxes were recovered up to 8.6 years after tagging; 79% were trapped or shot. Straight-line distances between tagging and recovery locations ranged from 0 to 302 km. Mean recovery distances increased with age and were greater for males than females, but longest individual recovery distances were by females. Dispersal distances were not related to population density for males (P = 0.36) or females (P = 0.96). The proportion of males recovered that dispersed was inversely related to population density (r = -0.94; n = 5; P = 0.02), but not the proportion of females (r = -0.49; n = 5; P = 0.40). Dispersal directions were not uniform for either males (P = 0.003) or females (P = 0.006); littermates tended to disperse in similar directions (P = 0.09). A 4-lane interstate highway altered dispersal directions (P = 0.001). Dispersal is a strong innate behavior of red foxes (especially males) that results in many individuals of both sexes traveling far from natal areas. Because dispersal distance was unaffected by fox density, populations can be rebuilt and diseases transmitted long distances regardless of fox abundance.

Inferring the distribution and demography of an invasive species from sighting data: the red fox incursion into Tasmania.

PubMed

Caley, Peter; Ramsey, David S L; Barry, Simon C

2015-01-01

A recent study has inferred that the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is now widespread in Tasmania as of 2010, based on the extraction of fox DNA from predator scats. Heuristically, this inference appears at first glance to be at odds with the lack of recent confirmed discoveries of either road-killed foxes--the last of which occurred in 2006, or hunter killed foxes--the most recent in 2001. This paper demonstrates a method to codify this heuristic analysis and produce inferences consistent with assumptions and data. It does this by formalising the analysis in a transparent and repeatable manner to make inference on the past, present and future distribution of an invasive species. It utilizes Approximate Bayesian Computation to make inferences. Importantly, the method is able to inform management of invasive species within realistic time frames, and can be applied widely. We illustrate the technique using the Tasmanian fox data. Based on the pattern of carcass discoveries of foxes in Tasmania, we infer that the population of foxes in Tasmania is most likely extinct, or restricted in distribution and demographically weak as of 2013. It is possible, though unlikely, that that population is widespread and/or demographically robust. This inference is largely at odds with the inference from the predator scat survey data. Our results suggest the chances of successfully eradicating the introduced red fox population in Tasmania may be significantly higher than previously thought.

Concentrations and patterns of hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) from Svalbard.

PubMed

Routti, Heli; Andersen, Martin S; Fuglei, Eva; Polder, Anuschka; Yoccoz, Nigel G

2016-09-01

Concentrations and patterns of hydroxylated (OH) polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated in liver from arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) sampled from Svalbard 1997-2011 (n = 100). The most important OH-PBDE in the arctic foxes was 6-OH-BDE47 detected in 24% of the samples. Relationships between 6-OH-BDE47, δ(13)C and BDE47 suggest that 6-OH-BDE47 residues in arctic foxes are related to marine dietary input, while the relative importance of the metabolic/natural origin of this compound remains unclear. 4-OH-CB187 and 4-OH-CB146 were the main OH-PCBs among the analyzed compounds. The OH-PCB pattern in the present arctic foxes indicates that arctic foxes have a capacity to biotransform a wide range of PCBs of different structures. Formation and retention of OH-PCBs was tightly related to PCB exposure. Furthermore, ΣOH-PCB concentrations were four times higher in the leanest compared to the fattest foxes. Concentrations of 4-OH-CB187 and 4-OH-CB146 among the highest contaminated arctic foxes were similar to the previously reported concentrations for polar bears. Given the high endocrine disruptive potential of OH-PCBs, we suggest that endocrine system may be affected by the relatively high OH-PCB residues in the Svalbard arctic fox population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Oncoprotein Tax Controls Forkhead Box O4 Activity through Degradation by the Proteasome▿

PubMed Central

Oteiza, Alexandra; Mechti, Nadir

2011-01-01

Activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway by the viral Tax oncoprotein plays a pivotal role in clonal expansion of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-infected cells. As the Forkhead box O (FoxO) tumor suppressors act as downstream effectors of PI3K/Akt, they represent good candidate targets whose dysregulation by Tax might be involved in HTLV-1-mediated activation and transformation of infected cells. In this report, we provide evidence showing that Tax induces a dose-dependent degradation of FoxO4 by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Consistent with that, we demonstrate that Tax expression increases the interaction between FoxO4 and Mdm2 E3 ligase, leading to a strong FoxO4 polyubiquitination. These processes require the phosphorylation of FoxO4 by Akt, since a mutant of FoxO4 with mutations on its three Akt phosphorylation sites appears to be resistant to Tax-mediated degradation and ubiquitination. In addition, we show that Tax expression is associated with degradation and phosphorylation of endogenous FoxO4 in Jurkat T cells. Finally, we demonstrate that Tax represses FoxO4 transcriptional activity. Our study demonstrates that Tax can control FoxO4 protein stability and transcriptional activity and provides new insight into the subversion of cell signaling pathways during HTLV-1 infection. PMID:21525355

C. elegans EAK-3 inhibits dauer arrest via nonautonomous regulation of nuclear DAF-16/FoxO activity

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanmei; Xu, Jinling; Puscau, Cristina; Kim, Yongsoon; Wang, Xi; Alam, Hena; Hu, Patrick J.

2008-01-01

SUMMARY Insulin regulates development, metabolism, and lifespan via a conserved PI3K/Akt pathway that promotes cytoplasmic sequestration of FoxO transcription factors. The regulation of nuclear FoxO is poorly understood. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, insulin-like signaling functions in larvae to inhibit dauer arrest and acts during adulthood to regulate lifespan. In a screen for genes that modulate C. elegans insulin-like signaling, we identified eak-3, which encodes a novel protein that is specifically expressed in the two endocrine XXX cells. The dauer arrest phenotype of eak-3 mutants is fully suppressed by mutations in daf-16/FoxO, which encodes the major target of C. elegans insulin-like signaling, and daf-12, which encodes a nuclear receptor regulated by steroid hormones known as dafachronic acids. eak-3 mutation does not affect DAF-16/FoxO subcellular localization but enhances expression of the direct DAF-16/FoxO target sod-3 in a daf-16/FoxO- and daf-12-dependent manner. eak-3 mutants have normal lifespans, suggesting that EAK-3 decouples insulin-like regulation of development and longevity. We propose that EAK-3 activity in the XXX cells promotes the synthesis and/or secretion of a hormone that acts in parallel to AKT-1 to inhibit the expression of DAF-16/FoxO target genes. Similar hormonal pathways may regulate FoxO target gene expression in mammals. PMID:18241854

FoxO inhibits juvenile hormone biosynthesis and vitellogenin production in the German cockroach.

PubMed

Süren-Castillo, Songül; Abrisqueta, Marc; Maestro, José L

2012-07-01

The transcription factor Forkhead-box O (FoxO) is the main transcriptional effector of the Insulin Receptor/Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (InR/PI3K) pathway. In a situation of nutrient restriction, the pathway is inactive and FoxO translocates to the nucleus to exert its transcriptional action. In starved females of the cockroach Blattella germanica, the reproductive processes, and in particular the synthesis of juvenile hormone in the corpora allata and that of vitellogenin in the fat body, are arrested. In the present report we examine the possible role of FoxO in the transduction of the nutritional signals to these reproductive events. We first cloned FoxO cDNA from B. germanica (BgFoxO), and showed that its expression is not nutritionally regulated. BgFoxO knockdown using systemic RNAi in vivo in starved females elicited an increase of juvenile hormone biosynthesis, although without modifying mRNA levels of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase-1, HMG-CoA synthase-2, HMG-CoA reductase or methyl farnesoate epoxidase (CYP15A1) in corpora allata. In addition, BgFoxO RNAi treatment produced a remarkable increase of vitellogenin mRNA levels in fat body and of vitellogenin protein in the haemolymph. Our results indicate that BgFoxO plays an inhibitory role on juvenile hormone biosynthesis and vitellogenin production in a situation of nutrient shortage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-talk among HMGA1 and FoxO1 in control of nuclear insulin signaling.

PubMed

Chiefari, Eusebio; Arcidiacono, Biagio; Palmieri, Camillo; Corigliano, Domenica Maria; Morittu, Valeria Maria; Britti, Domenico; Armoni, Michal; Foti, Daniela Patrizia; Brunetti, Antonio

2018-06-04

As a mediator of insulin-regulated gene expression, the FoxO1 transcription factor represents a master regulator of liver glucose metabolism. We previously reported that the high-mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) protein, a molecular switch for the insulin receptor gene, functions also as a downstream target of the insulin receptor signaling pathway, representing a critical nuclear mediator of insulin function. Here, we investigated whether a functional relationship existed between FoxO1 and HMGA1, which might help explain insulin-mediated gene transcription in the liver. To this end, as a model study, we investigated the canonical FoxO1-HMGA1-responsive IGFBP1 gene, whose hepatic expression is regulated by insulin. By using a conventional GST-pull down assay combined with co-immunoprecipitation and Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) analyses, we provide evidence of a physical interaction between FoxO1 and HMGA1. Further investigation with chromatin immunoprecipitation, confocal microscopy, and Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) technology indicated a functional significance of this interaction, in both basal and insulin-stimulated states, providing evidence that, by modulating FoxO1 transactivation, HMGA1 is essential for FoxO1-induced IGFBP1 gene expression, and thereby a critical modulator of insulin-mediated FoxO1 regulation in the liver. Collectively, our findings highlight a novel FoxO1/HMGA1-mediated mechanism by which insulin may regulate gene expression and metabolism.

A rural mail-carrier index of North Dakota red foxes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, S.H.; Sargeant, A.B.

1975-01-01

Rural mail-carrier sightings of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) during mid-April, -July, and -September of 1969-73 were compared to spring fox family estimates derived by aerial searches of six townships. The mid-April mail-carrier index reflected annual fox density changes on the six townships (correlation coefficient = 0.958) . Random exclusions of individual mail-carrier reports indicated participation could decline 40 percent without affecting index accuracy.

Inactivation of the FoxO3a transcription factor is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species during protein kinase CK2 downregulation-mediated senescence in human colon cancer and breast cancer cells.

PubMed

Park, Seong-Yeol; Bae, Young-Seuk

2016-09-09

We previously showed that protein kinase CK2 downregulation mediates senescence through the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-p53-p21(Cip1/WAF1) pathway in various human cells. In the present study, we investigated whether the FoxO3a transcription factor is associated with ROS production during CK2 downregulation-induced senescence in human colon cancer HCT116 and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. FoxO3a overexpression suppressed ROS production and p53 stabilization induced by a CK2α knockdown. CK2α downregulation induced nuclear export of FoxO3a through stimulation of AKT-mediated phosphorylation of FoxO3a and decreased transcription of its target genes (Cu/ZnSOD, MnSOD, and catalase). In contrast, CK2α overexpression inhibited AKT-mediated FoxO3a phosphorylation. This resulted in nuclear accumulation of FoxO3a, and elevated expression of its target genes. Therefore, these data indicate for the first time that CK2 downregulation stimulates ROS generation by inhibiting FoxO3a during premature senescence in human colon and breast cancer cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

FOX-2 Dependent Splicing of Ataxin-2 Transcript Is Affected by Ataxin-1 Overexpression

PubMed Central

Welzel, Franziska; Kaehler, Christian; Isau, Melanie; Hallen, Linda; Lehrach, Hans; Krobitsch, Sylvia

2012-01-01

Alternative splicing is a fundamental posttranscriptional mechanism for controlling gene expression, and splicing defects have been linked to various human disorders. The splicing factor FOX-2 is part of a main protein interaction hub in a network related to human inherited ataxias, however, its impact remains to be elucidated. Here, we focused on the reported interaction between FOX-2 and ataxin-1, the disease-causing protein in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. In this line, we further evaluated this interaction by yeast-2-hybrid analyses and co-immunoprecipitation experiments in mammalian cells. Interestingly, we discovered that FOX-2 localization and splicing activity is affected in the presence of nuclear ataxin-1 inclusions. Moreover, we observed that FOX-2 directly interacts with ataxin-2, a protein modulating spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 pathogenesis. Finally, we provide evidence that splicing of pre-mRNA of ataxin-2 depends on FOX-2 activity, since reduction of FOX-2 levels led to increased skipping of exon 18 in ataxin-2 transcripts. Most striking, we observed that ataxin-1 overexpression has an effect on this splicing event as well. Thus, our results demonstrate that FOX-2 is involved in splicing of ataxin-2 transcripts and that this splicing event is altered by overexpression of ataxin-1. PMID:22666429